The Ancient City Preserved: How to Visit Pompeii

Pompeii is probably the most well known site of an ancient natural disaster: the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The nature of the disaster that occurred in 79 CE left the city incredibly preserved, allowing archaeologists to study life in Pompeii from this moment frozen in time. Today, it is a popular tourist destination as people from all over the world travel to the Gulf of Naples to see this Roman city that was almost perfectly preserved for nearly two thousand years.

I got to visit this famous city in May and toured the city with my family. We took a tour with a company recommended by Rick Steves that my mother found. Our guide was very informative and took us around the city to major sites in 2 hours.

Where to Stay While Visiting Pompeii

My partner and I stayed in Naples near Napoli Centrale station. This was a convenient place to be when travelling between Naples and other municipalities in the area. The commuter train in the lower level of Napoli Centrale brings you from Naples to Pompei Scavi station in about 30 minutes. If you chose to stay in another municipality in the bay of Naples such as Sorrento, you can take this train as well. It is about 30 minutes from Sorrento to Pompei Scavi as well, but from the opposite direction on the train line.

Staying in Naples

We found Naples to be our least favourite stop on our Europe trip this spring. I wouldn’t recommend it, we found the city to be generally uninviting to tourists and spent most of our time in other areas of the Gulf, but we did have wonderful pizza at Gino e Toto Sorbillo and fantastic gelato at Mennella Il Gelato.

Overall, Naples has a strong city-vibe to it. As with many other big cities in Europe, be aware of pickpockets and scammers. We found businesses in Naples to be pushier and tend towards scam-y practices. Stay firm and don’t agree to anything to be polite. At restaurants, be very clear about your order and ask about price increases if they offer any additional items. Generally speaking, try to avoid being out late at night, as Naples is not known for its safety. Stick to busier areas in the city center. That being said, as long as you are a smart traveller and aware of yourself and your surroundings, you shouldn’t have any issues.

Our primary reason for staying in Naples was the price. It is a lot more affordable to find accommodations in Naples than in Sorrento or in Amalfi Coast towns such as Positano and Amalfi. It also offered us a good base for travelling to all of these towns as well as Pompeii.

Staying in Sorrento

My parents chose to stay in Sorrento. This is a very cute, picturesque town on the opposite end of the Gulf of Naples from Naples itself. Because it is so beautiful, it is a popular location from tourists and has the energy and businesses that cater towards that demographic. It is also pricier for accommodations and food than other towns in the Gulf of Naples, but again friendlier towards tourists as well. If you are interested in a more authentic cultural experience, Sorrento may not be the place for you, however, if you are looking to stay somewhere that feel comfortable and has a great view of the gulf, it may be the perfect fit. We enjoyed Sorrento and after spending the afternoon here with my family, we returned on our last day in the area after our plans to visit Mount Vesuvius fell through.

How Long Should You Spend in Pompeii

While the length of time your spend in Pompeii will vary from person to person. Two hours is enough to see some highlights such as the Forum, the Marina Entry, several ancient homes, and the Tower of Mercury. However, Pompeii is the ruins of an ancient city, so it is easy to spend an entire day in the site exploring if your interested and have the stamina. There is food available in the city as well, so you’re able to refuel. The official website for Pompeii includes maps and suggested paths with different itineraries depending on the time you wish to spend in the ancient city.

What Else to Do Near Pompeii

The Gulf of Naples is also the home of other famous Italian sites such as Herculaneum, Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Mount Vesuvius and other volcanoes. It is also the birthplace of pizza and limoncello, so dining should be high on your list. The city of Herculaneum was also buried under the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 CE that buried Pompeii. These ruins are after overlooked, but some visitors to both sites claim to prefer Herculaneum to Pompeii.

Hike Mount Vesuvius

The Gulf of Naples is surrounded by large volcanoes, most notably Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei and Ischia, which are all highly explosive volcanoes that would decimate Naples and the surrounding area if there was a large eruption. You find many Neapolitans live with a seize the day philosophy, as Vesuvius stands as a foreboding reminder to the whole Gulf that the future is never certain.

You can hike to the crater of Mount Vesuvius, but you need to purchase admission to the National Park which must be purchased online (no in-person tickets are sold). We wanted to do the hike to the crater on our final day staying in Naples, but we were unable to purchase tickets because the payment system required a phone number for a one-time passcode. We had data-only plans in Europe, so we were unable to make this work. If you hope to do this hike, make sure you purchase your tickets from the official Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio site in advance to avoid issues while abroad.

Visit Sorrento

While we stayed in Naples, we visited Sorrento with my parents after our tour of Pompeii, and came back after they’d left on another occasion. To get to Sorrento, you can catch the same commuter train for just over 4 euros per person at Napoli Centrale station. The trip takes about an hour from Naples. You can also opt for a ferry across the bay or an express train, but the commuter train is the most budget-friendly option.

Sorrento is a tourist-centred town. It is full of shops and restaurants that rely on tourist business. The feel in Sorrento is more relaxed than Naples, with a holiday atmosphere. If you want a more authentic Italian town, Sorrento is probably not what you’re looking for. However, you can still find delicious meals, affordable souvenirs, and access to other tourist activities such boat tours and cooking classes.

Tour the Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is one of the most picturesque places in Italy. The towns built on and around the cliffs here give an incredible view from the sea. You can visit the Amalfi Coast via bus or boat, but I would recommend taking a boat for two reasons. First, the roads are narrow and not built to accommodate heavy traffic. Increased tourism in the area has made travel on these roads difficult. Second, the picturesque views of Amalfi Coast towns such as Positano and Amalfi itself, are seen from the water. You get a better view overall throughout the journey. We took a boat tour that started in Nerano which you can read more about here.

Take a Boat Tour to Capri Island

The island of Capri sits off the peninsula that splits the Gulf of Naples to the north from the Amalfi Coast to the south. It is a popular tourist destination in the Campania region. It is an expensive place to stay, but you can also reach the island for a day trip on a boat tour from either Naples or Sorrento.

If you’ve visited the Gulf of Naples before, share a comment about your favourite part!