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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Italy advice please!

9 replies

iwonttaketheeasyroad · 04/07/2023 20:31

Hi , myself and my two daughters are off to Italy this summer please. We are staying in Sorrento but plan to go to Pompeii and Rome etc . Does anyone know if we need to book colluseum and Pompeii in advance. Thanks

OP posts:

RunningFromInsanity · 04/07/2023 20:36

Colosseum definitely otherwise the queues are hours long.
Pompeii we just turned up, there are guides waiting at the entrance and the more people you can get to join your group, the cheaper.

cherryassam · 04/07/2023 20:38

As PP says, 100% book the colosseum - try and go early in the morning or as late in the day as possible and it’ll be a bit quieter and therefore a bit nicer

moogdroog · 04/07/2023 22:51

I'd really recommend Herculaneum as well as Pompeii - much quieter, smaller but better preserved - I've never been anywhere where I felt so much that I'd travelled back in time. No need to book.
For the Colosseum, we booked a tour but didn't realise that the tickets also got us into the Forum - we didn't have time to use that part, unfortunately. So build that in, if you can.

Vanillalime · 04/07/2023 23:04

I visited Pompeii a couple of months ago and just turned up without pre booking. There was a short queue that seemed to take forever to move but just to the right, there was a ticket machine you could use.

There were a few tour guides waiting just inside the gates who were offering guided tours (€120 for 2 hours) but I decided just to go it alone & still had a wonderful time. Don't underestimate how huge the place is!!

I think if you know when you are going then it would make sense to pre book both. I saw a video yesterday of the queues at the colosseum and they looked horrendous!

TizerorFizz · 05/07/2023 00:28

@iwonttaketheeasyroad Mary Beard wrote a book on Pompeii. It’s a bit hard going in places but it’s a good guide if you pick out the interesting buildings. Gives you things to look out for. Worth buying. Also I think the British museum had a Pompeii exhibition. You might be able to pick up the guide book. “Pompeii live” utube has Mary Beard again!

Definitely second Herculaneum. It’s wonderful.

OneFrenchEgg · 05/07/2023 07:53

Rome from Sorrento? That's a huge trip. Or are you changing base?

RunningFromInsanity · 05/07/2023 09:24

I would say that the Roman Forum was better than the Colosseum. It’s huge, we spent most the day walking round.
Tip- don’t use the entrance straight across from the Colosseum as the queues are massive, walk around to the left, and you’ll find a smaller entrance with shorter/no queue.

AnnaMagnani · 05/07/2023 09:26

Forum is a lot better than the Colosseum and also doesn't attract queues.

If you get a joint ticket you can go straight in to the Colosseum from the Forum.

MissAmbrosia · 05/07/2023 09:32

I wouldn't do a day trip from Sorrento to Rome if that's what you are planning it's too far and needs days on it's own. Plenty to do from Sorrento itself. Second Herculaneum. Boat trip to Amalfi coast and / or one of the islands. I liked Naples and the underground tour.

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