Before you answer - there are some factors to consider.
This is for 1 week from today, Saturday April 28.
We check out of our apartment in Rome in the morning. Whatever we decide we have to store our luggage.
We need to be on a ferry in Naples for a 9pm departure. (But need time to check in, etc.)
We are a family with 2 young kids - ages 4 and 6.
We had toyed with heading south to Naples early, stowing our backs at the station and taking the train to Pompeii or Herculeum, before grabbing dinner and boarding the ferry.
Now we're toying with the idea of stowing our bags at Termini, and going to Ostia instead, then catching an afternoon train to Naples.
Alternatively, we can continue to explore Rome. Keep in mind we're skipping the museums because of the kids - but Parco Borghese could be fun.
Both give the boys a place they can be outside, able to explore/burn energy without mom and dad's death grip on their hands for fear they'll be run over by a car or scooter. (I'm worried about them in Rome with the cars.)
I know we can decide the day of... but I'm wondering what the general consensus is. Pompeii, Ostia Antica, or Borghese?
Thanks!
Posts: 334 | Location: San Diego | Registered: 26 November 2006
From a logistics point of view if you have to be on a ferry at 9 pm in naples, I would take you children to Herculaneum http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/campania/herculaneum.htm If you were staying in Rome, I would tell you visit ostia. But if you visit ostia, you would have to backtrack to termini to catch your train to naples. If you go to Herculaneum, you can store your luggage at the Naples Central train station (left luggage), and travel on the circumvesuviana to Herculaneum. The Circumvesuvian train station is in the basement of the Naples central train station. Herculaneum is closer to Naples than Pompeii (9 stops versus 20), and it is smaller so that if you limited time, I believe that it is a better choice. You get off at Erculano Scavi (the stop immediately before it is V. Liberta). What you will see will be different than what you see in Pompeii, but it is in no way inferior: http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/showgallery.php?cat=3885 There is no food inside Herculaneum, so buy snacks at a bakery like we did before you go inside. Bring water also. There is a vending machine for water, but I don't know if if works. You can return to Central station in Naples , and take a taxi down to the port.
Posts: 3853 | Location: St Paul, MN | Registered: 10 February 2006
I would definitely opt for the Parco Borghese. On Sundays, it is full of families with young kids and yours would have a blast. My daughter used to love going to big parks like that when we took hr travelling as a child.
If you go to either of the other sites, you will be under awful time pressure.
Hi KatieR, the Borghese Gardens. This is a lovely place where children can play, and adults can experience art and natural beauty whilst strolling amongst the pines of Rome. Ah...such a perfect combination which satisfies both adults and children. Naturally, you can visit Pompeii or Ercolano or Ostia. But with children, I would look at this from their point of view. these destinations, although facinating and world class, can be a trial to visit. The heat of the sun with no shade can be daunting to even the the best of us, certainly to younger children who are not able to appreciate the amazing quality of walking in an ancient city. Either way, take a day to play and discover the Boghese gardens, like families all over Rome. Enjoy! Philip
Posts: 701 | Location: san francisco | Registered: 11 June 2004
Just an added tip for those going to Pompeii. We went on May 1st last year and the entrance fee was only 1€ per adult. Special for May Day and perhaps the norm.
Elly
Posts: 1078 | Location: Western Australia | Registered: 27 March 2005
I would go to the Borghese. There is a zoo which is quite fun. Many exhibit's are for children your kid's age and there is a play area. You do not need to pay to get into the gardens, however, there is a fee to go to the zoo. Here is a photo of the entrance.
My family had the same question about Rome/Pompeii/Ferry. Since we will be traveling in late June and could be quite hot, we ultimately decided to hire private transportation from Rome with a guided tour to Pompeii, a short visit to Sorrento and then transport to the ferry station. There is also a stop for a meal. We are planning on a 9pm departure from Naples as well.
Posts: 189 | Location: western maine mountains | Registered: 26 February 2005
Count my vote for Herculenum. You walk through all the buildings, on top of the mosaics. THere are unofficial guides than can make it come alive for your kids. You are much closer to the "action" than Pompeii. Not sure which works better for your schedule, but your kids will be able to touch and see up close so much more. OUr four children loved it! The youngest was 7.
Originally posted by aoelian goddess: My family had the same question about Rome/Pompeii/Ferry. Since we will be traveling in late June and could be quite hot, we ultimately decided to hire private transportation from Rome with a guided tour to Pompeii, a short visit to Sorrento and then transport to the ferry station. There is also a stop for a meal. We are planning on a 9pm departure from Naples as well.
I followed the thread you posted about this. But the price tag put me in sticker shock. (800 Euros if I remember correctly) It sounds wonderful, though. < dang - I knew I should have bought that lotto ticket! >
Posts: 334 | Location: San Diego | Registered: 26 November 2006
In May with 2 small children and limited time, I think that Herculaneum is a better choice. Pompeii doesn't have much shade and most of the building are missing theri roofs: http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=29681&cat=3963 What shade this picture does show is from the angle of the winter sun, which creates the long shadows. In the summer these shadows would disappear. All the original roofs in Pompeii collapsed due to the weight of the pumice. Some of the Houses like the House of Menander and the Villa of the Mysteries had their roofs reconstructed. Even in the House of the Faun, the roof is gone and you stand in the sun. Not so bad in the winter. In Herculanuem it is a smaller area and the houses were engulfed in the pyroclastic flow and filled up like eclairs, roof and all. All of the houses on this map have a roofed area http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=26565&cat=3885 except the Sacred Area (15), the terrace of Nonius Balbus (16), and the Paleastra (12). The Palaestra had a roof but due to tunneling by Bourbon era Camapanians, the roof collapsed before it could be properly excavated. The roofed areas mean that you can stand outside of the fierce Italian sun. I am particularly sensitive to the sun even when I wear sunscreen. it is better to keep children not used to it out of the sun as much as you can.
Posts: 3853 | Location: St Paul, MN | Registered: 10 February 2006
I just returned form a trip to both Rome and Pompeii with a 6 year old boy...so I need to throw my $.02 in here :-)
I would skip the park...just me...my son get to go to parks and playgrounds and zoos all the time and when I go to Rome, I want to see Rome :-)
He, of course, LOVED the colosseum (but not the long line) and we have done the museums too...get a "Roma Pass" which gets you into two major sights and alows you unlimited trips on the busses/subways. We dragged him around all day on foot on the first day...and then realized how much more pleasant it was when we just hopped on and off busses and his legs weren't tired...I am also a big fan of museums with kids though and have been taking to museums throughout Italy since he was three...he usually wants to stay long after I'm bored (!)
but...I MUST say...the highlight of our trip for him WAS POMPEII. BIG time. he has talked of nothing else. it is the big, famous one...the one he's heard of...the one they will study in school...the one he's seen ono the history channel... etc., etc. He has an "easy reader" we bought him called, "Pompeii, Buried Alive" and it is his FAVORITE book...he brought it into kindergarten for shown and tell. (he has another one on Pomeii as well, but this is his favorite and written like a story) He was SO excited to be there...he took pictures...he made a video...he will tell you all about the "house of the faun", etc. and looked for specifi artifacts while there...he was thrilled to see Mt. Vesuvious in the distance...I could go on and on. I think this would be my #1 choice of what to do with a 6 year old boy in Italy (!)
he was thrilled to see Mt. Vesuvious in the distance
That's another thing you notice in Herculaneum: Vesuvius. You can see both cones with the Valley of the Giants between them. In Pompeii Vesuvius is in the distance, but in Herculaneum it takes up 1/3 of the horizon because you are a lot closer to it: http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=26508&cat=3885 The noise that Pliny the younger descibed when Vesuvius blew out the lava plug, must have been deafening at this distance. No plaster mummies/casts in Herculaneum though for the kids to peer at. hardly any pumice layer in Herculaneum. By the time the people in Pompeii who they made the plaster cast of their bodies had died, everyone in Herculaneum had been dead for at lead 8 hours when the first pyroclastic flow roared down the flanks of Vesuvius. You can get the book Secrets of Vesuvius by Sara C. Bisel used from Amazon.com for your kids about Herculaneum. Age range is 6-9, but I enjoyed it a lot, especially some of the illustrations. It is out of print now, and the author died.
Posts: 3853 | Location: St Paul, MN | Registered: 10 February 2006
Originally posted by Musetta: I would skip the park...just me...my son get to go to parks and playgrounds and zoos all the time and when I go to Rome, I want to see Rome :-)
This is actually a very good point. They go to parks/playgrounds a LOT at home... I can tell you the best parks in San Diego, because we rotate them.
As far as the hot sun... They're used to it. They have no problem spending the entire day at the beach in La Jolla or playing in Balboa Park (with Sunscreen, obviously). I'm not worried about the heat - they can take it much better than I can.
So... from a practical point of view - some questions:
How long does it take to get to Pompeii from Naples Centrale? How often do the trains run on a Saturday?
How long does it take to get to Ostia Antica from Termini?
Where exactly is the fairgrounds area of Villa Borghese - with the ride on cars, etc? (Villa Borghese is big!)
Grazie!
Posts: 334 | Location: San Diego | Registered: 26 November 2006
How long does it take to get to Pompeii from Naples Centrale? How often do the trains run on a Saturday?
How long does it take to get to Ostia Antica from Termini?
It takes about 40 minutes to get from Naples Centrale to Pompeii on the Circumvesuviana. I am attaching the Circumvesuviana schedule as of October 2006.
I takes about 15 minutes to get from termini to Pyramid on the Metro. At Pyramid you get off and take the Lido train to Ostia. It takes about 30 minutes on the Lido train to get to the Ostia Antica stop, It is the not the last stop; the last stop is the beach. Ostia Antica is the second or third from the last stop.
Posts: 3853 | Location: St Paul, MN | Registered: 10 February 2006
Katie R. I'm still in sticker shock, and did buy a lottery ticket, am still hoping.... but after we 6 adults put together the day from Rome to Pompeii, including getting from hotel in Rome to Termini (Taxi?), training to Naples Centrale, stowing bags (3.90 euro per bag), getting the Circumvesuviana (which takes roughly 1/2 hr. to get to Pompeii), visiting the ruins in what could be pretty hot weather and I've read that gelato is scarce in Pompeii, Circumvesuviana back to Naples Centrale, (Taxi?) to supper, (Taxi?) to ferry. We started thinking that there was a "priceless" factor in being driven around and not thinking too hard about figuring out how to get to each of the places throughout the day. The side trip to Sorrento for a limoncello before getting to the ferry was what put us over the edge into deciding to do it. And although others may feel differently, based on my one experience of being there, the Naples Centrale train station and environs is not a particularly pleasant location.
Posts: 189 | Location: western maine mountains | Registered: 26 February 2005
And although others may feel differently, based on my one experience of being there, the Naples Centrale train station and environs is not a particularly pleasant location.
Naples Centrale is not a pleasant place, but if you don't go outside the station itself, you will probably be OK. You should carry your money and credit cards in a money belt under your clothes in all these train stations. The biggest problem with Naples Centrale is getting your luggage down the stairs to the Circumvesuviana station. With only two adults and 2 children, one adult could stay with the luggage at the top of the stairs and they other one could ferry the luggage down. Someone could take the luggage on the bottom, but there is no quick exit to run off with the luggage at the bottom of the stairs unless you board a train and even that is not all that quick and maybe you could chase the person down. KatieR, you are not alone. I was also shocked at the price of Aelian goddess's trip. I travel with my college age daughter and foot the bill for the whole trip. There is no way I could contemplate this.
Maybe if you have 6 adults doing the trip with 6 paychecks to cover it, it is not as shocking to think about it that way (133 euros per paycheck). It you cut out the Sorrento leg of the journey per person in euros it you be 22 + 8(store 2 bages each) + 4 + 4 = 38 euros. I Presume that the cost did not inclued admission to Pompeii. So that is 95 euros cheaper apiece to take public tranpsort. With only 2 paychecks in your family, it works out to 400 euros piece. I presumed that the cost is based per trip and not per person. At 400 euros per paycheck earner and 4 people of expense that the cost per earner is 2X38= 76 euros. 400-76= 324 euros per earner. I didn't include the cost of the taxi to Termini. I forgot when I was doing this because when my daughter and I did this we walked from our hotel which was near Termini. The number of Taxis is variable depending on whether a shuttle van is used or how many taxis are required. Hiring a car to take you from Rome to Pompeii, Sorrento and back to Naples only approaches affordibility if you have a large group of adults each who can afford to pay their share.
Posts: 3853 | Location: St Paul, MN | Registered: 10 February 2006
If you are staying in an apartment in Rome, couldn't you go to the park on a different day? It doesn't have to be an all day activitiy. We took our boys there when they were 2 and 4 and rented a 4 wheeled bike thingy... they really enjoyed that. We tooled around the park with it.
I think your 6 year old might really enjoy Pompeii or Herculaneum... I would probably pick Pompeii only because you could get age-appropriate books for him (or her) about Pompeii, but it might be more difficult to find children's books on Herculaneum. And it sounds like it was really exciting for Musetta's son. I know my older son would probably love it now that he is 6, but only if I read to him beforehand.
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