I just saw a posting about train travel from Rome to Pompeii/Naples.

Does anyone have any experience with Viator's independent shuttle bus from Rome to Pompeii? It sounds extremely convenient, and the price seems comparable to the train.

Silly question, but is there enough to do in Pompeii itself for a day without venturing into Naples (primarily to get great pizza, which I shall miss dearly!) Have never been to Pompeii - or Naples or Rome, for that matter, so I am relying heavily on Rick Steves.

I'm looking to streamline this trip as much as possible for my family. Glitches are to be expected, but if sticky situations can be avoided...

How can someone other than yourself answer whether there is enough to do in Pompeii? If you into archaeology, for example if you are fascinated by "The Fires of Vesuvius" http://www.amazon.com/Fires-Vesuvius...5829177&sr=8-1 , then you will need days to explore Pompeii. If Pompeii is just a tourist destination, you might need only a few hours. There is really no right answer to this question.

My main concerns at the moment are about logistics and the Viator bus. If anyone has any experience with it, I'd appreciate the feedback.

If you gave a link to what you're looking at it would be easier for people to comment. I only see the Pompeii/Naples tour which gives you 2 hours in Pompeii. That would not be enough for me.

I didn't see anything on the Viator site for an independent shuttle.

I would not rely heavily on Rick Steves for anything.

Whether or not you go to Pompeii and Naples would depend on how many days in Rome and how old are your children. If you're only in Rome a couple of days or if the kids are very young you may not want to make this trip.

I don't know about Viator but I can tell you that if you take the train to Naples and the circumvesuviana to Pompeii it is really easy. You will have no ties to be there when the bus leaves. It's a matter of getting off the train in Naples and walking down the stairs to the circumvesuviana.

We expected to spend a couple of hours in Pompeii but ended up spending all day in the scavi. There is also a wonderful village to see there. You won't have any problem filling the day. If you do the train, you can stop in Naples if you want.

Can't help you with your shuttle bus question, but my understanding is that Pompeii will take up a full day. That is what I am allowing for in our itinerary.

If the cost was similar I'd be inclined to do the bus - the train option is doable but adds a whole other layer of complexity. I would think that Pompeii would hold most people interest for at least several hours - it would be good to get an audio guide or maybe Rick Steves has a pod cast? Slam the man all you want but he has been a great help to me thru many trips and now he has free podcasts! Seems like a nice enough guy to me.

I have heard there is another site of ruins - Ostia Antica (something like that) closer to Rome. That might be another option - not so far for a day trip. Maybe other posters can add more info about that option.

If you are looking to streamline then set a length of time for sightseeing Pompeii, say 3 hours, and set a time to do else. Pompeii is huge, SUPER interesting and could easily fill 2-3 days. So, do some homework ahead of time, get a map of Pompeii, mark the houses and sights you all like to see. In addition, you will find local guides at the entrance that will charge you for a couple of hours. WORTH IT! Give them your list and focus on that plus any other suggested spot they have. This is the place of a lifetime, don't treat it like a Disney park and do it right. Just a thought.

BTW, only cash tickets at the gate; 11 Euros/person.

Thank you - this is exactly the kind of information I was looking for!

Viator's shuttle bus gives you board-once convenience, but the train gives you flexibility to extend the day and spend a little time in Naples or return to Rome earlier if everyone is exhausted. If you're traveling with small children or the desire to see Naples is great, that flexibility may be more valuable to you than the convenience of avoiding train stations. Going by train is cheaper overall.

FWIW, we've spent two full days at Pompeii and not seen everything. We also enjoyed the archeology museum in Naples. But we haven't been to either in the heat of summer.

Hello Kidfriendly!

My name is Loryanna, I work for Viator. I just wanted to give you a bit more information to help you with your decision as to if you'd like to use our service or not.

Viator is actually a Tour Broker for several different tour Operators around the world. In case you wanted to do any additional research, we use Enjoy Rome for this particular excursion. Just in case you want to look them up.

You should have about 4 hours of time in Pompeii when you get there from our bus service. Of course it always depends on the traffic, we anticipate a 3 to 3.5 hour drive.

I hope this all helps! Thank you for considering us!

I have taken the shuttle run by Enjoy Rome and it was a very relaxing way to get to Pompeii and back. We had enough time in Pompeii to see quite a bit of it and were ready to go back when it was time. Your mileage may vary.

Sorry, 3 to 4 hours in Pompeii is definitely not enough. There is also a wonderful village to visit.

Ann1-- I think that it has been already established that 3-4 hours is not enough to see Pompeii properly. The OP is looking for WHAT and HOW to best see Pompeii IF he only had 3-4 hours.

Viajero2....I am responding to Viator-travel....Not the poster. I already posted on that. Did you read the newer posts?

Ann1-- once again. I think that it has been already established that 3-4 hours is not enough to see Pompeii properly. The OP is looking for WHAT and HOW to best see Pompeii IF he only had 3-4 hours.

IMO 3 to 4 hours can be sufficient to see the highlights - hopefully the visitor will have an audioguide or guidebook. Maybe for some folks a limited visit was not enough - but it was enough for me.

Viajero2...Stick to giving information instead of commenting on what someone else has written that you don't understand.

<< The OP is looking for WHAT and HOW to best see Pompeii IF he only had 3-4 hours >>

How do you know how much time the OP wants to spend at Pompeii; the OP has not mentioned time parameters. There was a comment about streamlining the trip but that does not mean that he/she wants 3-4 hours at Pompeii.

Well who knows about your family ... but our 10 and 14 year old boys, two parents (including me) and one aunt had seen enough after 3 hours and 15 minutes. Our 16 year old history buff daughter could have stayed all day.

We are otherwise normal people.