Hello wise travelers! Our family of 4 is gearing up for a week in Napoli & Ischia. We have 2 boys, ages 5 and 2 that will experience the adventure alongside. We're unsure if the Campania artecard is worthwhile for us. We would consider getting the 3 day pass as the first part of our trip we'll be based in Naples. The other 3 days we'll be Ischia experiencing a 'beach' trip. So I have a few questions: 1) Surely there are many great museums & sites offered with the card but for now we know we'd like to see pompei or ercolano & the archelogical museum in napoli. Is it worth to get the card for just these places? Is public transportation included in the 3day card (circumvesuviana)? 2) Considering we have the boys with us we'd like to visit either pompei or ercolano. Which one would you recommend? Should we even bother bringing a stroller (jogging type with durable wheels)? 3) For our 3 days in Naples homebase we're breaking up our itinerary as: 1 day in pompei or ercolano, 1 day in naples, 1 day at capri...are we missing out by not going to amalfi coast? (Sorrento or positano or ravello or amalfi)? Would 1 day be better spent in one of these places? Is considering 1 day for pompei/ercolano too much...is that more of 1/2 day? Thank you for your advice! Looking forward to your input.
Posted by
Sammamish, WA
403 posts
Hi Jessica,
We have not travelled with our kids to Ercolano or Naples, but I can speak to Pompeii. A stroller will be completely worthless there. If you search for images online, you can get a sense of how uneven the streets are, and that they are interrupted every few meters by "crossing stones" that would make stroller travel impossible. I would recommend a baby backpack if you can still manage to carry your 2 y/o in one. Pompeii is HUGE and requires lots of walking. You don't say when you are going, but note that the site is very exposed and can be murderously hot. Make sure you plan for proper hydration and respite from the heat for little ones, or it will be one big cranky day. I don't think I'd do both sites, and certainly not in one day with kids in tow.
Posted by
OP
Geneve, Switzerland
8 posts
Thank you for your advice. We will be going to Naples region next week/first week of Sept. We were warned about the heat of Pompei & indeed it'll be upper 80s/low 90s. We'll have the ergo carrier for our 2yo but I am still tempted to take our stroller along. We live in europe & its a durable one for cobblestones & uneven pavements. I was curious about Ercolano since we've heard its smaller but more intact...also more areas of shade. Anyway still have more research to do about the area (thx 4 recommendation on Ravello) & if the artecard will be worthwhile (public transport included). So the sightseeing part of our trip will be the first half as we stay in Naples and the 2nd half of our trip lounging on the island of Ischia...trying to strike a balance for our 2 boys...but I know we'll all be happy :)
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Jessica, each of the archaeological sites is a half-day visit. Personally I love the Amalfi Coast (and Ravello) and find Capri beautiful but very crowded as a daytrip. Ischia is much more pleasant, in my opinion, especially for small children who tend to have a great sense of personal space. I've never used the Campania artecard, be sure the sites you want to are covered. Entrance to large, popular archaeological sites tends to be expensive - check the websites for pricing information and compare it to the artecard. If transportation is included, it will be a bargain.
Posted by
Ypsilanti, MI, USA
233 posts
We loved the three-day Campania artecard, but we travelled farther and stayed in the region longer (based out of Sorrento, travelled to Pompeii, Herculaneum, Naples, Paestum over four days). With the "tutta la regione 3 days" card, it cost 27 euros per person and covered the first two sites (so Pompeii and Herculaneum for us) and then got us half-off all other sites (Paestum and the Naples Archaeological Museum for us), plus it included public transportation (Circumvesuviana, Naples subway, regional trains to/from Paestum). As far as I know, it doesn't cover anything related to Capri. My suggestion: e-mail the artecard people ([email protected]) with your questions and/or ask for which card they recommend for you. When I e-mailed them, they got back to me quickly in English.
Posted by
OP
Geneve, Switzerland
8 posts
Thanks Kyla for your reply & information. I think we'll go with the artecard (3 day) since it covers those mode of public transports. I will ask the company but we're looking to go to Amalfi & sounds like it will cover that bus (from Sorrento). Thanks again!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
1431 posts
Kyla, do you know if the Compania card is good on the public transportation on the island of Ischia?