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 hours there might be too much of the latter on the major subway and bus lines. Time your movements so that you can avoid rush hours. If you have to travel during those hours, take the diminutive electric buses which service 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 present in the background. Walking is also an excellent way to notice the thousands of details that make this city so special, including small shops and craft laboratori (workshops).

While the free city map given 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 ways to get around Naples are the bus and subway. The small electric buses serving the historical center are particularly good for reaching points tucked away on narrow streets, while buses, trams, subway, and funiculars provide faster transportation to major hubs. Naples's Transportation Authority (tel. 800-482644 toll-free in Italy; www.ctpn.it) provides information on all the above and keeps an information booth on Piazza Garibaldi where, if you are in luck, you can get an excellent public transportation map. Public transportation tickets are sold at tobacconists and at some bars and newsstands. You can get a regular biglietto (ticket) valid 90 minutes for 1€ ($1.40/70p); or a giornaliero (day pass) valid until midnight for 3€ ($4.20/£2.10). Both cover the whole metropolitan area of Naples, including funicular, tram, bus, Metro, and urban railway service. The Artecard also includes a public transportation pass.

The Metropolitana 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). The Cumana (urban railroad) runs from Montesanto to Pozzuoli and beyond (daily 5am-11pm). Among the buses, the linee rosse (red lines marked by the letter R) are special fast lines serving tourist destinations with frequent service; they run daily from 5:30am to midnight. Regular buses tend to be slower and many stop running by 8:30pm. A few lines are actually tramways with dedicated tracks, but because of traffic invading their lines, these can be as slow as the regular buses. At nighttime, 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).

One more important element of Naples's public transportation, a public ascensore (elevator) is tucked away in Via Acton at the corner of Palazzo Reale, to climb up to Piazza Plebiscito. On the Vomero, several escalators ascend the steepest slopes.

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 the box 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 can be found waiting 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): Consorzio Taxi (tel. 081-444444); Consortaxi (tel. 081-5525252); Radio Taxi Napoli (tel. 081-5564444); RadioTaxi Free (tel. 081-5515151); Radio Taxi Co.Ta.Na (tel. 081-5707070); and Radio Taxi Partenope (tel. 081-5560202; www.taxivagando.it).

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€ ($6.30/£3.15). The meter starts at 3€ ($4.20/£2.10) on Monday to Saturday from 7am to 10pm; otherwise, the meter starts at 5.50€. It adds .05€ every 65 meters or every 10 seconds when waiting or stopped in traffic. Each piece of luggage adds another .50€ (70¢/35p). The most recent flat rates from the airport are as follows:

Piazza Municipio to Museo Capodimonte 9.50€ ($13/£6.65)

to Stazione Centrale 12.50€ ($18/£8.75)

to destinations by Piazza Municipio 16€ ($22/£11)

to and Molo Beverello 16€ ($22/£11)

to destinations in Santa Lucia, Chiaia, and Mergellina 19€ ($27/£13)

to destinations on Corso Vittorio Emanuele 20€ ($28/£14)