Pompeii Questions???

[martyap]

We have a private driver for Naples/Amalfi. How much time is usually

spent in Pompeii??? Driver will hire an additional guide at 100e/2 hours.

Should we do that....hire a guide at Pompeii?? or use the audio tour available on site??

 

Any thoughts in general about Pompeii will really be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Marty

[cruisemom42]

We have a private driver for Naples/Amalfi. How much time is usually

spent in Pompeii??? Driver will hire an additional guide at 100e/2 hours.

Should we do that....hire a guide at Pompeii?? or use the audio tour available on site??

 

Any thoughts in general about Pompeii will really be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Marty

 

 

We have not done Pompeii YET but will be there soon. From everything I have read here and on other boards, 2-3 hours in Pompeii will probably be sufficient unless you are extremely interested in the ruins (like me). Most of the artifacts have been removed to the museum.

 

From what I understand the audio guide is just fine and allows you to go at your own pace, skipping some things and dwelling on others as you prefer. However, there is apparently another option: at the gate there are frequent "on the spot" tours that you can join. From what I've read these can vary in quality but they start fairly frequently and you can hop in if you decide you want to do it that way without having to commit to a guide ahead of time.

[X-ring]

Any thoughts in general about Pompeii will really be appreciated.

 

I enjoyed my visit accompanied by the audio guide.

 

Not sure what your expectations are but keep in mind that the Pompeii site is essentially interesting ruins and that the artistic treasures are in the Archaelogical Museum in Naples.

[MavisMarie]

I do not think you would need a guide, especially at the cost of 100Euros. You can get the self-guide book at the entrance. I think that would be sufficient to get you in and around each area. You can certainly hit the highlights in 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Audio guide is helpful, too.

Pompeii is a visually interesting place with quite a few surprises here and there. I feel it is a definite "must see" for anyone who has not been there before.

I hope you enjoy your day on the Amalfi coast! :)

[BCHappyGal]

Just returned from a Mediterranean cruise on the Liberty. Yes I would recommend a guide in Pompeii. It is huge and without a guide I would not have known where to go or what I was seeing. The guide really brought it to life.

 

Yes 2 hours is enough unless you are a real historian.

 

Enjoy

[Andym]

You can join a guided tour by the pay booths for 10 euros per person. these will be the same guides that your driver will arrange for you. If you don't mind joining a group go for this option otherwise pay the 100.

[doublefault]

We toured the coast in the morning going down as far as Positano then had lunch and went to the ruins before going back to the boat. We used the same guide for Pompeii and Herculaneum. It was a good tansition between the 2 sites. We were at Pompeii for about 2 hours and Herculaneum for about 1 1/2 hrs. The crowds were very small and we had ample time to listen to the guide and view the ruins. I do not have any experience with the audio tapes there.

[nparmelee]

We had our driver (Salvatore from Drive Amalfi) do this for us, the guide was very knowledgeable and with 6 of us the split was very reasonable. We thought it added to our time at Pompeii in a positive way. We would do the same thing again.

[seussmd]

If I had to do it over, I would have taken the guide. We did the audio and it was okay but I ended up not listening to most of it or getting confused as to where I was and if it matched up on the audio! I think I was so excited about BEING there I went a bit nutty! Its amazing and I wish I had had more than 1 1/2 hours to wander.

[LILynn]

We had a driver in Naples as well when we were there last month. When we got to Pompeii we rented the audio tour. There were a number of licensed guides at the site offering their services. Looking back, I am really sorry that we did not use the guide. The audio phones were OK but in the limited time we had in Pompeii I am sure that I would have got a lot more out of it if we had used a guide. I would go with the guide IMO.

 

Lynn

[njtom]

i was in pompeii last month. our private tour driver dropped us off at the front. we booked one of the local tour guides there in the front. he got a group of 10 people togetger (we were a group of 4 ) and the total price was like 10 euros each for 2 hours. it was very informative and well worth it. i would say to go that way, you won't be sorry!!!!! (and make sure yoyr guide shows you the penis rock, you will laugh, you'll see!!!

Let me know if you have any other questions. We did a tour of the amalfi cost including positano the same day, it was great!!!

 

NJTOM

[Andym]

The penis is all over Pompeii. Look out for them on the walls outside buildings. Also our guide showed us them carved into the floor pointing the way to the brothels.

[sunraiser]

Anyone knows the official website for pompeii. I want to find out if the tour guide from pompeii provides foreign language tour.

[nparmelee]

The web site I found is http://www2.pompeiisites.org, we heard quite a few different languages in the groups around us, so it should not be a problem.

[doublefault]

Here is the website for the quide we used for both places. Everyone enjoyed the experience.

WWW.POMPEITOUR.COM

[Andym]

there will be guides in most languages available.

[Hlitner]

We really love Italy and always try to do our part to encourage others (not us) to support the Italian economy. So, by all means pay 100 Euros for 2 hours of a guides time. You will sleep well knowing that you are doing your part to help an Italian family buy some really good wine to toast their good fortune.

 

Hank

[crusana]

Hi,

Just came back from our Med cruise. We had a wonderful time. We hired private drivers for Pisa/Florence, Rome and Pompeii/Amalfi Coast. Our driver charged only an additional 50E to secure a guide in Pompeii for the 4 of us. It was so awesome. The advantage of a guide is that you do not waste precious time, you get right in, they take you to the best places and you get to spend some time with the locals!!

 

Two hours is about the norm for Pompeii. Our driver is Rome, a history buff, highly recommended to visit the Villa dei Misteri (House of Mysteries). He warned us that most local guides would not want to take us there since it is a bit far (1 mile walk) and it takes about 1 more hour to do it. Our guide refused to take us there, but told us how to get there and highly recommended it himself!! We really enjoyed it, and we still had plenty of time in Positano. We even had time to sit down for an amazing lunch. Positano is one the the most beautiful places!!

 

Crusana

[taxatty]

If you have an extra 1 1/2 hours, and have any real interest in the lives of the Romans, don't miss nearby Herculaneum--it is much less crowded and more compact than Pompeii, and more "stuff" has been left in the buildings.

Les

[fam6]

I don't know which to do from Naples port for Jul 2007

 

I am would like to know which option is best, or any other suggestions

1. Book a shore excursion to see Pompeii (with a 2 hour limit) and then proceed to some other excursion. This method is less streeful, but would 2 hours be enought time to see the bulk and main highlights of this area.

 

2. OR Go to Pompeii via train. There is no time limit but more worries. With this method there are worries of possible train disruptions and getting lost. Of the 2 choices this is more economical BUT is it worth it.

[Andym]

fam6,

 

How about a further option. Go by bus to Herculaneum. It is much safer by bus, no strikes. The bus stop is right by the ship so no travelling through Naples to the train station. It stops right outside the site at Heculaneum and picks up again for the return journey at tha same spot. Herculaneum is more complete than Pompeii .

 

There are some pictures here

 

http://family.webshots.com/album/445692004TtdkXw

[Belle]

You said there was a bus stop by the ship. That's good.

 

Did your bus stop at Pompeii as well as Herculaneum?

Was there another bus that just went to Pompeii only?

 

Thank you

[Andym]

The bus does stop right by where tha ship stops and it only goes to Herculaneum. I don't think it would be a good idea to do both Herculaneum and Pompeii in the day. You just wouldn't get enough out of it. We have probably done 14 hours at Pompeii now and still have things to see. Herculaneum is smaller and can be seen better in less time.

[sammyjo882]

Andym,

 

Does the bus go straight to Herculaneum, or are there local stops along the way? If so, about how many? We're still trying to decide whether to take the train to Pompeii and on to Sorrento, or now just go to Herculaneum by bus and then back to stay around the area in Naples.

[Belle]

I wasn't planning on doing both but

thought if bus went to Pompeii be

easier to catch the bus then to

walk and find the train station to Pompeii.

We will do it thro.

 

First time to Naples, so have to

see Pompeii, next time see Herculaneum.