Maximizing Your Pompeii Experience

Crowd Avoidance Strategies

Staying in Sorrento or Naples and want to visit Pompeii? Put off by the crowds? How does this sound?

• No standing in line

• No following like sheep

• Enjoy the tranquillity

• Feel like you have gone back in time

Whether based on the Neapolitan Riviera or visiting Naples on a cruise, here are my top 5 tips to avoid the hoards when visiting Pompeii.

1️⃣ Visit out of season

We went in April (after Easter), although October would also be a good option. The sun was shining with temperatures in low to mid 20s which was perfect (it can reach up to 40 degrees at the height of the summer with queues of over 2 hours for much of the time).

2️⃣ Go Mid-week

Unless you are on a weekend city-break or a fixed cruise itinerary, then choose to visit Mon-Thursday. Numbers are much lower during the week off peak, as many tourists head to the region for long weekends, and of course locals are at work. If you are arriving on a Thursday , why not visit Pompeii on your way from the airport - there is free luggage storage at the main entrance. We headed to Pompeii on a Monday, our first full day in Sorrento, and had an amazing experience.

3️⃣ Go late in the day

Most people head to the site when it opens at 9 am, so call their bluff! Those early birds will queue for between 1-2 hours for tickets. We walked up and bought ours with zero queue. Once we had passed through the groups heading to the exit, we had the place pretty much to ourselves, including in the special exhibitions.

Three hours is plenty of time to explore when you aren’t battling the crowds.

Between April and October Pompeii is open until 7 pm with last entry at 5.30. We arrived at 3.45 as most people were leaving, apart from a few straggling groups in the Forum.

4️⃣ Avoid group tours

It is so easy (and much cheaper) to make your own way to Pompeii whether from Naples or from Sorrento, and all points in between. Take the Circumvesuviana Train (€4 return from Naples, around €5 from Sorrento - taking around 40 minutes from either). Get off at Pompei Scavi Villa dei Misteri

You don’t need a guide - you can rent a headset for €8 or better still download the official free ‘MY POMPEII’ app before you go. There are maps, guides, additional information and access to read QR codes. Go where you want to go at your own speed.

Tours can cost upwards of €70 pe person (more on ship excursions). The total cost of our trip was €40 including transport.

5️⃣ Choose your entry point carefully

Pompeii has three entrances:

• Porta Marina - most popular (busiest usually with longest wait times) as opposite the station.

• Piazza Esedra - reserved for group tours.

• Piazza Anfiteatro - the closest entrance to modern Pompeii and 15 minutes walk from station. It is also the quietest.

Once through the turnstiles head to the far side of the ruins and work back from there - most of the visitors will be congregating in the huge forum near the front before exiting.

At the time of our visit (remember, late in the day) we weren’t aware of the different entrances but luckily had no wait at the main Porta Marina entrance. However, we mistakenly exited out of Piazza Anfiteatro and faced a 2k walk back to the station or a €10 taxi. We opted to walk but were shattered afterwards. The exits are well signposted throughout Pompeii, but not WHICH exit. If travelling by train, use your app or map to find the Porta Marina exit which is just alongside the train station.

Pompeii Entrance Fees

€22 (Pompeii & Villas including bus transfers between them);

€18 Pompeii Express (deceptively, this doesn’t mean you get priority access - it’s just the basic entrance fee minus access to the more remote villas so is quicker

There is also a confusing €8 price point - this is for EACH attraction you visit (so for example one of the villas) so not the most economical entrance option.

I hope these tips help - do let me know in comments how you get on and look out for my other guides to the region coming soon.