Naples, anyone been?

iPete

Fancy a holiday, wanted sun, strong coffee, good food and maybe some ruins.

Is there enough going on in this part of the world to whittle away 10 days?

rick_chasey

There absolutely is if you have a car.

You're within spitting distance of the Amalfi coast, which can easily while away anything from a day to a week on its own.

Then there is Versuvius which is good fun. Once you've done that you might as well spend a day or two doing Pompei (overrated) and Herculanium (underrated).

That leaves you with a few days to enjoy Naples which is lovely. Can get a little gritty and you don't always feel safe, but it's not as bad as everyone makes out. They're surprisingly friendly and people watching is good fun there.

rick_chasey

And of course you can spend a day or two doing beach / sea stuff, like you can anywhere in Italy, if you so wish.

anonymousblackfg

I found Naples gritty, got ripped off by cab drivers and the dirris didn't find particularly safe. However, short hop on a ricity train to sorrento which is lovely and capri which is stunning, if expensive. We didn't do versuvius.

I'd pick Budapest over this or I did a weekend in Porto on the last bank holiday which was cracking value and has beaches.

I also did a week in Chianti in Tuscany a month or so ago, this was not just good value but was stunning, hopefully the rain from the Giro has dried up but I am biassed to this holiday as I did have the bike with me.

Kieran_Burns

A guy in my office lived in Naples (Italian native) I can ask him for places to go / things to do if you let me know what you are after

iPete

Thanks all. Well I cycled to Rome a few years ago, loved the city and did always want to see Pompeii. Looking for some sights, sun, a chilled night life, some beach time, enough to keep 4-5 mid 20 somethings occupied on a reasonable budget.

It sounds like we need to fly in, tick off the tourist sights in and around Naples and get out to the Amalfi coast.

I quite wanted to go to Marrakesh but the girls are scared I will them for camels.

London_Falcon

+1 for the Amalfi Coast - Mrs and I went years ago and have booked to return this summer to take our kids round Pompei etc.

Beautiful part of the world:-

Kieran_Burns

Kieran_Burns wrote:

A guy in my office lived in Naples (Italian native) I can ask him for places to go / things to do if you let me know what you are after

and the irony being, he's gone home to visit family this week.....

Headhuunter

I've been to Naples, it was a few years ago now though. It's definitely on the grittier end of Italy, nowhere near as slick as Milan, in some ways it has the feel of a 3rd world North African city. It feels quite rough and dirty but at the same time it's good fun. The locals are very friendly, I remember trying to get directions from someone, they didn't know and asked someone else who called on someone else... It seemed as though everyone in the street knew everyone else and before long there were about 20 people around discussing the directions and trying to explain them to me in broken English... You don't get that in Milan.

The traffic is endless and crossing the road is a nightmare... No one really stops at red lights and you can forget zebra crossings. I seem to remember that my guide book advised simply walking into the traffic and the cars and mopeds slow and move around you like water. That certainly seems to be the way the locals do it but it's damn scary.

I seem to remember there was a famous pizza place called Da Michele or something, which the locals claim makes the best pizza in all of Italy! There's quite a lot to see and do in Naples itself but you can also do trips out to the Blue Lagoon and out to Sicily I think

anonymousblackfg

I just remembered, the bus into town from the airport is about €1.50 but you do just sit in traffic!

il_principe

FFS - spelling! Vesuvius and Herculaneum.

Be sodding careful if you do go to Naples.

twist83

+ 1 for the Amalfi coast and Sorrento is lovely. We did Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius.

mtb-idle

I didn't do Naples but i did stay in Sorrento, very nice, loads of restaurants, bleedin 'ot plus we did all the above i.e. Vesuvius, Pompei, Capri etc. etc.

rick_chasey

Il Principe wrote:

FFS - spelling! Vesuvius and Herculaneum.

Be sodding careful if you do go to Naples.

S' not that bad.

elbowloh

Yeah done Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi and Capri.

My tip for Capri is, instead of taking one of the bigger tourist boats round the island (the ones that take about 30 at a time), get a small boat from Sorrento that only takes 6 or 7. They take you to all the grottos round the island and you can jump off and swim through some of them, the highlight of the whole trip for me...watch out for jelly fish though!

Origamist

Depending on your view, Naples has either seen better days and is a bit rough/edgy or it has a charming, fallen grandeur (sort of like Portsmouth but with more architectural brio).

I cycled around Naples for less than an hour - it was an "exciting" experience. You will note that every second car or moped has a dent, scratch, missing wing mirror, or bent bumper. There is a good reason for that.

When you cross the road it appears that drivers have not seen you as they rarely brake till very late - just be assertive and get ready to jump on their bonnet...

Go to the Amalfi coast after a couple of days in Naples, but make sure you get a chocolate pizza first.

Coriander

I used to live in Italy and have been to Napkes many times. I have happy memories of my times there, but I have to say I do loathe the city itself. But that's me - many are energised by what I hate.

However, it's worth spending time there just to go and see the Cristo Velato at the church of San Severo. It is, quite simply, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I had never heard of it before wandering into the church one afternoon. The work is a marble sculpture, though I won't say anymore otherwise it'll lessen the impact, but if you do go into the city, do make time to see it.