stephn

We will be in Rome for 5 days in March - although a short time there we are contemplating a day trip to Pompeii. My questions are:
Can this be done on a Sunday - are there guides available on Sunday for tours?
I think we'd like to take the train. Do we go to station Termini & check schedules? What are the logistics involved...ie I know you have to switch trains in Naples.

the turnip

While it's do-able I think it would be a loooong day. Pompeii is all about walking on uneven cobblestones and a long train ride both ways can be rather taxing. Just my two cents.

Have you considered Ostio Antica (sp?) as an alternative? Hopefully Ed (of Ed & Julie fame) will answer this question as well as offer a link to his site which has lots of good info. about it.

Cheers, the turnip

Ed

It is doable, but it >is< a long day. You'll spend about 6-7 hours or so traveling between the mainline train and the Circumvesuviano. With only five days in Rome (5 full days, or 3 full days?) I'd probably not venture out of the city since there's so much to see and do there.

If you want to see what ancient cities look like, Ostia Antica is only 30 minutes from Rome. Nowhere near as 'complete' as Pompeii, but quite excellent ... if Pompeii's a 10, Ostia Antica's a 7 or 8.

You'll find instructions on getting to both at www.twenj.com/romesightsexcurse.htm

Ed

Lori

OK, I admit, it is a very long day, but soooo worth it. Pompeii is extraordinary and was one of the highlights of my trip. If you can do it, I highly recommend that you schedule a day to go there. We took one of those bus trips which I would not do again, it seemed easier to do it by train, or rent a car.

hamlet

You can do this on your own or you can arrange to go with a group from Rome. I guess it all depends on how much time you want to spend in Pompeii. The tour buses from Rome leave around 8am, and then also usually stop for lunch, a quick overview of Naples, a trip to a cameo and/or souvenir place. You'll spend about 2-3 hours in Pompeii and return to Rome at about 9pm. You have to decide if you think that's enough time in Pompeii or if you really want to spend lots more time there. If you do it on your own, it may cost more between train tickets and hiring a local guide (I have no idea what the going rate is), but then you can decide your schedule. Pompeii is incredibly fascinating and as much as I love Rome, I think 4 days there and 1 day in Pompeii, as opposed to 5 days in Rome, is a good trade.

howard

Here's another vote for Pompeii! It's worth the travel effort! Based on my experiences (driving there) and those of friends (bus tour), I'd recommend either driving (once you get out of Rome it's just about all highway) or taking the train. Our friends who took the tour (which included the lunch, souvenir, etc. stops) said it made for a long, long and tiring day (about 15 hours), of which only about 2-3 were spent in Pompeii.
Of all our many experiences in Italy, Pompeii was definitely one of the high points.

Marj

Howard,
How long is the drive from Rome to Pompeii. We are also plainning a 1-day trip from ROme there but were ocnsidering taking the train.

Doug Weller

I haven't been to Ostia Antica but others have assured me it is well worth the visit, and is a good alternative to Pompeii.

Please don't forget Herculaneum. I've been there and to Pompeii, and if I had to choose I'd definitely take Herculaneum, which is much more intact -- even to being able to see charred wooden beams, walk inside the baths on the mosaics, etc.!

Doug

Ed

Something over 2 hours and less than 2-1/2, plus/minus the time it takes you to get out of central Rome and on to the Autostrada. All in all very close to the train time.

Believe the Eurostar covers that route now so if you get one of those the train is likely to be quicker by a few minutes. If you take the regular train the car is likely to be a bit faster, 15-30 minutes probably.

Ed

howard

Ed, naturally, is correct about the driving time.
Question for Ed: When you say that driving takes about 15-30 minutes less than the train, are you talking about the entire trip by public transportation? Don't you change in Naples, or am I wrong? If the total time from Rome to Pompeii is only 15-30 minutes more, it might be worthwhile to take the train!

Ed

Yes, I'm talking about the entire trip by train. It's been a long while but I recall the Naples Pompeii trip about a half hour.

If you've ever tried to get out of Rome in the morning you'd know why I prefer the train.

Ed

howard

Ed, thanks for clearing up a misapprehension that the train trip took longer! (I still think our experience is the best--have an Italian friend drive you there!)

stephn

Thanks everyone for your input. We actually have 5 full days in Rome - so a side trip to Pompeii may be worth it...even though a long day. After all we're in our 20s & full of energy

kris

Stephn, we've visited both Pompeii and Ostia Antica from Rome. Pompeii was a long day but well worth it, the ruins are fabulous and incredibly well preserved. We took the train down to Naples and changed trains to get to Pompeii, not terribly complicated. We bought an english guide to visit Pompeii at the entrance so we didn't feel like we missed out by not having a live guide.

Personally, I think Pompeii blows Ostia Antica away although I found Ostia Antica interesting and a decent alternative if you can't spare a full day as it only takes about a 1/2 hour to get to Ostia Antica.

If you have the time, make the trip to Pompeii, I think it was one of the highlights of our trip. BTW, we were there in March several years ago and it was incredibly cold that day, I think I was wearing mittens and ear muffs as we toured Pompeii. So not a bad idea to pack some warm stuff just in case.

Paulo

Stephn, your train trip could be as following:

IC train departing Roma Termni at 8:10am, arriving Napoli Centrale at 10am

Circumvesuviana train departing Naples at 10:09am, arriving Pompeii Scavi at 10:47am

If you loose yourself and can't make it down to the Circumvesuviana platform in time, the next train leaves would leave at 10:39am, arriving at 11:17am.

Pompeii visit may take from 4 to 6 hours (depending on your interest/stamina), including a snack lunch.

I once drove from center Rome to Pompeii on a Sunday (no traffic in Rome), knew my way perfectly, drove fast (9% over speed limit) and it took me 2 hours flat.

Paulo

Leslie

Paulo and everyone else - I'm meeting my sister in Rome in March and have decided to head to Napoli for a few days as a base. We will definitely take the train to Pompeii now! Thanks for the train schedule.