gfeibleman

Will be starting an 18 day trip with 2 1/2 days and 3 nights in sorrento in September
1st time in this region. No car this pert of the trip
Do people recommend getting a guide and if so who?
Looking for recommendations how best to spend our time. Thanks

Sassafrass

The AC is more about enjoying the scenery, so you don't need a guide for walking around. From Sorrento, you can take a boat to Capri or down the AC to Positano or Amalfi, etc., so no guide needed. It is also quick and easy to take the train from Sorrento to visit Pompeii and you can get a guide at the entrance or rent audio tapes, or read a good guide book as you walk around. You could book a guide ahead for Pompeii and others will give you some recs. I've never done that. You can also take a bus down the coast if you prefer that to a boat, though the views from the water are fantastic. Some people do hire a driver or driver/guide to show them around, so you can do that, but it is not necessary for a great experience.

nytraveler

If you want a tour for Pompeii you're better off picking up one at the gate - not hauling one from Sorrento. (The local train goes from one Sorrento through Pompeii.)

Seeing Capri is easy via ferry or hydrofoil from Sorrento - and visiting the cities down the coast is either by ferry or by local bus.

LoveSouthItaly

You can take the train from Sorrento and meet the guide in the train station Pompeii-Villa dei Misteri. Most of them can wait you in the hall of the station. I would suggest to hire a guide because Pompeii is huuuuge. You can really get lost and miss the most fascinating details as mosaics, frescoes... Normally hiring a guide you get away from the crowd and at the end of the tour you'll have seen Pompeii and the most important spots. Searching on the web you'll find many solutions as [email protected]. He's an archaeologist and knows very well the ruins and the most fascinating and remarkable details.

Shanna

Greetings. I've been to Pompeii twice with guides (day tour groups from Rome)and found that they were not much help, but it may have been better if I'd known what I wanted to see and ask questions about. I have since purchased lectures from The Teaching Company (The Great Courses) on Pompeii which greatly enhanced my knowledge about Pompeii and other sites in the area. I wish I'd watched these before I went so I would would be better prepared and get more out of the guides and the whole experience. The one taught by Steven Tuck, Pompeii: Daily Life in an Ancient Roman City, was fantastic, entertaining and enlightening. I'm not a sales person for this company, I just use their lectures to enhance my historical knowledge about the places of ancient Europe that I visit. Whatever you choose, you will most certainly want to go back more than once. And Sorrento - of course there is the song "Come Back to Sorrento." It's beautiful beyond belief. Have fun!