Pompeii and Herculaneum

I did both in one day, including a hike up Vesuvius. That was with a car too, didn't waste any time waiting for public trans. To be honest though, we didn't spend as much time at Pompeii as we could have. It was just so crowded (July) that we just saw the major stuff and got the heck out of there and on to deserted Herculaneum.

I toured both places on different days, actually on different trips. I would not choose to do both in one day. for me it would be too much of the same. However if you are an archeology buff you may feel differently.

As day trips, I have been to Pompeii from Rome, and to Pompeii and Herculaneum from Positano. It would be a long day from Rome, but I think you can do Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day. They both have a lot to offer. Herculaneum is very small compared to Pompeii, but is better preserved, to my mind. if you have time, try to get pizza at Da Michele in Naples before you head back to Rome.

Why don't you consider staying in Pompeii for the night? The hotel there would probably cost less than one in Naples. Hotel Amleto was great. 1 block off the town square, we enjoyed sitting at a cafe around the square. The Hotel recommended a restaurant that turned out to be one of the best that we ate at in Italy. We found many times, that instead of day tripping we could go out to the smaller town & visit & spend a night for less money. The hotel in Rome kept a suitcase for us because we were coming back. Have a great time.

You haven't mentioned when you are visiting but I would recommend Pompeii in morning. It gets very hot there. The year I was there it was 92 in September and we did not tour whole site because of heat and you are out in open not much shade(hot for me being from western Washington).

We stayed in Sorrento and did both Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day. We wandered Pompeii by ourselves - very crowded with huge tours and then hired a guide when we got to Herculaneum. We enjoyed Herculaneum more than Pompeii. I'm sure having the guide made a difference but it really is better preserved and an incredible sight. If you are into hiring a guide let me know and I will give you her name and number - she absolutely brought the place alive for us.

This past summer we stayed in Sorrento and went to both Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day. We planned ahead,arrived at Pompeii early, took many water breaks, and then hopped back on to the local train and went to Herculaneum. The Rick Steves guide book has great directions to Herculaneum. I am really glad we went to both places. We had Herculaneum to ourselves in the late afternoon and it was perfect. That was one of the BEST days of my life !