POMPEI tours

[hellhavenofury35]

Going to naples in October half term. Any suggestions for a guided visit that includes transport and a guide. There seems yo lots of websites, anymore had a good experience that you can recommend.

Don't know the answer, sorry, but would like to be able to find this thread later, for the answers!

I went on the train (it can be crowded) but when you arrive at Pompei station you buy entrance tickets and can book a tour/guide in your language there which was very reasonable and highly informative.

Askos tours

I think that the Govt has introduced, or will do, a change to the ticketing arrangements for Pompeii, due to the number of people visiting the site.
Tickets shouldn’t be a problem (iirc they’re only aiming to cut 20% or so off typical numbers per day) but they’re still essential. I think they’re for time slots.
From my visit 25 years ago, my suggestions are a hat, comfy walking shoes with decent grips, and lots of water because it is incredibly dry there.
Have a great time.

You can easily get the train down to Pompeii then the ruins are a short walk from station. There are loads of tours but you can just pick them up when you get there or just walk around with a guide book. There's a tourist office near there too. You can take a bus up Vesuvius as well while you're there.

Not directly answering your question, but just wanted you to be clear that Pompeii is huge. Unless you are a real scholar of antiquity and archeology, it is also very repetitive.

We did Pompeii independently from a cruise (Sorrento) and stayed for about two hours, getting back to Sorrento for a late lunch. We saw our fellow cruise passengers dutifully following the little flag of their guide, in full sunshine. I felt sorry for them.

The advantage of an organised tour is that you don't have to queue for tickets.

We enjoyed what we saw.

Viator.

I went to Pompeii about 3 summers ago in early August. It was hot but there was lots of shade and certain streets have a wind tunnel effect so deliver a breeze.

It is a big site. It was a city and is similar in size to Winchester. If you enjoy antiquity plan to stay all day. Bring a packed lunch if you can; there is one shop selling sandwiches but since COVID there's no restaurant. There are working fountains throughout the city - the original ones - so you can refill your water bottle easily - just like a Pompeiian!

We went on the train from Naples & just got tickets there, but it was February half term so not ieak season.
I actually much preferred Herculaneum.

I went last year with GetYourGuide which includes a ticket and tour led by an archaeologist.
I had the tour in the morning and then stayed for a few hours afterwards to wander around by myself.
Definitely take your own food and a refillable water bottle and wear comfy shoes. Don’t feel you have to see everything.
It is easy to get to on a train from Naples. There are two different ones - a faster one and one that stops at all the stations along the way. I don’t think there is much price difference between them.
Herculaneum is also well worth a visit. Much, much smaller, but still worth going round with a guide IMO. There were only snack vending machines there when I went and I think they only took cash.
At both sites there are cafe/restaurants outside the entrances which aren’t hugely expensive, but are obviously catering for tourists.
I wanted to go to the museum in Naples where a lot of the artefacts from Pompeii are exhibited, but went on the day when it is closed. A good excuse to go back!

I was there in April and there was nowhere to buy food once inside. The one food place was shuttered. We did spot one tap to refill water bottles. So bring plenty of water and snacks.

Getmyguide was good for DH and DD last year. All communication on the day was by mobile phone. They made their own way from Naples to the Pompei ticket office. The train ride is beautiful.

I was there in April and there was nowhere to buy food once inside. The one food place was shuttered. We did spot one tap to refill water bottles. So bring plenty of water and snacks.

Bring a packed lunch if you can; there is one shop selling sandwiches but since COVID there's no restaurant.

This is not true any more - I don't know if the cafe opening times are seasonal, but I was there in June this year and the cafes were open and serving food and drinks. (There's also a cafe by the museum shop and exit that we visited in 2022, didn't this year so I couldn't say for certain that it was open.) There were various water troughs in the streets that had taps with flowing water, so you can refill water bottles.

The site IS massive and you can't see it all in one day, it might be worth researching the points of interest you're most interested in and focusing on that. There's an area which has been excavated and has scaffolding and walkways above, so you can go up and have a look down into the buildings they've uncovered. There is usually an exhibition showcasing some amazing items that have been found - they change these so it's not the same items all the time.

We also found that on entrance, they wanted proof of ID and we hadn't brought our passports - fortunately they were happy with our Italian friend's ID card. I don't know if this is a standard thing now or whether they thought we looked dodgy but it's worth bearing in mind.

Pay the extra to see the Villa of Mysteries. It’s well worth it.

We used this company based on the recommendation of two friends who had used them whilst in Sorrento.

www.taxivalestra.com/excursions/

We had private transfers to Pompeii where we met our licensed tour guide and got in as soon as the gates opened. I would highly recommend as they knew exactly where to go (as others have said the site is huge) and with a private guide you can go at your own speed and hear everything that is being said. Being there early also meant we got some great photos with nobody else in them!! By the time we left it was getting extremely busy.

My friend did a trip with them that involved lunch and an afternoon trip to Herculaneum too.

We went to Herculaneum instead of Pompeii. It was a great day out though very hot. We had a guide which made it so much more interesting than randomly wandering around. It was a day trip off a cruise so I didn't organise the guide myself.

I recommend Herculaneum too, it’s smaller and better preserved than Pompeii with an excellent museum. Seemed quieter too.
Don’t miss the women’s baths

Thank you to everyone that has commented. So from your recommendations and a Facebook group about Naples the Herculaneum seems like a better option. Looks like we are heading there instead of Pompei. Thinking of arranging a guide to meet us there as it seems quite easy to get there with public transport.

Pompeii is so much larger than excavations at Herculaneum though. Check if you can access the underground theatre at Herculaneum, as that sounds amazing but only open by prebooking on limited days.

Try to view Invisible Cities Naples episode for ideas and background

And Mary Beard’s book on Pompeii has highlights for a self guided visit.

I would recommend also visiting the archeological museum in Naples, ideally after your visit to either of the sites. It has all the artifacts that were recovered and is incredible. It really brought it to life for me.

Yes, agree it’s wonderful. We had an archeological guide all morning, he left us at the cafe at late lunch time, then we went down to the villa of mysteries by ourselves after lunch, then back into the main area and went round some other villas and back to some favourite bits. Definitely a very full day!