we will be visiting Naples area on a cruise in mid October, and have secured AP Tours for the day, with scheduled stops in Pompeii and them Amafi Coast. I've read some posts that's it's best to get to Pompeii first thing to avoid crowds. Anyone have first hand knowledge/experience if this is the case ?

Also, anyone ever use AP Tours ?

cheers

We were in Pompeii in late March. Arrived with a tour on a Friday at about 1230 - crowds were negligible.

I'd pick morning because even in mid-October you can get heat and strong sun. But you can also get haze. If part of the excursion is to Vesuvius and the Amalfi coast, I would pick morning for Pompeii, afternoon for Vesuvius and/or Amalfi, since any haze is likely to have lifted by then and you get better views.

Crowds are not likely to be a terrible problem in October.

We visited Pompeii in March and went first thing in the morning. It was much less crowded and cooler at that time of day.

Be sure to wear comfortable sturdy walking shoes. The cobblestones are very uneven.

Woody

At the coolest possible time of day. Bring water to drink along with the good walking shoes.

Yes, I would go to Pompeii in the morning. It takes a long time to walk through the whole site so plan on spending 3/4 of your day (if not the entire day) there.

Frankly, I don't think you would need a tour group (AP Tours) at all for any part of your day. At Pompeii, there are audio guides available (in English) at the entrance. The Amalfi Coast towns are simple to navigate (you can take a SITA bus or ferry to stop in Amalfi/Ravello and Positano). The city layouts are simple with not too many things to see. A guide book reference to read beforehand would be useful, but not mandatory. You should be able to see everything you want to without hiring a special tour group. Just my 2 cents....

Yes, I would go to Pompeii in the morning. It takes a long time to walk through the whole site so plan on spending 3/4 of your day (if not the entire day) there. Great advice but wait about 1/2-45 min after opening the opening is a mad rush. Take bug spray there is some kind of nat or flea or whatever that loves fresh meat <G>

I visited Pompeii a couple of weeks ago--at mid day, no less. The crowd was minimal and we only had to sift our way through shoulders and elbows around the exhibit of the petrified (?) bodies. Even managed to tag along with an English-speaking tour guide for a few minutes. Take a bottle of water and enjoy!

Melissa