I’ve been to Herculaneum and there is a good view of Vesuvius from the site and on the way from the CircumVesuvius train station to the site. However, it certainly doesn’t look like it’s that close….

It’s easy to get to Herculaneum. It’s a 5 to 10 minute walk from the station to the site While it’s a much smaller site than Pompeii, it’s much less crowded, and in many ways more interesting. If you intend to visit both, there’s a combo ticket that covers 7 or 8 different Pompeii sites (maybe including the crater?????????????) and Herculaneum.

I’ve not been to Vesuvius, but somebody asked about it here a while ago, so a search may pop something. At the time, it sounded like a tour, which took you to the crater rim and perhaps a short hike partway down, was a good option.

See:
http://www.vesuviopa…

Hi everyone, thanks for the advice! It looks like a taxi is the best bet (buses only run twice per day, if that). I’ll let you know how it turns out.