What is the best way to see Pompeii?
 

I loved the walking tours in Rome. I understand there are audio guides in Pompeii. We will be staying in Positano. Can anyone suggest a guide that can take 4 of us to Pompeii and take us on the tour? We leave next month.

Diane

I should have said we will be staying in Positano, and we want to take a day tour of Pompeii.

Diane

Get some books before your trip that describe the layout, buildings and their features of Pompeii. Read them ahead of time. Unfortunately, I didn't find the picture books until the entrance shop itself.

In Toronto, I found a fantastic book in the Chapters remainders bin for 50 cents, on the architecture of Pompeii. It described the history and layout of quite a few buildings. It also had a survey map in the back pages that I xeroxed, taped together, and ran through the blueprint Xerox. This gave me a 2x3 map of the ruins that I could write on.

The point is to know what you're going to see ahead of time. You don't want to be spending all your time with your nose in the tourist book, and it is far more interesting if you know what you are looking at. Otherwise, it's just a bunch of broken brick walls.

You can search this site (if the threads are still here) for people's comments about guides. I gather there are no official guides? Some people have said some of the "for hire" guides are very good, very knowledgeable. I don't know.

I'd like to hire a guide to take us through Pompeii. Any suggestions on who to use? I know there are tons of suggestions in Rome. What would be a good way to get a guide in Pompeii?

Diane

The have special tours once you get to Pompeii. You can request one at the ticket booth. They will run you around $90 for four people. I don't really think it's worth it. They have an audio guide that is just as good.

Good morning, there are usually guides
to rent by the hour at the main entrance. It was a few years past but
in both instances he was named Vincenzo.
Richard of LaGrange Park, Il.