Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD covering the whole city of Pompeii in ash and mud. Over 1900 years later and parts of the buildings are still standing as the ash from the eruption preserved everything so well. Being a keen geographer and having an interest in history I've always been fascinated ... Read review
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Advantages: Fascinating Disadvantages: Too much to see!
...covering the whole city of Pompeii in ash and mud. Over 1900 years later and parts of the buildings are still standing as the ash from the eruption preserved everything so well. Being a keen geographer and having an interest in history I've always been fascinated that Vesuvius preserved the city of Pompeii. So when I found out that we were going to Rome I asked if we could go and see the Lost City. I was really pleased when my parents said we could. ... ...half hours to get to Pompeii from Rome but we stopped once on the way and once on the way back. We left our hotel at 6.20am and didn't return until 10.15pm so it was very long day.
It may sound like a really long way to travel in one day but it was well worth it! There were people on our coach who were going to the Island of Capri so we dropped them off at the Docks in Naples. We then had a small tour of Naples (in the coach) before ... more
Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD covering the whole city of Pompeii in ash and mud. Over 1900 years later and parts of the buildings are still standing as the ash from the eruption preserved everything so well. Being a keen geographer and having an interest in history I've always been fascinated that Vesuvius preserved the city of Pompeii. So when I found out that we were going to Rome I asked if we could go and see the Lost City. I was really pleased when my parents said we could.
We booked our trip to Pompeii from our hotel in Rome. We booked it with a company (Appian Line) who offered the transport (air-conditioned coach) there and back, a meal while we were there and a tour guide to show us the main sights of Pompeii. It cost us 105Euros (about £70) each and it took about four and a half hours to get to Pompeii from Rome but we stopped once on the way and once on the way back. We left our hotel at 6.20am and didn't return until 10.15pm so it was very long day.
It may sound like a really long way to travel in one day but it was well worth it! There were people on our coach who were going to the Island of Capri so we dropped them off at the Docks in Naples. We then had a small tour of Naples (in the coach) before continuing our journey to Pompeii. This meant we got to see a bit of Naples as well.
We arrived in Pompeii at about midday. We went into the shop where there were people crafting items for sale. The tour guide told us a bit about what they were making and then we had time to browse the shop and purchase any items. They were very expensive though.
We then went to a hotel restaurant where a three-course meal was served. This was included in the price of the trip but we had to pay for our own drinks. After about an hour for lunch we went to the site of the excavations. We had a two-hour tour with our guide. Naturally, in this small time scale it would be impossible to see everything (our guide informed us that it would take 2 whole days to see everything in Pompeii!) We did see a lot though and in the heat of the day I felt it was enough for one time. I would love to go back someday and see more though.
I was amazed by how well preserved everything was. It was very easy to find myself imagining life almost 2000 years ago. I could picture the people going about their daily business in the streets that are still there today. The roads were still in pretty good condition though there have been earthquakes over the years which have caused them to become uneven. For this reason I would advise that you wear comfortable walking shoes. My parents and I were very surprised to see that there were speed bumps in the streets to slow the Chariots down. These could also be used to walk across to cross the road, as the curbs were quite high. We had no idea that speed bumps had been invented so many years ago!
Some of the houses were still in good condition so you could go inside. I was surprised to find that they were quite big and I was fascinated by the quality of lifestyle that they appeared to have all those years ago. There was a hole in the roof in the kitchen area where they collected rainwater to wash the dishes. They also had drainage systems, which took the water out into the street. They had water fountains at the end of street, so drinking water was within a convenient walking distance. They had marvellous paintings on the walls (they used animal blood) and beautiful mosaics on some of the floors.
One of the streets were a line of shops. The archaeologists knew they were shops because there was a track on the ground that a sliding door would go along, and also because of the remains that were inside. There was a shop, which used to be a bakery and the oven was still in good condition. The archaeologists believe that people used to come from outside of Pompeii to do their shopping in the city. This is why they will never know exactly how many people died when Mt. Vesuvius erupted.
The Temples and Roman Baths were still in good condition and they were really interesting to see. I felt these were a very interesting part of the tour as they are the sort of buildings I would immediately associate with Ancient Romans.
Any materials that would rot, e.g. wood, obviously were no longer there. However, some of the roofs had been reconstructed to show what it would have looked like before Vesuvius erupted. Also, any statues that are on display there are copies as the genuine ones are in a museum in Naples.
As we only had two hours to look around, our tour guide tried to show us the most interesting parts of the site. She explained why she thought they were interesting and told us a bit about the parts we missed. She made the trip very enjoyable and she happily answered any questions we had. I would definitely recommend visiting Pompeii with a tour guide if you don't have a lot of time to spare because we wouldn't have known where to start if we'd been on our own.
Some of the bodies that have been found have been covered with plaster cast and are on display. I think it is interesting to see these as they are so old but I also think it may be a little disrespectful to have them on display for all to look at.
There were quite a few stalls in the entrance to the site. These were selling souvenirs and food and drinks. Be careful though, on one of the souvenir stalls we asked the price of something and decided to buy it. We just looked at something else and the woman at the stall started trying to get us to buy it. It started off at €35 (about £21) and because we said no thanks she kept dropping her price (2 for €20), and if that wasn't bad enough (that she was ripping us off in the first place) she followed us as we started to walk away! Not an ideal situation to be in!
As our entrance fee was included in with the price of our tour I have looked the opening times and prices up on the Internet.
Opening time: Daily 8.30am to 6pm (April to October), 8.30am to 5pm (November to March)
Admission: €10, about £7 (I got this information from www.wordtravels.com)
You could see Mt Vesuvius from the streets of Pompeii and I think this really added to the atmosphere. I really enjoyed my visit to Pompeii and would love to return some day to explore some more. Thank you for reading! bluejules x
Advantages: Great historic site Disadvantages: Crowds
...stories about the history of Pompeii and it's demise at the hands of the fury that was Vesuvius in AD 79 but we all know that what put Pompeii on the map (at least for us Brits) was the great Frankie Howard and his role in Up Pompeii a place frequented by ample breasted young maidens and randy servants. Actually given some of the sights to be seen amongst the ruins of Pompeii Mr. Howard's version is quite tame in comparison.
Brief History
The Roman ... ...most common way to visit Pompeii with tours available from Naples and Sorrento.
For the independent traveler the train from Naples to Sorrento stops at Pompei-Scavi-Villa dei Misteri station and there are regular SITA bus services between Naples and Pompeii. There are numerous car parks around Pompeii for those who chose to drive along the A3 from Naples with the Pompeii slip road clearly sign posted.
Admission
During the summer months the site ...
atticusuk 05.10.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pompeii
Advantages: Once-in-a-lifetime experience, amazing sights Disadvantages: Lots of walking, no shade/shelter.
...on was the tour of Pompeii and a trip up Mount Vesuvius in a 4x4 monster truck. The cost of our excursion was £56 paid through Thomson but I think the actual entrance fee is 11EURO for adults and 5.5EURO for children, according to sources on the internet.
Our tour started at the main entrance to the archaeological site, and we began our walking tour with our English speaking tour guide Francesco. The tickets were arranged for us, and we were all ... ...time, and the ruins of Pompeii are over a large area, we were only going to be seeing some of the city which I think could be considered to be the highlights.
We visited in November, so the crowds were quite light and the weather was not too cold (around 16/17C) although unfortunately on our visit the weather was stormy and wet for part of the day. I would recommend taking an umbrella with you in any event, to provide shade from the sun in summer ...
tor0908 26.11.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pompeii
Advantages: A incredable must see location. Disadvantages: Very tiring in hot weather
...the story and history of Pompeii and when my son began to show an interest in both Pompeii and Vesuvius we decided to have a holiday at the Bay of Naples to incorporate both venues We looked into the possibilities and eventually booked a ten day holiday to the Bay of Naples with Shearings holidays that had various trips included - including one to Pompeii and to Mount Vesuvius. This review is purely about Pompeii, I have already written one about ... ...day of our excursion to Pompeii was very hot - and I must advise you to wear a hat, take suncream/lotion and take plenty of water ( as much as you can carry) with you if you visit as there is not many places to find shelter from the blistering heat; I would also add that if you are not too good on your feet this may not be the visit for you, the ground is uneven and it is a long and tiring visit, you certainly need decent comfortable walking shoes. ...
oldchem 30.05.2009 (31.05.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pompeii
Advantages: Easy enough to see without a guide Disadvantages: A lot to see in a morning
...notice. The train station in Pompeii is walking distant to the attraction and you don’t really need to know where you are going the market stall holders will direct you. There is a little bit of hassle from them to buy water, or have a meal etc, but if you just say no they are fine.
We also decided not to bother with a guide, we just used the book you get with the admission fee (which incidentally is 11 euros each). It is quite busy at the entrance ... ...Museum or the museum within Pompeii itself. Even though a lot have been moved just seeing a small sample of the relics still gives you a feel for what actually happened and the impact of the volcano.
I found it quite amazing to see how modern their lifestyles were. There were ruins of swimming baths, and places that were apparently cafes, take aways and pubs, and they had pedestrian crossings that were just big square rocks in the road that had ...
shay71 30.06.2007 (16.08.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pompeii
Advantages: very absorbing and extensive ruins at a very affordable price Disadvantages: how about distributing a more helpful and detailed map at the entrance?
I had first studied Pompeii in second grade. The disaster of AD 79 stayed in the back of my mind all these long years, yet I never entertained any real expectation of ever going there. As a typical, bloodthirsty eight year old, I was only ever interested in seeing the famous plaster cast figures portraying Roman civilians in their final death throes.
In July 1999 I finally had an opportunity to set foot outside Pompeii train station. Having no clue where the ruins were, I was nearly conned into paying for a cab. Hence follows my first word of advice to would-be adventurers: DON'T take a taxi. Even with the sun beating down like a sledgehammer, it was only a twelve minute walk to the site, in a virtual straight line from the station. You can always ask passers-by if you manage to get lost (though stay away from the dodgy cabbies ...
Advantages: ideal for non flyers wishing to travel to the warmer climate of the med. Disadvantages: NOT A TRIP FOR CHILDREN WHO WILL GET RESTLESS ON A LONG COACH JOURNEY
can STRICTLY COME DANCING!!! on the ballroom floor until the early hours of the morning!!
Best of all it is not "IN YOUR FACE" and it is still possible to hold a conversation without being drowned out by loud music!!
MAY I SAY...Sorrento has an abundance of STUNNING ITALIAN FEMALES...WOW.. (GENTS).Don't let your wife catch you eying up the talent!!
They are probably the most beautiful women on the planet!!!!
Saying that I noticed a few glistening female eyes when being served by the handsome Italian waiters!!!.
Excursions and Places of interest.
Sorrento is ideally located for excursions to Capri, Pompeii, Amalfi Coast and Montecassino.
These excursions can normally be obtained from additional or included sightseeing trips provided by Shearings but this particular tour attracts many former passengers who have already seen ...
Advantages: Better than time travel! Disadvantages: If there were any...I've forgotten them!
The disaster of August 24 AD79 when Vesuvuis erupted and destroyed both Pompeii and Herculaneum has fasciniated me since the age of 4. So much so that I even did my degree on the place.
I backpacked across Italy in 2002 and Pompeii was the first stop on my list. The first thing to note that if you arrive by train from Naples is to realise that there are 2 stops for Pompeii. The scavi or the excvations and other being the new town of Pompeii. Be sure that you get off at the right one.
The new town of Pompeii (not the excavations) is nohing special compared to other Italian towns, there are lots of dogs roaming the streets and think twice about driving, all cars are battered to glory! The main church of the town is spectatucular and the town really comes alive at night. Just sit and watch people..young and old as they ...
