Headed to Pompei soon
 

We are headed to Pompei as a side-trip for two nights from our 10 day Rome trip. I have had a bugger of a time trying to find a tour company that will start there in Pompeii and is halfway affordable. Is it a hard place to get around and enjoy or should we have a guide to see what is really good? Any ideas about getting a guide should we do it ourselves? Also, what are the "can't miss" things in Pompei besides the obvious ruins? Finally, do we need to reserve train tickets now to go to from Rome to Pompei or can we just get them at the station?

Thanks for any input

Muench

Hi M,

Train schedules and tickets are at www.trenitalia.com. You can buy your tickets in Rome.

You take the train to Naples Centrale (Garibaldi), go downstairs and take the Circumvesuviana to "Pompei Scavi".

Upon arriving at the ruins, you will find a number of authorized guides. Hook up with one of them.

>..what are the "can't miss" things in Pompei besides the obvious ruins?<

Can't think of any at the moment.

I suggest that you stay in Naples or Sorrento. You can visit, Herculaneum, the Archaeological Museum, Mt Vesuvius, etc.

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Hi Muench,

If you want a guide that's fine, but not necessary. Last Sept on my second visit to Pompeii, I used their map and the audioguide which I was very happy with. Spent 4 1/2 hours seeing mostly what I didn't see the first time.

If going during the warmer months, be sure to take a hat and water!

Buon viaggio!

Are you interested in doing anything else in the Naples/Sorrento area? If your goal is just Pompei, it makes no sense to me why you would stay in Sorrento or Naples and waste time on trains, but that's just me. If your sole goal is Pompei, just stay there. The Hotel Forum is cheap and really nice - right behind the back entrance to the ruins.

There are guides everywhere - you can just find one at the entrance to the Pompei Scavi. It is a much better experience if you have a guide, because you will know what you are looking at and be able to maximize your time.

Things not to miss in Pompei - well, the only other thing besides the ruins is the Santuario. The statue of the Virgin Mary inside purportedly cries and performs miracles. Worth a visit - and very close to the excavation site of Pompei. Maybe 3 minutes walking distance.

While Pompei the city is not particularly touristy, I think that is part of its appeal. Most people just get off the train at the Pompei Scavi stop and never see anything but the excavation site.

If yoy want nothing but the site, stay Naples and visit museum there the second day. I took train from Rome to Naples before lunch, then to Pompeii, stayed 4 hours, left luggage at free locker, went on to Sorrento same evening, Capri the next day, back to Sorrento, return to Rome the 3rd. This was September, don't know how Capri would be now, surely not so crammed with other tourists. Many recommend Herculanum instead of Pompeii.

Visiting the archeological museum in Napoli is an important part of "seeing" Pompeii. I think it qualifies as a "can't miss."

If you decide to stay in Pompeii we loved this hotel. It isn't expensive and they take very good care of you.
http://www.hotelforum.it/ You can easily do Pompeii on your own. You just need a guide book.

I agree with Nessundorma- the Archaeological Museum in Napoli is a prerequisite before visiting the ruins. It will enhance your visit as all the best frescoes and artifacts are in the museum for safekeeping. I enjoyed a self guided tour- it's easy to just wander with the help of a map of the site and much more enjoyable than a guided tour I thought.

We visited Pompeii in March. Wear sturdy walking shoes. The streets and sidewalks are cobblestone.

Woody

Circumstances forced me to see the archeological museum after I saw the ruins, and it was just as wonderful.