You don't need me to tell you that this is one of the great archaeological sites in the world. Several tips: buy your tickets online ahead of time. Exiting the train station, do not listen to the hawkers trying to sell you guides to the ruins. Walk to the right. At the entrance walk up to the security scanners and pass through and then have them check your ticket at the entrance. Pick up the free map of the site--it's excellent. It's your choice as to whether to get the audio guide or not. There are plenty of wall texts in English to explain things. One word of caution: be extra careful walking!! We saw a man lying on the ground with his ankle so broken that the bone pierced the skin. It is easy to see how this can happen. Look down! Watch where you step.

This site is vast and if you like Roman history it is fascinating. Wear comfortable shoes as you will do a lot of walking on hard stone. To be in a Roman forum is amazing. Seeing the houses of rich and poor very interesting. I loved the feeling of walking on Roman streets. We were very unlucky with our apparently English speaking guide. He spoke very quietly with a strong accent and used Italian words instead of English so was very hard to understand. He couldn’t or wouldn’t answer our questions- maybe he didn’t understand us! He wasn’t able to tell us very much about Pompeii but spent a lot of time repeating himself about the water system having a particular penchant for pointing out lead pipes. His name was Salvatore -avoid! All of the moveables found at Pompeii are in the Naples museum and lots of wall paintings and mosaic floors have been removed which I think is a tragedy. Still an absolute marvel.

This place was huge and with old paving stones you need to wear good shoes. No shade so sun gear is good-I wore sunglasses, hat and umbrella and took a water bottle. Only 1 place to buy food here so we took a picnic in with us. If you are really interested in Pompeii I would book and early morning tour before it gets hot and crowded. We downloaded a tour on our phones. Beware the train stations that tell you they are selling tickets when it is really a tour instead. I was warned so didn't fall for this, but many did. We went on the train from Sorrento and it was a short walk to get in. There are bathrooms at the entrance and the restaurant.. If you do a tour I recommend a small group. It gets really crowded here so go early!

Very cool to see but we spent ages looking for the preserved bodies. When you get to the end they are in a museum. We went and it was pretty hot and can get busy. You could literally walk all day in here it’s so big and like a maze.

Try to eat and use the restroom before you arrive. There are few food choices and even fewer restrooms. I returned after 5 years and many improvements had been made. The museum at the end of the route was especially nice. Be prepared for uneven surfaces and consider sun protection and a water bottle. There were many places to refill one.

Wow! This was fascinating. It is a huge area, so it is best to have a few priorities in mind. I would also recommend going early in the day. The most popular areas get crowded and you have to wait in line to get in. The bordello was too crowded and the wait time too long for us, but loved the sights we got to see. We had a private guide for the two of us and that was great, too. Caution: extremely difficult to get around if disabled or unable to balance and walk on uneven surfaces.

Pompei wasn't what I envisioned in my head. The site is huge!! We arrived around 10am and parked in Parking Zeus very easily. We grabbed drinks from one of the shops near the entrance and so glad we did as there was nowhere inside to get food or drinks. The map is very difficult to read - it has road names but this corresponds to no signs around the ruins. Take some time to look at the map and decode your route! I did find the large groups frustrating as often they completely blocked the walkway so you couldn't get past. We spent about 4 hours there and it was hard going on the feet with the uneven floors and hot sun!

This place is simply amazing and definitely worth a visit. It is so well preserved, you feel transported back in time. The site is also huge so you can spend quite a lot of time there. I opted to go with a tour group, however, they typically let you spend only about 2 hours inside. If you are more interested in historical sites, I would recommend you go alone. My favorite parts where the amphitheater, the brothel, and some of the houses belonging to the elites of the time. You can grab a map and an audio guide or even go on a guided tour at the site. It can get pretty crowded, naturally but it's still well worth the visit.

Most of Pompeii burned up during the eruption, so with the exception of a few intact arenas and buildings, most of what remains are remnants of small shops in what was once a thriving market town. This means there is virtually no shade, and there is no water for sale inside the park. We hired a private guide, so at least we had some control over how long to stay, and it was easy to hear his commentary and ask questions, and dodge the crowded areas. I think being in a large group would have been miserable.

The site is huge, it’s very crowded and very hot. We went on an organised tour and spent around 2 hours there. That was enough for me to see the main bits and get an idea of how people used to live before it was destroyed by ashes and fire from Mount Vesuvius.