Herculaneum: Private Guide, Audioguide or DIY?

[FinelyRetired]

7 of us will tour Herculaneum in October.

 

Would like to hear any experience and the pros & cons of exploring this site with either a private guide, or with the audioguide & map that I have heard are available at the site, or did you simply DIY and how?

 

Thanks for any & all advice.

 

Martha

[Susan-M]

Hi Martha,

 

We did it with audioguides in October. However, I would recommend a private guide for your group. While the audio guide had good description, it was a little confusing finding our way around ... esp. at the beginning. It's a fascinating site and I think a private guide for the 7 of you would make it a much more interesting visit. You can arrange a private guide once there. I would not DIY.

 

Are you going by train?

[cruisetoscrap]

We are traveling as a family of 5. My in-laws are not very interested in walking and just more checking it off the list and my son will be an active 3 year old. Would a guide or just wondering (no one has the patience for an audio guide) be suggested in that case?

[Hlitner]

If you have no patience, than just go on your own, grab a written guide pamphlet at the entrance, and enjoy yourself. The guides and Auto Guides are both excellent, but it is slow going if you stop to listen at every point. I would also warn you about the 3 year old. Keep in mind that it can get very hot in this part of Italy during the summer. In the ruins (at Pompeii and Heruclanium) there is only a single place where you can rest and buy a drink. It is a good idea to buy some bottled water or soda before you enter the ruins. This stuff is always for sale near the entrance and it is cold. Buying locally is also cheaper than the water sold and promoted on-board ships (another profit center for the cruise lines). If we want to buy water, beer, or soda, we have always preferred buying cold stuff rather than carrying the warm water sold on ships.

 

Hank

[acruisergirl]

If you have no patience, than just go on your own, grab a written guide pamphlet at the entrance, and enjoy yourself. The guides and Auto Guides are both excellent, but it is slow going if you stop to listen at every point. I would also warn you about the 3 year old. Keep in mind that it can get very hot in this part of Italy during the summer. In the ruins (at Pompeii and Heruclanium) there is only a single place where you can rest and buy a drink. It is a good idea to buy some bottled water or soda before you enter the ruins. This stuff is always for sale near the entrance and it is cold. Buying locally is also cheaper than the water sold and promoted on-board ships (another profit center for the cruise lines). If we want to buy water, beer, or soda, we have always preferred buying cold stuff rather than carrying the warm water sold on ships.

 

Hank

Hank,

 

A couple extra questions. Are the guides at the entrance to Herculanium?

Would you recommend an addition stop to see the Naples Archelolgical Museum were much of the articles from both sites are on display? We will be traveling from Sorrento on the Circumvesuvianum train.

 

Thanks, Pat

[wurmine]

We visted Herculaneum last summer with our 3 year old son :) I would rather recommend a witten guide or a private tour. There were some history students at the information desk, you could officially hire for tours and they were very nice. so you can choose the duration of the tour. It is quite a big site with tunnels and old houses to explore- and you can do it on your own and just look up a view informations. As many houses are in excellent condition you do not need a guide to explain how things were. It is more self-explaining than other sights. Bring some water. There is a toy store right opposite the sight- we promised our son a present after the tour, which helped :rolleyes:

[Susan-M]

Hank...good suggestion re water (& lots of it) ... other than at the entrance, there is no shade at Herculaneum, so a hat & sunscreen are also important.

 

We stopped at a store very near to the entrance of Herculaneum where we picked up fresh bread, cheese and a large bottle of water, and had a picnic lunch once inside Herculaneum.

 

Acruisegirl...the guides who we saw, who were looking for business, were just outside of the doors of the building where we purchased our tickets.

[FinelyRetired]

Hi Martha,

 

We did it with audioguides in October. However, I would recommend a private guide for your group. While the audio guide had good description, it was a little confusing finding our way around ... esp. at the beginning. It's a fascinating site and I think a private guide for the 7 of you would make it a much more interesting visit. You can arrange a private guide once there. I would not DIY.

 

Are you going by train?

 

Rick Steves' guide book recommends "a free, excellent booklet with numbered explanations of each building" that are available at the Info Booth across from the ticket booths where you rent the audioguides. Did you have that as well?

 

Do the hired guides use "whisper" (miked) technology?

[Hlitner]

Hank,

 

A couple extra questions. Are the guides at the entrance to Herculanium?

Would you recommend an addition stop to see the Naples Archelolgical Museum were much of the articles from both sites are on display? We will be traveling from Sorrento on the Circumvesuvianum train.

 

Thanks, Pat

 

There are officially licensed guides near the entrance that organize offical tours in several languages including English. Two years ago the price was 10 Euros per person. The museum in Naples is an excellent museum with many artifacts from Herculanium, Pompeii and other areas of Italy. If you enjoy being inside museums, and have the time, you might enjoy the place.

 

Hank

[Susan-M]

Rick Steves' guide book recommends "a free, excellent booklet with numbered explanations of each building" that are available at the Info Booth across from the ticket booths where you rent the audioguides. Did you have that as well?

 

Do the hired guides use "whisper" (miked) technology?

 

No, we didn't have the booklet but we had a map ...there are numbers on all of the buildings, so other than figuring out the starting building, it was fairly easy to co-ordinate the audio guide to the building #'s.

 

One problem you might have with audio guides with 7 people, is keeping everyone synchronized if you plan to tour together. The audio guides have detailed info for each site, with the option to go on to extra details at many sites, so some people may be standing around waiting while others finish listening to an explanation.

 

The guides that we saw didn't have "whisper" technology...but it wasn't a problem that day because it was very uncrowded (on a Sunday in October) and the groups were small...anywhere from 2 to 6 clients with a guide.

[acruisergirl]

No, we didn't have the booklet but we had a map ...there are numbers on all of the buildings, so other than figuring out the starting building, it was fairly easy to co-ordinate the audio guide to the building #'s.

 

One problem you might have with audio guides with 7 people, is keeping everyone synchronized if you plan to tour together. The audio guides have detailed info for each site, with the option to go on to extra details at many sites, so some people may be standing around waiting while others finish listening to an explanation.

 

The guides that we saw didn't have "whisper" technology...but it wasn't a problem that day because it was very uncrowded (on a Sunday in October) and the groups were small...anywhere from 2 to 6 clients with a guide.

Susan,

 

The additional information was great. Now I know what to expect when we go in May. Cruise critic members are the best.:)

 

Thanks, Pat

[swalm22]

Herculaneum is not so crowded then Pompei and easy to walk its also better preserve. There is also a wonderful virtual museum and it’s closer to the port. We visit last year and made a flashmovie you can see on our blog.:)

http://mycruise.blogdns.com

[cruisetoscrap]

There is a toy store right opposite the sight- we promised our son a present after the tour, which helped :rolleyes:

 

I will be using plenty of bribes but do you have any other tips wurmine?