Opinions needed on MSC excursions vs. others

[AmoMondo]

Hi Amo Mondo, We will be on our first cruise, Costa Fascinosa, in Naples on a Thursday from 8am til 1pm. Will we have time for an hour in Pompeii and a drive along the Amalfi coast? Maybe including lunch? We will hire a driver/guide if we have to to do both.

Thanks for the detal on the train above, very helpful

 

Hi kobrien

 

You are only going to have from around 9 until 12.30. You don't get off the ship the minute it docks and you have to be back onboard at least 30 minutes before the sailing time.

 

You may be lucky and get off by 8.30. With 4 hours its tight to do all of that. DIY isn't really an option. By the time you get to the station, wait for a train, then 35 minute train ride and 5 minute walk down the road, followed by wait in line to buy at ticket to get in to Pompeii, that will easily be and hour gone. Allow similar time for getting back. Italians don't really do fast lunch, so you'd need to settle for a snack and you still need time to see the site. We spent 2 hours which was a bit too long for me but not long enough for my cousin. It's a big site.

 

So of you want to do all of that its going to have to be get a driver to take you to Pompeii and wait for you and then take you for a quick drive along the coast. It's all going to be a bit rushed and you may be better to settle for doing one or the other.

 

The only other option may be a ship's excursion. They get to leave first and they don't need to allow any buffer in time for getting back on time as the ship waits for them returning. It doesn't wait for individuals doing their own thins.

[kobrien]

Thanks AmoMondo. Did a quick google maps search for travel times and it was a 15 minute buffer with an hour at Pompeii and an hour for lunch on amalfi coast. Too close. Disappointed, but will go with the view at amalfi I think. Thanks for your help.

[MotownVoice]

Thanks AmoMondo. Did a quick google maps search for travel times and it was a 15 minute buffer with an hour at Pompeii and an hour for lunch on amalfi coast. Too close. Disappointed, but will go with the view at amalfi I think. Thanks for your help.

 

Kobrien

 

Just a quick suggestion: One of our stops in the Bay of Napole was an afternoon in Sorrento. It's pretty much just across the bay from Naples. It's a little more ancient of a town than Naples, which is slightly more urban. It has some really terrific views of Vesuvius along the way, and exquisite restaurants at which to dine. You could easily take a cab or a bus around the bay to get there, take in the views, do a little shopping and get back to port in plenty of time. I get the desire to do something a little more important and life changing than that. I really do. But I took an excursion up to Pompeii once and you really need the whole day to do it properly.

[resistk]

We did a tour Tunis but I suppose you could stay in the port. In Marseille you may want to consider going to Aix in Provence. Barcelona is a lot of walking but you can do a hop on hop off bus that picks up where the MSC bus lets you off. The Taromina tour in Sicily is very nice. Naples is OK but you really should do a tour there.

[Frenchlu]

There is no need to use an MSC bus at Barcelona as there is a port bus which takes you to Colon where you can then get on the Hop on Hop off. The port bus was 3 euros return the last time I used it. Can't remember the price of the Ho Ho, but I think there are two or three routes.

[glittergal1]

While we were in naples we went on a tour at The Bourdon tunnels or http://www.tunnelborbonico.info I booked online and asked for an english speaking guide it was approx 20 minute walk from the port , (we got lost but the policemen were very helpful giving us directions ) it only cost 10 euro each and we had a guide just for the 2 of us