4 days in Naples

Yes, you can take those daytrips, as well as to Capri, Herculaneum, and more. But don't overlook Naples itself. My favorite sights there, besides the dynamism of the city itself, are the Archeology Museum and the Capella Sansevero. The Museum has all the good stuff (paintings and mosaics) from Pompeii and Herculaneum, plus the humongous statues from the Baths of Caracalla. The Capella Sansevero has some of the most amazing sculptures I've ever seen; the Veiled Christ is the most famous, but I found Disillusion even more impressive (wait till you see how marble can be made to look like ropes).

Naples does inspire extreme reactions. I agree with Rick that "If you like Italy as far south as Rome, go farther south. It gets better. If Italy is getting on your nerves, don't go farther. Italy intensifies as you plunge deeper." But I agree even more with a quote from my old Cadogan guide: "The only subtle thing about Naples is its charm." It does grow on people, but the first encounter is too in-your-face for many - be prepared.

It is doable, but have you chosen Naples for a specific reason? Is there something you want to see in Naples? We liked the Rick Steves' recommended Sorrento as a base. One day can be spent in a day trip to Naples, another day on an excursion to Pompeii plus some time in Sorrento itself, and use a third day to take a trip down the Amalfi Coast. This would mean 4 nights in Sorrento.

In May 2014, I spent 3 nights in Naples, then 4 nights in Sorrento, all good. In Naples I spent one full day and some parts of days in Naples itself, there are plenty of interesting sites, neighborhoods and certainly good food. I also spent one full day on a day trip by train to Salerno and mainly to the wonderful Greek ruins and museum in Paestum. Then I went to Sorrento, where I spent some time in Sorrento itself, but also did day trips to the towns of the Amalfi Coast, and another day trip by train to Herculaneum and Pompeii. I decided to skip Capri. A total of 4 nights would be a little harder to plan, maybe 2 nights in each of Naples and Sorrento, or maybe 4 nights in Sorrento. Really depends on your own interests and priorities. You can easily do a day trip to Herculaneum and Pompeii from either one.

We also have stayed in both Naples and Sorrento but we had 3 days in each. We thought Sorrento was a bit too resort like and enjoyed the liveliness of Naples. You may also want to visit the archaeological museum. We visited Herculaneum from Naples and you can also visit Pompeii from there. if you do a day trip to Sorrento you can also take the bus ride down the Amalfi coast. Check into the regional card which covers transportation and some entrances.

I love Napoli. In addition to previous suggestions: Walk along the bay front, have lunch or dinner at one of the excellent restaurants specializing in seafood. Go to the Capodimonte Museum if you like ceramics. You can daytrip to Capri or Ischia, or go to Capua for Roman ruins and a huge amphitheater, Cumae for the hilltop cave of the Cumaean Sybil, Go to the Pozzuoli area and walk back along the bay. Eat pizza, arancini and sfogliatelle, and have the best cappuccino ever.

Walk through Spacca Napoli and the other Mercatini streets in centro/historico Napoli.

Thanks everyone! We will be coming from Paris -- we bought tickets on an impulse as we saw a wonderful tv show and were intrigued by Naples. Normally we like to take time when we travel but we figure this would give us a taste and perhaps come back with more time...