Pompeii recommendations

[SwedishSayna]

Hoping to make it to Pompeii with a tween either February half term or Easter, we won't have a hire car. Has anyone got tips on where to stay, transport, best time to visit? I went 30 years ago in February and stayed in Sorrento but no doubt things have changed.

Sorrento is a great place to stay, the train goes straight there. Don’t miss Herculaneum which is amazingly preserved. This is a fabulous trip for tweens. ☺️

Also stayed in Sorrento & got the train we went mid morning & was fine not madly crowded have a fab time Yy Herculaneum.

There is a train that goes between Pompeii and Sorrento, possibly beyond, we didnt use a car for the week we stayed. There are buses from Sorrento which visit the resorts along the coast. It's not a nice drive. Herculaneum is not to be missed. Worth basing yourself in Pompeii for a night to get into the site before it gets too crowded.

I’d strongly recommend hiring a guide to get the best out of the site if you can. It’s so big that you won’t be able to see everything in just one visit so it’s worth having a guide to prioritise what you really want to see.
ive only ever stayed in Naples which I love but know that others don’t so much. Direct trains from there too.

We stayed in Torre del Greco about a month ago. There's a train to Naples which takes about 30 minutes and the other way to Pompeii and Sorrento. We had a lovely time, Pompeii is incredible. Herculaneum also worth a visit but smaller.

Definitely agree with getting a guide as otherwise it can seem a bit boring and the guides really bring the history to life.

Easter will increase your chances of milder and drier weather. Sorrento not a bad idea for somewhere to stay, and the Circumvesuviana train will run you to Pompeii from there.

The local buses can take you to the other coastal resorts with great views from the cliff side roads though the hairpin bends are not for the faint hearted!

There museum in Naples is excellent. Haven’t been to Naples for years but it I know a few people who have visited recently and loved it.

We were there in February. Did a six day break with three days Rome, three days Naples. We went to Pompeii one of the days from Naples. Easy to get there with the local train. The train goes on to Sorrento, so you could just as easily get visit from there if you would prefer somewhere less gritty than Naples. Book a tour if you go and go early in the day. Take plenty of water and snacks, there is little or nothing to buy inside and no shade.

The museum in Naples is well-worth visiting too. Also Herculaneum. We liked Naples, but it isn't for everyone. We were in Sorrento one afternoon, and it is certainly more attractive looking than Naples, but very much a tourist spot.

@dontcallmelenwhat time of year did you go, and how did you get to Herculaneum?

@SantasLargerHelper what is Torre del Greco like to stay?

@grannysbaythanks, didn't know you could stay on site. Most probably i'd want to visit there two days in a row

I went to Sorrento and then train to Pompeii too. Really easy to do and travel wise - fine.

We went in August, it was very busy and also absolutely baking hot because obviously there’s very little coverage. The dehydration that day was real.

There is a restaurant/cafe right outside the main entrance to Pompeii, by the railway station, called Hortus Porta Marina. It doesn’t look promising, but actually it is really good.

Don’t forget the museum in Naples. It’s where the artefacts including medical instruments are and is fascinating.

The train is brilliant. We stayed a couple of stops outside Sorrento, and got train in to both Pompeii and Sorrento.

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/naples-to-sorrento-train-schedule

Note that the train stops much less frequently at Herculaneum (ercolano) so it needs more careful planning.

We booked a tour through Viator, which is basically a store front for lots of private tour operators. It was brilliant. We didn’t get to Herculaneum in the end, as we also did Vesuvius and a day on capri. Note if you want to get to Vesuvius there are only a certain number of tickets per day so plan a bit.

Good luck, hope you have a great time! We went October half term and it was not too busy, compared to other times.

The same train line will take you to Herculaneum - it’s around ten minutes walk to the site from the station (Ercolano Scavi).

Oh yes, this place! All the tour guides say to meet outside it. We had a great meal there before going off to Vesuvius. They also sell lovely fresh orange juice, and have stacks and stacks of filled baguette things at the start of the day, perfect for taking into Pompeii (we’d gone to a local shop to buy picnic but would have been way easier to get a sandwich from this place). There is a single cafe / loos place inside Pompeii but queue was massive - would recommend taking food in (you can sit at their tables no problem).

And if you want somewhere a bit fancy to eat near Herculaneum, Vivo Lo Re is great!

We've been there this Easter!
I second staying in Naples- it's a lovely, very Italian city with plenty to see & do. Has 2 metro lines and a day ticket is around €4.50 and well worth it.
Airport transfer just take the bus to the train / metro station- it's as easy as that!
You can catch a train to Pompeii from there no issues....
I second guide, and pre book your Vesuvius ticket & transfer in advance as well! You can do both as day trip (a bit more expensive) but well worth it.

We went October half term, the weather was incredible and we stayed in a place called Meta just outside Sorrento. It was on the train line so convenient for everywhere. Then about a month ago we went back and we stayed at Torre Del Greco as we fancied seeing Naples and Herculaneum this time and it was close to both.

I liked Sorrento but it is busy and touristy and we felt both Meta and Torre del Greco were quieter and more authentic somehow.

I think it depends what you want really. But its a gorgeous coastline with loads to do. Capri is also very much worth a visit.

We did this way as well OP went in early June Yy the suggestion of a guide we shared the cost with another couple it’s a vast site & would miss out on lot without a guide the cafe outside Pompeii is a great shout as well.