Princess Amalfi Coast Drive and Pompeii Shore Excursion

[grandbanksguy]

Trying to decide on the Princess tour or private tour for Amalfi & Pompeii. Looking for feedback/review from anyone who has taken the Princess tour. Many thanks.:rolleyes:

[Dame Delilah]

Now, this info is two years old--things may have changed. We did the Princess tour and were pleased. Pompei was VERY, VERY crowded and many of the independent tours could not even get into some of the better areas.

[chipmaster]

Trying to decide on the Princess tour or private tour for Amalfi & Pompeii. Looking for feedback/review from anyone who has taken the Princess tour. Many thanks.:rolleyes:

 

 

Don't know when you are going, we did Private this past summer. Ran about 120 bucks/person ( included private tour, Pompeii entrance, and a really nice lunch in Pontone). Did NOT of course include a guide in Pompeii ( 100 euros more ), but the drivers were all stories about history and trivia on the drive to Pompeii and from there thru Amalfi.

 

In Pompii we arrived about 10' before opening and were in and saw many of the best attractions ( baths, houses ) just as the huge continuous stream of big tour buss came maybe 30' later. We were glad to be heading to the exits as they came streaming in. Between the crowds and heat you want to do this early early early! I also can't imagine getting the multiple stops we managed nor getting dropped where we did for the various stops on a larger bus tour, Private van tour yes, but Princess charges almost greater then 2x for the private vehicle versus what it ended up costing us.

 

It was interesting we saw the princess crowd at Pompeii, the shopping venues, but not in Amalfi

 

Go private its worth the extra leg work.

[lovespositano]

Don't know when you are going, we did Private this past summer. Ran about 120 bucks/person ( included private tour, Pompeii entrance, and a really nice lunch in Pontone). Did NOT of course include a guide in Pompeii ( 100 euros more ), but the drivers were all stories about history and trivia on the drive to Pompeii and from there thru Amalfi.

 

In Pompii we arrived about 10' before opening and were in and saw many of the best attractions ( baths, houses ) just as the huge continuous stream of big tour buss came maybe 30' later. We were glad to be heading to the exits as they came streaming in. Between the crowds and heat you want to do this early early early! I also can't imagine getting the multiple stops we managed nor getting dropped where we did for the various stops on a larger bus tour, Private van tour yes, but Princess charges almost greater then 2x for the private vehicle versus what it ended up costing us.

 

It was interesting we saw the princess crowd at Pompeii, the shopping venues, but not in Amalfi

 

Go private its worth the extra leg work.

Totally agree - go private. We have done both and there is no comparison in value. Don't miss eating lunch in Positano - Buca di bacco, on the beach.

[recia]

Any recommendations on tour guides to use?

[sunsetbeachgal]

Mike & Linda,

 

Go on the Europe (W. Med) CC board and you will find lots of recent recommendations of guides in the Naples area, and on your roll call you might find someone(s) to share the cost of a private driver, if you choose to go this route. We did a private of Amalfi two years ago with Marcello of seesorrento.com and it was a great day-the cost of the car/driver is fixed and he had a nice large comfortable van, so if you can fill it up the cost per person drops.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Definately go to the Western Med. Board. There are a lot of recommendations there. Anyone giving a recommendation has to be really careful as there are very specific rules about giving them.

 

We're definitely doing a private tour next year. The cruise line tours cannot compare to the private ones IMO.

[chipmaster]

Any recommendations on tour guides to use?

 

There are a number of vendors doing private out of Naples that are recommended in the European ports thread.

 

We used romeinlimo in 3 ports in italy, they weren't the cheapest, but if I was to do it again, I'd used them again in a heartbeat. COuldn't have had a smoother day and couldn't have imagined seening more. No worries, they were at the dock waiting, and we were almost first off in eveyr port, got us back early ( that was our request ).

 

Happy planning!

[designsbyjuju]

I have never done the Princess tour, but I just had to chime in and tell you that we have used www.sorrentolimo.com twice for private amalfi coast and pompeii tours. I have used them twice for each..and they are absolutely outstanding! Reliable, professional, friendly. They were the highlight of our Italian vacations and very reasonably priced. The best money we spent in Italy. Gennaro is the father and all the times we used them, his son, Pepe, was our driver.

 

They know all the best places to stop and will be able to stop places for pictures that a bus just cannot stop on that drive...believe me! Also, they will take you to a lovely ceramics/pottery place on the Amalfi coast tour and you'll be able to look around away from the crowds upstairs. They also know good places for lunch.

 

If you go to Pompeii, you can request a guide and the lady they used for us both times was great. It was a two hour privately guided tour and really interesting.

 

I hope this might help you some as you make your plans!

 

Julie

[TNTLAMB]

By all means use a private tour. We used fierento marianno summer before last from Pleaseant Travel (hes still at it according to his christmas card): http://www.pleasantravel.com/index.htm

It was absoulutley the highlight of our cruise. Never once saw the Tour Busses and he took us places the tours don't go plus all the highlites. Perhaps the greatest was his family Farm and lemon orchards........ I think he can take up to six. I only wish we had heeded his advice and spent more time in the country and less time at Pompeii....................

[grandbanksguy]

thanks for all the replies. we will be following-up with your suggestions.:)

[jimmy3]

I used this tour guide 2 years ago and he was great. You got to amalfi and Pompeii much faster and spent as much time as YOU WANTED, not waiting for your 50 fellow bus mates.

Like the other posts, get to Pompeii early before it gets hot and crowded.

 

Naples, Amalfi

Positano Car Service

Ask for Massimo Kirico - very funny and knowledgeable

www.positanocarservice.com

e-mail limousine@positanocarservice.com

owner is Joseph

 

[kimchee1212]

Very nice excursion choice. I can't really say about either, but it's beautiful. I can still take the panini from Amalfi.