Our Kid-Friendly Trip To Pompei

Our Kid-Friendly Trip To Pompei

Pompei, now a fascinating archeological site, was once a thriving and sophisticated Roman city before being buried under meters of ash and pumice after the catastrophic explosion of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Not until 1599 was the city initially rediscovered and then more broadly rediscovered nearly 150 years later in 1748 by a Spanish engineer, Roque Joaquín de Alcubierre.  With painstaking efforts of excavation, engineers filled voids in the ash with liquid plaster, revealing the often gruesome and heartbreaking last moments of the city’s inhabitants.  But because of the nature of their untimely end, we are given insight into their lives and daily experiences beyond what we could have imagined.

Before we left for Italy, I researched family-friendly tours of Pompei.  Although I knew Espen had been obsessed at one time with Mount Vesuvius, I also knew much of the subject matter regarding this fanciful place would be inappropriate for him.  The remains of the seemingly 6 year old boy being spooned by his mommy?  The brothels?  Yeah, I’m okay with not discussing that with him at this point. I’m no prude, but my boy is incredibly sensitive for such a rough and tumble little dude.  

How to get to Pompei:

We first boarded the high speed train in Roma Termini to Naples.  The plan was for us to go downstairs once we arrived at the station in Naples and then take the Circumvesuviana to Pompei.  Once arriving in Naples at Napoli Centrale, you go downstairs to Napoli Garibaldi and board the train to Pompei Scavi Villa Misteri.  Like many well-thought out plans, that was the PLAN but it didn’t quite work out that way!  Once we got to Naples, we had about twenty minutes to get to the next train.  The station was a MAZE!!  Had I known it would be so complicated, I would have studied the station more before heading there.  We ran up and down the escalators four or five times, not able to find the right train.  I had sweat dripping down my back, and I was about to lose my mind!!  Needless to say, we missed the train.  But once we FINALLY found the right place, the employees there were SO accommodating and kind.  One of them walked me back to the ticket station to find an alternative means of arriving at Pompei.  The comfortable, air conditioned train wouldn’t be back for a few hours, so we had to get creative and take the local train.  It was standing room only, no air conditioning, and pretty tight.  The employees told us several times to watch our belongings and be careful, but we were met with the kindest fellow passengers who attempted to make Espen’s ride as comfortable as possible, and I felt completely safe.

I selected Tours of Pompei for our family-friendly tour in Pompei.  They were extremely communicative and helpful with instructions on how to get to Pompei, what to do with our luggage while there, and how to ultimately get to our next destination of Positano.  The owner had already provided me with the cell phone number of our guide, Lori, so I was able to call her and let her know we would be on a different train than she was expecting.  She assured me we’d make the most of our visit once we arrived!

Our adventurous and unexpected train ride brought us to Pompei mid morning as the sun began rising the temps.  Right next to the ticket counter you will find the luggage storage center. Simply take the ticket for each item you have and they’ll keep it nice and safe for you.  We grabbed a few waters and were on our way!

Loretta, or Lori, was an excellent tour guide!  She helped recover some of the time we lost with our transportation mishap, and she used an iPad to show Espen what buildings and artifacts looked like before the volcanic eruption while comparing them to the present day condition.  She really engaged him in all of his senses, playing games, letting him touch things, and asking him questions to get his brain juices flowing. He loved it!

The snapshot of a moment in time of first century Roman life is absolutely fascinating to see firsthand.  As you walk down the streets of Pompei, you hear echos of a bustling community of storeowners selling food and products, visitors from Rome checking into the community hotel, women heading to the baths just like friends head to the spa today.  The intimate introduction to the last living moments of these people is shockingly raw.  Coins recovered from the purse of the remains of a woman indicating exactly what year it was, fresh fruit and vegetables conveying the season, and wine, freshly sealed indicating it was most likely October when the volcano changed their lives forever.

The Serving Components of an ancient Roman Restaurant

What surprised me the most was the vastness of the city.  It was huge!! I didn’t expect to see original paint colors and feel so in synch with the people who had lived there.  They really were just like us, living life as we do day to day, providing for their families, spending time laughing and nurturing relationships, and expecting to see another day.  Although the incident is a tragic one of much sadness, I’m grateful for their sacrifice as it froze their community in time, preserving it to enrich the knowledge of future generations to come.

Mount Vesuvius!

Because of the lack of moisture and air, the city of Pompei was kept in miraculous condition, even preserving original paint colors.  Let me tell you the feelings you experience when you see ancient artwork in a person’s home from 79 A.D. still in such vivid color.  It’s just fascinating!

As an excited tourist scuffles about the streets of this beautiful city frozen in time, it might be easy to forget these were human beings living here who lost their lives.  And they were just like us.  They shopped, they ate, they had pets.  This beautiful mosaic of what I imagine was a beloved pet of the homeowner really resonated with me and reinforced just how much we all have in common.

I feel privileged and grateful to have experienced Pompei.  What an experience to have with my husband and give to my son.

Don’t skip Pompei if given a chance! And report back when you visit! I’d love to hear how you experienced it.

XOXO

Elisha

12 thoughts on “Our Kid-Friendly Trip To Pompei

  1. Thank you so much! We love to travel with him, so we try to make it fun for all of us!

  2. We just loved our time there! It seemed like such a shame to pass it up when we were already so close, so I was really glad to make it work for the family!

  3. You’re so welcome! I hope you get to make it there some day. Your family will love it! There really is not a much more family-friendly country than Italy!

  4. This would be such an interesting place to visit. My husband has always wanted to go here! Though we’ll be near this area in May, unfortunately, there’s no time to make it on the schedule.

  5. I love seeing people’s travels with kids! We have taken our kids all over the world with us, and they have loved it. It is not always easy but so doable and usually worth it. Your trip looks amazing! And as for your train mishap – I lived in Italy and this happened all the time. The people there were always so helpful!

  6. We went to Pompei years ago (without kiddos) and LOVED everything. This should be an experience on everyone’s bucket list.

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