Day trip to Pompei from Rome

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/pompeii-day-trip-from-rome-2c38f926-9036-480d-95fd-403dd7694e4a

It's a very long, hot, and exhausting day trip. What kind of shape are you usually in at the end of a trip? A OP today just posted about a train strike, and the OP's son can't get out of Pompeii. Maybe not on your very last day?
You also posted in the wrong section, you may get more responses posting under Italy.
Have a great time!

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/rome-to-pompeii-train

I took a day tour from Through Eternity and thought it was great. We took the one where you take the high speed train to Naples and are met by a driver who takes you to Pompeii where you are met by a guide who takes you around Pompeii. Then a driver picks you up at Pompeii and takes you back to the rail station where you catch the high speed train back to Rome. This is much faster than taking a bus the entire way.

The only drawbacks are: 1) You only have 2 or 2.5 hours in Pompeii (I was okay with this because my husband was not interested in a long tour) and 2) It is expensive. For us, it was a splurge and well worth it.

We went early and were back by 2:30, which would be good for you since it’s the last day of the trip and you would still have time for some afternoon sightseeing and nice dinner. Since you are going in July, you definitely want to hit Pompeii when it opens because it is likely to be hot and crowded. (We were there in November.)

If you want something cheaper, Through Eternity and other companies have cheaper tours, but you’ll be on a bus for something like three hours each way. I did not go to Ostia Antica, so I can’t compare the two. I had dreamed about seeing Pompeii for fifty years, so there was no way I was going to settle for a substitute.

We did a day trip to Pompeii and Sorrento with The Roman Guy (aka The Tour Guy), and it was great.

Yes, you do spend several hours in a vehicle. This doesn't bother us, since we live in Western Canada and are used to driving long distances. We like looking at the scenery, too.

Yes, you get about 2 1/2-3 hours at Pompeii. We found that was a good amount of time, and we were there on a drizzly day in November. On a baking hot day in July, I'd think that would be about all I could manage, anyway. No, you won't see everything, but you will see a lot, and it will be fascinating.

Yes, there are other ruins closer to Rome. (Ostia Antica). But many of us have known about and wondered about Pompeii since childhood, and have always wanted to see it. That was the case with my husband, in particular.

Yes, you can take a train to Naples, and then another train to the scavi (excavation, i.e. ruins) and get to Pompeii yourself, more quickly and cheaply than going on a tour. This is likely a great option for you.

But whichever option you choose, you are definitely NOT crazy to think of doing this on your last day in Italy. If this may be your only opportunity to see Pompeii, seize it. We're glad we did it, and if you really want to see Pompeii, you'll probably be glad, too.

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions and advice. We are trying to squeeze in Pompei after a relaxing week in Montepulciano at an agriturismo. My husband and I both really want to visit Pompei. Will need to decide if we are going to save it until next year and a visit to the southern part of Italy or go for it this summer. Will check out the suggested tour and travel options.

Most tours offered are about 2 hours long, which is a good start but wasn't nearly enough for me. We started with a tour through Mondo Tours https://www.sharedtrips.com/shared-city-tour/pompeii/51/0900am-pompeii#tour-details and then spent another 3 hours wandering around after the tour was over. A few days later we came back for another day, spending a total of about 12 hours over 2 days there and didn't see it all.

I'd recommend you gauge your interest and then decide if you want a tour from Rome that will only give you 2 hours onsite, or possibly get to Pompeii yourselves and meet a guide there for a tour before wandering on your own until you've had enough. The Circumvesuviana train runs every half hour from Naples and then there are plenty of trains back to Rome so you don't have to be on anyone's timetable but your own.

The physical reality of Pompeii should be taken into account if you are not young and athletic. The cobblestone streets in Pompeii need to be seen to be believed. It takes extra energy to walk on them with the care necessary to avoid turning an ankle. There are sidewalks, but they are often massively higher than the streets, so hopping up and down (to get around other people or to cross an intersection) requires extra effort. It can be beastly hot in July. While in theory you might want to spend many, many hours at Pompeii, you may decide you don't want to do that at the 3-hour mark.

My husband and I are not young and not terribly athletic but I think we can still manage the streets of Pompei. We have been in Italy in the summer before and the heat was almost unbearable the day we went to the Coliseum. Your suggestion of a 3 hour trip is a good one. Thanks for the reminder.

I was 71 when I visited Pompeii last winter. I managed at least 2-1/2 hours, I think, but those cobblestones were killers, and I didn't have to deal with heat. It didn't help that I'm under 5'3"; on one occasion a random passer-by had to help me get up onto the sidewalk, and I have no mobility issues other than bad balance.

Ha! I'm glad I read these comments now. I always thought that a trip to Italy in the summer is a logical choice, but maybe I'll visit these places either this spring or fall after all. Are there currently any restrictions related to the coronavirus in Italy?

No restrictions that I observed even as far back as fall 2022, and none that I'm aware of now.

Summer isn't a good time, weather-wise, for most of Italy.

We spent about 5-6 hours at Pompeii at the beginning of November 2022. It was actually fairly hot (about 85F) and there is little shade. We took a high speed train to Naples from Rome and then the circumvesuviana from Naples. After Pompeii we continued on to Sorrento. We felt there was still more to see, but we were exhausted. I fell asleep on the train ride, which was quite a feat because I was standing!

I wouldn't do it on my last day in Rome and probably never as a day trip from Rome. On a last day, I would want to savor the city and have a nice meal and head to bed at a reasonable time.

We did Ostia Antica as a part of our Rome RS tour. It was very enjoyable. It is smaller and doable from Rome on public transportation. Consider going there in the morning and then head back to Rome in the afternoon for a leisurely last day in Rome.

EDITED TO ADD: Ostia is also an ancient Roman city. It dates back to the 4th century, I believe. It is an excellent site as it was preserved by silt from the river. It is an easier visit. Cooler, grassy, a nice cafe and small museum.

We were staying in Sorrento when we visited Pompeii. We signed up for a Mondo Tour which was affiliated with Rick Steve’s then. It was only two hours long but we stayed on much longer on our own and saw much more.

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions. I know that summer is not the best time in Italy, but we are seeing Andrea Bocelli in Lajatica at the Teatro del Silenzio, on my bucket list, so we are working around the concert date which is July 17. I think we will keep the visit short or see the ruins closer to Rome. Really appreciate all your experience and advice.