Pompeii - how much time?

Yup, July in Italy equals hot. It's your trip but you asked so will give my two cents. Sure, you could do all that in one long day but I'm thinking what's the point? Rome to Pompeii....figure about two hours driving once you get on the road. Pompeii is HUGE. We spent most of a day and saw only a portion. I like to take my time though. I would say that a two hour tour even with a guide is going to be rushedand you'll get the major highlights. A trip to Positano....good time for a lot of traffic July is, figure at least an hour and a half. Positano is a beautiful piquteresque town but quite hilly with fairly steep inclines. Then the trip back to Rome. So you COULD do it but, IMO, it'll be so rushed as to be unenjoyable. I would drop Positanno. If you MUST see an Amalfi town a half hour train ride will take you to Sorrento which is fairly flat, small and almost as picturesque as Positano. But I would suggest dropping it and spending the time in Pompeii. After the official tour is done you can always wander and explore on your own. Honestly, for me, Pompeii was the highlite of my 6 days in the area and wish I had planned better for it.

Thank you. This person also does a 3 hour tour of Pompeii as well. Did you walk around by yourself, or did you take a tour? I could change things around, but I have to keep my teenagers happy as well. Did you walk Vesuvius at all? I wonder if I should do that combination?

I realize this would be a long day going to Postiano - I just honestly don't know if I will get there again before I am 70 - trying to get 3 kids through college! My husband is an avid camera buff, and and I just think going to that town might be worth it? Clearly, I am torn, and would love to get other opinions as well.

Thank you.

We just did our own thing. Had a 15 and 8 year old also. Knowing what I know now I would follow my own advice and do a tour then spend the rest of the day wandering on my own. We had planned on Vesuvius but at the end of the day we were washed out and then the Amalfi coast started to get washed out. Very dark and angry clouds and some very heavy rainfall. One of the towns had a huge mudslide a day or so later.

We spent an entire day in Pompeii and still want to go back to see more of it. I definitely recommend getting a tour guide for an overview but also plan time to just wander the streets. It will most likely be quite hot - just mentally prepare and bring water with you and wear a good hat! There are indoor areas and a few trees here and there so you are able to get out of the sun when you need to.

It's difficult to answer without knowing if you've been (for example) to Cinque Terre, or "White Villages" in Spain, whether Positano is a must-see. How will you feel when people ask you at a party at home how you liked Capri? (We skipped Capri, so don't take that personally!) I guess you won't have seen the Pompeii frescoes and sculptures in the Naples Archaeology museum? (Not saying you must, just evaluating your exposure to ancient Italy ... )

I agree that Pompeii is worth more than two hours, but I know people who rush through art museums. I think with a personal guide it is entirely fair and accurate to say that you "saw Pompeii" in two hours. Now, we paid 265 Euros or so for a car and driver (not a separate guide) just to see the Amalfi Coast for 8 hours from Sorrento. I mention that only to help you evaluate the "value" of your all-day "splurge". The fact that you would consider cutting short Pompeii if it's hot (which it will be) speaks volumes ... ....

Is this itinerary parent-driven or child-driven? How much "shopping" time will you have in Positano. The shopping corridors can be jam packed, like any resort town. I'm not sure I'd want to be in Positano in a hurry in July. But we were there in May. We thought Positano was worth seeing, but not a must-see. Ravello was nicer than either Positano or Amalfi, but I believe many people go to Positano (to quote a guidebook speaking about Capri, "In search of the glitterati, and finding only their prices." OPINION

We are all very interested in Pompeii - my three teenagers included. This is the "type" of people we are:

We took them to Germany/Austria 5 years ago, and they were castled/museumed/churched out. Part of that is that is was pouring in August (who would have guessed) so I needed to move the itinerary to more inside places. That being said, I promised less museums and more outdoor activities. We will be in the Tuscany area for a few days - a few castle towns, the Palio (something totally different and unique), and swimming. Of course - we have to see some churches in Rome, but not sure if the museums will go over to the extent I would like. The Colosseum Tour in Rome is very intriguing to them (and me but I have been there before 30 years ago). I personally would like to see the Naples museum, but I am sure I will be outvoted.

I really wanted to go to Cinqe Terre, but after posting on this board months ago, I realized it would be too much with the time constraints we have. Same with Postiano, etc. We are totally not into glitz at all - which is one reason we skipped going to the Almalfi Coast on this trip. BUT, my husband is a huge camera buff, and when I started looking into Pompeii for a day, I found this combo trip with the coast. I thought that the trip would be fun for him as he could get some great pictures. But I know it's a long day, so I am torn. Shopping in Postiano would not be our thing, but going to the beach or seeing some of the steep inclines would be!

I just emailed the tour guide to see if we can get the 3 hour tour, plus a tour of Vesuvius. But again - that may be really hot going on a volcano in July. We did that in Hawaii a few years back and it was hot and they were not happy! I need to mix it up, without denying the Pompeii trip we are all looking forward to! This is hard....

Looking more into this, then possibly Sorrento tagged on would be the only possibility I would consider. It looks picturesque, and maybe that can be in place of the Cinqe Terre I can't get to because of timing,even though it's only for a few hours -still close enough to Pompeii to make it do-able. So potentially a 3 hour private tour to Pompeii (vs. 2) and then a quick trip to Sorrento might be possible. The big drive might be out of the question, sadly.

Two to three hours is probably enough with a guided tour in July. We did this in the morning in mid June and it was very hot and humid.

Are you planning on a night or two in Sorrento? If so, Pompeii is a short train ride away, and you could spend enough time there with a guide you can hire on-site. Or if you decide to stay in Sorrento, find out if your hotel can arrange a long-day tour to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. I also prefer Ravello to Positano. Shopping in Positano isn't all that, unless you like overpriced cottony-gauzy things and costume jewelry (I'd rather go to Torre del Greco for a real cameo).

The trouble with this type of question and the answers is that anything is possible provided you are willing to make the necessary trade-offs. Can you see everything in Pompeii in two hours? No, of course not. Too much stuff spread over a very, very large area. Can you get a good overview in two hours? Sure, but depends on your degree of interest. Three hours or more would be better. But for some people and maybe teenage daughters, two hours is overkill. With two sons, who later became engineers, a full day was barely enough because they were poking into every corner.

What you are suggesting would be a very expensive outing for most people on this site who are more accustom to doing things on their own and at a much lower cost. You will spend a lot of time in the car with this schedule. Maybe more time in than out. But it is your trip.

No - we are not planning on staying anywhere near Sorrento. Our base for that period is Rome, and I have booked the apartment through VRBO. I was trying hard not to move our base around too much, so the coast was initially out until I saw this great combination of a tour. Again - so torn. But I can do anything I want - it's a private driver - so don't HAVE to go to Postiano - but anywhere that I want in that area. That's why maybe stop in Sorrento and not go further. My main concern was not getting enough time in Pompeii. But knowing we are going at the beginning of July just might make that 2-3 hours quite enough for my family.

At Frank - I think we were tying at the same time. This would be our one and only big splurge in Italy - this is a trip we have been saving for a long, long time. But since it's at the end of the trip and I am trying to mix things up, I thought that maybe a private driver would be better than taking yet another long and hot train ride - and I have read that those train rides to Pompeii are difficult from Rome because of the connections, etc, and my teenagers would become even more cranky. This happened in Germany, so I promised not too many trains this time.

I am going to look at the costs more. Maybe just get the 3 hour tour and then figure out what to do. I don't want to spread ourselves too thin.

Marie,

Fast train from Roma Termini>Napoli Centrale. 1H10m. Tickets as low as 9 euro.

Purchase tickets for Circumvesuvian E4,40 and go downstairs and hop on train. 36-45m.

You could be at Pompeii By 9-9:30

http://www.eavsrl.it/web/content/orario-ferroviario
Napoli Garibaldi> Pompeii S. Villa Mistrei. 10 minute walk and you're at the entrance.

Hire guide at entrance and enjoy the site. 2-3 hours.

From here, take the Circumvesuvian to Sorrento, 30 minutes or back to Naples to visit the Museum.

Train back to Roma.

It's really not as involved as it seems and you'll save a lot of $$$

Edit: This may be an option. http://enjoyrome.rezgo.com/details/64202/Pompeii-Shuttle-Service

We used a private driver & guide for a 2-hour tour of Herculaneum in the morning and then a 2-hour tour of Pompeii in the afternoon (with a stop for lunch at a winery at the base of Vesuvius). I realize that 2 hours barely skims the surface but we were there in early September and it was very hot and I felt that we saw more in 2 hours with our guide than we would have in 4 hours on our own at each site. The guides know exactly where to go and they know shortcuts. Our guide also took us to the front of the line for the really popular sites (i.e. the brothel, etc.) whereas on our own we would have had to wait 20-30 minutes. Our guide also knew where the best vantage points were so that we could stand in the shade as he talked. We were exhausted at the end of the day and we couldn't imagine seeing either site without our private guide. While the cost of the driver and guide wasn't cheap, we felt that we were able to maximize our time and see so much that it was worth while. PM me if you want the name of our driver and guide. As for stopping in Positano, I personally don't think it's worth it for the amount of time you'll have and how long you'll have to be in the car getting there and back. I would save Positano for another trip when you can devote 3-5 days to the coast (Sorrento, Positano, Capri, Amalfi, etc.) Have a great trip.

Yeah, Positano is a hike-and-a-half from Pompeii, especially in the heat of July, even with a private driver. Might want to re-think that part of it.

We will be in Pompeii in a few weeks, and fortunately will not have to worry about crowds or heat. In fact, we will be taking a picnic lunch to eat among the ruins. But I have heard there is much to see, and we plan on wandering for a good 4-5 hours anyway.

We are basing for five nights in Salerno, which is centrally located for daytrips to Pompeii, Paestum, Naples & the Amalfi Coast. No, we won't be driving, but can easily take the bus or train from Salerno to any of these destinations. Chances are we will be going only as far as Amalfi on the coast--by bus it's another hour to Positano, two hours beyond that to Sorrento. And then there's the trip back. Rather not be on the road so much.

Marie, I see your reasoning now. I think that end-of-vacation splurge is a great idea.

Remember to take plenty of water with you as you walk through the ruins.

I just contacted the tour guide. He is so flexible - it's fantastic. If we want to stay a little big longer in Pompeii, then he will take us around more, but he believes 2 hours in his experience will be enough in the summer heat. He does know the area so well and I think we can see the same Pompeii in 2 hours vs. other peoples' 4 hours, as others have suggested. At that point, he will either take us to the volcano (but he thinks we might be tired) or off to Sorrento. I do like that suggestion vs. going to Postiano - I just want to see a little bit of the coast as I may not be able to do that again with my whole family, and the less time in the car to Postiano then the more time we have in Sorrento. Plus, one of my daughters gets terribly car sick, so doing the hairpin curves may not work for us. This will be a long day, I know that, but hopefully a good one! Thanks for all of your suggestions!

Don't feel you have to go to Sorrento. If you want Ravello and Amalfi are only 10 minutes more
travel time from Pompeii. Ask your driver about taking the A1 to SP2-SP1. The views on this route are beautiful. Not as busy or twisty as the coast road. When I visit my daughter, we take this route or the A3 to Vietri sul Mare and go backwards
along the coast. Ravello has beautiful views and wonderful gardens. Amalfi has the Duomo.
and the town is very pretty.

Thank you. I was talking to my husband tonight, and he was not too keen on the Sorrento idea, so I will look into these other options. I am trying to figure out the whole train schedule so that maybe we can train down to Naples and start the tour from there so it will be less expensive.

If your tour guide can meet you at the train station in Naples, perhaps your tour could include the archeological museum on your way to or from Pompeii.