Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- Naples's airport, Aeroporto Capodichino (tel. 081-7896259; www.gesac.it), is only about 7km (4 miles) from the city center. It is a small but well-organized airport, receiving flights from many Italian and European cities, as well as a few intercontinental flights. From the airport, you can easily take a taxi into town (make sure it is an official taxi, white with the Naples municipal logo and a taxi sign on the roof); the flat rate for the 15-minute trip is 19€ plus gratuity. Many hotels offer a limousine service, but it is more costly, at about 35€.

If you don't have much luggage, the convenient ANM bus (tel. 800-639525; www.anm.it) is a viable option (a one-way ticket is 3€). The bus runs to Piazza Municipio in the town center (it stops across from the Teatro Mercadante), with an intermediary stop in Piazza Garibaldi (by the post office at Corso Novara). Buses run every 30 minutes from the airport (Mon-Fri 6:30am-11:39pm; Sat-Sun 6:30am-11:50pm) and from Piazza Municipio (Mon-Fri 6am-12:12am; Sat-Sun 6am-midnight).

By Train -- Naples is on the main southern rail corridor and is served by frequent and fast service from most Italian and European cities and towns. EuroStar trains (marked ES) make very limited stops, InterCity trains (IC) make limited stops, and AltaVelocità (AV) trains are high-speed express trains. Regular trains take between 2 and 2 1/2 hours between Rome and Naples, while the AV train takes only 87 minutes, making it by far the best method of transport between the two cities and to destinations farther north. The fare is about 25€ one way. Contact Trenitalia (tel. 892021; www.trenitalia.it) for reservations, fares, and information.

The city has several train stations: Stazione Centrale (tel. 081-5543188), on Piazza Garibaldi, northeast of the city's historical center, is the main railway station for most long-distance trains from all over Italy and Europe. Nearby is the Stazione Circumvesuviana Napoli-Porta Nolana (tel. 800-053939; www.vesuviana.it), on Corso Garibaldi, off Piazza Garibaldi. This is the starting point for commuter lines serving the Vesuvian and coastal area south of Naples, including trains to Sorrento, Pompei, and Ercolano (trains also stop at Napoli Garibaldi, under Naples's Stazione Centrale, which is more convenient by public transportation). The Stazione Cumana Montesanto (tel. 081-7354111; www.sepsa.it), in Via Montesanto, off Via Tarsia (west of Via Toledo), receives commuter trains from the Campi Flegrei, including Cuma, Pozzuoli, and Baia. Some long-distance trains also stop at the Stazione Mergellina (tel. 081-7612102), on Piazza Piedigrotta, to the west of Naples's historical center. This station is convenient for transfers to the ferry (Terminal Aliscafi). Taxis, subways, and buses connect all these stations with the town center and other destinations nearby. Note: If you are approached by "taxi" drivers -- actually gypsy taxis -- in the train station, ignore them: They charge outrageous rates and are a source of Naples's bad rap for dishonesty.

By Boat -- Arriving into the Bay of Naples by boat is an unforgettable experience and the best introduction to the city. The major port of central Italy, Naples's Stazione Marittima (just off Via Cristoforo Colombo, steps from the Castel Nuovo) receives both cruise ships and regular ferry service from many destinations in Italy, including Ischia, Capri, Sicily (Messina, Siracusa Catania, Palermo, and the Aeolian Islands), and Sardinia (Cagliari). Hydrofoil service (suspended in winter) operates mostly from Mergellina's nearby Terminal Aliscafi, with frequent and fast runs to Capri, Ischia, Procida, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Salerno, and Sicily (Milazzo and the Aeolian Islands).

By Car -- Car theft -- even from guarded parking lots -- fierce traffic, and the local passion for speed make driving in Naples a real hassle. Still, arriving or leaving the city by car is not horribly difficult: Major highways connect the city to most other destinations in Italy. From the north, take autostrada A1 MILANO ROMA NAPOLI, whereas from the south take autostrada A3 REGGIO CALABRIA SALERNO NAPOLI. If you are not returning your rental car, you can leave it at your own risk in one of the large and well-posted public parking lots at the city's entrance. The most convenient is the Parcheggio Brin, at the Via Brin corner of Via Volta (tel. 081-7632855; .30€ per hr.). Most hotels offer parking which is usually expensive and secure, but driving to your hotel is a challenge best left to those who know the city, with its narrow and labyrinthine streets, pedestrian areas, and one-way streets. Unless you have very precise and up-to-date driving directions or an excellent and recent driving map of Naples (one that marks every street and its driving direction), do not attempt it.

Visitor Information

Naples's Provincial Tourist Office, EPT, Piazza dei Martiri 58, by Riviera di Chiaia (tel. 081-4107211; www.eptnapoli.info; bus no. 152; Mon-Fri 9am-2pm), maintains tourist booths in the Stazione Centrale (tel. 081-268799; Metro: Piazza Garibaldi; Mon-Sat 9am-7pm) and at the Stazione Mergellina, Piazza Piedigrotta 1 (tel. 081-7612102; Metro: Mergellina; Mon-Sat 9am-7pm). They provide basic advice, but AASCT (tel. 081-2525711; www.inaples.it), has far better information and material. They maintain three excellent tourist information points: Via San Carlo 9, off Piazza del Plebiscito (tel. 081-402394); Piazza del Gesù (tel. 081-5512701); and Via Santa Lucia 107, near Castel dell'Ovo (tel. 081-1457475), all open Monday to Saturday (9am-1:30pm and 2:30-7pm).

Another excellent resource is the organization Museo Aperto Napoli (tel. 081-5636062; www.museoapertonapoli.it), which maintains a cultural center offering free information and guided tours (with a live guide or an audioguide in six languages) of the historical center. It's at Via Pietro Colletta 85 and is open daily 10am to 6pm; the center also houses a cafe, bookshop, and small exhibit space selling crafts.

City Layout

A crescent-shaped city resting along the shores of a bay, Naples extends vertically up the steep hills that surround it. Proceeding from west to east, you will find Posillipo; then Mergellina, Chiaia, Santa Lucia; the historical center, with the Quartieri Spagnoli along its western side and the Stazione Marittima on its southern side; then Piazza Garibaldi, with the Stazione Centrale and Stazione Circumvesuviana; and finally, a number of industrial and poorer neighborhoods.

Above Chiaia and the historical center lies the Vomero; farther east is Capodimonte. The historical center is the fat part of the crescent, crossed north-south by three major avenues: Via Toledo, Via Medina, and Via Agostino Depretis. These are crossed west-east by the continuous Via Armando Diaz-Via G.Sanfelice-Corso Umberto I and by the continuous Via Benedetto Croce-Via San Biagio dei Librai, also known as Spaccanapoli, both leading to Piazza Garibaldi and the Stazione Centrale.

Getting Around

Walking is the best way to explore the historical heart of Naples. Public transportation works well when you need to travel greater distances and if you want to take in some local color, although at rush hour there might be too much of the latter on the major subway and bus lines. If you have to travel during those hours, take the electric buses that serve the city center and are rarely crowded -- or take a taxi.

On Foot -- Naples is a beautiful city to discover on foot; its attractions are close together and the sea is always in the background. While the free city map offered by the tourist office is perfectly sufficient for your general orientation, we recommend you purchase a more detailed map with a stradario (alphabetical list of streets), if you are planning more extensive explorations.

By Public Transportation -- When you're tired of walking, the best way to get around Naples is its extensive network of public transportation: Buses, trams, subway, and funiculars provide fast transportation to major hubs. Bus lines take you everywhere: The R lines (R1, R2, R3, R4) are fast lines with frequent service that stop at major tourist attractions; the electric minibuses (marked E) serve the historic district; C lines serve central Naples, while numbered lines go to the suburbs and are less frequent. All buses operate daily from 5:30am; R lines till midnight, E and some other lines till 11pm. Some lines stop at 8:30pm. A few lines are actually tramways, with dedicated tracks, but because of vehicular traffic, these can be as slow as the regular buses. The few linee notturne (night lines) start around midnight and run every hour.

Dear to the hearts of Neapolitans is the funicolare, a cable railway tunneled through rock to reach the cliffs surrounding the Bay. Three funiculars reach the Vomero: Montesanto (at Metro station Montesanto; daily 7am-10pm), Chiaia (from Piazza Amedeo; daily 7am-10pm), and Centrale (from Via Toledo, off Piazza Trieste e Trento; Mon-Tues 6:30am-10pm and Wed-Sun 6:30am-12:30am). Mergellina also has a funicular, from Via Mergellina by the harbor up to Via Manzoni (daily 7am-10pm). Also important for negotiating the city are the public elevators and escalators: The ascensore (elevator) tucked away in Via Acton, at the corner of Palazzo Reale, ascends to Piazza Plebiscito. On the Vomero, several escalators climb the steepest slopes.

The Metropolitana (subway) has two lines, line 1 from Piazza Dante to the Vomero and beyond (daily 6am-11pm) and line 2 from Pozzuoli to Piazza Garibaldi and beyond (daily 5:30am-11pm). You can also use the urban section of the Cumana railroad from Montesanto, which is convenient to Mergellina and other coastal locations north of the city center (daily 5am-11pm).

Naples's Transportation Authority (tel. 081-5513109; www.unicocampania.it) provides information on all the above and maintains an information booth on Piazza Garibaldi, where you can get an excellent public transportation map. Public transportation tickets are valid on the entire network and are sold at tobacconists and at some bars and newsstands. A biglietto (ticket) for the city costs 1.10€ and is valid for 90 minutes; a giornaliero (day pass) is valid until midnight (the cost is 3.10€ MonSat and 2.60€ for Sun). The Artecard also includes a public transportation pass.

By Taxi -- Taxis are an excellent, relatively inexpensive way to get around the city. If you've heard that they're dishonest, these stories originate with people who have not visited Naples in the past decade or two or who have fallen prey to gypsy cabs. Today, taxis are very reliable and strictly regulated. Official taxis are painted white and marked by the Comune di Napoli (Naples municipality). Inside, on the back of the front seat, you'll find a sign listing official flat rates to the seaports, central hotels, and major attractions -- although it might be an old sign; refer to "Taxi Rates in Naples," above for current established rates. Also, don't fret if your driver doesn't use the meter -- not using the meter is legal for all rides that have established flat rates. As elsewhere in Italy, taxis do not cruise but are found at the many taxi stands around town, or, for an extra 1€ surcharge, can be called by phone. Restaurants and hotels will do this for you, but a list of numbers is provided in "Fast Facts," below. Some of the main taxi stands operating 24 hours are Piazza Amedeo 8, Piazza Carità (near Via Cesare Battisti), Piazza Cavour, Piazza Dante (by Via Bellini), Piazza Garibaldi (by the statue), Piazza Municipio (at Via De Pretis), Teatro San Carlo, Via Santa Lucia (at corner of Via Nazario Sauro), Piazza Vanvitelli (by Via Scarlatti), and Piazza Vittoria (by the entrance to Villa Comunale). Other taxi stands close between 2 and 6am or between 11:30pm and 6am.

Naples also has a water taxi that offers private and public service, Taxi del Mare (tel. 081-8773600; www.taxidelmare.it).

Taxi Rates in Naples -- Because the municipality has not raised official taxi rates since 2002, most drivers will ask a certain percentage increase, and it is common practice to grant it, provided it is reasonable. The minimum cost of a ride is 4.50€. The meter starts at 3€ on Monday to Saturday from 7am to 10pm; otherwise, the meter starts at 5.50€. It adds .05€ every 65 meters (213 ft.) or every 10 seconds when waiting or stopped in traffic. Extra charges are .50€ per piece of luggage in the trunk, 1€ for a radio-taxi call (as opposed to you going to a taxi stand), 2.60€ for a ride to the airport, and 3.10€ for a ride from the airport. There are also a number of flat rates, including the following (a card with the complete list is inside each official taxi):

Piazza Municipio to Museo Capodimonte 9.50€

Stazione Centrale to Aliscafi Mergellina 13€

Stazione Centrale to Molo Beverello 9.50€

Stazione Centrale to Hotels in Santa Lucia or Chiaia 9.50€

to destinations on Corso Vittorio Emanuele 20€

Heads Up

Always beware of pickpockets and purse snatchers in Naples; they favor crowded places, such as public transportation and such busy streets as Via Toledo. At night, avoid badly lit and solitary places, because mugging is not completely uncommon.