Pompeii or Herculaneum???

[JATeesside]

Hiya All,

First time cruisers, Century, Western Med, 19/09/09. Very excited, just researching for tips and excursions.

Can't decide whether to do Pompeii or Herculaneum? Does anyone have any suggestions? We are definitely going to do Florence and Rome, we intend to book the ship excursion for Rome, but the private train. Do you think we will manage the Vatican and the Colusseum in the time allocated?

Thank you all.

 

Julie

[Mysticks1]

Hiya All,

First time cruisers, Century, Western Med, 19/09/09. Very excited, just researching for tips and excursions.

Can't decide whether to do Pompeii or Herculaneum? Does anyone have any suggestions? We are definitely going to do Florence and Rome, we intend to book the ship excursion for Rome, but the private train. Do you think we will manage the Vatican and the Colusseum in the time allocated?

Thank you all.

 

Julie

 

You might get a better response on the Italy Ports of Call board at this link. You will find lots of other information there as well.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=595

[ruthnewark]

ditto re trying the other thread - but in response. We prefer Herculaneum.

[ukbecky]

A second vote for Herculaneum. Pompeii is more well-known and bigger but Herculaneum is much better preserved, less crowded and much much smaller - and flat.

 

It's easy to see all of it in 2 or 3 hours.

[Montana]

We prefer Pompeii. We were not concerned about the hills. Enjoy whatever you choose. We did the walking tour of Rome and went from the Spanish steps to the Vatican, fabulous tour.

[Rhisibabe]

Pompeii all the way. Who's heard of Herculaneum?:cool:

[AWorldCruise4Me]

I've done both and I think Pompeii is far more impressive. My husband and I did it on our own with the rented audio guides. It is huge with tons of interesting sights. I'm not sure how far the ship's tours get into the ruins.

 

Do Herculaneum on your second visit. It is much smaller and less spectacular. Herculaneum was a working town with poorer people. Pompeii had the rich folks who had more elaborate facilities.

Cheers!

Michelle

[RichS10]

For a one-day stopover, I say go to Herculaneum. I have been to both (Herculaneum once, Pompeii three times). Pompeii is very large and I have barely seen it all in three trips. Both I and my traveling mate were very surprised how huge Pompeii was and how compact Herculaneum was. Herculaneum is smaller, but is also much better preserved since it was covered in mud rather than pumice, so its easier to imagine the life of the ancients that lived there. For a quick trip, Herculanuem. Also, be aware you cannot visit the Villa of the Papari at Herculaneum without advance clearance and reservations. As of last year, it was not open to the general public.

 

Both Herculaneum and Pompeii are very easy to reach from the ship by taking a cab to the main train station in Naples. Take the Circumvesuviana commuter train headed to Sorrento. It's on the lower level of the main station. Nice ride and very cheap too. Both sites are on the same route so you could even try to do both in one day if you want to.

 

For Rome, we hired a private guide who picked us up at the port and did a whirlwind tour of Rome. It was awesome. Our 1st stop was Ostia (on the way to Rome, and so we could avoid the normal morning rush hour). After about an hour or so there, our guide drove us into Rome. We did the Colossium, the Capitoline, Fontana di Trevi, Piazza di Popolo, Lunch in the Jewish Ghetto, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the Peace Altar and then a nice drive down the Appian Way and back to the boat. She was open to any alterations or modifications in the tour as we went along. Our private tour was expensive (about 350 Euro both of us in a private car with driver), but it was the absolute highlight of the whole cruise. We did the same thing in Naples, but unless you want to see Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, I would just head for Pompeii or Herculaneum using the commuter train. In both cities, we used Bob's Limousines and Tours for both Rome and Naples. (Google them) Very highly recommended!

 

BTW, one day in Rome is JUST IMPOSSIBLE. I had to go back for a week the following year to get a handle on what I had seen. IMHO, its the most fantastic city in the world!

 

Rich

[nps001]

My vote if for Pompeii. Pardon my sarcasm but before we visited Pompeii, I said "if I have to see one more place of ruins that is just rocks I'll scream" I was overwhelmed at Pompeii. As other posters have said, it is hilly and very large but I loved it.

[JATeesside]

Too much to do and not enough time, what to choose!!!!!! Thanks for all of your opinions, something to think about.:p:confused::confused:

[kannna]

A second vote for Herculaneum. Pompeii is more well-known and bigger but Herculaneum is much better preserved, less crowded and much much smaller - and flat.

 

It's easy to see all of it in 2 or 3 hours.

 

We enjoyed Herculeneum thoroughly. But, I wouldn't call it flat. The town is way under ground level. and you walk downhill to get into it and uphill to get out of it and there are many levels.

[ukbecky]

No, the city of Ercolano is not flat but the ancient site of Herculaneum is.

 

I meant that exploring the site itself is easier than Pompeii, which is up and down with things spaced far apart. Pompeii requires much more time to explore due to the sheer size of it.

 

And Herculaneum was the wealthy resort town, Pompeii was the working town.

 

The state of preservation is amazing - existing 2nd floors, wooden doors and furniture in situ, even bits of glass still in the windows - and most of it still under the existing city, unexcavated.

 

But few have ever heard of it.