ShareThisGetting there:
Pompeii is within easy driving distance of Naples, off Motorway A3 Napoli-Salerno/Salerno-Napoli. But be prepared: It's more expensive to park outside the gate than it is to tour the grounds inside it. Fortunately, you can also get to the site by train (Pompeii has its own stop on the Circumvesuviana line to Sorrento) or by bus from Naples or Sorrento.
Hours/admission:
The gates to Pompeii open at 8:30 a.m. year-round and close at 6:30 p.m. April through October and at 5 p.m. November through March. Admission costs 11 euros (about $15.30) or 20 euros (about $28) for a three-day pass to five neighboring archaeological sites (Herculaneum, Pompeii, Oplontis, Stabiae and Boscoreale). It is closed New Year's and Christmas Day and May 1.
For the best experience:
It can be tough to wrap your head around an archaeological site as vast as Pompeii. So be sure to read up on the ruins before you visit and allow yourself plenty of time (at least four to five hours) to wander its many streets. It's also worth splurging on the audio guide (6.50 euros for one or 10 euros for two), which gives you a historical overview of the city plus detailed information on nearly 70 individual sites. A keepsake booklet is included in the price.
For more information, visit www.pompeiisites.org.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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