Wondering if anyone has toured the by-reservation only Suburban Baths at Pompei? I dont see them identified on any of my Pompei maps, and am trying to fit a look at these into my visit appropriately. Please advise what the best way is to approach these - Ive read that they can be aproached from the direction of the Villa of Mysteries, yet another description says they are outside/next to the wall north of the Porto Marina .

Porta Ercolano is a long way around - can they be approached from closer to the Porta Marina entrance to the Pompei site?

Any first hand accounts of the suburban baths or a reference to a n online map which shows it would be great.

Yes, someone did a trip report about it. I don't know if you can turn it up with a search or not. They made multiple reservations for sites within Pompeii. Here's the list of the sites and hours you can make reservations. Sorry, but this portion of Pompeii's website is in Italian only.
http://www.pompeiisites.org/Sezione....ezioneRif=1753

The link to make the reservations doesn't work so you would have to use the e-mail contact listed. It's the official website for Pompeii/Herculaneum, etc.

Unless you're visiting Pompeii as a day-trip from a distant base (like Rome) or staying in a local apartment, this is the sort of thing I like to ask my hotel to arrange. Someone there can probably make one quick phone call, get all the info and confirm a reservation. Obviously, you should get as much info in advance of your request so that you know exactly what you're asking for, and you should give the hotel as many timing options as possible.

Hi I have already made a reservation for the Suburban Baths through the arethusa site, www.arethusa.net. sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt, but its really very easy once you succeed in getting onto the site - easier direct than from the Pompeii Scavi homepage. Ive been thru this drill before for a prior trip but did not visit the Baths.

Here is the current reservation page
http://www.arethusa.net/w2d3/v3/view...contenuto.html

My issue still is the location of the baths in Pompeii and what direction they are accessed from since I want to have a relaxed visit to Pompeii. Dont want to have to double back or run around unneccesarily to meet my appointments. If anybody has on-ground experience visiting the baths or has a good map link which shows them, that would be great.

I just looked at my map (the map they give you at the entrance to Pompeii). It lists the suburban baths as #1 (the sites are all numbered in case you are using their audio guide) and it is located at the entrance Porta Marina. It's actually between where you buy your tickets and the actual Porta Marina on the left. It's just a few feet from the ticket offices.

Here is the same map from Pompeii's website.
http://www.pompeiisites.org/allegati/mappa_pompei.pdf

If you zoom in to about 400% you can see the location in relation to Porta Marina and the entrance. If you want to know what any of the other numbered sites are I can look on my map. The listings are not on the pdf.

You can only enter Pompeii at Porta Marina or Piazza Anfiteatro (near #62)with Porta Marina being the main entrance (it's just across the street from the train stop). The audio guides are only available at Porta Marina entrance.

jjk,

I visited the Suburban Baths 4 years ago and found them just fantastic. They had been excavated over the 10 years since my first visit! At that time all I needed was a "special ticket" which was free at the ticket booth. I walked back to get one and went in on my own. There was a group there taking a tour.

The are the first area you come to at the Porta Marina.

Buon viaggio!

I reserved online and took a printout of the confirmation.

It's near the main entrance, near the train station, not the entrance by the Anfiteatro. Once you enter, you go down the steps and show the person the printout and he guides you to each of the rooms.

Perfect. that was exactly the info I was hoping to obtain. The reservation system works very well - the custodians met me at the reserved spots right on time for my visits two years ago, so I am really psyched for the baths and sharing Pompeii with my husband this time. Thanks all.