Day trip to Pompeii from Napoli

Old Aug 27th, 2015, 07:10 PM
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Day trip to Pompeii from Napoli

We'll be arriving Napoli in mid-October and are wondering if we should see Pompeii or just settle for Hercalaneum if that's nearly as good? What is the best way to see Pompeii as a daytrip - train or bus?
We will stay at the Centro Historico if that has a bearing on things? We are seniors btw.....
A full organised tour is a bit beyond our budget, but a way to see Pompeii by public transport might be a good idea. Should we look at finding a tour or guide on arrival there or is a printed guidebook sufficient? Should we take our own lunch and picnic or is there relatively cheap food available?
thank you....
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Old Aug 27th, 2015, 08:49 PM
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It is a trivial and cheap train ride from Napoli to either one.

To find out train info, look at the google map, www.google.com/maps, type "Pompeii" into the search box. It brings you to Pompeii. See several blue train station symbols. One at the left edge of the Pompeii is named "Pompei Scavi, Villa dei Misteri" That is the station you get off, right at an entrance to Pompeii. Click on the station pulls down more info, you see vesuviana.it. Click that. You get an Italian page of the commuter train connecting Napoli to Pompeii. Click "Linee e Mappe" on the left. You get list of route maps. The one you want is "Napoli-Pompei Scavi-Sorrento". You notice that only the Sorrento bound train goes to Pompeii Scavi station. ALL OTHER POMPEII STATIONS are far from the Pompeii excavations.

There is an ok cafeteria inside the Pompeii.

Herculaneum is also on the same line at Ercolano Scavi station. But the excavation is about 1km down a gentle hill from the station.

It is possible to visit both on the same day. Of course, you cannot visit the entire Pompeii. You can't even do it in one full day. You can read up on Pompeii and focus on few key ruins that interest you. This is the cheapest and also most informative way - you choose only what you want to see. If you don't know any book, here is an example of many books on this subject, "Fires of Vesuvius by Mary Beard,:" http://www.amazon.com/Fires-Vesuvius.../dp/0674029763. Just check-out one from your library.

There are also many videos on Pompeii. If you want go beyond looking at just some kind of rooms after rooms at Pompeii, here is one video seen from the architectural point of view www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO8lvx--Hv0. You will gain more understanding of what rooms were for and can visualize people doing daily chores, cooking, having dinner, as you visit each home in Pompeii.

There is a thread going on similar subject http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...erculaneum.cfm
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Old Aug 27th, 2015, 09:11 PM
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There is absolutely no need to use a tour guide for either site unless that is your preference.

PLEASE use this site's search function to find the MANY many MANY posts on this topic that have already been offered.
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Old Aug 27th, 2015, 09:47 PM
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Thanks folks. I have looked at several sources of info on Pompeii, including Fodors, but sometimes there can be new info or changes that are important. Hadn't realised you must go for Pompeii-Scavi station only for the gate to the site.
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Old Aug 27th, 2015, 10:49 PM
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I think there ARE two different train stations that give access to Pompeii.
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Old Aug 28th, 2015, 01:06 AM
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Hi,

I would get pretty confused trying to following the instructions given above, and I live in Italy. I assume you are not going to try to go to Italy and Naples without an up-to-date guidebook, and every single decent pro guidebook will give you precise instructions on getting to Pompei using the Circumvesuviana train, which you catch at the Naples train station. And it will be clear about where you should get off the train.

It matters less that you are seniors than whether you have strong mobility and stamina if you want to visit Pompei, and you need to be motivated to do it. The stones of the excavation site are very uneven, and the site is huge, with many of the best preserved bits scattered at the 4 corners. By contrast, Herculaneum is smaller, with easier paths to walk on (although there is a considerable slope/incline going down to the site which means you need to walk back up it at the end (but their might be an elevator somewhere).

There is no point to going to Pompei or Herculaneum if you are going to be confused about what you are seeing. The fact that someone else didn't hire a guide and enjoyed their time doesn't mean you will. There are no "universal" archtypes of travel posting on Fodor's. The guides at Pompei make a good living not because they have snowed millions of tourists into buying an unncecessary service (which people would readily talk about were that true) but because I lot of people arrive in Italy knowing very little about ancient history, and prefer being able to listen and interact with a human being rather than paw through a guidebook trying to figure out which description matches what and which are the most important fallen down stones to look at.

I persinaly could care less about volcanoes and usually avoid historic sites of mass annihilation while on vacation, but I happen to be very very interested in the layout of Roman small cities and how life was lived in them, so Pompeii for me is fascinating. The first time I went, I allotted only 5 hours to see it and Herculaneum, and that was a mistake for me, because I was frustrated by how much in Pompei I didn't have time to see, but I saw all of Herculaneum in perhaps a bit over an hour. Herculaneum was fascining and quite well preserved, and it does give you a clearer idea of how people lived in a smaller, almost suburban town. So whether that would be enough, or whether you want to see the big time city of Pompeii and get a grip on what the heyday of the Roman empire city building was really all about, your choice.

Finally, I will take this opportunity to say that 90 percent of the questions that get asked on Fodor's every day about every country have been asked before and answered before about 10,000 times, and the same people are here every day answering those questions, so I don't kja is suddenly complaining about. What is important to know if you searching in the archives is that at least 50 percent of those thousands of answers are half-baked, totally out of date, bass-ackwards or totally wrong. Only sometimes does somebody with accurate information come along and clear up the mess. You get what you pay for, and for Naples and Pompeii, which are highly complex places, it is best to consult professional guidebooks as well.
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Old Aug 28th, 2015, 01:32 PM
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Just a bit of adjustment to Sandralist's post above regarding Herculaneum. You enter the site near the audio guide pickup booth via a walkway which slopes down to the ancient seafront, then you cross this seafront via a footbridge. This allows you to see the ancient boatsheds. You then walk up some steep stairs to the town's streets. This brings you back to the same level as the top of the walkway. In other words you don't have to 'walk back up again'.

Guides at both sites wait at the ticket office, get a group together of about 10 people and charge 10 euro per person. The audio guides at Pompeii are cumbersome and clunky and rarely updated. They talk about the House of the Vetti which has been closed for eight years. However, they do give some fascinating information such as describing the four styles of Pompeii art/paintings which adds meaning to the site.

Speaking of which, if you have the time, a visit to the Naples Archaeological Museum brings the sites into sharp focus as most of the original mosaics, frescoes, statues and household objects are in this museum. For example, the enormous Alexander Mosaic from the House of the Faun has a copy on site in Pompeii with the original in the museum.
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Old Aug 28th, 2015, 02:22 PM
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Thanks for the great information in this thread - do you think it is best to visit the museum before heading to the sites or vice versa. We'll have Saturday afternoon, Sunday and Monday so we could do either really.
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Old Aug 28th, 2015, 03:05 PM
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I think the museum after the sites - although some would disagree with that - I think it's easier to imagine the artefacts on site after you see the site itself. In a perfect world they would never have been removed but Pompeii has had its fair share of looting in time gone by and robberies from the museum that was formerly on site so keeping these antiquities secure are of utmost importance, hence the removal.
Of course not all the art has been removed - you will still see some stunning larariums in Herculaneum (used for the worship of household gods) and in Pompeii you will see the plaster casts of the victims which - at the present time - are in a purpose built display at the amphitheatre.
Just if you are contemplating visiting the museum - it is closed on Tuesdays and there is no cafe on site - just vending machines.
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Old Aug 28th, 2015, 04:13 PM
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Tommo and Kathy,

My first trip to Pompeii was only 2.5 hours due to traveling with a boyfriend who had a short attention span!

Second visit a few years later I spent another 4.5 hours on my own and enjoyed the audio guide sufficient for my level of interest. On the second visit I mostly focused on what I had not seen before. Like sandralist, I don't care to focus on the tragic background, but am very interested in the ancient life and city. I was very excited to see the new baths that had been excavated since my first visit!

I had been approached by a guide a guide at the entrance, but when I told him I was interested in spending at least 4 hours, he just raised his eyebrows and went in search of tourists with less time and interest. I was amused.

Lunch at the cafeteria was ok, not great. I went prepared with hat, sunscreen and lots of water.

Visited the Arch museum in Naples the next day and liked the mezzanine level the best. mosaics! The Alexander mosaic is amazing. Don't know if visitors' accommodations have changed at the museum since 2005, but I was unable to rent an audio guide without exact change. They didn't take cc and couldn't make change. Go with a good supply of small bills and change just In case. I found the first floor sculptures hard to fully enjoy with no English labels or descriptions. Again, things may have changed since then.

I stayed overnight at Hotel Pinto Storey *** and found it very comfortable and in a very nice location right at Piazza Amadeus in the Chaia neighborhood. Check any current reviews.

Burn viaggio!
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Old Aug 28th, 2015, 04:16 PM
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Argh. Don't you just love autocomplete? I think I will disable mine.
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Old Aug 28th, 2015, 06:20 PM
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Thanks Dale,blueeyedcod,Sandralist etc. I really enjoyed the comments above ....and learned some things too
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Old Aug 28th, 2015, 07:13 PM
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>>>Hadn't realised you must go for Pompeii-Scavi station only for the gate to the site.>>What is important to know if you searching in the archives is that at least 50 percent of those thousands of answers are half-baked, totally out of date, bass-ackwards or totally wrong.
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Old Aug 29th, 2015, 03:55 AM
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Err..isn't entrance to Pompeii now Eu 19.50?
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Old Aug 29th, 2015, 08:19 AM
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Pompeii entrance comes on various forms.

1. As a part of campaniartecard mentioned above
2. as a single visit 13€ /www.pompeiisites.org/Sezione.jsp?titolo=TICKETS+AND+INFO&idSezione=6786
2. as a part of 22€ multiple site combo ticket. same site as #2
3. Pompeii 13€ + Oplontis/Boscoreale 6.50€ = 19.50€

I used the campaniartecard 3 days version that included museums since I needed the regional transport anyway. With this card, once you validated it, you don't have to pull out wallet frequently to pay for the transport. You just keep the validated card in a secure enough place that you can produce should a fare inspector comes around for bus and use it to open the turnstyles to ride the train. I minimize needs to pull out my wallet in public.
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Old Aug 29th, 2015, 10:34 AM
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>>>Err..isn't entrance to Pompeii now Eu 19.50?
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Old Aug 29th, 2015, 01:34 PM
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So the entrance is Eu13 ...but can be Eu17 with extras!..Ha ha I can see much taking of deep breaths will be required... will try my Over 65 years concession request too ..just for fun!
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Old Aug 29th, 2015, 02:00 PM
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There are no concessions for over 65.

There is no need to book online. If you use the amphitheatre entrance there is never a queue for tickets. If you use the Porta Marina ticket office, the line moves quickly.
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Old Aug 29th, 2015, 05:04 PM
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If you end up renting an audio guide, take your drivers license to leave as security.
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Old Sep 5th, 2015, 03:15 PM
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You have had so much advice on here but I will leave a little more if you are interested. I am completely in love with Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius... I won't even get started on the lesser scavi sites that I love in the area. PLEASE get a couple books on life in Pompeii and read up, soak it in and understand what really happened. It is hard to believe but until the eruption of Mt St Helens our scientific world did not understand fully the writing of Pliny. He described the pyroclastic flow but no one else had ever seen it and lived to tell it until Mt St Helens.
Pompeii is huge and I would allow no less than 5 hours. I personally am there from open to close every time I go. The first time I went I took my daughter (age 11 then) and I splurged for a private guide (you hire them inside the gate). The small nuances he was able to point out were unreal! The guide books and audio guides are fine but I find they sometimes take away from me breathing it all in. If your budget prevents a private guide then defiantly do the audioguide but whichever you do, defiantly stay and wander after your *traditional* tour. It is a huge city, take a map. Don't miss the large stadium and the gladiator training grounds. Both of these are much farther back than any guides go.
Herculaneum is much smaller (scavi wise that is. They are prevented from excavating more because modern day Herculaneum sits on top of it. While you are there, look up at modern day life going on a usual and see the houses/apts that their view to the right is the ruins and their view to the left is Vesuvius. Imagine the feeling of seeing that every day. They are in the direct path of exactly what they are sitting on. Herculaneum was destroyed in a much different way than Pompeii, one with boiling mud and one with fiery ash) and is much better preserved. You can get a feeling of what a lot of Pompeii looked like by going to Heruclaneum.
You say you are elderly but I will throw out that you can take a bus part way up Vesuvius and then climb to the crater. Medium grade hike, windy, cold, loose gravel, but tremendous views of the entire Bay of Naples.
If you have time, most of the artifacts from both sites are in the Museum in Naples.
Getting to both sites is easy on the Circumvesuviana train out of Naples. A rickety old train that runs around the bay. I love just getting off at random stops and walking around, experiencing a small slice of life in that little town.
When you get off the train in Herculaneum just walk downhill and you will see the entrance to the ruins on the right. It is a climb back up but you can stop and grab a coffee or some food on the street and ask them to get you a taxi if the climb is too much.
Eat a nice breakfast before Pompeii and take a snack in your bag along with a water. There is food available, not cheap but not expensive. It is only located close to the main forum and not all over the site.
You are going at wonderful time when it will not be as crowded. More time to linger and take it in. I spent a day in Pompeii once in November and only saw 11 people the entire day. Best day ever!
Have a wonderful trip, half the fun is planning.
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