Hello. Our family is going to Rome for a week between Christmas and New Year, we would like to take a day trip to Pompeii. Anyone have recommendations for tour company or guide. Tour that include transportation is preferred, we are fine with either a good company that offers group tour or private tour (reasonable price). I have been to Pompeii and Naples, really want to show my children Pompeii.
Thank you!
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
7225 posts
This topic comes up a lot
Keep in mind days will be short in Dec
Posted by
Calgary
1744 posts
We used The Roman Guy (aka The Tour Guy) and enjoyed it.
https://theromanguy.com/tours/italy/rome/rome-to-pompeii-day-trip
Posted by
OP
75 posts
Thank you.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16618 posts
leeshao, just looking at one of your other posts, it sounds as if you have 3 teenagers in your family? My caution against doing this particular daytrip from Rome is that the vast majority of tours from the Eternal City are by bus, and it's a loooong day to expect active young folks to be held captive in a vehicle: at least 6 hours of sitting and just a couple of hours at the scavi itself. Many tours also include a drive along the Amalfi Coast + a stop for lunch on your own time. That adds to the bus time, plus winter maybe isn't the best time of year for the coast.
If you were willing to make the trip on your own, you could save a lot of road time, plus be able to spend longer at the scavi than most tours allow. Method would be fast train from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale: appox. 1 hour, 10 minutes. From there walk inside Centrale to Garibaldi Station where you'd get tickets for the Circumvesuviana commuter train to Pompei Scavi - Villa dei Misteri station, right outside the main entrance to the excavation. That leg takes about 30 minutes. The commuter is a battered, unlovely thing short on creature comforts but cheap and gets the job done; many thousands of tourists and locals use it to travel from Naples to Sorrento and points in between.
Once at the scavi, the forum gang can make some recommendations for guides who could meet you at the entrance. That way, you can always stay longer at the site once your tour is over, and head back to Rome when you're ready instead of on a bus tour's schedule. You could skip the extra drive along the Amalfi Coast as well. Anyway, just thinking that those teens could become pretty antsy cooped up for that many hours on a bus?
As an alternative, might your family be interested in the scavi at Ostia Antica? It gets high reviews from posters who've done that one, is MUCH closer to Rome, and wouldn't involve nearly as long a day. Just throwing it out.... :O)
https://www.ostiaantica.beniculturali.it/en/opening-hours-tickets/
Posted by
33 posts
Hello!
Literally just did a day trip with two kids (10 & 13) yesterday from Rome. We were thinking like you about getting a transport plus your but after hanging out on this forum a bit we decided to try a mix of DIY and tour guide. We went with a private 2 hour tour with Mondo (Roberta) for 130 euro and she was FANTASTIC! We took a 7:00 FrecciaRossa to Napoli and then jumped on the circumvestuvia (sp?) to Pompei-Scavi. The trains were pretty fast and easy. (Total train time to the site was about two hours.) Roberta met us very close to the train station. After an amazing two hours we explored a bit more on our own and then headed back. It was a tiring day, but we still managed to get back in time for a 7:00 dinner for our hungry kids. The trains were very doable. Mondo was wonderful.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16618 posts
mcolleencruz, was it Mondo's shared tour's 2-hour walk of Pompeii that you did? That one has seen a lot of positive reviews and recommendations, and is economically priced as well.
Posted by
168 posts
I just read in Italy magazine that there is now a high speed train from Rome to Pompeii that runs every Sunday. Service started August 6th. Fares for a one-way ticket are currently €51 for standard class; €59 for Premium; €67 for Business and €150 for Executive Class.
https://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/weekly-high-speed-train-service-rome-pompeii-ruins-begin-august-6
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16618 posts
rickrack, I wish that was the case but don't think that information is current. I just checked Trenitalia schedules for 3 upcoming Sundays, including the 3rd Sunday in Sept. and a no-changes train from Roma Termini to Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri station (in front of the main, Porta Marina entrance to the scavi) doesn't show on any of them. I'm not even sure they could run a high-speed train on that line.
This topic has come up before, and it was our understanding, amongst those of us involved in that discussion, that high-speed trains making this Sunday run would call at Pompei Station, which is further away from Porta Marina than Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri. Trenitalia shows that train running at 8:53 on Sundays, arriving at Pompei FS station at 10:40. From there, take a bus or a cab (or walk, if you don't mind the distance). Yes, it is an option, just not the one stated in the article.
https://mapcarta.com/N4459248891
That said, I'll cheerfully stand corrected if someone knows differently. :O)
Posted by
OP
75 posts
Thank you for sharing your experience and advice, DIY seems to be my best bet. I know it is possible to book train tickets, how far in advance should I buy them? Thank you again!