We went year before last. I suggest you go to Naples. See the museum
mentioned earlier in this thread. (I really wish we had.) Take the
Circumvesuviana (spelling?). Got to Sorrento. Check out the beach town,
go back to Pompeii and spend the day, at least a whole day, there is a
wonderful little hotel there right off the town square. Cost us 80$ for
the night and they have a great breakfast. Get on the train and stop at
Opalantis. It's only a couple of hours. Get back on the train and go to
Herculeneum. Plan at least four or five hours, maybe a day. As you walk
down the hill from the train station to the ruins, you will find an
excellent little restaurant on the right hand side of the road. It ain't
fancy, but it had the best doggone pizza we ever had, before or after.
Before you leave, catch the bus at the top of the hill just before the
train station to the volcano. Don't go up there if the volcano is erupting!
Go back to Naples. There is a great motel right in front of the train
station. But watch for thieves. The locals warned me to hide by camera.
Take the train to Pozoulli. That's where the apostle Paul landed after
his shipwreck. See Acts 21 for details. He was there about 80 years
before Mt. Vesuvius had to act up. There is a taxi station in Pozoulli.
Take a taxi and see Solfatarra, Lago D'Averno, the cave of the
Sybillines (sp?) and the ruins of the huge bath at Cuma. The taxi driver
will hurry you. Just give him some Euros and ask him to be patient.
He'll cheer up. Get him to drop you off at the train station at
Pozooulli and go back to Naples for your return to wherever. Read up on
all these places and you will enjoy them.

We loved every bit of it and only regret that we didn't spend one more
day seeing Sorrento and the museum at Naples.
Poetic Justice wrote:
Tony McCann wrote:


Does anyone have information about day
tours to P or H.


Hi Tony, By 'day tours' do you mean bus tours? If so, from where (Rome,
Naples, Sorrento, etc).
In 3 trips (off season) to Herculaneum, I don't recall ever seeing any
bus tour groups or any hotel or tourist info office pamphlets
advertising bus tours there.
Pompeii has alot of bus tours from as far away as Rome. But the Rome
ones cost twice as much as doing it yourself and only spent ~2hrs on the
site. And they will probably stop at a couple of factory outlets
(cameos, furniture) and do a drive-thru of Naples and possibly Sorrento.
A very long day (12-14hrs) for 2hrs at the site with the rest of the
herd. On your own from Rome you can be at Pompeii in 3hrs.


Is one location better than the other. I
have heard that H is better.


My opinion: Pompeii is a *complete* walled-in city, sort of a mini-Rome.
Herculaneum is just a small section of a smaller city (population wise
~25% of Pompeii). But it is better preserved than Pompeii and it has a
better 'going back in time' feel to it for me.
IMO Pompeii is the far better choice. Esp now that some of Herculaneum
is closed off and it was already small to begin with.


Would visiting both in one day be rushed?


I don't know where you are stating from but let me give you a timeline.
Ok 1st off I'm a history nerd, so *I* have to see and find
*everything*. I'm still debating on visiting Pompeii for the 5th time
next March.
But for the average tourist, they could easily spend an enjoyable day
there or they could walk thru the site and see many highlights in 4hrs.
Herculaneum is alot smaller and you can leisurely do the audioguide
tour and explore alittle in 2hrs.
If you have the Circumvesuviana train schedule you can be from inside
Pompeii to inside Herculaneum in ~45min.
Both sites have very informative audioguide tours, Pompeii's has a 2, 4
or 6 hr itinerary.
If your email address is valid I'm going to send a tripreport with
detailed directions that I have posted in the past. I will put POMPEII
in the Subject Line.
Regards, Walter



..And Paradise Was Lost...like teardrops in the rain...