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Hi

Does anyone know of a good campsite in or near Naples within driving distance of Pompeii.  Preferably with swimming pool and be child friendly ?

Never been to Italy before and so am not sure of availability of camping in that area.

Many Thanks, Pauline.

There are campsites in and around Pompei, I wouldn't advise camping in Naples for your first visit.

Phil.

My advise would be to go a bit further afield. We camped at Sorrento which is wonderful and only a short drive to Pompei. I wouldn't want to stay in Naples itself.There are a lot of sites to choose from along thae Almalfi coast.

Pauline

We have been down to Sorrento but not with the van but with nice Mr Shearing!!! Regardless of mode of travel you tend to keep an eye out for campsites. As Phil has said there are several campsites oposite the entrance to Pompei. One thing that concerned me was that there seem to be a lot of stray dogs around. Sorrento is lovely and you can take the train into Naples if you want to. The road from Naples to Sorrento is amazing, as is the road from Sorrento to along the Amalfi Coast - but scary in a 53 seat coach!!!! Bit like the Italian Job!!!

David 

Hi everyone

Thanks for your replies.....  I shall look into all suggestions and hopefully get planning for September !!

Many Thanks, Pauline.

Hi Pauline     We were in Pompei  early last September, stayed at one of the sites just across the road,agree with comments re stray dogs. Most of those sites are small,no pools and facilities rather tired but adequate. Excellent for visiting the ruins,only a couple of hundred metres to the entrance so can leave transport safely on site.  Not too far to Vesuvius either,be sure and go up there. First time we went there was a cable car but it has collapsed due to further lava flows so now there is a fair bit to walk(not really too far!).

I certainly would not take a car into NAPLES. We got a bit lost one day and ended up there...they must be the most insane drivers in Europe!!!

Sorrento/Amalfi coast is beautiful......just don't expect to be able to stop near any of the towns/villages.....even in September the cars were parked on the main road as much as a couple of kms outside the popular places.   Plenty of lay-bys at the best viewpoints.

Loads of campsites in the area .....but best to check  that the pool will still be open.  Italian holidays finish end of August and many sites have a fixed date for closing the pool...regardless of the weather.  We were on a site near Rome in the first half of September...chose it specially as daughter loves to swim....and they closed the pool the day we arrived!!  Water was still there but gate firmly locked,  and last year was apparently the longest,hottest summer on record in Italy....it was certainly still sweltering.

Check EHU amp ratings before choosing a site....many have only 5 or even 3 amps, we even found one claiming only 2amps. I would certainly not go below 5 amps.

Keep a close eye on your wallets etc in crowded places.  2 young women with a baby tried to take stuff from our bags in Rome  but we had all the valuables right at the bottom below maps,water bottles etc.....so all they found was our emergency supply of toilet paper...bet they were disappointed!!!

Have a great time                     Jennifer

Hi Jennifer, Are you sure that there were cable cars on Vesuvius which have been knocked down by lava flow?. I didn't know Vesuvius had been erupting lately.

Are you getting mixed up with Etna?

Phil.

          Quite sure Phil, but I didn't mean big lava flows or eruptions.

We were last there in 1982 and since then the crater and cone have changed a lot . There is constant  minor activity inside the crater and a lot of the edge had fallen in.   There was a small flow which I think happened in the mid 80s (don't quote me), and one of the guides said the foundations of the cablecar station had been damaged.  Certainly it is very close to the crater now.