Pompeii

Bryan,

Yes, you certainly can take a day trip to Pompeii. There are companies that provide day tours from Rome, but they're a bit expensive. I used to have the web links on file, would have to search to find these again.

You can also do the trip yourself, although typically it's a very long day. If you leave Rome at about 07:00, you probably won't get back until about 21:00 (depending on which trains you choose).

When you get to Pompeii, I'd highly recommend getting a private Guide as it makes the experience so much better. There are usually a few Guides at the entrance who will approach you before you reach the ticket booth, however check the recommendations in Rick's book for excellent Guides.

Happy travels!

The trip is too long for its worth. You should base yourself in Sorrento for 2 or 3 nights and see the dramatic Amalfi Coast along with Pompeii which is about a 15 minute train ride from Sorrento.

You could easily visit Ostia Antica from Rome and see similar sights as Pompeii.

I've done day trips to Pompeii and Ostia Antica from Rome. they are both very doable. We even had time on the Pompeii trip to see some of Naples and eat pizza at Da Michele.

If you go to Pompeii, try to hire Gaetano Manfredi as a guide, he is fantastic.

On both trips we packed picnics and ate lunch at the site.

I've been to Pompeii twice but this last summer I finally made it to Ostia Antica and really enjoyed it more. It's only one hour from Rome and you can wander through the ruins. Buy the map and bring your RS book along. Go to www.ostia-antica.org for a great preview.

I second the suggestion about Gaetano Manfredi as a guide in Pompeii. We made a mid-day (12:30 pm) appointment to meet him, which turned out great because there weren't a large number of visitors at that time of day. We felt like we had the place to ourselves! Gaetano was waiting for us when we arrived, even though we were early. HIs tour was excellent. It was apparent that he had great passion for Pompeii and its history. Our tour with him was one of the best parts of our trip to Italy.

I'd recommend staying somewhere around Pompeii for at least a night. Swing a whole week in Sorrento and Naples if you can manage it.

If you do come from Rome via train, you can get on the circumvesuviana light rail line at the main train station and take that to Pompeii. Make sure to get off at "Pompeii Scavi", not "Pompeii". (scavi = ruins/excavations) Make sure to get a map beforehand or at the main station just in case.

As far as tours are concerned,

If you can manage an audio guide (not get lost) and plan on seeing as much as possible, I found that to be a very good way to see Pompeii. Tours will last around 1-2 hours depending on the guide and only visit the major places in the city. If I remember correctly, the audio guide had around 70 unique locations(with sometimes excessively lengthy explanations)and keep you occupied for 5+ hours if you choose to visit everything on it, which is definitely not necessary.

Also, if you get an audio guide you can go at your own pace, stop and rest under a tree or stare at a fresco for 30 minutes if you like. Personally, I find this to be much better than being dragged around by a guide. Even if you do hire a guide, make sure you get a map and visit some of the more far flung notable places in the city before you leave. Pompeii is very large and certain major attractions the guides just will not go to, simply because it takes 30 minutes to walk there.

While it is possible to take a day trip from Rome, this will be very strenuous for anyone but the most experienced traveler unless you take a completely guided day tour from Rome and back. (and where's the fun in that?)

Good luck!
P.S. Don't forget to bring water and sunscreen! It's hot with very little shade in the warm parts of the year!

The day trip is very do-able. I've done it three or four times by train. As mentioned above, it does make for a long day.