Photo: Wolfgang Pehlemann · CC BY-SA 3.0 de, Wikimedia Commons
Naples
The best pizza, Pompeii and a lively old town.
Loud, layered and cheap: the birthplace of pizza, a maze of old lanes full of churches, and the treasures of Pompeii in one museum. The base for Pompeii and the coast.
Places to see
SpaccanapoliWalk · The arrow-straight street that 'splits Naples' through the old town: scooters, shrines,…Free
Cappella SanseveroMuseum · A small chapel crowded with astonishing marble sculpture, above all the Veiled Christ,…≈ A$18
National Archaeological MuseumMuseum · The treasures dug from Pompeii and Herculaneum: mosaics, frescoes, bronzes and everyday…≈ A$39
When to go
- Jan13° / 5°Often wetQuiet
- Feb14° / 5°Often wetQuiet
- Mar16° / 7°Some rainBusy
- Apr19° / 10°Some rainBusy
- May23° / 13°Some rainVery busy
- Jun27° / 17°Mostly dryBusy
- Jul30° / 20°Mostly dryBusy
- Aug31° / 20°Mostly dryBusy
- Sep
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
Centro Storico. The old Greek grid: Spaccanapoli, churches, pizza and street life; many hostels.
Toledo and the Spanish Quarters. Naples's shopping street and the steep, lively lanes above it.
Vomero. A calmer hilltop district with views, reached by funicular.
Flying in
Naples Capodichino (NAP): Alibus to Napoli Centrale and the port, about 20 min, ≈ A$9.
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Naples; check times and fares before you fly.
Getting around
Mostly on foot. A single ticket is ≈ A$3. The old centre is best on foot. Metro, funiculars and buses cost about €1.80 a ride (check); the funiculars up to Vomero save a steep climb. The Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii and Sorrento leaves from Garibaldi, under the main station.
Tourist tax
Naples's city tax: usually about €2–3 a person a night in hostels and B&Bs, more in hotels, for up to 14 nights; under-18s usually don't pay. Paid at check-in (check).
