Pompeii on a weekend in July

When are you going? The answer is different in the off season.

Tim PM'ed me to say it would be the last weekend in July. Can anyone help him out with an answer?

I don't know that there is a "problem" if you visit Pompeii in July on the weekend. Just be aware that this is a very busy tourist time so don't wait until the last minute to buy train tickets. Also, be prepared for very hot weather and intense sun, and carry water bottles with you. For a less crowded experience, I'd suggest Ostia Antica just outside of Rome. Pompeii is the better known site, but Ostia Antica is quite extensive and certainly more convenient from Rome.

I agree with Anita that Ostia Antica would be much more pleasant for most people in late July, especially coming from Rome. But for some people, it's Pompeii or nothing. I'm just not one of those people. :-)

It will probably be HOT and it is DRY with very few tourist amenities inside the excavation. We were there in Late July in 2009 and the tourist center inside was closed. We took our own water and were glad we did. It was not too crowded because tourism is down in Italy due to the worldwide recession. We have noticed this in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. As for opening days and times just look online or in any tour book in any bookstore. Buon viaggio,

Agree with other posts/we were there end of June and it was HOT. We had our own water bottles and would stop along the way and use the fountains to cool off our arms, be prepared for the heat It was worth it though.

The new Pompeii (and other sites) website has info on visiting the site. Weekends are usualy busier than weekdays. http://www.pompeiviva.it/pv/en/pompei.htm

Tim, it is going to be just plain hot in Pompeii in the end of July. And Pompeii is just plain HUGE and barren! The street are just punishing: the cobblestones are large and unevenly spaced. Be prepared. Go early. We found the smaller and more preserved Herculaneum to be a better tour. And you can't go to to either without seeing the awesome Museum in Naples; which houses all of the beautiful things that were found in both towns.

We arrived on the train at Pompei Scavi on a Sunday morning in October 2010 and found protesters blocking the entrance.

We arrived on the train at Pompei Scavi on a Sunday morning in October 2010 and found protesters blocking the entrance.

Yeah, It'll be hot. Dress light, take water, and make use of the fountains and bit of shade you find. It is worth it tho IMHO.