Article about Oplontis

Hey thanks! Great timing, I'm just looking into Pompeii, Herculaneum & Oplontis for a trip in December, most appreciated!

We went to Oplontis this past fall. It’s fantastic and virtually empty!

Loved Oplontis, saw it in April. We took the free shuttle to Oplontis after Pompeii started getting crowded. There couldn't have been more than 10 people there.

Thank you for sharing this. I am planning on visiting Pompeii in October and hope to make a side trip to Oplontis. Allan, you mention a free shuttle from Pompeii. Does the shuttle run from the area near the Pompei Scavi train station? Also, a number of years ago someone on the forum shared information about a series of lectures by the Yale professor Diana Kleiner on "Roman Architecture." I am reposting that information as the course is very interesting. Several lectures center on the architecture of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Here is the link https://oyc.yale.edu/history-of-art/hsar-252

@Mar65, when you exit the station, turn right and head south toward the Swiss Restaurant. It's the plaza in that area where you'll find a white and red mini bus. It's not well signed and we weren't even sure it was the bus until we literally woke the driver up and asked. He spoke no English, but we managed to communicate. Here is the bus schedule http://pompeiisites.org/en/visiting-info/pompeii-arte-bus-timetables-and-methods/, however I sense the schedule is a friendly suggestion. As soon as we got on, he drove us there and even asked when we'd want a ride back. The train station at Oplontis was only a 5 minute walk away though, so we told him we'd be catching the train back to Sorrento.

Mar65 - I posted the link to Dr. Kleiner's course as well! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. What an amazing resource available to everyone for free.

Allan, thank you for the detailed information including the link to the bus schedule. I'm really looking forward to the trip!

Estimated Prophet-Agreed, it's amazing that the Yale course is free.

We visited Oplontis this past October and it was a highlight of our trip. The site is beautiful and uncrowded which was a welcome change from Pompeii. There were only two other people at the site. Allan, we found the bus with no problem, thanks to your detailed directions. Our experience with the bus driver was similar to yours.

Glad it worked out for you Mar65. I'm torn between telling the world about Oplontis or keeping it my little secret so it stays an uncrowded gem.

Note that Oplontis is a very easy, short walk from the (really cheap) CIrcumvesuviana stop Torre Annunziata Città (not Torre Annunziata Centrale.) Although I did NOT do this walk, Google Maps suggests that if you have already walked the long distance inside Pompeii to Villa de Misteri, you could exit at the Villa Misteri exit, and be halfway to Oplontis. I'd only do that if it were not a hot, sun-bleached day!