Tour Guide in Pompeii

[CathyCruises]

Can someone give me a ballpark idea of what a guide at Pompeii would charge? Debating Pompeii vs. Herculaneum, which I understand is easier to do on your own. Yes?

 

Thanks,

Cathy

[cruisemom42]

IIRC you can pick up a tour at Pompeii for about 10 euros (2 years ago). If you'd rather do it on your own, the audio guide is pretty good and allows you to wander at your own pace.

[varisian]

Your 10 Euro price for the tour guide includes the 10 Euro entry fee.

[texancruzer]

Your 10 Euro price for the tour guide includes the 10 Euro entry fee.

 

 

??????? Not sure, but this doesnt sound right. Don't know too many guides who work for free !

 

We had a private driver for the entire day with APTours and they pre-arranged a private guide for us for Pompeii. We paid 100 euros and split it between 4 couples. So worked out to 25 euros for the two of us. We also had to pay our own entry fees.

 

There are usually licensed guides at the entrance who will try and put together groups "on the spur of the moment" which could work out cheaper if they can get a group of say 10 or so......

 

Just be sure they are licensed if you use this method. !!!

[CathyCruises]

Well, I will try to get some folks together from the ship; if not, we'll see what we can arrange when we get there. Pompeii is one of the places I really feel we'll get much more out of with a guide. Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

Cathy

[varisian]

I know it is hard to believe, but it is true that the professional guide and entry price comes at the same price as entry alone. Our guide when we did it was a Professor of Archeology from the Archeological Museum in Naples and you can't get much more authoritative than that and the total bill for 3 of us including entry was 30 Euros.

[corkpopr]

It was 100 euros split between three couples. Our guide (guiseppe) was a retired professor who spoke 6 languages and was fantastic. He was obviously a teacher because if we were talking or laughing while he was talking he would scold us or ask us questions to see if we were paying attention. We all loved it, and it was far better than doing it on our own!

[CathyCruises]

I know it is hard to believe, but it is true that the professional guide and entry price comes at the same price as entry alone. Our guide when we did it was a Professor of Archeology from the Archeological Museum in Naples and you can't get much more authoritative than that and the total bill for 3 of us including entry was 30 Euros.

Okay, I am getting a lot of conflicting information here! I WANT to believe Varisian and only pay 11 E, not 100E for the guide! And we are planning to do it on our own and go in the afternoon after Sorrento and Positano in the AM. I am talking about just walking up, not using a driver, and getting tickets and hopefully a guide at a reasonable price.

 

100E for 2 hours of walking around pointing things out seems like a lot of money, no? Or am I completely out to lunch here?

 

In any event thanks for all the replies.

 

Cathy

[KU Cruiser]

We were in Pompeii last week and DID NOT hire a private guide and we decided that we had made a mistake. Because of that, I don't know what it would have cost except for the fact that I was practically begged by a gentlemen to hire him as a guide right at the entrance after I bought our two tickets, so I'm quite sure he wanted payment for his services.

 

We did pay 5E for an individual audio guide and we didn't get a whole lot out of that.

 

I would strongly suggest a private guide. I did arrange a private guide for the Vatican in Rome at a price of 120E for 6 people for 2 hours and it was worth every penny.

 

Good luck!

 

KU Cruiser

[cruisemom42]

Okay, I am getting a lot of conflicting information here! I WANT to believe Varisian and only pay 11 E, not 100E for the guide! And we are planning to do it on our own and go in the afternoon after Sorrento and Positano in the AM. I am talking about just walking up, not using a driver, and getting tickets and hopefully a guide at a reasonable price.

 

100E for 2 hours of walking around pointing things out seems like a lot of money, no? Or am I completely out to lunch here?

 

In any event thanks for all the replies.

 

Cathy

 

 

I think some of the variation is due to the fact that the guides at the gate charge a certain amount (around 100 euros) no matter how many people are in the group. So if you are willing to join in with a group of 8 others, you will all pay 10 euros. If you want a private tour for 2, it will be 50 euros each.

 

(Just using this as an approximate cost of course....and I've heard that rates can be "negotiable"...)

[mustgo]

Okay, I am getting a lot of conflicting information here! I WANT to believe Varisian and only pay 11 E, not 100E for the guide! And we are planning to do it on our own and go in the afternoon after Sorrento and Positano in the AM. I am talking about just walking up, not using a driver, and getting tickets and hopefully a guide at a reasonable price.

 

Cathy

 

Cathy--how do you plan to do Sorento and Positano? We are also DIY and looking at that plus Pompeii-considering the ferry, but looks like not time to do hop on bus for Sorento and Positano. Did you find a better way?

[sun&sea]

Our guide was 100 Euros for a two hour tour in early August 2008. We were told that 100Euros was the standard rate for the two hour tour.

 

Janet

[CathyCruises]

Thanks Janet--I have no need for 'private' and a group of 10 would work perfectly if we can put one together.

 

Mustgo, on these boards a guide in the area said that he recommended taking the hydrofoil from Naples to Sorrento, then the ferry to Positano; look around, have lunch, ferry back to Sorrento and then the train to Pompeii (Circumvesuviana), then train back to Naples. Assuming the seas cooperate, that's what we're planning to do. But I would like some knowledgable info in Pompeii which is why I have been asking about a guide. The rest we are happy to do on our own!

 

Thx Cathy

[corkpopr]

Hey mustgo, we hired a driver at the dock and he took us to pompeii where we hired the private guide. he waited for us 2 1/2 hrs and drove us down to positano and then back to sorento for lunch. we also stopped on the way back at a woodworking shop that does inlays on clocks/jewelry boxes/desks/tables etc that was great! then back to the ship with the other five and he took me into naples for a stop at a cigar store. he was 120 euros split among 3 couples. see you at the meet & greet nov 7th

[robtulipe]

Last Nov. off Legend of the Seas we took Sorrento commuter train (Unico Napoli Circumvesuviana, cost 2.3 Euros each way) to Pompeii and toured those ruins on our own by using great information book and map, available in many languages including English for free at the main gate (closest to and right of train station when exiting) information counter. Entrance cost was 11 Euros each and we were able to see pretty well the whole site while there for about 5 hours. Here is a photo of this information.