# In Bolsena - heading towards Pompeii. Advice required please



## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

Buona mattina dall'Italia!

Hi folks, We have this morning awoken to glorious sunshine albeit a tad nippy first thing - but the day ahead is promised to be another warm and pleasant one! 

We are at present in a beautiful town called Bosena and are pitched up on the area attrezzata and there are only 2 other motorhomes here so it is very quiet and peaceful. This arrea attrezzata is right on the banks of the most beautiful lake and from our motorhome we have a lovely clear view through the olive trees of the lake - so thank you so much Eddied for telling us about this fabulous location as we have arrived in paradise me thinks! 

This lake was formed out of the crater of an extinct volcano and it is absolutely stunning. Last night we stood in awe as we watched the sun setting over the lake and it was truly breathtaking! However, tonight we will be ready with our video and camera to capture it all on film as it really was an enchanting scene especially when the whole lake appeared to turn a glorious shade of red! 

There are a lot of wild cats on this site - in fact 2 have only one eye! And our little dog Angel cannot understand why they are NOT pleased to see her - she goes towards them and they start hissing and arching their backs in anger, which she finds hard to comprehend! To her this is all very odd as back home in the UK our next door neighbour's cat and she are great pals and often have a little play together! As you can imagine she is quite puzzled by their street fighting attitude! We are keeping a close eye on things though and god help these cats if they look as if they are going to attack my 'baby' cos they will have me to deal with lol! Seriously, though they are keeping their distance, so we are not unduly concerned!

Tomorrow we are heading towards Pompeii and have found a few campsites near to the entrance of the ruins that will suit us perfectly but just wondered if anyone can tell me what the accessibility around the ruins of both Pompeii and Herculaneum are like? I have mobility problems and cannot access steep steps easily. I do have a mobility scooter with me but doubt if I could use that to get around the ruins but if anyone knows differently I would appreciate their advice or suggestions. Have tried to find out on the net about wheelchair access etc but cannot really find much out, so any help would be most welcome. Also, (sorry to ask so many questions) would you suggest we visit both ruins or just one and if one, which one? 

I will check for replies later and once again thanks in advance to anyone with any suggestions.

Arrivederci per ora

Sue


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Hi, Sue

Google is your friend :wink:

I found :: this page :: which describes access to Pompeii for wheelchair users - some of the information may apply for you. Look towards the bottom of the page. It sounds like the only problem a limited mobility, foot bound visitor may have is a steep 50 yard climb which they found difficult in a wheelchair.

Homepage of the website:

http://www.globalaccessnews.com/

Gerald


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## zaskar (Jun 6, 2005)

*Re: In Bolsena - heading towards Pompeii. Advice required pl*



Sonesta said:


> Buona mattina dall'Italia!
> 
> Tomorrow we are heading towards Pompeii and have found a few campsites near to the entrance of the ruins that will suit us perfectly but just wondered if anyone can tell me what the accessibility around the ruins of both Pompeii and Herculaneum are like? I have mobility problems and cannot access steep steps easily. I do have a mobility scooter with me but doubt if I could use that to get around the ruins but if anyone knows differently I would appreciate their advice or suggestions. Have tried to find out on the net about wheelchair access etc but cannot really find much out, so any help would be most welcome. Also, (sorry to ask so many questions) would you suggest we visit both ruins or just one and if one, which one?
> I will check for replies later and once again thanks in advance to anyone with any suggestions.
> ...


Good Mornings Sue
Glad you haveing a lovely time. I _do_ so love hearing about people on holiday in the sun when i'm stuck in rainy Manchester!!!!!!! :?

Seriously  
Keep your wits about you round Pompey. The roads are VERY busy and VERY fast. ffiona and I hired a Smart car to go earlier this year and I swore that NO WAY will I ever take my bus round there! Mind you, it is 34ft!  
Be warned that the signposting to pompey ruins is attrocious, it took us quite a while and a few "U" turns to find it which considering the place is so famous, surprised us!
The is a small campsite almost opposite the entrance which was allowing car parking on spare pitches when we were there but dont worry, the cars were all parked at the front of the site, well away from campers. There is a slope down into the fiarly tight site but nothing too worrying.

As far as Pompey itself goes, I think you might struggle a bit with a scooter in some areas. The main entrance is wide enough but there is a steep tarmacced slope up into the ruins. After that, it's all either rough track or cobbles. Obviously, over the years of people visiting, its pretty well smoothed out but it;s definately not tarmac quality surfacing. The main drags are OK but the side streets (of which there are HUNDREDS!) might be too difficult for you
You'll be the best judge of the capabilities of your scooter so I'll leave it to you.
Pompey ruins is ABSOLUTELY HUUUUUUUUUUUGE! 8O  
I just couldn't believe how far the ruins stretched or, surprisingly, just how far it seems to be from Mt Etna! I thought the place was just a little village. 
It's WELL worth seeing and from what I've heard, Hurculeum is even better but quieter and not as well known. I think I'd like to return just to see Hurculeum.

Tip. The souvenir / sandwhich shop is VERY expensive. Take butties and try and get down to one of the quite groves for a peacefull picnic. At this time of year, i'm sure you'll find somewwhere quiet. Also, note that on many of the main street corners, there are fountains and standpipes with perfectly safe potable water flowing. Take an empty lemonade bottle and keep topping up. It was about 90 degrees when we were there and we got through GALLONS!!!!
If you can make it all the way down the main drag, there is a WONDERFULL aphitheater at the bottom end.

Can't think of anymore at the mo. Have a wonderfull time, wish i was there now. 
Right, where me raincoat! :roll:


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*Pompei*

 Buon giorno a tutti,
Hi Zaskar, (nit picking mode) actually the Volcanoe is Mt.Vesuvio.
Hi Sonesta, Pompei is not the greatest for wheelchair visitors, but if you are OK with a stick, then take a full day quietly and you will be OK.
As you come down the A1 motorway from Rome, just before the Naples toll gates you will see a branch off to the right 'Caserta Sud' and 'A30 Salerno' do NOT take these but keep straight on towards 'Napoli' through the tolls gates, and straight on towards Napoli. After about 10 Kms.as you approach the city, you will see slip roads off to the right. First signposted 'A16 Napoli - Bari' IGNORE. Then in quck succession various other slip roads of to the right signposted for the city centre, tangenziale etc. IGNORE THEM ALL and try and keep in the LH lanes. Carry on now following carefully signs for 'A3 Napoli - Pompei - Salerno' and the maroon coloured signs 'Costiera Sorrentina' and 'Costiera Amalfitana'. Basically what you have to do is tend to bear left all the time where slip roads are going off to the right. You will then reach the toll barrier where you pay before entering the main carriageway. For a motorhome it's about Euro 2.40. Carry on along the A3 Napoli - Salerno for 20 Kms. - watch out for the many road works and kamikaze drivers. You will have Mt. Vesuvius on your left the whole time, and the Bay on your right. As Mt. Vesuvius tends to slip behind in your view, watch out for the exit slip road to 'POMPEI OVEST' and leave the motorway. As soon as you leave the slip road, turn sharp right, and then sharp left, and there on your right are various camp sites only about 100 m . from the excavations entrance. If you're 65 plus, take your passport with you - entrance is free for EU citizens over 65, as it is with many other State museums/archeological sites. As I said, allow yourself a full day to visit.
Ercolano is also beautiful and interesting, a good deal smaller than Pompei, but much better preserved since it was buried by a pyroclastic flow, and lay hidden for centuries under the town of Resina (now also called Ercolano). However it is not an easy place to find or park up a motorhome, and is very unsuitable for wheelchair users (in my personal opinion/experience)
Glad you liked Bolsena. Have a look at Montefiascone, just down the road from there, and/or Orvieto. Both places have excellent aree attrezzate.Drive carefully, Friday 9 November all sorts of public transport strikes expected, so roads wil be busy.
saluti,
eddied


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## zaskar (Jun 6, 2005)

*Re: Pompei*



eddied said:


> :
> Hi Zaskar, (nit picking mode) actually the Volcanoe is Mt.Vesuvio.eddied


Oooooops, of course it is! 8O How embarrasing!


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*Ooops*

 Hi Zaskar, don't worry. You should see my senior moments. Monday morning went to the tabacchi for my ****, and needed some sticking plasters too. The Italian for sticking plasters is 'cerotti' a word which is firmly fixed in my mental geography, so I said to my wife (in Italian of course) as I went out 'I'll get some 'cerotti' as well'. Got to the shop, and in front of several other people, and some Brit tourists  COULD NOT GET THE WORD OUT. Had to resort to miming a cut on finger and so on, much to everyones meriment. 'Ah! you mean 'cerotti' said Maria.
saluti,
eddied


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## zaskar (Jun 6, 2005)

*Re: Ooops*



eddied said:


> Hi Zaskar, don't worry. You should see my senior moments. eddied


Temendous!  
Funny innit? I go to France every year, and every time, before I go, I practise, practise, practise.......till I'm blue in the face.
But sooooo, many times, I've ended up miming!  
That's where the humour comes in and you ended up having a right good laff with someone who hasn't a flippin' clue what this Brit lunatic is going on about!


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

Thank you Gerald, Zaskar and Eddied, Your posts have been very helpful (as always) and I appreciate very much the time and trouble it has taken you all to reply to me. What lovely, kind & helpful people you all are!  

We are leaving our visit to Pompeii until tomorrow now as hubby doesnt fancy driving around Pompeii area during the transport strike that Eddie has warned us about and driving around that part of italy sounds bad enough ordinarily so driving 30 foot of motorhome about during a public transport strike fills us with dread LOL! Anyway, we are just going to have a gentle tour around the area where we are today and see where we end up!

I think I will take Eddies advice and just take things steady around the ruins of Pompeii and just rely on my stick, really don't fancy taking my scooter and then finding I am stuck and can't get to places easily etc. I can walk perfectly ok, I just have problems with steep steps or long steep inclines etc but we will just take our time and enjoy it a leisurely pace. We are not pensioners yet so we wont get in for free but thanks for that info Eddie and it is useful for anyone of pension age to know about as it could save them a small fortune in admission fees around Italy!

Thanks again everyone!

Sue


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## billym (Dec 17, 2005)

The camp sites around the ruins are not really suitable for RVs although they will do ANYTHING to get you on somewhere. We left our RV in Rome and went off in our tent. 

The sites are small and pokey and very noisy.

Advice on driving round there... ignore all the road signs, keep your eyes shut or just imagine you are playing on a playstation game.

We are not shy of trying things in our RV but having been there last year we would not take our 35 footer there.

Sorry if this is a bit negative but you did ask !!

The ruins are fantastic and not to be missed. If we were to go again we would find a campsite elsewhere and go by public transport or hire a car if we did not have one.


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

Buon giorno billym, dont want to get into an argument with anybody, but even if the sites in Pompei may be noisy or pokey or dirty, that is more than compensated for by they're being so handy for the excavations. As for size, well I organize 12m double decker coaches to Pompei.
Buon giorno Sonesta, may I suggest you tootle around Orvieto/Montefiascone/Viterbo/Tarquinia/Baschi/Bomarzio etc today and Saturday, and then drive down to Pompei on Sunday, when the heavy trucks are banned. saluti, eddied


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## billym (Dec 17, 2005)

Eddied

I know buses go there but they do not try to get on a pitch on a camp site, there is a very very big difference.


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

Hi just a quick update; we are tonight parked up at the area attrezzate in Orvieto. A very nice, spotlessly clean aire behind the train station (a tad noisy when the trains come rumbling by but that doesn't bother us in fact we have found it quite fascinating as some are travelling at almighty speeds! - However, if you are a light sleeeper, it could be a problem) Anyway the services included here are water, ehu, toilet & showers and a very welcome washing machine and tumbler dryer. To use these appliances costs 5 euros for the 2 machines which I was more than happy to pay. I have done my washing now and got all our undies and t shirts laundered and hubby has just been and fetched us a really nice pizza from a nearby pizzeria that was recommended to us by the guardian of the aire - Mmmn delicious it was too. The guardian asked us if we would like fresh bread and croissants delivering to our motorhome in the morning and we gladly accepted his offer even though we suspect he may be adding a little bit on for himself lol!

Tomorrow we are going up the Finicula (a little railway) that takes you up into the old city which is famous for having the largest Gothic Duomo (Cathedral) in the whole of Italy. The old city of Orvieto attracts millions of tourists from all over the world every year but thankfully November is a quiet time to visit so all being well we will be able to get around to see everything relatively easily.

Goodbye for now.

Sue


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

Thanks Eddie and thanks Billy for your tips and suggestions. 

We have been in touch with Camping Spartacus via email which is a campsite 50 metres from the entrance to the ruins of Pompeii and they have reassured us we will fit our motorhome onto one of their pitches! Now only time will tell if this is correct or not but we are going to chance it anyway and fingers crossed we will fit on relatively easily. Not bothered about the noise really billy as after a day walking around the ruins I suspect we will both sleep like logs and the location of the campsite, like eddie says will certainly help to compensate us for any noise we may have to endure.

We are so looking forward to our Pompeii visit and from reading all the reports on here I am sure we will not be disappointed.

Thanks again both of you.

Sue


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## adbe (May 1, 2005)

have been to Spartacus, with a 7.15 Aclass.Watch steep entry. Watch the trees when you reverse in, otherwise fine if a little neat. 
Everyone very friendly.
The resturants if open were very reasonablably priced, unlike the awful booths at the entrance
The only draw back for me in the whole area was the ever pervading pumice dust, but it was all worth it and I would rather be there than here in this cold gale!


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## billym (Dec 17, 2005)

Sonesta

Sue

Good for you. Enjoy the ruins.

Good Luck !!!


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*Orvieto*

 Buon giorno Sonesta, say 'Ciao' to Mr. Battistelli from me, and buy some of his Orvieto wine - I'm sure he must have offered to sell you some already.
saluti,
eddied


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