mary6

Hi, I will be travelling to Rome in 2006 and want to see Pompeii,as a women travelling by myself would I be better to do the day tour from Rome or take the train to Naples, stay overnight and go to Pompeii from Naples? Doing the tour are we given enough time to look around Pompeii? Thanks

Melissa5

Mary6, Naples isn't the safest city, several drivers and a tour guide told me. However, if you get the train from Rome to naples, and spend a night in naples, you could get a driver to take you to see Pompeii. Or you could get the circumvesuviana train, which I have been told by a frequent traveller to Italy is also a hang-out for pick-pockets so do be alert and well prepared.

If you want a reliable driver we really liked Giovanni Benvenuto at www.benvenutolimos.com for our family.

It takes a minimum of 4 hours to see Pompeii, and I advise getting a guide because it's big and confusing, even with the map they give you.

good luck with your plans.

adrienne

An option is to stay overnight in Sorrento, rather than Naples. Sorrento is safe for a woman alone and is much nicer than Naples. Pompeii is half way between Naples and Sorrento (30 minutes from each). It's also quieter and more relaxing, especially after a day touring around Pompeii.

I'd also recommend seeing the Archeological Museum in Naples which contains many frescoes and mosaics from Pompeii.

I didn't get to the pedestrian area in Naples which is supposed to be nice but the rest of Naples is a dump. We were only there for the museum.

I spent 5 hours wandering around Pompeii, using the audio guide and it was great.

You could travel from Rome to Naples, take a taxi to the Arch Museum. Return to the train station and continue to Sorrento for the late afternoon and evening. The shops and the church on the main square (Piazza Tasso) stay open late and there are lots of restaurants to choose from. I recommend a gelato from Pollio on Corso Italia (main street), 172.

Next day tour Pompeii and return to Rome.

MaureenGP

I don't know the logistics, but I would certainly second the idea of staying in Sorrento rather than Naples and foregoing a group tour.
Years ago, my husband and I took a day tour from Rome to Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri and Naples, and to say it was whirlwind is putting it mildly. My husband complained forevermore about being forced to spend an hour at a cameo factory on this tour, while not having time to see the museum at Pompeii, nor time to buy an inlaid table in Sorrento. We had just enough time for a bite of pizza for lunch or buying a table, and my stomach won out, and he never forgave me. The moral is, when you are on a group tour, you are on their schedule, which may include cameo factories and 5-minute lunch breaks. I'm glad we saw Pompeii and Capri, but all it did was make me want to go back to these places at my leisure.

ira

Hi mary,

If you can, I suggest staying overnight in Naples or Sorrento for your visit to Pompeii.

They have licensed guides at Pompeii that put together groups to tour the site.

We did not find Naples to be less safe than other big cities that we have visited, but others have reported unfortunate experiences.

sundowner

mary6 - one more vote for Sorrento. I travelled with daughters (9 & 21) last year. We felt much more comfortable in Sorrento than in Naples. (We made a day trip to Naples.) I would also give Pompeii the time it deserves by not making it a day trip or tour from Rome. We rode the Circumsuvia train on 3 different days from Sorrento to Naples, Pompeii and Herculaneum and always felt comfortable.

Good luck!
Cindy

ahotpoet

I also agree that Sorrento is an excellent option as a base to see Pompeii AND Herculaneum. To visit these places using the Circumvesuviana is easy, convenient, and inexpensive.

massagediva

ContextNaples (related to Scala Reale and Context Rome) offers some wonderful tours of Naples and Pompeii.I spent a day with them and had a wonderful time. As for Naples being a dump,it may be coarser than some other Italian cities,but to call it a dump is rather strong.

Pausanias

This is another vote for Naples over Sorrento. It's a far more interesting town and has the Archaeological Museum, which will enrich a visit to Pompeii.

The usual big city precautions should suffice to see you safely through Naples. This is one town, though, where it pays to splurge on a hotel, not necessarily for security, but for comfort. We stayed in the Santa Lucia area. We took taxis to the station and to the museum and walked around Spaccanapoli and Santa Lucia without incident.

Try Naples. It may be one of the highlights of your trip.

francesco_m

You'd rather want to start from the safe and clean circumvesuviana train station in Sorrento, among the orange trees, 30 minutes away from Pompei, rather then in the busy, dirty and dangerous station of Naples, watching your belongings...30 minutes away from Pompei

Dick

Just what you need..another opinion.

I Think it comes down to how much time you would have to spend in Naples. Naples is not a dump. It has some wonderful areas and some poor areas....like any major city. Unfortunately, there is a lot of grafitti....but that is cosmetic.

If you are only looking for a place to spend the night, I would agree with staying in Sorrento.

But if you would have some time to sightsee...Naples has a lot to offer.

spencequeen

Mary,

I have often travelled in Europe alone including in Naples. I would not tell you to avoid Naples but be very street smart.

For example, when I was looking for my train in the Naples train station a man approached me and told me he was a porter. He grabbed my suitcase from me. It was pretty heavy so I did not mind the help at first. When he broght me to the train he took me to an area where there were no other people and demanded a large sum to give me my bag back. I should have started screaming, instead I told him I did not have the sum he asked for, but I could only give him a lower amount. After much pressure he relented and gave me my bag. I will not give up my bag again.

I also believe Sorrento would be a better choice for an overnight stay.
If you are interested in Pompeii I would give yourself lots of time and not rush back to Rome. Herculaneum is also well worth seeing if you have the time. I personally think that after a tour it is well worth walking the grounds alone to experience it for yourself.

ucsun

i just got back from sorrento/naples. and i can say that naples was not unsafe at all...think a smaller and safer nyc. but i was glad to be in the peace and quite of sorrento at night.

pompeii would be a really tough day as a day trip from rome. i was more impressed with herculeum personally. but then again the Archaeological Museum was nearly half closed during my visit so i did get to go there. but pompeii was really nice. but if you are going you might as well see a little of the amalfi coast as well.

how much time do you have in rome as there is a ton to do in rome. i know ostia antica is no pompeii but being so close to rome maybe it's worth a visit instead. (although i have never been to ostia antica.)

Cassandra

Another vote for Sorrento over Naples. It's prettier; and Pompeii is actually a little closer to Sorrento than Naples (Ercolano is much closer to Naples).

Postal

My daughter (then a teenager) and I left Rome early in the morning by train to Naples, switched to the circumvesuviana line, and toured Pompeii for about four hours. I wish we had hired a guide. It was still incredible. Back to Naples for a few hours. I had visited there before while in the Navy and never felt uncomfortable there as a result. Took a late train back to Rome. Long day, but still fun.