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| Pompeii Today |
Pompeii is one of the main attractions in the entire country of Italy. With a smorgasbord of history laid out in a picturesque open-air museum, the city is the largest and longest continuous archaeologist site in the entire world. If you’re limited on time within this grand expanse of history, don’t stress yourself silly with organising! As this article has all the tips and tricks into making all you need to know and plan for your day trip to Pompeii!
How to get there
Getting there can be tricky depending on where you start off. With main cities such as Rome or Naples being the home bases for most travelling to Pompeii. Therefore, working out the quickest, easiest, and cheapest option prior to heading off can help you cut down on any frustration and limit your morning.
Car
For those independent travellers out there, hiring or taking your own car to Pompeii will most likely look like the most attractive option. From Rome, it takes around two and a half an hour, without any breaks along the way. If you are planning on doing this, make sure to set off early to leave plenty of tourist time for the day, and to avoid the peak hour, as Italy roads can be notoriously busy.
Train
If you aren’t a fan of driving, simply hop on a train in the morning and sit back and relax. The train head down the entire coastal area, guaranteeing you a stunning scenic ride along the way. This route usually takes around a couple hours, with ticket prices going up or down in price depending on where you are coming from, and which cabin class you choose.
How to see it
Tours
Not sure what to do once you get there? Instead of making your own way to Pompeii, hop on a tour! Here you can get picked up straight from your hotel door, cruising down the coast on the luxury bus. The guide can inform you of all of Pompeii’s secrets along the way and take you to each spectacular attraction once there. Instead of flipping through a brochure or looking up the city online, simply ask your guide for all the incredible facts of the historic region.
By Yourself
A lot of folk travel to Pompeii without a plan set in place, simply saying that they’ll wander around until they have had enough. To do the entire area efficiently in a day without missing out on anything, this is probably not a great idea. With many using a lot of their time deciding on the next attractions and losing steam after only a couple sites. Working out what you want to see prior to arriving, as well as looking at the map of each site to route your trip well, can cut out the frustration and fatigue you might get otherwise.
The Best Season to go
The most popular time to travel to Pompeii is during the April to October period. With hot sticky days filling up the months, and herds of foot traffic taking over the streets. The tours are bumped up in price, and the trains become swarmed with visitors. Although you do get better weather in the high season, the multitude of tourists and stinky hot days can make this an exasperatingly sweaty adventure. Skip this and instead travel in the offseason, starting from November to March. Although you will face chiller days, you can enjoy the peaceful ancient streets of Pompeii without bumping shoulders with others. Prices also drop in this time so the cheaper, the better!
The Top Day to visit
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are by far the most popular days to visit, with even some Europeans stopping in for a visit on the weekend. Visiting in the middle of the week won’t guarantee you a completely deserted city but it will help with the lines and price!
The Quietest Time
Due to most tourists travelling to Pompeii from Rome or Naples, the majority of the crowds won’t arrive until later in the morning. Therefore, staying the night prior nearby or setting off before the sunrise emerges can help you arrive at a completely deserted Pompeii. Giving you a good hour to walk around freely before the lines start forming. This occurs during the afternoon as well, the with the crowds packing up after lunchtime.
Top Tourist Attractions
Amphitheatre
Pompeii’s crumbling stadium is known as the oldest roman amphitheatre in existence. Back in the day, it was a towering stadium able to seat a whopping 20,000 people at once. It held violent entertainments, such as the famous gladiator games, or executions.
Baths
To ancient Romans, bathing was both a public and social activity, completely different from our modern-day bathrooms. It was unheard of to ever have a private bath, with both the rich and poor all visiting the public baths once a day. These baths were more like pools, with different temperatures pools, spa rooms, and courtyards to relax. These baths are still scattered around the city, with some still having their elaborate frescos and decorations remaining.
Brothels
For a more tantalising venture, visit the many brothels lining the streets. Brothels were both a legal and a common occurrence within Pompeii, with many men visiting the buildings frequently. The buildings contain small intimate rooms, with the walls covered in erotic frescos. Although the Pompeii people were comfortable with their sexual indulgences, the reality of the sex worker’s lives is quite tragic. Visit these ancient buildings and learn about the truth behind these brothels while seeing the spectacular art spattered on the walls.
These are our top picks of attractions, but there are many more to see. By squeezing these sites at the start, you will have plenty of time to see the rest of the iconic sights before heading home.
Recommended Pompeii Tours: Pompeii Day Tour from Rome
Price: €129
Tour Company: Sightseeing Tours Italy
About the Author
Jenny Henion is a travel writer with a mission to see every single country in the world! Jenny is the owner at Jenny Henion.
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