Pompeii Excursion

[MLP12]

I was considering the half day excursion to Pompeii with guide on RCI.  Does anyone know if the tickets are included in the price of the excursion?  Also, if anyone has done this, was it worth it or can you do Pompeii just as easily on your own?  

[euro cruiser]

I have not done this excursion (nor any other to Pompei, for that matter) but I can affirm that it is very, very easy to do this on your own.

 

There are bus and train options to get there and back as well as a slightly more expensive shuttle bus that avoids public transportation, if that's an issue.

[dronnygirl]

Pompei is very easy to walk round on your own, however it's very large and there is much to see.  A guide really makes the place feel alive, I would recommend a guide if you can.

[euro cruiser]

Here are the primary transportation options on your own:

 

• SITA bus from Piazza Immacolatella (four-tenths of a mile from the cruise port) to Pompei, the stop is two-tenths of a mile from the Porta Marina entrance to the ruins.  This is the closest public transit option from the port and it's the fastest way to get there.  The downside is that there are only a few runs each morning.  Bus schedule here.
• Circumvesuviana local train from Porta Nolana (1.3 miles from the cruise port) to Pompei Scavi.   You can use the tram in the street in front of the cruise port to get to the station. The stop in Pompei is just around the corner from the Porta Marina entrance to the ruins.  The only upsides to this option, in my opinion, are the frequent schedule (two each hour) and the closeness of the stop to the entrance/exit.  Otherwise it is wildly overcrowded, hot, few seats available and a pickpocket's dream.  Circumvesuviana schedule here.
• Trenitalia train plus bus from Napoli Centrale (1.7 miles from the cruise port) to Pompei, followed by the Trenitalia bus to the Pompei Scavi stop on Viale G. Mazzini (the same place the SITA bus drops off), two-tenths of a mile from the Porta Marina entrance to the ruins.  Trenitalia information here.
• City Sightseeing Pompei Shuttle bus from  Piazza Municipio/Largo Castello (six-tenths of a mile from the cruise port).  The stop in Pompei is right at the Porta Marina entrance.  This is much more expensive than the public transportation options (prices start at 20 euro per person) and there are set times that cannot be changed (if you leave at time A you must return at time B), but it's more comfortable for some folks.  City Sightseeing web site here.

 

It's probably obvious from the way I've written this, but in my opinion the SITA bus is the best alternative.  It's close to the cruise port, there's a ticket office at the bus depot (buy two tickets in the morning, so you have the return ticket in hand), the bus starts from this point so it generally leaves right on time, you are almost guaranteed a seat, the AC works (at least in my experience) and it's fast.

Edited April 2, 2023 by euro cruiser

[fruitmachine]

We were in Naples for four nights on a land trip last month.

 

I'd recommend Herculaneum over Pompeii.  It's smaller and a little nearer to Naples.  The same train continues to Pompeii Scavi, so any train directions remain very similar.  The smaller size means that you can see everything and not feel overwhelmed or that you have to rush to the next villa or point of interest.

 

We also visited the Naples National Archaeological Museum (https://mann-napoli.it/).  If you possible can, I'd visit both Herculaneum and the museum (and in that order).  The museum contains a huge number of items that were found at Herculaneum and Pompeii, including frescoes and wall paintings removed from the villas.  It puts the buildings you've just seen in a context populated by real people with pictures on the walls, cups, plates, bottles and jars in the home.  What is astonishing is that these refined articles are two thousand years old!

[mozfoz]

First time I went to Pompei was on my own, and the city appeared lifeless. It just seemed like a bunch of ruined buildings. Which it is. The second time was with a private tour guide, and the city seemed to be so vibrant. The guide was able to point out details that explained the buildings and ruins and how everyday life was at the time of the volcano that buried the city. My advice to anyone intending to visit the site is to hire a private guide and to visit as early in the day as possible. It gets very hot in the afternoon and there is no shade, plus the crowds grow. Hat and umbrella may sound funny, but useful.

 

[euro cruiser]

I think it depends on what you're looking to see/learn.  Herculeneum is fascinating but not as a substitute for Pompei; the only thing it has in common with Pompei is that it was destroyed on the same day, by the same explosion.   Everything else is different, starting with the type of town it was (a small, seaside resort type town vs. a large, fully functioning city), the way it was destroyed (ash and volcanic mud, vs. gas and lava), and how it was discovered and preserved.

 

They're both worth your time and attention, it's a tough choice to make but port days force that.

 

I agree that a licensed tour guide is essential for bringing the sites to life.  Guides in Italy must study for years and pass comprehensive tests in order to get their license, they know what they are talking about.

 

At Pompei it's easy to join a small group tour, or arrange a private one, at the entrance:  Guided tours - Pompeii Sites

 

It's a little more difficult at Herculeneum as they don't guarantee that guides will be available, as they do at Pompei.

Edited April 2, 2023 by euro cruiser

[cruisemom42]

To get back to the original question, yes admission tickets to sites visited on ship tours are - with rare exceptions - included.

 

There are so many videos, books, documentaries etc about Pompeii that it’s hard to believe one could arrive at the site unprepared if doing it on your own. However, if you’re not willing to put in some prep time before going, a guide will definitely add to your experience. There is not much signage around the site other than very basic identifiers.

[badgerboy]

I used eurocruiser's link to download the bus schedule. Am I reading this correctly that there seems to be a bus from Naples to Pompeii every half hour? Is the return route on here somewhere?

 

I also don't seem to be able to find a definitive price for the on-site Pompeii guides?  Thanks!

Edited May 22, 2023 by badgerboy

[euro cruiser]

You need to read the bus schedule understanding that not everyone runs every day, there are codes at the top of the columns giving you that information.  The return schedule is at the top of the page, the Naples to Pompei schedule is the bottom half.

 

If there is an "F" at the top of the column the bus runs Monday-Saturday (there are no Sunday buses on this route).  An "L" means Monday-Friday.  L2 and L3 means the bus only runs during specific dates.  All of this is at the bottom of the schedule page.

 

As for the guides, there is no definitive price.  They are independent contractors who try to make a certain amount of money, they charge by the person to achieve that goal.  If there are fewer people, each will pay more.

Edited May 23, 2023 by euro cruiser

[bison2013]

On 4/2/2023 at 6:00 PM, euro cruiser said:

 

 

It's a little more difficult at Herculeneum as they don't guarantee that guides will be available, as they do at Pompei.

There are licensed guides available for hire at the entrance to Herculeneum. Not sure if they can be engaged via the office or if this is just a free for all outside the ticketing office.

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, bison2013 said:

There are licensed guides available for hire at the entrance to Herculeneum. Not sure if they can be engaged via the office or if this is just a free for all outside the ticketing office.

 

A small number are there, but once they are engaged, they are engaged. There is no guarantee -- different scenario at Pompeii.

 

At least that has been my experience on several occasions.

[SharonK]

Can anyone suggest a tour of Pompeii that includes a licensed tour guide.  I want to have it all set up in advance so I don't have to for a guide once I get there. 

[cruisemom42]

3 minutes ago, SharonK said:

Can anyone suggest a tour of Pompeii that includes a licensed tour guide.  I want to have it all set up in advance so I don't have to for a guide once I get there. 

I believe the major players can pre- arrange your Pompeii guide. Outfits like RomeInLimo, Joe Banana, etc

[SharonK]

Thank you Cruisemom.  RomeInLimo is on my list to contact but I’m not familiar with Joe Banana.

[cruisemom42]

7 hours ago, SharonK said:

Thank you Cruisemom.  RomeInLimo is on my list to contact but I’m not familiar with Joe Banana.

They had a number of reviews pre-Covid here on CC. I haven’t seen much about them recently, tbh…

[SharonK]

I’ve contacted RomeInLimo. Thanks!

[erby2283]

On 8/28/2023 at 3:05 PM, SharonK said:

Can anyone suggest a tour of Pompeii that includes a licensed tour guide.  I want to have it all set up in advance so I don't have to for a guide once I get there. 

We used ItalyTours.EU.  It was part of an all-day excursion and we were in Pompeii for about 1.5 hours.  The guide was very knowledgeable but barely scratched the service knowing how big it is.  The 8 hour tour was 69 EU with an additional 15 EU for Pompeii - we paid the guide at the entrance and they got all our tickets at one time. Again, this was back in 2019 and I'm sure the prices have increased since then but wanted to give you an idea. 

[SharonK]

5 hours ago, erby2283 said:

We used ItalyTours.EU.  It was part of an all-day excursion and we were in Pompeii for about 1.5 hours.  The guide was very knowledgeable but barely scratched the service knowing how big it is.  The 8 hour tour was 69 EU with an additional 15 EU for Pompeii - we paid the guide at the entrance and they got all our tickets at one time. Again, this was back in 2019 and I'm sure the prices have increased since then but wanted to give you an idea. 

Thanks for your input.  I’ve seen that company mentioned many times so will probably check with them too.

[mauimary]

We visited Pompeii as part of an Amalfi Coast tour with Rome in Limo.  They arranged for a wonderful guide who met us there.  We were among the first off the ship in Naples and were whisked away to Pompeii where we were first in line through the gate.  We have fabulous photos with no tourists in them!  She was able to show us the highlights so that we could make the most of our time.  Having a guide really brings Pompeii to life. 

[SharonK]

9 hours ago, mauimary said:

We visited Pompeii as part of an Amalfi Coast tour with Rome in Limo.  They arranged for a wonderful guide who met us there.  We were among the first off the ship in Naples and were whisked away to Pompeii where we were first in line through the gate.  We have fabulous photos with no tourists in them!  She was able to show us the highlights so that we could make the most of our time.  Having a guide really brings Pompeii to life. 

We are planning to use RIL for Pompeii too and I definitely want to have a guide!

[Hollyann]

On 8/30/2023 at 10:47 PM, mauimary said:

We visited Pompeii as part of an Amalfi Coast tour with Rome in Limo.  They arranged for a wonderful guide who met us there.  We were among the first off the ship in Naples and were whisked away to Pompeii where we were first in line through the gate.  We have fabulous photos with no tourists in them!  She was able to show us the highlights so that we could make the most of our time.  Having a guide really brings Pompeii to life. 

We would like to book the same tour with Rome In Limo, but are worried about seeing Pompeii first because I am worried about a traffic issue and getting back to the ship on time after seeing the Amalfi Coast tour.  Logic tells me that if we are stuck in traffic that the cruise ships tours would be too.  I was thinking of asking if we could do that tour backwards - going to Sorrento/Amalfi Coast first. Does that make sense at all?? Of course Pompeii would be crowded then 😔

[euro cruiser]

Frankly, Pompei is less about the crowds (the site can hold 15,000 people before it is considered "full", and that only happens on free days in the summer) and mostly about the heat.  Later in the day it will be hotter.

 

That said, if your ship arrives at 7 AM it would be a waste of time to go to Pompei first, as it's only about a half hour drive from the port but it doesn't open until 9 AM.  

 

You have other options available to you, but RIL (nor any other car service) isn't going to suggest them to you.  For example, if you choose to go to Pompei in the morning you could greatly speed up the return trip to the ship by having the car service drop you off at the marina in Sorrento and taking the ferry back to Naples.  The ferry port is adjacent to the cruise port so it could not be easier, and the ferry makes the trip in about half the time of the car service.

Edited September 20, 2023 by euro cruiser

[mauimary]

Actually Rome in Limo will do about anything you want within Reason. For us they did make suggestions in our correspondence back and forth. They have a fabulous reputation.   On our last Amalfj Coast (July2022) we started in Ravello and came up the coast.  The only issue with that direction is you are on the other side of the road from the coastal side. Our driver did stop when we could.  There were some wonderful surprises we did not see when we started from Sorrento and did not see on two previous trips. Ravello was just opening and setting up their shops when we got there.  The traffic was in Amalfi and Positano. By the time you stop for the most amazing lunch ((RIL) is famous for those connections there may not be time to stop in Pompeii.  This is where choices come into play. 
As I remember we were picked up around 08 when we went to Pompeii(1st trip)   It was amazing to get photos with no people in them.  We did not go as far as Ravello.  We did have an hr to look around Sorrento then had the most amazing lunch in a cliffside overlooking Sorrento and the coastline. We remember our fabulous Italian experience at these lunches more than the sites!!  Then we did the Amalfi Coast drive down as far as Amalfi.  On the way back our driver knew where the ship busses were. They are in contact with other drivers who were right behind the busses or in one case the bus was behind that driver.  We made it back with about an hr to spare. As I said they have a huge reputation to uphold. 
 

The following photos 1.small narrow canyon on the land side of the drive between Ravello and Amalfi 2.Year round nativity scene in a small cave 3. Amazing lunch at a fab small family restaurant that our driver knew the owners. Our driver ordered and served for us. The wine was flowing and it was something we cherished about our private excursion 
 

[euro cruiser]

Just to be clear, I didn't say they wouldn't do it, just that they won't suggest it.  You've got to make the suggestion and let them react to it.