Time at Pompeii - advice request

[Lalof]

I'm looking at excursions for Pompeii.  It looks like 4 hrs is a typical time listed for the excursions.  If I assume a total of 1 hr travel time, that would mean the time spent at Pompeii is more like 3 hrs?  Or maybe 2 1/2 if there is time to get from the bus to inside.  Is that enough time to get a look around?  I know the place is huge so I don't expect to see everything.  Alternatively, would it be recommended to find our own transportation there and have a pre-hired guide so we could spend a longer time there?  I would love some feedback from those who have been there.  Thanks!

[cruisemom42]

It greatly depends on your interest level. Most guides have a short Pompeii tour that takes 2 to 2.5 hours total and gives you a sample of some representative spaces within the excavated town -- you'll probably see the Forum (main public space), a couple of houses, a couple of businesses, one set of baths, and possibly the theatre and the amphitheatre.  If that's enough for your interests, you should be satisfied.

 

For me it would just be the barest hint of what's at the site and would be very frustrating not to have time to poke around on my own and see more houses, look at mosaics and frescoes, visit the small onsite antiquarium, and the (to me) "must see" Villa of the Mysteries just outside the city gates. The Temple of Isis is also particularly interesting, as are the several necropoli surrounding the town (the tombs where residents were buried).

 

[edinburgher]

It is indeed huge, and with little shade it can be exhausting on a hot weather day so you may  find that 2 or 3 hours are enough.

[Spudd]

I would personally want to plan to spend at least 3 hours. Transportation there is easy if you are walkers. From the pier in Sorrento, it's about a 15 minute (pure guesstimate based on memory) walk to the train station. There are frequent trains to Pompeii and there's no transfers required. Hop on and when you get to the Pompeii stop, it's literally right across the street. We wandered around on our own and occasionally glommed onto other people's tours for 5 minutes or so at a time just to hear a few tidbits. Amazing, amazing place. One of my top 10 things I've seen in my life.

[euro cruiser]

A four-hour excursion would get you no more than two to two and a half hours in the ruins.  That's a tour with no time for exploring on your own.

 

It's quite simple to get to Pompei on your own, how depends on which port you'll be at (Naples or Salerno are ports, some ships tender at Sorrento).

[Hlitner]

I assume we are talking about the port of Naples, and from there you do have a few good options.  Besides the usual cruise line excursion, you can book a private tour, take the train (on your own), use a local bus, hire a taxi, or even rent a car.   The train (Circumvesuviania Line) or a bus are your best options.  The train station for Pompeii is called Pompeii Scavi, and its a short walk to the main entrance.  If you go on your own you can simply do it yourself, rent audio guides, or join an English speaking tour (with guide) that are organized at the entrance.  

 

As to how much time, it will be dependent on your own taste, the weather, and your schedule.  We think 2 hours (inside the ruins) would be the minimum and the maximum will be somewhat dependent on your on taste and endurance :).  The reason I say this is that you are talking about the summer, and Pompeii can be very hot (with little shelter in the ruins).  Walking a few miles on a very hot day is not most folks idea of fun.   If you really want to be "ruined" you could even combine it with a visit to Herculanium  (which has a train station on the same line that runs between Pompeii and Naples).  Assuming the weather is not overly hot, we would suggest most visitors will find 3 hours a good compromise.

 

We once did both ruins on the same day, and to be very honest, were totally worn out.  The two sites are quite different although both suffered the same fate from a single eruption.

 

Hank

[mskaufman]

If it's a hot summer day, you might find that you have had enough before you have really had enough. I have been there twice in the summer and after a couple of hours there might have been more to see but we were hot and tired.

[sofa.king]

Hope you don't mind if I ask a question of the experts.

 

Some of the tour operators are offering a Pompeii guide in addition to the tour fee.  Are there guides on site that you can just pick and have them take you inside and talk about the site?  I understand the guides need to be certified in order to do so.

If the above is available, does anyone know the cost of such guide at the site?

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, sofa.king said:

Hope you don't mind if I ask a question of the experts.

 

Some of the tour operators are offering a Pompeii guide in addition to the tour fee.  Are there guides on site that you can just pick and have them take you inside and talk about the site?  I understand the guides need to be certified in order to do so.

If the above is available, does anyone know the cost of such guide at the site?

 

There are usually guides available at the main gate (Marina gate) at Pompeii, so you'd have to be sure you enter there. These guides generally try to put together a group of 10 to share the cost. Several years before Covid (the last time I checked prices) they were charging 100 euro for their 2-hour site tour. So split among 10 people it was 10 euro each. However if you wanted a guide just for your group it would still be 100 euro in total (or whatever the going price is now).

 

If you think you want a guide, I'd just confirm it with your tour operator and let them make arrangements. I don't know about Italy, but many places post-Covid I've found private guides in short supply as many had to find different work during the pandemic shutdown.

[sofa.king]

Thanks @cruisemom42

 

Has anyone used the audio guides there?  Are they good for some basics?  Maybe I’ll find an app to use on our phones instead?

[cruisemom42]

4 minutes ago, sofa.king said:

Thanks @cruisemom42

 

Has anyone used the audio guides there?  Are they good for some basics?  Maybe I’ll find an app to use on our phones instead?

 

Rick Steves has a pretty good downloadable mp3 tour that covers the basics of the site. If you ask for the map and also the free printed guide (which also has lots of information), you could make a start.

 

The key issue I'd foresee is getting around. Pompeii is a large site and beyond the Forum area the streets can look much the same, so you may spend more time navigating around without a guide who is familiar with the layout. Spending some time in advance with an online map and thinking about what you want to see ahead of time could be very helpful. You could also try to search for some of my past posts on Pompeii explaining the house numbering and street layout.

 

This is the official site map -- a good one to study. They also have the little guidebook I mentioned -- you can print it off here and I would recommend it as sometimes they are out of a particular language at the ticket offices:

 

http://pompeiisites.org/en/visiting-info/map-and-guide-to-the-excavations/