Rome Forum: Ostia or Pompeii

Hi,

I also agree with only 3 days - just stay and discover Rome. Ostia Antica is approx 45mins away from Rome so its doable if you want to see it whilst Pompeii is a long haul train ride which takes approx 4hrs.

EM.

Pompeii is the real thing, Ostia Antica is nice. With the time you have stick with whats close by, save Pompeii for when you do the south. Have fun.

Pompeii is an interesting and large ruined Roman town, but I don't really understand why so many people feel that they *must* see it. Ostia Antica is also an interesting ruined Roman town, not quite as large as Pompeii, but well preserved in parts.

With only 3 days in Rome, I would not want to waste 5 hours sitting in trains to get to and from Pompeii, when Ostia is less than 30 minutes away.

Pompeii was a rich town; Ostia was a working-class harbor town. Most of the buildings in Pompeii were villas; most of the buildings in Ostia were tenements.

Pompeii buldings had richly colored frescoes and mosaics (most of them are now in the National Archeological Museum in Naples; there are some copies in situ, and the Villa dei Misteri frescoes are original); Ostia had black-and-white floor mosaics (they are still in situ).

Pompeii was destroyed, as everyone knows, by a volcanic eruption; Ostia gradually became silted over.

It takes 2.5 hours, more or less, to get to Pompeii and 45 minutes to get to Ostia Antica. Pompeii needs a full day; Ostia Antica can be visited in half a day.

I liked them equally well. You should read up before you decide. Ostia is much closer and more convenient since time is limited. I would probably choose it for that reason. If I were to go to Pompeii again , I would want to take the time to see Sorrento and Capri too since they are close. Also Naples. My advice would be Ostia, but if you really have your heart set on Pompeii, it is doable, but you will have to sacrifice something else.There are so many cool things in Rome that you can't do them all. you have to make choices.

We were just in Rome for 3 days. We took a full day bus tour to Pompeii and the Amalfi coast and we're very glad we did. We were tired from the walking tour of Rome and the bus felt great. (We did the Vatican the next day.)

Amalfi and Positano were great; incredible views, exactly like the movies. That's an area we're sure to re-visit.

Pompeii tour was 3 hours, so we saw a lot, but not all of it, which applies to Rome also. We figure you can't see everything in your first trip. We did not see Ostia Antica, so we can't compare. For us, Pompeii was a must-see.

We were picked up early, stopped for breakfast, lunched in Positano, back at the hotel for dinner. We also enjoyed seeing the countryside along the way and the drive through the small towns and along the mountains on 'narrow' roads.

Either way, you're in Italy!! :) --Jerry

PS When we left Rome we drove to Florence for 4 days, but that's another story...

We did Pompeii and Ostia and really enjoyed both. We also had only 3 days

in Rome. I am glad we did Pompeii and would like to go back again someday.

We took the train out to Ostia and it was an enjoyable peacful day. My husband loves history so both these places appealed to him

I think Pompeii is a must see only because of how it was preserved all these years. We had a car so we drove down for the day. We also did a short stop to Herculaum? on our way back but we were both tired so did not stay long as we had to get back to our B&B before dark.

As one post mentioned to read up on both it may help you decide.

Read up on Rome and the sites there too. If you spend a day at Pompeii or decide to see both, you will have to sacrifice something. You need to decide what you want to see. Decisions! Decisions!

Nobody can dcdie for you. I thnki Pompeii deserves more than a day trip. I have been to Pompeii and ostia both for more than one day.

Ostia is a great place to vist but doesn't havethe glitz of Pompeii.

Ostia picutres

map of one day of site at Ostia

www.slowphotos.com/photo/showphoto.php…

Baths of Neptune

www.slowphotos.com/photo/showphoto.php…

Thermopolium Diana

www.slowphotos.com/photo/showphoto.php…

www.slowphotos.com/photo/showphoto.php…

forum

www.slowphotos.com/photo/showphoto.php…

House of Cupid and Psyche

www.slowphotos.com/photo/showphoto.php…

Baths of the seven wise men

www.slowphotos.com/photo/showphoto.php…

Mitraeum Sette Porte

www.slowphotos.com/photo/showphoto.php…

and lots more to see