bbrosto

Hello-

On the last day of our honeymoon we are leaving Praiano and would like to see Pompeii on the way back to Naples. Can anyone suggest the best way to do this? I looked into a private driver and the thing that turned me off is the 50 euro an hour charge for the waiting time in Pompeii while we tour.

Also, is a tour guide necessary for the ruins? Thanks.

PalenQ

Take the Amalfi Coast bus to Sorrento (or boat) then take the CircumVesuviana commuter train to Pompeii Scavi station - smack right at the entrance to the ruins - bag storage at entrance.

I never have had a guide to appreciate this - in fact would rather be on my own with my own thoughts to ponder it all - I would get the guide pamphlet at the ticket window and do my own tour - better yet photo copy parts from some Italy guide from your library and take along - reading up on beforehand is fun and makes the visit better - never been impressed with Italian guides in places like these who often like to IME sensationalize things rather than give basic historical things - lots to sensationalize at Pompeii!

vincenzo32951

True, some guides are better than others. If you're not going to use a guide, you're going to have to do a lot of prep and research. Or else you're just looking at a lot of old buildings.

PalenQ

I agree sans any guide or guidebook it could just be a bunch of old stones in a typical hot and sweltering setting.

Mimar

You say it's the last day of your honeymoon. Are you flying out of Naples that day? If so, I hope your flight is very late in the day -- like 8PM. As a general rule we are in our departure city the night before the flight. In Italy especially, too much can go wrong: strikes, breakdowns, traffic jams. And what happens if you miss your flight? In the middle of the summer it may be several days til you can get seats and you'll be buying high-priced walk-up tickets. From a previous thread, I hear the Naples airport is particularly chaotic and time-consuming.

To do Pompeii justice will take several hours. I agree you need some form of information to make Pompeii understandable and enjoyable. We bought a guidebook at the entrance and I read it aloud. But that might have annoyed other people. (Make sure you get a map that matches the book.) Another thought: there are downloadable podcasts; Rick Steves has a free one for touring Pompeii with a matching map.

yorkshire

Definitely bring your own info--the gate we entered did not have maps(!) or audio guides, and by the time we meandered and explored, we never picked one up. I'm sure we missed a lot, but we had done some research beforehand.

kybourbon

The main gate is at the Circumvesuviana train stop Pompeii Scavi. They should have audio guides to rent and maps, but they have been known to run out of maps. The other gate (about a mile from the Trenitalia train lines) does not have the same amenities.

You can download Rick Steves' guides on Itunes for free.

bbrosto

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

@Mimar Our flight is the next morning. We will be staying the night in Naples after the Pompeii tour.

I thought about the boat to circumvesuviana or even the bus if it's not too crowded because I am taking a boat to Positano from Naples via Capri on our arrival...would like a different perspective of the coast. Can someone confirm the distance from the bus station/boat in Sorrento to the circumvesuviana station?

As far as the guide, I think we will be happy with Rick Steves or a guidebook and touring ourselves.