Anyone done these independantly. Train to Herculaneum- Pompeii or bus to Ephesus. Do you think it is a must do - join a tour or get a guide in Ephesus? If we get a Ephesus guide and research before we travel
Posted by
Dunwoody, Georgia
338 posts
I've done Pompeii and Ephesus independently. The train to Pompeii is very easy. The station is very close to the entrance. There are connections in Naples and Sorrento. Ephesus is about two miles from Selcuk. I drove in a car I had rented, but it could easily be walked. If you bus to Selcuk you will need to walk or take a cab. One bonus if you self travel via Selcuk, there are some other nice sites nearby (e.g. Ephesus museum). I did a self tour of both sites. I did a little advanced research before I visited then purchased a guidebook to use when I arrived. This is much easier to accomplish at Ephesus where even a detailed self tour will only take a half a day. Pompeii is much larger. After a full day I still had not seen everything I wanted to. I don't think I missed anything not taking a tour or using a guide. If you have a good guidebook specific to each site and some context/history you should be fine. There are guides selling services at the entrances to both sites, so you can always make a decision last minute. I have used guides at a few lesser known sites in central and south Turkey (e.g. those without a lot of English language background material). I have found them useful when I've used them. You can negotiate on price, but be aware that the length of your tour may be shortened to compensate. Good luck.
Posted by
Bellevue, WA, USA
811 posts
both a great sites. pompeii is an easy train ride from naples or sorrento, and ephesus is a short bus ride from selcuk or you can even walk there. i think you definitely want to do some reading before you go. yes pompeii is so big really need a day. ephesus is actually not small, but it's not fully discovered yet, so maybe 20 yrs later it'll be just as big as pompeii. for ephesus the guides will want you to finish in 2 hrs max, but likely you'll want to walk the site one more time yourself, it's best enjoyed at slow pace.
Posted by
Austin
976 posts
At Ephesus, be sure to pay extra to see the Terrace Houses. Their structure will give you a different perspective on the ruins, and the mosaics are beautiful.