Pompeii

Several years ago we used enjoyrome.com for a day trip to Pompeii and we were very pleased. You can check there website for details. It is round trip transportation to the site and then you are on your own at the ruins. You can hire a guide or do it yourself. I've been there twice and we never used a guide. You can also rent auto guides. The place is hot, dry, dusty, and interesting.

Buon viaggio,

RB

I think it depends on how much you want to spend, and how 'in depth' you want your tour. A private driver and private tour guide could get quite expensive (although might not be bad if split 6 ways). My mom and I went to Pompeii this past May. We took the train from Rome to Naples, then to Pompeii. It was very easy and cheap. We got to Pompeii about 10 am and found a tour guide outside of the gates for 10E apiece (2 hour tour). He showed us the highlights, then we had the rest of the day there to ourselves (we spent another 2 hours there). The tour was good, very glad we did it - would have been very confusing without someone to show you around....but it was pretty quick and not really 'in-depth'....just the basics. Which is what we wanted. We didn't spend time in Naples. I've heard both ways it a great stop to visit the Archelogical Museum, or that it's a horrible city that one should avoid. Hope this helps! Have a great time!

Karen,

I would take the train to Pompeii and hire a guide there as suggested by the previous post. The train trip requires you to switch trains in Naples so you can wait until you finish at Pompeii to decide if you have the energy for a little more walking. If you do, when you get to Naples take a cab to the Archaeological Museum, spend a couple of hours and then take a cab back and hop on a train to Rome. My husband and I loved this museum - it is especially impressive to see all of the artifacts that were found at Pompeii. I also love mosaics and they've got some great ones here.

We did this in 2 separate days commuting from Sorrento. We spent a full day exploring Naples. The Archaeological Museum was definitely the highlight - the rest of Naples was much grittier and an entirely different experience than the rest of Italy but with only a few hours available, I'd stick with just seeing the Archaeological Museum.

Have fun.

It is certainly possible to visit the ruins at Pompei as a day trip out of Rome, but it makes for a very long and an extremely tiring day, because the ruins themselves are very extensive, and require at least a six-hour visit. Many travellers choose to return at least once to see the areas of Pompei missed during the first visit.

If you do the daytrip during the summer, you face the additional factor of high temperature and high humidity, which wears you down even more. And of course, after finishing the gruelling day in Pompei, you have to take two trains back to Rome.

Because Pompei is so fundamental to an appreciation of Roman social history, it really cannot be missed. Therefore, unless you're planning a return trip to Italy in the near future, I would at least make preliminary plans for a day trip.

Here's how it could be done:

Leave Rome Termini 7:25 Trenitalia AV train Arrive Napoli Centrale 8:46

connect to Circumvesuviana commuter rail (underground at Napoli Centrale; follow the "Circumvesuviana" signs and take the escalators down)

Leave Napoli 9:10 Circumvesuviana train Arrive Pompei Scavi 9:46

Leave Pompei Scavi 17:06 Circumvesuviana train Arrive Napoli 17:42

Leave Napoli Centrale 18:16 Trenitalia AV train Arrive Roma Termini 19:37

The round-trip adult fare for the AV trains is 84 Euros. The round-trip fare for the Circumvesuviana trains is 4.80 Euros (UNICO CAMPANIA Fascia 3 U3 ticket). You must buy a separate ticket to take the Circumvesuviana commuter train.

FYI, you can 50% by taking an IC train to Naples (or back to Rome), but that may reduce your stay in Pompei, or lengthen your trip.

Children under 12 yrs. and one day pay half fare on Trenitalia trains. Under 4 yrs. and one day, travel free.

You may also qualify for the "familia" discount.

www.ferroviedellostato.it

www.vesuviana.it

As previous posts have written, it will be a long day. I did it via train. So what. Rest on the train. Very very easy to get to. I left early got to Pompeii at 11AM had lunch for 1 1/2 hours and then saw the Ruins for 4 hours. Rent an audio guide. They have individual guides at the Ruins if you prefer. Got on the return train at 6 PM. You will not have eough time to also see Naples. BTW Naples is not worth the effort. Dirty, and rude locals. AND I am of Italian background!