Hello, <BR> <BR>My husband I are travelling to Italy this September and were hoping to take a day trip to Pompeii from Rome. <BR> <BR>Can anyone recommend a bus tour/route? We don't necessarily need a guided tour through Pompeii, but we would like easy and saft transportation there and back. <BR> <BR>The only tour we have found included a few factory tours along the way, which is not of interest. <BR> <BR>We welcome any suggestions or recommendations from your previous travels. <BR> <BR>Kevena.

I doubt you'll find a bus tour that does not include a tour of a cameo factory and a tour of furniture showroom. That, after all, is how the guides make a good bit of their income ... from commissions. <BR> <BR>It's really not difficult (or unsafe) to take the train to Pompeii. Brief directions at www.twenj.com/romesightsexcurse.htm Also, if you do a thorough search of this forum you should find an excellent, detailed 'how to' on traveling to Pompeii. <BR> <BR>Ed

You might consider staying overnight in <BR>Sorrento or some other town. The drive from Rome to Pompei is about three hours. I know that bus tours frequently make this trip in one day, but I think it would be more enjoyable spread out over two days. Old Pompei is very large.

It really is a piece of cake to take the train to Pompei. You can take the train from Rome to Naples. At the Naples station transfer to the "local trains" (sorry, I can't recall the specific name at this moment - I think it is "circum -something"), and ride about 45 minutes to Pompei. The train station for the "local trains" is direcly across from the gate into Pompei. It is however, about a 3 hour trip each way, and I think it is quite easy to spend an entire day exploring Pompei which could leave you too tired to want to deal with a 3 hour train trip back to Rome. Staying a night near by might be an easy solution to this.

Kevena, The train from Naples to Pompeii is called the circumvesuviana (meaning around Vesuvius). It's 1/2 hour from Naples or from Sorrento. Be sure to take the train that stops at Pompeii Villa Misteri since there are two train stops for Pompeii. The Villa Misteri is on the main Naples-Sorrento line and stops right outside the entrance to the site. You can arrange a guided tour once you get there and there are guide books for sale in the gift shop if you don't want a tour. The ruins are quite large and you could easily spend most of a day there walking around if you want to see the entire area. The fast train from Rome to Naples is about 2-1/2 hours but some trains do take longer. Gemmi has a good idea to stay in Sorrento. There are lots of hotels to chose from. <BR> <BR>If you'd rather have an escorted trip to Pompeii you can arrange for a car and driver to take you there. It will probably be a bit costly though. <BR>Adrienne <BR>

Good afternoon, the name of the railway <BR>going from Naples to Sorrento with a <BR>stop in Pompeii is the Circumnvesuviana, the web site is www.vesuviana.it/ <BR>Naples by rail from Rome should just be <BR>over two hours and an additional 30 mins <BR>to Pompeii. <BR>Richard of La Grange Park, Il... <BR>PS local guides for Pompeii are available for hire at the front gate <BR>if the cost is within your rasson would <BR>suggest it as they know the territory. <BR>rjv