The Italian National Tourist Board (www.italiantourism.com) is a good source of information before you go.
We also recommend writing directly (in English or Italian) to the local tourist boards for a variety of brochures as well as maps. The Campania tourist board covers the whole region; its address is Centro Direzionale Isola C/5, Napoli 80143 (tel. 081-7966111; fax 081-7958576; www.regione.campania.it).
Campania is administratively divided into five provinces, each with its own provincial tourist board (Ente Provinciale per Il Turismo, or EPT):
EPT Napoli (covering Naples, Phlegrean Fields, Herculaneum, Pompei, Ischia, Capri, and the Sorrento peninsula): Piazza dei Martiri 58, 80121 Napoli (tel. 081-4107211; fax 081-401961; www.eptnapoli.info).
EPT Salerno (covering Salerno, the Amalfi Coast, and the Cilento): Via Velia 15, Cap 84125 Salerno (tel. 089-230411; fax 089-251844; www.eptsalerno.it).
EPT Caserta (covering Caserta, Caserta Vecchia, and Capua): Palazzo Reale, 81100 Caserta (tel. 0823-322233; fax 0823-326300; www.casertaturismo.it).
EPT Avellino: Via Due Principati 5, 83100 Avellino (tel. 0825-74695; fax 0825-74757; www.provincia.avellino.it and www.e-irpinia.it).
EPT Benevento: Via Sala 31, 82100 Benevento (tel. 0824-319911; fax 0824-312309; www.eptbenevento.it).
Before You Leave Home: Tickets & Seats in Advance
You absolutely need advance reservations for the Capodimonte Museum in Naples (the one museum in Campania where lines are always several hours long because of the many special exhibits) and for special guided tours of Pompeii, but you might want to make reservations for a number of other attractions and events as well. The best place to make reservations is Pierreci (tel. 06-39967700; www.pierreci.it), the official advance reservation service for a number of museums and events in Campania and in Italy. To get tickets for all kinds of events, the best Italy-based operators are TicketOne (tel. 023-92261 [press 9 for an English-speaking operator]; www.ticketone.it); and Viva Ticket (www.vivaticket.it). They have English-language websites where you can make reservations and purchase tickets. U.S.-based companies offering advance tickets for a variety of museums and events in Italy are convenient, but they are usually more expensive and cover only a small selection of monuments and events. The best of these is Culturalitaly.com (tel. 800/380-0014; fax 928/639-0388; www.culturalitaly.com), a Los Angeles-based company that offers seats and reservations for operatic performances in Naples, special guided tours in Pompeii, and even tickets to the famed Festival of Ravello. Most reservations carry a $10 fee, plus the cost of the event.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
