Guides at Pompeii and Travel from Rome to Pompeii in One Day
 

On our last day in Rome on March 13, we plan a day trip to Pompeii.

Guides: I have been before and want my daughter to see it. When I went, I was part of a guided tour, but I noticed guides that you could hire outside the gates. Any thoughts on the quality of these guides? Does anyone know the cost?

Travel: We plan to take the train to Naples and then Pompeii that morning. We have a flight at 8:30pm and must return to Rome for luggage before going to the airport. Will we have adequate time for this?

All thoughts/advice appreciated

If you pick up a guide outside, make sure the person you are talking to is the guide and you can understand them (some guides have more accent and can be hard to understand for some people). Sometimes the people outside Pompeii are just recruiters, not the actual guide.

I wouldn't risk going on a day I had a flight.

I don't think it's a great idea. I can't remember the exact times but wouldn't you need to be leaving Pompeii by about midday to make it back to Rome, collect luggage and get to the airport to be there by 5.30 for an 8.30 flight? From memory it's about 30 mins from Naples to Pompeii, plus Rome to Pompeii, however long that takes. If you decide to go ahead, then I think I've read that there is luggage storage at Pompeii, then at least you wouldn't have to track all the way back to your hotel.

Have you been to Ostia Attica? It would be much easier in the time you have? ,

"Will we have adequate time for this?"

If you plan carefully and start early enough, yes of course.

There are no trains direct from Naples to either Rome airport. Assuming you're flying out from Fiumicino, you have to change trains at Rome anyway, so the luggage part adds relatively little to your journey time, assuming you allow half an hour or so to collect your bags from your station left luggage. You need to allow time departing to Naples to deposit your bags, which are liable to a security check.

There are two alternatives: Naples-Rome Tiburtina with Italotreno or to Rome Termini with Trenitalia. Both take about 70 mins to Rome, then a bit over 30 to the airport by half-hourly connecting trains, but I'm not sure there's left luggage at Tiburtina. By FAST train (prebooking esential), allow 2 hrs 45 from Naples Centrale to the airport, plus the time to get from the excavations at Pompeii to the local station then into Naples Centrale.

The excavations are vast, and can easily take up a full day, though you can do a lot in five hours between arriving at the site gates and getting back to the gates.

I would never go to Pompeii the day of my departure. Too many transportation links where something can go wrong: the commuter train between Pompeii and Naples, the train to Rome, the train or taxi to the airport.

Transportation in Italy is subject to interruptions: breakdowns, strikes, traffic jams. For flights to the US, I make it a point to be in my departure city the day (or night) before. What happens if you miss your flight? Will you have to buy new tickets at the last-minute walkup price? Wait several days for the next flight with available seats?

Your luggage can be stored at the luggage storage at Pompeii or at Rome's Stazione Termini. But that takes time to store and retrieve.

>>>so the luggage part adds relatively little to your journey time, <<<

That's not always true. There can be long lines at Termini luggage storage at times.

Tiburtina isn't as good of an option as it's further from the airport (train travel time about 50 minutes). They do seem to have luggage storage since their last remodel. Italo also doesn't offer as many trains as Trenitalia does.

I suggest you visit Pompeii the day before your departure.

Many thanks to all. Based on your comments, we will stay in Rome on our last day rather than add stress. My daughter will just have to make another trip over!!!