Private transport for Pompeii/Herculaneum/Vesuvius

Sara, regarding Vesuvius, I wouldn't attempt the climb if you have limited mobility. A driver can only take you so far; you will need to get to the top and back under your own steam. It's a steep uphill (and then downhill) trek on a loose, dusty, lava-rock surface that has reportedly presented a challenge to visitors who aren't especially limber or are unused to that sort of activity.

You can see the cone very clearly looming over Pompeii archeological park when you're there. I'd keep the volcano experience to just that.

Regarding Pompeii: it's also going to present some mobility challenges as it involves a lot of walking on uneven surfaces with few places to sit down. You can hire a guide at the scavi but given your mobility challenges, you might want to hire one in advance who is aware of your disability and prepared to move at your speed? You will cover just a fraction of what is a vast excavation in a two hour tour.

I've not yet been to Herculaneum but Sage Travel ("The European Disabled Travel Experts" and endorsed by Mr. Steves) rates it pretty highly - 4 stars - for accessibility, while they rate Pompeii only 2 stars. While that rating is mainly for visitors using wheelchairs, the same ramps and whatnot that benefit them will also benefit you!

https://www.sagetraveling.com/wheelchair-friendly-roman-ruins-herculaneum
https://www.sagetraveling.com/wheelchair-access-at-pompeii-italy

All said, I'd scrap Vesuvius entirely and go to Herculaneum one day, and Pompeii on another. In addition, you could go back to Naples after Herculaneum and see the very highly rated archeological museum, where many of the treasures from both excavations reside. Too tired to put one foot in front of another? Their visitor info states that wheelchairs are available for borrowing with proof of disability; you could do your exploring sitting down. :O)

https://mann-napoli.it/en/home-english/

Oh, and I've seen this driver recommended on the forum by a poster I trust:
https://www.topexcursionsorrento.com/?portal_referer_id=46

Thanks so much for your reply. I should clarify that walking is fine. Standing in place is what's hard (standing on a crowded train with no seats, standing in line to wait for tickets, etc)

I have seen others recommend the bus from Naples to Pompeii--apparently it is direct and you would not have to stand like is possible on the Circumvesuviana.
I think this is the schedule: https://www.sitasudtrasporti.it/archivio/Download/corse/sitasud/Campania/Salerno/5684ad13-da51-4090-8f04-5fb8652025fe_5001_12_09_2022.pdf/0

There are several on this forum who have recommended the Joe Banana company (funny name). They can provide a private driver and tour guide. They were very responsive to my questions and made the booking easy. You provide credit card but they don't charge until the time of the tour. Our trip is in late March but I will report on our experience.

I have used Aldo Limos for a total of four transfers over the years. I like them very much. Great email responsiveness, very safe drivers.

https://www.aldolimos.com/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187782-d1915544-Reviews-Aldo_Limos-Sorrento_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html

Sorry I misunderstood what you meant by "limited mobility", Sara. That usually means difficulty getting about so that's where my head went; thanks for clearing that up. Still, I'd skip Vesuvius in favor of the archeological museum as it'll add additional contact to the Pompeii & Herculaneum stories.

Tour of Pompeii: I'll throw this out....
https://www.sharedtours.com

The 2-hour "Pompeii Walk" is a very reasonably priced small group tour that has been positively reviewed by most RS posters who've taken it. While 2 hours will only cover a fraction of what is a vast excavation, it's a good start, and you could explore further on your own after the tour is over. You could use a driver to get you to the scavi, and to return you to Naples, although there would, of course, be a price for them to wait for you. Maybe there's an option to engage a driver after your tour versus having one wait (suggestions anyone?). Rinse and repeat for Herculaneum.

Just to note: a guided tour usually means some standing around when the guide stops at points of interest.

We visited Pompeii in October- our hotel in Amalfi was very helpful with planning this. We bundled our Pompeii visit into our return trip to Naples to catch the train. It was a private transfer from Amalfi to Pompeii where we elected to do a self guided tour for 2 hours and then met our driver again for the trip to Naples. Your hotel concierge will likely be helpful in assisting you with these arrangements. This is the only excursion that I did not book prior to leaving for our trip. A guided trip of Pompeii will of course be more informative, but I did use the Rick Steves app and listened to the guided tour as we walked about. Enjoy!

A private guide will definitely minimize your standing in line time, and probably help you jump the queues at the more famous sites at Pompeii and Ercolano.

In 2022, we were very happy with Askos Tours for guides and transportation.

Also, consider Oplontis and Stabiae. No crowds and not much walking.