Best way to visit Pompeii??
 

Hi everyone! Its been a while since I posted and my trip to France and Italy is coming up very soon (25 days!!!). I am hoping for some guidance for visiting Pompeii while I am away.

I am going to be arriving in Positano from Florence on July 20 around supper and will be departing to head to Rome on July 25. I leave to head home on July 28 in the afternoon.

I have two options for visiting Pompeii:
1. make this a day trip from Positano - if this were the option, there is a bus stop right by where we are staying so I could take the bus to Sorrento and then the train to Pompeii and the reverse back (or the ferry from Sorrento back). Alternatively I could pay a driver 70 euro to drive us there and train back. I do not wish to pay a driver for both ways as to have the driver wait, etc. the cost becomes very high. (Please let me know if public transit is doable)

2. visit Pompeii on the way to Rome. If this were the case we could hire the driver or do the bus/train option, store our luggage at the train station and when we leave we will need to take the commuter train and then another train to get to Rome.

It seems to make the most sense to visit on the way to Rome to eliminate any backtracking, BUT we will have our luggage with us and I am not sure how crazy or hectic this option will be? Also will we be able to enjoy ourselves on a timeline, knowing we have another travel ahead of us?

Also the choice will make a difference as to which area we sacrifice some time in (either Positano or Rome).

Any support with this would be great! I am not one to want to plan out every little detail, but if this is a daytrip, we need to book our transportation now from Positano to Rome for our departure date. Also it was strongly encouraged that we hire a guide for Pompeii so we will need to chose a date (it sounds like guides are filling up).

Thanks again for everything!!

Meagan

Well, the good news is that you have a couple of good options.

Visiting en route is definitely an option, particularly because you can leave luggage at Pompeii itself.

Or you can visit from Positano.

Whichever you decide, take plenty of water, sunscreen, and protection from the sun (e.g., a wide-brimmed hat.)

I, personally, would not consider hiring a driver -- you have two easy ways to visit Pompeii. YMMV.

"t was strongly encouraged that we hire a guide for Pompeii" -- I disagree. Learn what you can in advance, rent the audio-guide, and bring a good printed summary of the site with you. IME, there is no need to hire a guide unless you prefer doing so. And if you do want to do so, you can hire one on site when you arrive.

" will we be able to enjoy ourselves on a timeline, knowing we have another travel ahead of us?" -- Your call. Pompeii is extensive, and some of the most interesting sites are far from the entrances, but if you plan your time in advance, I don't see why you couldn't enjoy yourselves! Decide on your priorities, go to them first, and then enjoy any "extra" time you have on site.

BTW, have you planned for time to see the extraordinary museum in Naples that holds the artifacts removed from Pompeii? Do consider making time for it!

Hope that helps....

The "best" way to visit Pompeii is with a guide, whether privately or in a group. The site is surprisingly large (which is part of its importance) and with minimum signs to provide help. I visited with an amateur historian who could spot some things of interest but wished I had a pro who was fully familiar with the layout. Guides must be licensed. Some will be thronged at the chaotic entrance. A tour including transportation will certainly be more expensive, but could be more convenient and probably will enrich the experience.

I don't think the 'best' way to see Pompei is with a guide. It's ONE way, some people get the most out of it that way, but it's not the BEST way for everyone. I personally much preferred doing some research and reading ahead of time (before the trip). There is a huge amount of info available on line including the entire booklets that they give you with the ticket. There's a free Yale University course on the Roman house - the video of the lecture and the transcript are available free. Not to mention extensive sections in many guidebooks. So if you are willing to do some research you can then see the sight at your pace - spend as much or as little in each section. But I do agree that if you don't want to read up ahead of time then you should have a guide cause just wandering around with no idea what you are looking at is not the way.

If it were me I'd do it as a day trip from Positano. Pompeii gets crowded later in the morning/afternoon so getting there when it opens is best for both crowds and heat. That would mean taking an early bus from Positano and then train from Sorrento. But it would also mean you'd probably be 'done' with it by early afternoon and you could have a late lunch and explore Sorrento before heading back to Positano. I wouldn't figure on a ferry for this trip since the timing probably won't work, but do try to take a ferry at some point to see the coast from the water.

Be aware that there is NO shade at Pompeii and it tends to be hellishly ot - so it's really important to get there when it opens and tour as much as you can and get out in 3 or 4 hours.

I don;t think you can do this with the bus/train - since in summer the bus takes forever to get anywhere - and is usually completely mobbed (where would you put luggage?). You would probably have to take the bus before 7 am.

I would go for a car service to get you there by 9 am (the driver can avoid the coast road and get you there faster), drop your luggage at the storage and stay as long as you can stand the heat. Then pickup luggage and take the train to Naples - for a quick lunch on the run and then the high speed train to Rome.

Whichever way you decide, you will need a guide. There are excellent guides at the entrance and they guide groups of 10 or fewer. Pompeii is quite expansive and you will be lost without the assistance of a guide.

"Whichever way you decide, you will need a guide. ... Pompeii is quite expansive and you will be lost without the assistance of a guide." I did not get lost.

Do it as a day trip, not as part of a travel day with luggage and connection timetables. We were at Pompeii on a partly cloudy day in May and it was hot. July will be hotter.

We did it without a guide. We had books and maps and like do it yourself. A small group guided visit may be better.

Have well broken in walking shoes. The roads and paths can be quite uneven.

Agree with driver to get there. Coming back by ferry would be great, if the schedule allows. Cool ocean breeze! For food, there is a cafeteria inside Pompeii, there are food stands just outside the entrance, and scores of places in Sorento.

I second seeing the museum in Naples. Great stuff, then get a pizza where pizza was invented.

Have fun!

Just to clarify, there is no place to leave luggage at the train station. The Pompeii site itself has a place to drop luggage. The station is very close to the site entrance, so dragging the luggage shouldn't be a problem.

I agree that you should get there as early as possible. I once visited on a day trip from Rome, in August, so I obviously didn't get there at the crack of dawn. I realized when I got there that I was going to need a sun hat, so I bought one from a vendor outside the entrance. We also bought water there.

We didn't tour with a guide; we had a Michelin Green Guide book and had no problem. I prefer being able to stop when I want to and go as fast or as slow as I want to, especially on a hot day at an outdoor site. There are some places that really need a guide; I consider the Roman Forum to be one of these. I didn't find it at all difficult to get around Pompeii nor to find the things I was interested in.

Since your travel day to Rome is pretty much "lost" anyway, why not see Pompeii enroute?

I would hire a driver to take you to Pompeii very early in the day, store your luggage at the site and tour the site, then catch the Circumvesuviana train to Naples and the fast train to Rome.

With only 4 days in Positano, I would not want to take an entire day to see Pompeii when you can easily do it on your way to Rome.

I'd go from Positano and use a driver at least to get there. Guide/no guide is your call. DH and I bought a map and it served us well. We also befriended a worker who took us into the place he was restoring. We had planned for 1/2 day (we were in Sorrento and just took the Circumvesuviano-sp?-train) but ended up all day there and then went to the Museum in Naples the next day to see even more of the items.

If you don't like it as much as we did, head on back. If time, stop in Naples. Yes, <i>do</i> wear good hat and shoes.

Guide versus no guide.
The first time I went was on my own and I felt that with a map and good guide book, I got more of the overall feeling of Pompeii, the layout, the government, the culture, how children spent their time, life as it once existed, what happened during the horror of the eruption, etc. We spent several hours.

The next two times we were with friends who wanted guides for an hour or so, then wandering for another hour. I felt we got just bits and pieces, information about a few specific buildings or food, etc. but on the whole a very shallow look at Pompeii as a city.

So, it depends on how much time you have, prior study and reading you have done, your interests.

Thank you everyone for all of your suggestions! Regardless of whether we do it on transit to Rome or as a daytrip, we plan to get there early. Does it open at 9 or 10? I was thinking if we arrived at 10 we would look around for a couple hours. We thought about doing the museum as well, but it may make for a long day - is this essential for the experience? What about actually going to see Mount Vesuvius? Are there shuttles that will take you there?

My main concern about visiting on transit to Rome is that we will be confused about where to go when we are finished (we don't speak any Italian). I know you have to take the commuter train (and buy tickets right there) but do you need to buy the highspeed train tickets in advance or can you purchase them there as well? Are they ever sold out?

All other trains we are taking, we have already purchased the tickets.

Just my opinion having gone there
--No need for guide if you do your homework. Plenty of resources online.
--Hot, hot, hot. No shade, no shade, no shade.
--Rough on feet.
--Train tix, no matter where you are coming from, can be bought day of. The travel time, even on the slo-mo train, is very minimal.

http://www.rometoolkit.com/naples_vi...na_trains.html
http://www.rometoolkit.com/whattodo/...rome_rail.html

--I would HATE to be stuck on a tour bus
--We did NOT visit the Naples Museum. I personally wish we could have (this was a daytrip from Rome) but I was vetoed by the family.
--Kids were exhausted, and for them (they are darn good kids), a tad whiney. All were there ONLY because Pompeii was something I had wanted to see all of my life.

Even so they tell me to this day Pompeii was one of their FAVORITE visits in all of our numerous trips to Europe.

Go figure.

I wholeheartedly recommend visiting the museum in Naples if at possible. IMO, it really adds to one's understanding of Pompeii and life at that time.

Depending on how interested you are in Roman history and the time you want to devote to the subject, consider:

Pompeii shows the "bones" of an ancient city. Most of the decoration is no longer there, and Pompeii is ruins. But it is big and has everything from a Roman city.

Herculaneum is much smaller and much better preserved. The buildings are more like they were. If Pompeii is the bones, Herculaneum is the "flesh."

The Archaeological Museum in Naples has the art, the frescoes, the statues, all the color that is no longer in Pompeii and Herculaneum. It is marvelous. Call it the "soul."

If you want to see it all, you need two days, or at least a day and a half. Pompeii and Herculaneum can be seen in one day with a lot of walking. Or do Pompeii one day and Herculaneum and the Archaeological Museum on another day. Alone, the museum is good for a half day.

Your choice.

Taking the train from Sorrento to Pompeii is very easy.

There are 3 trains in each direction every day: Trains leave Sorrento station at 9.57, 13.50 and 19.53.

On board there is a welcome video, films and photos to promote the cultural excellencies, the beauties of the area and the gastronomic delicacies. There are also multilingual help services planned for tourists.

The tickets cost €15 return, or €10 for Campania ArteCard holders. Tickets can be bought and booked at the info-point at Napoli-Porta Nolana and Piazza Garibaldi, but also at Capodichino Airport and in Sorrento. You can also buy and book tickets online.

http://www.eavsrl.it/web/en/content/campania-express

There is also the Circumvesuviana commuter train every 30-40 minutes. Much cheaper, no amenities.

"If Pompeii is the bones, Herculaneum is the 'flesh.'" -- I find this a very interesting and not inapt characterization. I would add that the differences are in part because of differences in the actual causes of destruction in the two places, so that flammable matter in Pompeii was almost all destroyed, while some wood (etc.) survived in Herculaneum. BUT as I understand it, they were different even before the Vesuvius erupted: Pompeii was a "normal" work-a-day town; Herculaneum was a small town inhabited by the luxury class. So the differences in what one sees NOW are partially because of what existed and partially because of what survived.

I like thinking of the Archaeological Museum in Naples as housing the "soul" of both communities. :-)