Tours to Pompeii Recommendations

terrisarchione

Hi, we are staying a day later in Rome at the end of our trip to hopefully see Pompeii. Does anyone have any recommendations on a tour company, preferably one that picks you up at your hotel? I've done some research but there are so many options and would feel better about booking if we received a referral. Thanks.

Buzz48

We were in Sorrento/Rome late last year and used driverinitaly.com for an independent tour to Capri. They are a little on the expensive side but were willing to tailor the tour and adjust the specifics to provide a more reasonable price. They provide drivers/cars and licensed tour guides all over Italy. We were happy with the service and this is only time we used them.

AlanS

We used DriverinItaly as well, three times in 2016 during Classic Italy, Small Groups. First, a (*licensed) guide escorted us to and around Capri for a day, second, we toured (**custom tour) Herculaneum, the National Archeological Museum of Naples, and Flavian colosseum of Pozzuoli with a driver/car and another licensed guide. Later they provided a driver for a side trip to Pisa during one of our free afternoons in Florence.

* Obtaining a Tour Guide License in Italy is not an easy thing to do. Don't accept a guide that doesn't have one.

** DII has standard tours (see their website) or will work with you to build a custom tour for whatever you want to see and do. Ask for Roberto M. (the boss). They are based in Rome, and as of last year, can provide guides, tours, etc. for the entire Mediterranean, not just Italy. They get excellent reviews on TripAdvisor. Cost, I can't make any judgement because I didn't do a lot of comparison shopping since these guys came highly recommended by ndvb an experienced Tauck traveler who occasionally participates on this forum (I believe he is headed to AUS/NZ next month.) I think you get what you pay for- we certainly feel like we did. You can contact DII via email or via a toll-free US number (remember there is a 6 hour time difference). I started contacting them several months out.

Guides and drivers were outstanding, excellent English, cars Mercedes. Capri was walking tour (+ 2 taxi rides). We arranged to have our guide who met us at the hotel, get the tickets for the high speed ferry to/from Sorrento, 'round island boat trip, and entry to the Blue Grotto- we didn't stand in line- he just went around back of the ticket office and came out with tickets- we literally stepped off the ferry and on to the 'round island tour boat- no wasted time. Our guide for Herculaneum, Dario, had studied archeology (was an archeologist?) and really knew his stuff- didn't just point things out, gave us the background and history, etc. of what we would/were seeing. For lunch he took us to "the best" ("one of the best"?) pizza places in Naples for authentic ("certified") Neopolitan pizza. It just happened to be close to the National Archeological Museum and just inside one of the remaining ancient gates and sections of wall to the original Greek city of Neopolis.

terrisarchione

Thank you so much for your recommendations. I will certainly look closely at this company.

KL in Hudson

Here's another private driver/guide recommendation: Carlo Arcucci of Wisely Travelling. We hired him for a Herculaneum tour from Sorrento, and he cared for hiring the licensed guide (whom we paid separately). Both he and the guide were great, the car was nice, and Carlo was a really good driver. He responds very quickly to emails. Although he is based in Sorrento, he does pick up in Rome. He has some pre-set tours on his site, but will work with you to put together a custom trip. Have a great time!

MaryHoover

We were in Rome in 2012 and pre-booked a Viator tour to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast day trip. It was fabulous and we would highly recommend.

terrisarchione

Thank you so much for your recommendation. I will check this out.