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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Paestum
Visit the three Greek temples and museum in 4–5 hours; add a night if you want beach time or a local hotel stay.
Paestum is a compact UNESCO archaeological park with three well‑preserved Doric temples, a museum and a nearby beach. A half‑day covers the main sights; an overnight lets you relax on the sand and enjoy local eateries.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat, crowds)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €30–50 excl. bed · Mid €55–90 excl. bed · High €100+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | €1–2 |
| Pizza Margherita | €5–8 |
| Museum + park ticket | €9 |
| Regional train ticket (one way) | €5–9 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NAP · Naples International Airport
- Fast train to Salerno (≈1 h) then regional train 30 min to Paestum.
- QSR · Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport
- Small airport; limited flights, then train 30 min.
Typical fares
- Salerno → Paestum train (return)
- about €9 per person (check)
- Museum + park combo
- €9 (valid 3 days)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
From Paestum train station walk 10 min west to the museum, then follow signs to the temple entrance. The site is flat; most attractions are within a 5‑minute walk.
See and do
Known for
- Three Greek Doric temples
- National Archaeological Museum
- Beach of Paestum
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Salerno | Regional train 30 min north | ≈45 min |
| Amalfi Coast (Positano, Amalfi) | Summer ferry from Salerno, then local bus | 2–3 h total |
Sleep
- Hotel delle Rose
- €35 single – €85 quad; on Via Magna Grecia near the ruins.
- Holiday Village Parco Elena
- Family‑run village, budget rooms, close to beach.
- Oleandri Resort Paestum – Hotel Village Residence Club
- Large resort with pool, private beach; rates vary.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Scusiˈskuːzi |
| Thank you | Grazieˈɡrattsje |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?ˈkwanto ˈkosta |
| Where is the bathroom? | Dove è il bagno?ˈdove ɛ il ˈbaɲɲo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- Ticket machines at Paestum station often malfunction; buy tickets online or at Salerno station.
- Museum closed on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month (last admission 13:00).
- Summer heat can be intense; bring water and sun protection.
Paestum is low‑risk; stay on marked paths, watch for midday heat, and keep valuables secure on the beach.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Paestum yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Three Greek Doric temples
- National Archaeological Museum
- Beach of Paestum
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata Paestum: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12345
- Wikivoyage: Paestum, revision 5264489 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5264489
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/paestum). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.