No luck with private guides so far...

If your planning doesn't work out, consider hiring a guide right on the spot when you get to Pompeii. The transportation piece can be easily done on your own and it would be a shame to pay an expert in archeology extra just to chaperone you to the site. I've noticed that professional rates for guides seem off the charts now, probably because they know that some people are willing to pay and have money and pent up demand from 2-3 years of covid. To maximize your funds, use the guide at the site(s), not to accompany you in transport to the site(s). You can very likely get a better deal once you arrive and can talk to several guides about what you're looking for (I can't guarantee that but it's my guess).

That's too bad Allan. We hired a private guide in Sicily for a one day custom tour. I think it cost us 400€ and a lunch for the day which included a lot of driving and hotel pickup/return. A couple of RS recommended guides never replied. We found one through "Tours by Locals" and were satisfied. But recognizing they're all independent operators, I don't think there's any quality control. Have you asked your hotel for a rec, if you're staying at one?

I've had one no show and one last minute substitution with RS guides. I don't use them anymore. Never had a problem with TBL.

I believe that there are licensed guides available at the entrance to Pompeii. If you don’t want to leave things to chance, keep searching the web. We encountered something similar when trying to find a guided tour to Paestum. I somehow found out that those megaexpensive tours are aimed at groups off cruise ships.

We did finally find a reasonably priced tour. Biggish, but not horrendously so bus, and a very knowledgeable guide. I’m remembering €100/pp for a whole day, including a stop in Salerno.
Another thought is to ask your hotel for recommendations.

Would you consider taking the train from Sorrento and meeting a private guide at the site? Many recommendations for guides under “Guides for Pompeii” from the search bar. We visited Pompeii/
Herculaneum while on a tour of Southern Italy. That said, one guide that is frequently highlighted here: http://www.pompeiitourguide.com/ I can’t personally comment on this guide. We have hired many exceptional private guides throughout Europe and highly recommend the experience.

ToursByLocals.com? We used them only once but we were able to determine via email what we expected and together arranged an itinerary to suit our needs. We had a good experience. This was in St Petersburg and again, was the only time we ever used them or any hired guide for that matter.

I've noticed that professional rates for guides seem off the charts
now, probably because they know that some people are willing to pay
and have money and pent up demand from 2-3 years of covid.

I'm finding the cost of the guides for two hours to be reasonable, but it's the drivers that are the deal killers. One quote was broken down to 230 Euros for 4 hours of guide time between the two sites, but even the drive between Pompeii and Herculaneum was quotes at 150 Euros. My desire was one person to be the driver and guide for the full day, but it doesn't seem to work that way. Because this day is so important to me I've been hesitating to take my chances and hire a guide on site, but I also don't want to book two guides in advance and have to be at one or the other sites at a particular time if we decide the site we're at needs more time.

I'm finding the cost of the guides for two hours to be reasonable, but it's the drivers that are the deal killers.

I work as a guide, but even as a tour manager for a little tour operator (sorry, not in Pompei/Sorrento area) and I do confirm that the transport cost (by privare car with driver) now is a huge problem. Unfortunately is much higher than the cost of the guide, mainly due to the fuel cost. 820€ cash seems a little high for both service, related to the program required, but not so astoundingly high.

My desire was one person to be the driver and guide for the full day, but it doesn't seem to work that way.

This is a thing that foreign tourists always forget: in Italy for the most of jobs, to do it legally, you need a license. The license for taxi or private driver (NCC in Italian) is pretty expensive (but I believe in USA is the same), so usually people don't take that license as a second job. The guide license isn't expensive, but you have to spend a lot of time studying. So there are very very few people in the whole Italy who have both (I don't know nobody).
Are there guides who bring tourists around with their car? Yes, there are. Are there drivers who act even as a guide? Yes, there are. But both are working out of law in black market.
So my suggestion of a guide + driver is the best solution. Or you can even hire only the guide and move with him/hem by public transport: by train is often easier move in the Sorrento area!
Unfortunately I don't know any guide in that area to suggest, but I know two serious local tour operator located in Sorrento: GoldenTours and YourItaly. Probably you can try to inquire them to check for a full day tour.

You can easily reach both Herculaneum and Pompeii on the (very cheap) local train, no need for a driver for either.

If you ride on public transportation with your guide, they’ll have more time to share information with you before you get to the archaeological sights, but you’re paying for that time. Getting to Pompeii and Herculaneum on your own, then meeting up with a guide/s there will save you on the deal-killer private driver part.

Maybe this is a long shot, but do any of the guides in Rick’s Italy book - maybe the Rome guides - have any recommendations for a Pompeii or Herculaneum guide, without trying to book you a complete €800+ day? His Mainland Greece guide turned us onto a fantastic guide for Crete, and there seem to be lots of guides in Italy who are familiar with others, without acting as a booking company.

Another long shot which could work out even if you don’t have all the arrangements locked in place before you’ve left for Italy, is to get to the entrance to Pompeii and locate a qualified guide. I saw guides (or alleged guides) hanging out front, offering their services, although we didn’t use them ourselves. There may be some people masquerading as guides, but if you could determine one who’s worthy, and there’s actually done one there the day you’re there, it might work.

Have you talked to Joe Banana Limo, by any chance? We have used them for three separate trips to Italy and always been extremely pleased. Last summer we did a trip similar to what you describe - pick up, 2 hour guided tour at Herculaneum, lunch at a winery near Vesuvius, and then a 2 hour guided tour at Pompeii. We had one driver with us the entire time, and then the same guide joined us for both Herculaneum and Pompeii (he took a separate lunch break while we were at the winery).

Obviously, this does not come crazy cheap, but we didn't pay 820 Euros - I want to say maybe more like 500-600 Euros.

I'm not affiliated with them in any way, but I do like to recommend the company because they have earned our loyalty over the years with their professionalism and reliability. Their guides are top notch as well, and they are extremely easy to work with ahead of time to set things up. You can verify their excellent reviews on TripAdvisor. Good luck!

There may be some
people masquerading as guides, but if you could determine one who’s
worthy, and there’s actually done one there the day you’re there, it
might work.

That's my concern of not being time to vet someone until the last minute, but I may have to do it this way if I can't find one guide for both. I don't want to pre-book both guides in case I want to stay at one place longer than expected.

@Ricky. Thank you for you comments, that helps explain what I'm experiencing.

@Janis. That link is the guy that quoted €820 all cash, not including entrance fees and tips. Was he really thinking I'd tip 5 different people plus pay €820? I started with him because of the recommendations on this forum and the guidebook.

Was he really thinking I'd tip 5 different people plus pay €820?

Tipping isn't mandatory, so you don't need to tip nobody in Italy, except if you want.

What we have experienced here in Emilia-Romagna is an increasing of the car cost of the 20/30% in the last year due to fuel rising. So if in 2021 the car (for a daily tour) could cost 400€, now is probably 500€.
In any case for 820€ for a full day I should expect at least the effort to fulfill my requests: like the same guide for the full day.
I have another suggestion yesterday I forgot: Tours and More Sorrento. Is a little local tour operator created by a group of local guides. Maybe they can give you better service and lower cost.

Ricky, thank you for the info for the tour company in Sorrento, I've left them a message.

Regarding the tipping, I am aware that tipping is not necessary, but the guide made a point in stating that tipping was part of the package that was not included in the price. No mention of it being optional.

Hi,
I am looking to do the same kind of tour. A friend did it before Covid and booked through Costco Travel. It is now over $1000. It was a private tour, picked up in a Mercedes at their hotel. Lasted 8-9 hours. Their guide was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. From what I’ve read about other tours it may be worth the money. They were very happy.

Allan, he wants to be paid in cash to cheat on taxes. More, he doesn't obey the law the moment he works "cash only".

Do you really believe such a person would tell you the truth about tips or mention it being optional? Tips can't be mandatory, otherwise they would become a fee and couldn't depend on customer's pockets and mood.

I find a little surprising you found his name on a guide, writers should know local laws and avoid recommending dishonest entrepreneurs to their readers.

Incidentally, licensed guides must study a lot to get their license. Pompeii is not in the Old wild west, someone posing as a licensed guide outside such an important place wouldn't go unnoticed for long.