I would like to take ds to Italy to see Pompeii and volcano for a week in the summer. How can we go without spending too much money or staying in a nasty hotel?

[scrooged]

I'd like to go to Rome aswell so I thought of going to both and traveling by train to sorento from rome?

Any suggestions?

Why don't you look at camping? You can pre book linen for a mobile home and facilities are usually excellent - loads of outdoor fun and chill out time! Don't know any campsites near Rome but can rec one near venice - going back this year!

yes, rome and pompeii and vesuvius all quite doable from sorrento. I've stayed in the Hotel Caravel in San Agnello (ten years ago though), it was very nice then - San Agnello is about 1 mile out of Sorrento, and has a train station of its own.

We are off to Paris for a week in Easter, I can't drive so if we camp I will have to take everything with me. This isn't fun!

A mobile home will be too big for just me and ds. I'm after a nice hotel that charges for the room not per person.

We went to Italy last summer (Lake Garda), and IMHO was very reasonable.
We spent about £100 each on BA flights (have looked again for this summer and still same price).
We stayed in a family run hotel for 3 nights, was also very reasonable.

Whats your budget?

Between 800-1K. I can go higher, just not to kuoni prices

Oh scrooged I don't man camping camping - I like a nice mibil with beds, toilet, shower, kitchen, lounge etc etc!!! I've flown to Italy - prebooked the linene then had tobut=y in essentials like the homemade pesto(YUM!!!) etc! Took 2 cases between 3 of us - gonna make it 1 case this year - the buses are fab too from marco Polo - 3e each and coaches with helpful drivers. Dead easy without a car! Mobiles aren't too big for the 2 of you! It's just me and 2 DC. We're going 'camping' near Paris may half term - 1 2bed mobile for the three of us ad the same for my mate and her dd. So cheap and so much more outdoor fun for the dcs!

That sounds good. I'll look into that.

Oh you should have no problem staying a hotel then, I think for 4 days and 3 nights in Lake Garda we spent about £400 for two of us, plus evening meals, breakfast was included and was certainly enough to see you through the day
(I have deliberately left out what we spent on drink )

lol! I don't drink (much) when I'm with ds. One glass max so we'll be OK. Can you recommend a nice hotel?

we were without the dc's so am excused

Can only recommend hotel in lake garda, havent been to pompeii. Just do your research on trip advisor when youve seen something you like and you wont go far wrong. Have a lovely time

I will say it was by far the hottest place I have ever been, have never known heat like it, we used to walk home from the town at 1/2am and it would still be 29 degrees

Ahh. Hot. I don't like hot. I may have to have a rethink. Thanks fo your help. Is there anywhere that isn't as hot?

Pompeii really is hot - go early and wear long cool clothes and take water. It's so incredible though. Much bigger than I imagined. We stayed at a v nice Hilton in Sorrento up the hill a bit from the town but walkable. Loved it. There's a train to Pompeii but we hired a car - went from Rome airport. Didn't use the car a whole lot though. My dcs were 11, 9, 8 and 1 at the time. Rome is fantastic as well.

...I went to Sorrento (on my own!) in 2007. None of the hotels are that cheap, and they all seem to offer half board only.

I stayed here. Don't let the crappy music deter you. I chose it because it has a number of room options (I had a single, but I am sure there will be one to suit you), and it is very close to the train station (no, you can 't hear them. Sorrento is the end of the line) and to the centre of Sorrento itself.

Pompeii is just a few stops on the train, it has its own station (clever of the Romans to build it right by the station, I think). It is a marvel. One day isn't enough, I loved it....

There is also Herculaneum, another preserved site. In some ways better than Pompeii but much, much smaller. You can get there by train, too..

I think Rome by train is definitely do-able. You would have to take the train into Naples and change there, I think....

Pompeii is breathtakingly hot. There is no wind. And big - it's a lot of walking. But still worth it - the whole area is beautiful.
If you have the time, take the SITA bus that ends at Vietri Sul Mare as far as somewhere like Amalfi - beautiful views. You buy bus tickets at the TABAC - tabacconists.

....there are any number of small ferries from the little port, too. You just turn up and buy a ticket, it was surpisingly inexpensive. There are boats to Naples, Capri, Amalfi and the beautiful Positano....

I took the boat to Amalfi as I am too chicken to travel by bus on those winding clifftop roads. Spectacular no doubt. I just couldn't get the last scene of 'The Italian Job' out of my head...

Yes, the boats are cheap and efficient.

It is all a bit Italian job - but we've been to that area many times and are sort of used to it. Last hire-car was a bloody great big van - terrifying. And people on scooters whizz past, texting as they go.

I live in Rome and have travelled down to Sorrento by train, very do-able. Definitely worth paying a bit more and getting the alta velocita eurostar train from Rome to Naples, only takes 1 hr 20 mins as opposed to some of them taking 3 hrs! You can have a look on Italy's train site is in English as well. From there you get the local train to Sorrento. It's really well placed for Capri, Pompei etc as others have said and is gorgeous. Positano is stunning as well. Would definitely consider going out of summer though, it will be absolutely burning in July/Aug and there is no shelter at Pompei so you are completely exposed. Also avoid Rome in summer months, just gets too hot, polluted etc. All Italians leave the cities in Aug as well so loads of restaurants and bars are closed. Don't know any hotels in Sorrento but can give you some info on hotels and b&bs in Rome if you want.

That's a good point about the heat. I hate it when I'm too hot so we may go in October half term instead. We both break up from school and Uni on July 4th though so it could be cooler then???? We're off to Paris in the Easter Holiday so may look for somewhere nice and cold cooler for the summer. Scotland maybe. October in Italy sounds nice.

Thanks for the ideas.

I'd love some b&b info please gio71. ds does get lively though so somewhere child friendly please. Many thanks.

I would say Oct. You may risk a bit of rain but not that likely. Heat in Rome starts getting intense from mid June-July & Aug are unbearable, we never leave the house except in the early morn/eve and it rarely goes below 30 degrees at night. Same as with Pompei a lot of the things you would want to see in Rome are open and exposed (eg Forum). Personally think worth risking a bit of rain as at least you can do things in the rain whereas that heat is a killer to be walking in. My parents always come out Oct half term and they love that time of year here.Sorrento would be lovely then, should still be nicely warm.
Re B&B in Rome have a look here, friends of my parents have stayed there and said is fine, basic but clean and easy to walk everywhere. Otherwise you can get a load from here
Don't worry re ds being lively, kids are adored here and noone will give you nasty looks if he gets boisterous (sp!?)
Let me know if you need anything else, I can always be found on the Little Italy thread