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