Save with the Campania Arte Card on public transportation and sightseeing in the Naples region (Campania) including skip-the-line admission to Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum, and major museums.
Travelers to Naples and cultural sites in the rest of the Campania region including Pompeii and Herculaneum save with the Campania Arte Card travel pass on sightseeing admission tickets and public transportation. The 3-day Campania card gives free admission to two sites, half-price admission on a further 80, and unlimited public transportation on buses, funiculars, the metro, and regional trains in the Napoli vicinity for three calendar days. The slightly cheaper Napoli Arte Card gives similar savings but in the Naples city limits only. The Campania Arte Card is very good value, permits using the fast skip-the-line ticket windows to jump queues, and cut out the need to buy separate train and bus tickets. Making free reservations at major sites may be necessary and sensible even if not always compulsory. Buy the Campania Arte Card online and use it as a mobile phone app.
Save with the 3-Day Campania Arte Card in Naples
The Campania Artecard comes in several versions but for most travelers, the most useful versions are the 3 giorni Tutta la Regione (3-day whole region) cards that are accepted at all major cultural sights and on local public transportation in the Campania region around Naples.
The 3-day Campania Arte Card gives free admission to the first two sites visited (three for the young person’s card) and then up to 50% discount on further sites for the three-day card.
Public transportation on local buses, the Naples metro, and regional trains are included for free on the 3-day card. This is a major benefit as it cuts out the need for queuing up to buy regional train tickets, which are often available at ticket windows only.
The 3-day Campania Artecard is currently available in two versions:
- €32 – 3 days for adults
- €25 – three days for young persons (EU nationals aged 18 to 25)
As children under 18 have free admission to most sights, no children’s version is available, which is a pity, as families will need to buy train tickets separately.
The card pays for itself very quickly: for example, a visit to Pompeii (€18) and the National Archaeological Museum in Naples (€15 to €22) and using the metro and trains on a return trip from Naples will cover the cost even before seeing further sites such as the Herculaneum (€13) or the Catacombs (€9).
Buying the Campania Art Card
The Campania Arte Card is increasingly available only as a mobile phone app (although physical cards may still be available in a few limited locations).
First, buy the Campania Arte card online and receive the activation code. Download the >artecard app. A WhatsApp message is usually necessary to receive the final activation code. A delay of several minutes, even 15 to 20, sometimes occurs so don’t buy last minute, and don’t panic if the app doesn’t find a valid card.
The Campania Arte Card is not valid on the Alibus between the airport and Naples Garibaldi station and port – buy the €5 ticket directly from the bus driver.
Using the Campania Arte Card in Napoli
The Campania Artecard must be manually activated in the >artecard app on the day of first use by tapping the Activate button — this is sensibly done in the hotel with good wifi, as there is sometimes a slight delay. Keep in mind that the Campania Arte Card is valid for 3 calendar days, not 72 hours, so do not activate it the night before first use by mistake — once activated, it is impossible to reset the running time.
Once activated, two distinct QR codes are generated automatically in the app: one for public transportation and one for the sights. Take screenshots of both, as the app is sometimes slow to load the card. Often when opening the app, the default setting seems to be to claim there is no valid card until the valid card loads a few seconds later.
At museums and archaeological sites, a paper ticket must usually still be picked up from the ticket windows. At sites such as Pompeii, use the fast-lane vouchers ticket window while Campania Arte Cardholders may legitimately if somewhat embarrassingly, go to the front of the queues at other sites.
From the third site — it is not possible to pick anything but the first two sites visited for free admission — Campania Artecard users receive usually a 50% discount on the standard admission.
At times, time-slot reservations may be essential at major museums and sights. In such case, a special Campania Artecard option should be available but if not, select any free ticket type to get a time slot and present the card normally when visiting.
Sights Included in the Campania Arte Card
As the first sights visited when using the Campania Arte Card are free, it makes sense to first see the more expensive sights such as Pompeii and the National Museum of Archaeology in Naples (MANN).
The card is accepted at around 80 sites in Campania, including 40 in the City of Naples alone. Some of the major sights include:
- Excavations of Pompeii (Scavi di Pompei)
- The Excavations of Herculaneum (Scavi di Ercolano)
- Paestum (Museum and archaeological park)
- National Archaeological Museum in Naples (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli)
- MADRE
- Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte
- Naples Catacombs
- Castel Nuovo
- Palazzo Reale di Napoli
- Teatro di San Carlo
Note: for the young person’s card a few of these sights, including the popular catacombs and theater, may only be selected for a discounted and not free admission.
Other Napoli Arte Cards in Naples
Several further related arte cards are available but the 3-day card is usually the most useful to foreign visitors. However, two others are also worth considering:
- The 7-day Tutti-La-Regione card gives free admission to the first 5 sights and then up to 50% discount for seven days. It is fantastic value at €34 but does not include any transportation benefits.
- The 3-day Napoli Arte card gives free admission to three sites and public transportation inside the city of Naples and then half-price admission to a further 40 sights. It cost €21 (€12 for young people). This card does not include Pompeii, Herculaneum, or any sites outside Naples city limits.
These cards are also available online for advance purchase.
For More on Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Naples:
- Save with the Campania Arte Card on Sightseeing Ticket and Transportation – now also available as an app — buy the Campania Arte Card online.
- Pompeii Excavations Archaeological Site: Top Tips on VisitingPompeii, Buying Tickets and Booking Tours & Cheap Transportation to Pompeii
- Herculaneum Archaeological Site (Ercolano): Tips on Buying Tickets and When to Visit & Cheap Transportation to Herculaneum
- Visit the National Museum of Archaeology in Naples – home to the Farnese sculptures and the best artworks, mosaics, and frescoes from the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
- Book Tours to Pompeii, Herculaneum, or both at Get Your Guide.
- Buy Italian train tickets in English at Trainline — however, not possible for the commuter train to Ercolano or Pompeii — easy to buy at the station or use the Campania Arte Card.
