24 August 79AD - A date that will be etched in memory forever. The day the fury of Mount Vesuvius was unleashed on the least suspecting town of Pompei; A walled Roman city with a thriving port in the middle of the Bay of Naples. People sought refuge from the raining of pumice and ash from the erupting volcano but in vain. Chivalrous admirals tried rescuing people from the fury by arranging boats to escape from the fuming mountain. Unfavourable winds on the coast thwarted their attempts. An entire city and its people perished in the wrath of nature.
Centuries later, in the year 1599, the digging of a canal near the river Sarno led to rediscovery of the ancient town that had been preserved under centuries of pumice and ash. A discovery that every historian and archeologist would dream to be part of. The beauty of Pompeii is that it doesn’t stop at interesting historians and archeologists alone. As most of the city remained intact after it remained undiscovered until the modern era, the roads, layouts and most of the original walls, columns, frescoes and mosaics were still intact. This helps even the common man figure things out.
Seeing the cart tracks on the roads or feeling the walls of houses (gently, of course) from 2000 years ago gives me goose bumps! What would life have been like, back then? Imagine walking along the roads wearing a tunic, chariots passing by with the hooves of horses clicking on the stones, drinking water from a roadside fountain and stepping into an office in the forum that overlooks Mount Vesuvius - a life that could only be imagined now and Pompeii offers enough scope for such imagination!
The temple of Venus
The Forum Baths
The Basilica
A sacrificial altar
Mosaic at House of Faun
Stunning fresco at Villa of Mysteries
Cart tracks on the roads
A large road
A drinking water fountain
A tree lined avenue
House of Faun
Elaborate mosaic work
Ancient vineyard
Amphitheatre
Getting to Pompeii
The commuter train, Circumvesuviana, from Naples Garibaldi (or Porta Nolana) costs about EUR2.60 pp and takes about 35-40 minutes to get to Pompei scavi (or Villa dei Misteri station). Contrary to all the reports of pick-pocketing or crowds, this is the most convenient and economical option to get there. We traveled during December and it was not very crowded. You may not get seats as soon as you board but you will eventually. We traveled with luggage and two children and did not find it difficult at all. Be aware of your surroundings and keep your valuables hidden away and you’ll be just fine.
Taxis - The pre-determined fare for a round trip from Naples to Pompeii with a stop for 2 hours is EUR90. However 2 hours is highly inadequate to see the ruins. For a distance of 25kms x 2, the rates seem pretty exorbitant. Also bear in mind most of the taxi drivers will charge you extra (calling them supplements) claiming some reason or the other. If you’re not comfortable with the language, there’s little else you can do but pay what he demands.
Private taxis charge about EUR80 one way. They speak English very well and can pick you up from your hotel or points in the city or even the airport and drop you off at one of the entrances to the ruins. They also offer services the other way around.
The Curreri Viaggi bus to/from airport stops at Pompei along the main road that joins the highway and costs EUR 10 pp.
(All prices as of December 2016)
Time needed
It took us about 3.5 hours to see most of the site, including the Villa dei Misteri which is about a 10 minute walk from the main site. There were many villas and houses that we did not visit. Many villas and areas were also closed for restoration work. It is always a good idea to check the website (http://www.pompeiisites.org/index.jsp?idProgetto=2) for what’s open and plan the visit based on that. Only about two-thirds of the city have been excavated and I would estimate between 4 to 5 hours to see the entire site and spend time admiring the details.
Facilities
There’s a cafe inside the site that serves everything from coffee, snacks to lunches. The prices were slightly above than average. We liked the food quality. There’s also a restaurant opening soon. Toilets scattered around the site. There are free maps and guide books offered near the ticket offices. There are also directions posted along some routes. There are official guides available at the entrance near the ticket booths for a price (I think EUR 10pp) who take you around the site. I also noticed some official staff in some of the villas who answered any questions you might have.
Tickets
Tickets cost EUR13 per adult and children go free. We purchased the Campania arteCard Tuttle le Regione for EUR32 and that gave us free ride on the Circumvesuviana and free entry to the first two sites that we wanted to visit.
Guide and pre-trip research
I purchased this site guide before I left on the trip. This offered me great insight into the discoveries, the history of the region and the site. I saw the same book being sold in Naples for EUR5 (not sure of the version). There are older and used versions of this book being sold on Amazon (both US and UK sites) for much lower prices.
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