Hernaculaneum, Mt Vesuvius and Naples

[Lisou]

Bonjour,

 

I`ve seen many threads regarding Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius or Hernaculaneum and Sorrento BUT I would like to do Mt. Vesuvius and Hernaculaneum on my own and then ``stop in`` Naples on my way back to the ship. Anyone else has done this? Any recommendations?

 

Merci,

Lise from Canada

[edinburgher]

You can take a bus from Naples to Herculaneum then walk up to the Ercolano station and take a shared taxi up to the car park for Vesuvius. They give you approx 45 mins to climb, walk around and return before taking you back down again to the station where you pay. Then train back to Naples.

 

Or you could take the train from Naples to Ercolano station and walk down to Herculaneum before returning for the shared taxi to Vesuvius. Or vice versa. If you arrive and Vesuvius is clear head upo there first, if it is cloudy visit Herculaneum first in the hope the cloud clears later.

 

IF YOU ARE LOGGED ON you could use the SEARCH THIS FORUM tool to key in Herculaneum, Vesuvius, Naples one by one. Each search result will bring up all previous posts and replies containing that word. You can read them and pick up lots more detailed info this way as all three are FAQs.

 

The SEARCH THIS FORUM tool is an excellent way of obtaining specific info on lots of places, use it on any board.

[Lisou]

Merci for your message. Also, thank you for the instructions on how to use the search engine. I was able to find a lot of info on previous posts.

 

Have a great day!

[Lisou]

Bonjour,

 

I`ve read posts on Herculaneum vs Pompeii and it made me decide that Herculaneum would be the best option of the two for me. Now, I`ve read info that said that the Museum of Archelogy in Naples actually has more interesting artifacts than the actual sites have.

 

I am travelling with a friend and our two daughters (8 and 6) so wondering if anyone did both Hernaculaneum or Pompeii AND the Museum of Archeology and if so which would you recommend in a limited time?

 

We will also be visiting Mt. Vesuvius and do not want to overwhelm our daughters so want to see what would give us the best bang for our limited time!

 

Merci!

[flirtmd]

The Museum of Archelogy contains a ton of frescos, mosiacs and statues from Pompeii but Pompeii itself is definitely worth seeing.

 

It depends on what you are looking for - The ruins or the art? Pompeii has copies of quite a bit of what is in the museum, but the abundance and colors of the frescos and mosaics in the museum are amazing. If you go to the museum a stop at the Fobidden closet is a must!

 

Quite a bit of the collection is on tour - so you may soon be able to see it if you have a natural history museum near you.

[edinburgher]

No matter HOW good the exhibits in the Museum, you still have to see the sights themselves. Ideally the museum AND the sights but with limited time and younger children you probably need to drop something from the itinerary. Also, just how much history can they take in a single day.

 

Pompeii is a very large site and although you can visit a little of it in a short time it is better to see more if it over a longer period because not all the most interesting bits are close together.

 

The Museum has some amazing exhibits, but not all rooms are open at all times. There used to be a board at the entrance which told you which areas were open/closed that particular day.

 

Herculaneum is more "built up" than Pompeii therefore not quite as much imagination is need. It is also on a much smaller scale and easy to explore in its entirity in a short period of time. It is very realistic.

 

Vesuvius is usually a hit with kids if the weather is good and you can see way down into the crater and the views going up and down are impressive. If it is cloudy there isnt much point in going up as you will see nothing, including the crater.

 

Because of your kids ages, if it were me, I would opt for Herculaneum and Vesuvius, and if Vesuvius is cloudy and you decide not to go up, you can then choose the Museum or a short time in Pompeii. It is the same train line so very easy to decide. Others might not agree.