Herculaneum: Tour guide or audioguide?
 

Anyone done either? If we do the tour guide, how much is it? where do you find one? are there "official" tour guides vs. "unofficial" tour guides?

I am not sure they have any. When I was there, I didn't see any audio guides or tour guides.

jck4,
I used the audio guide at Herculanium and thought it was very similar to the audio guide at Pompeii. I did not see any tour guides but I was not really looking for them.

In 3 off-season visits I have only been approached once at the entrance by a tourguide.
The audioguide is very good. With the smallness of the site plus areas now closed-off you can do the complete audioguide tour and explore alittle in ~2hrs at a slow pace.
After the ticket booth/entrance you walk alongside and above the site and then this ramp turns right.
At the end you will see a modern low bldg (bookshop, cafe, audioguides).
Before you get to that bldg (50m) look into the site directly below you and you will see a ramp. That is one of the entrances, the other is a bridge to the right of the modern bldg.
You'll want the ramp entrance. Where the ramp is was the ancient seashore. Now where it enters the site look to the left and you will see boarded-up niches. That was the ancient boathouses and if you have binoculars or a telephoto lens you can see some of the 300 skeletons that were found there.
Now before you get to that bldg on the left is the entrance to that ramp. It is a modern tunnel that brings you down to that ramp.
After the ramp enter the site up the stairs and go right to that corner bldg. That is the 'Public Baths', it's one of the better sites plus if you have ever seen a documentary on Herculaneum it's where that large basin was blown across the room and left an inprint in the volcanic ash.
But they close that bldg sometime ~noon for the day :(.
Regards, Walter

http://users.adelphia.net/~rkulrich/...north_view.jpg
That photo is actually taken from the entrance ramp before you take that right.
The Public Bath is the bldg in the lower right corner.
And you can see the seashore ramp and just make out the niches past it.
The other entrance/exit bridge is in the background.
And in the upper left corner behind the trees is the modern bldg with the audioguides.
Regards, Walter

Walter!

You're a gem. Thanks a million,

Julie

FYI, we did not see any tour guides, but rented the audio guides which were good.

Hi jck4: I went to Ercolano Scavi (as Herculaneum is called) last summer and there were not any "official" tour guides. However, I did see a couple individuals that were talking with some people and explaining the sites. I, too, was approaced by a man that offered to give me a tour; however, I declined as I already knew the history of the place and didn't want to get ripped off. The paper guide (and/or audio guide) was more than sufficient to use with a map of the place and brief descriptions of the sites. Bear in mind that Ercolano Scavi is small and easy to get around in compared to Pompeii. You can easily see the entire place in a couple hours (we did during an afternoon).

An unofficial tour guide (I actually think he was one of the guards) started walking with us and seemed to know alot about it and he showed us rooms off the beaten path that we wouldn't have gone into without him. He was funny and good-natured but didn't speak a whole lot of English and did a great pantomine. We tried to tip him when we left but he only wanted us to kiss him on his cheek.

Sea Urchin - Did you see my report on the Salvatore e Genarro boat tour?? Thank you soooo much for recommending that; we just returned home last night from a wonderful 9 days, and that was one of the highlights. I was also overjoyed to recreate your photo in Ravello with the white umbrellas!! Cheers!! Julie

Good for you!! Did you get to the restaurant in Pontone? I'm so glad you got the umbrella picture too. I am going to click on your name and see what reports come up.

Ready to return?

SeaUrchin - I had absolutely every intention in the world of going to Pontone, but our last night in Positano (the same day we were out with Gloria and Danieli) my husband and I went out with the husband of the other couple, and Gloria for part of the evening, and stayed out dancing and drinking in Positano til 3am. I really overdid it and was very ill for the busride to Ravello the next day. Not fun, and I was upset with myself for causing us to miss Pontone. But we did have a GREAT night out on the town!!!

Just another reason to go back again and see what you missed!

What could be more fun than dancing and drinking in Positano until 3AM anyway! It will be a good thing to bring back to your memory whenever (if) you are a little down.

the whole trip to think about when down, yes! The lovely night of dancing and socializing, yes! getting the OK from my husband to dance with aggressive italian men (fun!), yes!! that terrible terrible hung-over bus ride from positano to amalfi and then to ravello i want to forget about ASAP. : ) Yes, you are right, it will just mean we have to go back!!!

PS: Did you get to the Sorrento Web Cam?Or should I just patiently wait for your trip report!

jck4 - welcome back, and please do be sure to let us know where one might go to dance and drink in Positano until 3AM

I wonder which one she went to, Club Africana or Music on the Rocks or somewhere else!

we did go to music on the rocks one night and danced a bit, but left by midnight. Not very many people there, but still a very neat place!! Where is Club Africana?

Unfortunately, I didn't get the name of where we were dancing, it was down a flight of stairs and there was a live singer and a DJ. It was just up the path (not the main one) from the beach - Bar on the left, dance floor on the right. I may have grabbed a business card, but haven't unpacked yet.

We did not go to the webcam, unfortunately, as we arrived in Sorrento from Herculaneum around 5pm and wanted to hop right on the bus to Positano. Before we got on the bus, we did walk down that hill in front of the train station to try to see where it might be, but I hadn't bothered to find out exactly where it was in relation to the station. Again, another reason to return!! Also, I think by not having actually seen it, it maintains some of the mystique and exotic Italianness in my eyes. Does that make sense?

Club Africana is in Praiano:
www.ondaverde.it/africanai.htm

I think you went to the new place that has a few computers and by day it is a bar/internet with dancing at night, right by Buca de Beppo?

Yes, keep the mystique of the web cam!

yes, I think it was right by Buca de Beppo. didn't see any computers, but that doesn't mean much considering my state of mind at that point. heehee

working on the report now!!