Pompeii

[manic111]

I'm off for a long weekend in Naples on Friday, and am keen to go to Pompeii. It's pretty tricky to find decent information about it (or even the official website) from a Google search, and I have a few questions:

1. We won't be arriving there first thing in the morning, as we'll be exploring Naples beforehand. How bad are the queues for tickets and entry likely to be?

2. Should you buy a ticket in advance? If so, where from?

3. Some sites offer queue jump tickets. Are these worth it and, again, where from?

Any other advice? Thanks!

 

[5abr3]

Have you decided how you are planning to get from Naples to Pompei?

When I used the trains it was pretty straightforward to book the tickets in advance and load them on to a phone bit you had to know which service you were going to be on (Naples to Rome so may be less specific for a more local route like you may be using)

 

[manic111]

We'll get a train, yup . Not booked it yet though - I take it from your message that that's worth doing?

And what did you do for Pompeii tickets?

 

[hood1971]

Can't give much info about tickets as we booked via hotel, but it is very interesting and worth spending 3-4 hours there. It was packed when we went, but that that was mid July. The fact that there were wildfires in the region made it feel very atmospheric with smoke clouds on the Vesuvius. Added fun was every news program kept referring to the mafia, who were accused of starting the fires.

 

[adidan]

If you have time pop to Herculaneum as well (probably not the same day though). It was affected a bit differently to Pompeii.

Not sure a long weekend would be enough actually unless you're feeling particularly active.

 

[5abr3]

We'll get a train, yup . Not booked it yet though - I take it from your message that that's worth doing?

And what did you do for Pompeii tickets?

Personally I would book the train in advance if it's not on the same day as your arrival to Naples. you know what you are paying then.

I went to Rome via Naples, we looked at going to Pompei but couldn't fit it in with our flight schedule unfortunately - so I can't help on that front; does however provide an excuse for me to go back

 

[bingham67]

Get the app Get your guide on phone it's brilliant for any city I've just looked and they do a guided tour of Pompeii plus other options.

 

[sigma]

Be sure to see the Pompeii Penis

 

[robj20]

If you have time pop to Herculaneum as well (probably not the same day though). It was affected a bit differently to Pompeii.

Not sure a long weekend would be enough actually unless you're feeling particularly active.

Is that the place which used to be on the coast and the eruption created loads of land.

I preferred it to Pompeii, much less busy. We did a trip that did both in a day.

From memory they're is a certain day to avoid where locals get in these places for free, it makes them hugely busy.

 

[HecFam]

I went to Pompeii at the end of last August. Which is generally a quiet time as most Italian's themselves go on holiday.

We used get your guide for a walking tour in English, met at a sign outside, they took our details and added us onto a pre-existing group. So I would assume many different guide operators come together to put on a single large tour. This was a queue jump esc affair, in this instance, there basically was no queue to jump, but we had also done other tours such as the Vatican and the Accademia Gallery, where I'm sure we saved a good few hours with our guided queue jump tickets.

I personally would vouch myself for a guided tour. From memory, there's not a lot of signage or anything dotted about, so 99% of the info given was by the guide. And, since it's a city... It would have been easy to get lost.

Also the tour guide left his remote mic on while having a slash, so that gave a chuckle, quite the highlight actually.

We drove in from Sorrento, which was easy enough, plenty of pay for the day car parks for 10 euro or so. Did take other trains elsewhere, and booked via the trainline, which was very easy actually!

 

[5abr3]

Is that the place which used to be on the coast and the eruption created loads of land.

I preferred it to Pompeii, much less busy. We did a trip that did both in a day.

From memory they're is a certain day to avoid where locals get in these places for free, it makes them hugely busy.

Every first Sunday of the month, applies to most museums IIRC

 

[Blackjack Davy]

Possibly, probably, relevent:

Pompeii: The New Dig

Following the biggest archaeological excavation in Pompeii for a generation.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[WJA96]

+1 on the suggestion to go to Herculaneum. It’s probably better even though it’s less famous.

 

[Lartyconshayo]

I was in Pompeii this Easter. It was huge and fascinating. Was only in Naples for one full day (train to Sicily for the rest of the holiday)

There is a local subway type train that will take you there for a couple of euros. Just follow the information here

How to make a day trip from Rome to Pompeii

Practical information for arranging an easy DIY day trip from Rome, Florence or Naples to the Roman ruins of Pompeii by train, very cheaply.

www.seat61.com

 

[WJA96]

Is that the place which used to be on the coast and the eruption created loads of land.

I preferred it to Pompeii, much less busy. We did a trip that did both in a day.

From memory they're is a certain day to avoid where locals get in these places for free, it makes them hugely busy.

Agreed - and yes, I believe Thursdays are for school trips etc.

One other thing that is quite sad, pretty much all of the museums local to Pompeii and Herculaneum are closed almost permanently because their staff are always ‘sick’. In fact those staff are sometimes off doing well-paid tour guide jobs at Herculaneum and Pompeii.

And if you’re in Naples ask at your hotel where to go for decent hot chocolate. You can get AMAZING hot chocolate but a lot of it is dross. Abd Trip Advisor seems to have been hijacked in Naples…

 

[robj20]

Agreed - and yes, I believe Thursdays are for school trips etc.

One other thing that is quite sad, pretty much all of the museums local to Pompeii and Herculaneum are closed almost permanently because their staff are always ‘sick’. In fact those staff are sometimes off doing well-paid tour guide jobs at Herculaneum and Pompeii.

And if you’re in Naples ask at your hotel where to go for decent hot chocolate. You can get AMAZING hot chocolate but a lot of it is dross. Abd Trip Advisor seems to have been hijacked in Naples…

I doubt ill ever be back to Italy to be honest, on the whole I didn't enjoy it.

 

[WJA96]

I doubt ill ever be back to Italy to be honest, on the whole I didn't enjoy it.

That’s a shame. In general I loved it. I was staying with a walking group in a small hotel in a small village on the coast above Capri and they had this incredible vino rosso locale for €2 a bottle. So I bought 5 bottles to bring home and when I got home and opened one - VINEGAR! It’s incredible how the atmosphere in a place can affect how you enjoy flavours and odours. Tomatoes etc. just taste different. So I did enjoy my time there and every time I have fish and chips I remember vino rosso locale and smile.

 

[robj20]

That’s a shame. In general I loved it. I was staying with a walking group in a small hotel in a small village on the coast above Capri and they had this incredible vino rosso locale for €2 a bottle. So I bought 5 bottles to bring home and when I got home and opened one - VINEGAR! It’s incredible how the atmosphere in a place can affect how you enjoy flavours and odours. Tomatoes etc. just taste different. So I did enjoy my time there and every time I have fish and chips I remember vino rosso locale and smile.

Granted we stayed local to Sorrento, Marina Grande specifically. We had a great view of Vesuvius across the ocean. But of all the places I've been Italy/Sorrento just seemed to be about fleesing tourists, it was horrendous when a few cruise ships would turn up.
I don't particularly like Italian food either.

I just feel better in places like Greece and Turkey. Rethimno on Crete for instance or Girne in Cyprus.

Pompeii was definitely interesting though but I'm not sure how I feel about how much they've rebuilt to demonstrate what it might have looked like I'd rather they add nothing.
We did a trip to supposedly amazing vineyard at the bottom of Vesuvius where they have a white wine first then followed immediately by a red that they poured into the same glass which still had an amount of white in. Then with the hard seem trying to sell you a case, I just walked off.
Trip up Vesuvius and there's a bloody shop at the top trying to sell you crap. It's not for me.

 

[poosemon]

Another vote for Herculaneum here. When we went, we hand landed into Naples, and went straight there (albeit we had a hire car)...didn't have to pre-book tickets and didn't feel massively busy.

On lead up to trip had quite a few people recommending it over Pompeii and didn't regret it. On a brief read if you did want this option you can get a train from Naples to within 5-10 minute walk Herculaneum.

 

[WJA96]

From memory the area around Herculaneum wasn’t the sort of place I’d voluntarily walk without a stab vest.

Naples has a huge asylum seeker community and even if they wouldn’t harm you it’s still quite intimidating.