Viator Tours from Rome to Pompeii ruins

Viator is not a tour operator. They are a third party seller of tours. If you look at the tour page on Viator they should say who operates the tour. Book direct and let the tour company get their full amount.

Welcome to the RS forums, pflorenzano -
Viator isn't a tour company. It's a 3rd-party booking platform owned by TripAdvisor; the tours they advertise are actually operated by other companies. You have dig into the listings to find which companies those actually are.

To avoid being caught in the middle of a finger-pointing dispute should something go awry with a tour booking, most of us recommend using it only to scan available offerings, then looking for reviews for the company who will actually conduct the tour you are interested in, and booking with that company directly if it meets your criteria.

Just as an example? Here's a tour to Pompeii and Naples from Rome via high-speed train ("private transport" from Naples to the scavi):

https://www.viator.com/tours/Rome/Pompeii-and-Naples-Day-Trip-from-Rome-by-High-Speed-Train/d511-5831P96

Under "Additional Information" it's noted that info was supplied by ItaliaTours. That's the company that will be conducting the tour. Long story short, if you like what you see and the reviews you read about this tour, go directly to the ItaliaTours website to book it versus use Viator.
(Edit: I'm not necessarily recommending ItaliaTours; just using the example.)

I have a friend who is a tour guide in Paris. He used to list with Viator.

They have a system where he would tell them when he was not doing tours and they would not sell them during that time. He did that, they sold the tour. He gets the notification and sends them back a message, reminding them that he had told them he was going to be out of the country. They tell him everything‘s fine. Then one night he gets a message on his website from the family that had booked that tour They are very upset with him because he had canceled that night. No, he canceled three months before and he shouldn’t ever been booked in the first place. He was able to send them all the documentation so they didn’t post nasty reviews all over social media about him, but he wasn’t really happy about this

He no longer lists on there because he says he’s talked to other tour operators that they did this too. What he thinks is they will do is keep your money and see if they can find someone else to do what you were doing. when they can’t they don’t bother to tell you until the night before

Cut out the middleman and save yourself some risk

$249 per person for a group tour seems a little expensive. But I have no idea what the going prices are using Italy these days.

I'm guessing the example costs what it does because it includes RT "fast" train tickets (possible that those are purchased at highest base price?), driver both ways between Naples and the scavi, Pompeii entry fees, Pompeii guide, and lunch. Reviews indicate that the guide also provides some narration in Naples. It's also likely the lowest price they can charge and still be profitable for minimum amount of bookings without having to cancel the tour altogether. Again, just guessing.

Another example: I am seeing a 2-hour private walking tour led by an "expert guide" offered by a company I've seen recommended on this forum. It starts at €283.02 for one person; €306.34 for two, on up. As the meeting point is at the scavi, it doesn't include any transport from Rome, meals, additional guidance in Naples. etc.

But personally? Unless one has only passing interest in Pompeii, I'd try to find a tour that allows for more than 2 hours at the scavi, or managing the journey to Pompeii independently and using a guide service that starts at that point. The excavation is VAST, and one of the most common complaints I read is that visitors on 2-hour tours have felt rushed. I know we would have felt cramped with that little time to explore (we were there 5+ hours; did it independently from Sorrento.)

Yes, a fair amount or walking tours that start right at the entrance only last a couple of hours but if on your own you can stay longer to explore and are not tied to a tour's transport schedule.

My family (5 total) made a day trip to Pompeii from Rome on 3/20. I had never been to Italy before and I do not speak Italian, yet I found the logistics of getting to Pompeii on our own to be pretty simple. The only part that was even remotely stressful was trying to figure out how closely I could line up the scheduled return of the Circumvesuviana to Naples with my high speed train back to Rome. We ended up putting enough of a buffer that we could go get some pizza near the station in Naples.

We booked our tour through AirBnB's experiences page. The one we chose has over 4,000 views and the guide was very informative. You can book it with or without the park tickets included. It is only $27 per person for the guide without the ticket.

We did a day trip with The Roman Guy. You can see their options here: https://theromanguy.com/tours/italy/naples-pompeii-amalfi-coast?guests=2&travelDate=

The Roman Guy is an often recommended tour company but their group day-trip from Rome to Pompeii (and onward to Sorrento or AC) is by vehicle (bus/van). Similar day trips eat 3+ hours just getting to Pompeii, and the same getting back to Rome. What with the additional drive times to Sorrento or the AC, they spend more than half the est. 13-hours on the road for a scant 2 hours at Pompeii.

Because of heavy traffic in the area - especially during high season - they state that " due to traffic and other unforeseen circumstances, the timing of the tour can change." One reviewer commented that the ride back to Rome was exceptionally long for that reason, and another that their return took them 4.5 hours.

That much time sitting doesn't bother everyone - We're all different! - but IMHO I figure those are hours that could be better spent not confined to a vehicle. Just something to consider?