Lynda_Wallace

Have read it is possible to do a day trip to Pompeii - anyone recommend how to do it easily as have 2 children (6 & 8) and is it worth it with having only 6 nights/7 days in Rome?

qwovadis

ostia-antica.org better way cheaper
from Rome 1 euro on the metro
eurocheapo.com/rome good tips.

Viator.com for Pompeii option a long expensive slog

indy_dad

Can't compare since we didn't go, but in our research we thought the much easier to reach Ostia Antica was a suitable substitute. We enjoyed it and decided to save Pompeii for another trip.

More tips, photos and experience in our trip report/blog.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...log-photos.cfm

willit

It is possible to do a day trip by yourself: Train from Rome to Napoli Centrale, change onto the Circumvesuviana (A different train line/company - but within the same rail station - possibly on different levels. Buy tickets to Pompeii Scavi which is just outside of the entrance to the ruins.

With with two young children I think it would be far too difficult and tiring a day.

Vttraveler

I think Pompeii is too far for a reasonable day trip especially for a family with young children. As others have noted Ostia Antica is a much closer, easier trip. I believe it is possible to take a boat there in the warmer months if you are traveling then.

ellenem

Some companies offer one-day bus tours from Rome to Pompeii, which might be easier with children. However, most of these tours include obligatory stops at cameo factories.

Willit's do-it-yourself description is correct. From Roma Termini station, take the train to Napoli Centrale. Schedules and prices here:
http://www.fsitaliane.it/homepage_en.html

At Napoli Centrale, go to the lower level, Napoli Garibaldi, a station on the Circumvesuviana commuter train line. Take a train to Pompeii Scavi. Schedules and prices here:
http://www.vesuviana.it/web/en

LBev769375

Either way you do it, it's a very long day trip to Pompeii, especially with a 5 & 6 yr old. Ostia Antica or a half day side trip to the fountains of Tivoli located to the east of Rome are both easily done, either on your own or on a 1/2 day bus tour. If you really want a full day trip, consider the high speed train to Florence leaving around 9AM and taking a 3 PM train back. This is an easy hour and 40 minute non stop train ride each way. The station in Florence is within walking distance of most any site you might want to visit on a day trip.

kybourbon

The fast train on Trenitalia from Rome to Naples takes 1:10. You would qualify for a family discount.
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD

The train from Naples to Pompeii Scavi takes 35 minutes and costs 2.80€ one way.
http://www.vesuviana.it/web/en

Italophile

I agree with the other comments that it would be a long tiring day for the children. Once you are at Pompeii there is quite a bit of walking involved as well.

A day tour by bus would be the easiest option - or if you want to see ancient ruins there is the option mentioned above Tivoli - but not the fountains, Villa Adriana (train then bus out of Rome, then a walk from bus top to the villa) - but it is a huge area with lots of walking involved too.

2idocs

Have you considered doing more than a day trip?
We're planning to spend a couple nights in Sorrento to begin our trip with our two kids. We found lodging to be much less expensive than Rome (quad rooms plus more hotels with swimming pools).
Since we have an early arrival into Rome, we can be in Sorrento by train by early afternoon on our first day.
No long round trips, plus time to see the Amalfi coast at a slower pace.

Jean

Is this a summer trip? Pompeii, on a hot, humid day in July and August, can be a torture chamber with nowhere to find relief. I definitely wouldn't see it on a day trip from Rome in those months or any other time when temps and humidity are high.

BTW, Rome in summer can also be very hot and humid. If that's when you're going, you may find you can't pack as much into a day as you thought/hoped. You may need some indoor 'down' time in the middle of the day.

wayfinder45

It's absolutely do-able. We did a day trip from Rome last year and it was one of our best days in Italy. However, as others have noted, it may not be the best option if you would be going in the summer when the heat and crowds are most intense. There is little shade or places to take a break in Pompeii. We went because it was the one thing our kids really wanted to do in Italy. With younger kids though, I probably wouldn't have done it -- it is a really long day.

Lynda_Wallace

Thank you all for your responses. Sorry, should have mentioned we arrive in Rome late March before heading to Venice so it will be cool. The kids are quite "hardy" (dragged them around Scotland 18 months ago and the youngest only complained once when her "heart" was beeping and an ice cream fixed that!) I'm just concerned that if we don't do it this trip I may not get that way again. For those that have been, did it exceed expectations or was it a bit of a let down?

AlessandraZoe

I posted a couple weeks ago about our experience in Pompeii, but I'll be happy to do so again.

Preamble: I'm sort of a belt and suspenders person who has researched everything--to the point that I know where secret exits/entrances are in places--and my kids are pretty good travelers who generally believed me when I said that we'd fly home right away if I ever heard any whining.

Nevertheless, we sure can have off days, and the day we toured Pompeii was one of them.

It was a hot, humid day, and the kids (youngest was 8) were not pleasant, and my husband was no help, and I ended up directing us onto the wrong train at Naples train station (which is no day at the beach either).

We ended up having to come into Pompeii from the BACK end, totally ruining my carefully drawn up notes of what we wanted to see.

We had not brought water with us. It was dry, dusty, and rocky.

So it was bad, right?

Nope. Even though we did EVERYTHING wrong (and so I don't scare you off, it would not have been hard to have toured this well), the place still resonated. To this day, my over-20-yr-old kids consider Pompeii to be "one of the coolest" things they ever did.

How to do it the RIGHT way:
--Get the kid's book "Pompeii...Buried Alive!" by Edith Kunhardt Davis so that the concept comes alive for them
--Bring suncreen, sunglasses, hats, and lots of water
--Warn the kids that the place might feel like it did when the hot gases of the volcano wiped out the population (there's nothing like gore to make a kid happy)
--Follow kybourbon's train directions
--Use the tips on this blog for a self-guided tour: http://theespressobreak.blogspot.com...ompeii_12.html
OR
--Use the Rick Steve's self-guided tour:
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/desti...peii-tours.htm
--And you might want to use his free mp3 audio tour: http://www.ricksteves.com/news/trave..._downloads.htm (you download the mp3 and a map)

Speaking of those audio tours...these were not available when we visited Rome, but when my youngest and I visited Venice a couple years ago, we downloaded all Rick's Venice audio tours to her iphone (set to airplane mode for our whole stay) and then I used a splitter so we could attach two sets of earphones. Worked really well. We then ended up using the splitter at places that had those handheld audio thingies--saved us quite a few Euro.

Good luck
AZ

diann24

Hi, we went on a Med cruise 2010 in October. We spent additional days in Rome. At any rate I would have to say after 12 days in Europe Pompei was a memorable experience. It all depends of course on ones interests, etc. Some could view it as bunch of rocks etc. but I love ancient History and the fact you want to go there means you must also have at least that interest.(??) that being said I found it quite fascinating, not sure about the kids but as you say they are rugged and if that be the case they should be ok. We went early a.m before crowds, in late October and I nearly froze to death, it was cold and I was not dressed properly. In march it will be cool as well so dress warmly. It is better than being hot though and dealing with summer crowds. If you like history it is do not miss in my opinion. We did not go from Rome. We went from the cruise ship from some town.

A_Brit_In_Ischia

For some help with getting through the station in Naples, and down to the correct platform for the CV train to Pompei Scavi, it might pay to read this before you go....

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-or-pompei.cfm

Child's play!

Peter

Vttraveler

I think Pompeii is an amazing site for anyone interested in Roman history. Definitely "vaut le voyage" in Michelin terms. However I still think doing it from Rome on a long day trip with a 6 and 8 year old is far from ideal.

Marytrip2011

About a month ago, I asked a similar question regarding a day trip to Pompeii from Rome. Due to encouragement from other traverlers, we went to Pompeii for one day between Christmas and New Year's. It was amazing and well worth the effort. We spent over 5 hours touring the site and did not begin to see everything. My son and daughter rate it as one of the best things we have ever done. That said, they are 18 and 23 years old and interested in history. The tired ones were my husband and myself (mid 50's). It was a long and fairly brutal day. It is well worth the money to take the high speed train from Rome to Naples (one peaceful hour each way). The train from Naples to Pompeii is on the lower level, very inepensive and extremely crowded. Be sure to get off at the proper exit. Bathrooms and food can be found within the site now, making it possible to take a break. It is definitely not handicapped accessable. There is no shade. It was fairly warm even in December. We loved it! Good luck!

Jean

OK, not in summer. But I wouldn't go if it's raining either, and that has nothing to do with hardiness. Most areas would be muddy, and in a heavy downpour the Pompeii streets could be full of water.

nytraveler

It can be done - but will be a challenge with kids. I would check how late it is open in March - since you might need to leave Rome really early to get there in time to see much of anything. (A cursory view is about 3 hours at adult speed; if you want to see most of it plan on at least 5 to 6 hours.)

If you do this I would prepare the kids n advance so they understand what they are looking at - otherwise it could be really boring for them.,

Is it worth it? We found it fantastic - but we were all adults knowing what we were looking at!