How interesting and enjoyable is Naples?

I definitely think it's worth seeing and judging for yourself instead of getting dissuaded by guidebooks. Without a doubt it gets a bad rap and it seems to fall into the love-hate category, much like Palermo (and even Baltimore, come to think of it). I think it's very underrated. It's the type of city that grows on you if you let it, but it requires an openness, patience, and tolerance for some chaos. It is gritty in some areas but, honestly, that's not different from other big cities in Italy. The traffic and fumes are the worst part..if you can look beyond those negatives, it's totally a fascinating place. If you're comfortable with big (and dense) cities, you should adjust just fine.

I won't recreate the list of things to see and do because they're well covered in guidebooks (see Tripadvisor Things to Do and Naples for a good listing). The things that stand out to me are the absolutely jaw-dropping churches, the food, the Spaccanapoli, the Mergellina waterfront, and the convent/museum on the hill overlooking the entire bay (Certosa di San Martino). I say give it a shot...if you only want postcard perfect places, Naples is not that but it is very beautiful in many other ways. And it's very real, warts and all. If you're still unsure, maybe split your time across Naples and somewhere more tranquil but give it a shot nonetheless.

Here's a related thread you may want to look at:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/napoli

The beauty of forums such as this where you can come and get a completely opposite opinion.
Personally, Naples is the one city of many I have visited, that I have absolutely no desire to return to. It was grotty, sleezy and I felt very uncomfortable walking the streets and riding on the buses. I spent a day and a night there and that was more than enough. I was travelling with my daughter, who is also well travelled and she felt exactly the same. We would describe ourselves as savvy, street smart girls who are not frightened to 'get off the beaten track'. We are not as we say in Oz 'woozes'.

My husband & I debated when we went in Oct 2012, stay three nights there or three nights in Sorrento. We compromised, 2 nights Naples, 1 night Sorrento. When we arrived the taxi tried taking us the long way, because of different forums, I was prepared. I had the directions printed in English & Italian. None of the hotels near the train station looked good to me. We stayed down near the castle.

The next morning, we had the hotel call a taxi so we could take that to the train station to Pompeii. Once in the taxi, the driver tried to talk us into taking his taxi all the way to Pompeii. We said no, he dropped us off, I believe on purpose, at the wrong station. Wound up walking quite a distance to the right station.

On our return, we went to take a taxi back to the hotel. My husband let the driver talk him into a guided tour instead of the hop on hop off bus tour. The guy knew nothing, drove like a maniac, and the taxi smelled like the inside of ash tray. The driver did run out to stop the other maniacs so that we could cross the street.

As a comparison, it reminded me of NYC in the 1970's. My husband did say,, next time we will skip Naples, head straight for Sorrento or Amalfi.

Mary

Howell, to each his /her own drummer, but when I spent three nights in Napoli in 2014, I enjoyed it very much. I walked the main streets and back streets, early morning, throughout the day, and quite late at night, and never felt unsafe. It is congested, and those backstreets can sometimes be a little hard to navigate on foot, as they seem to change names every few blocks, and there are various intersections where several streets come together at all kinds of angles, without very clear street signs. I rarely used taxis, but when I did the fares were printed on a card when I got in, and the driver was very nice and helpful. I stayed at the small and highly-reviewed Orsini46 B & B, which is one of the nicest places I've stayed in all of Europe, and at a very reasonable price. The Archeology Museum is excellent, and there are many other wonderful sites, depending on your interests. Also great and sometimes unique cuisine. I took one day and started with a morning walk almost across the city and through two open markets, to then catch a train to Salerno and on to the incredible Greek ruins at Paestum, with its own very good small museum, and returned to Napoli by dinner time.

Sorrento is clean and pleasant and geared toward tourists. Naples is much grittier but much more interesting to me. My first impression driving in from Sorrento was "Rome on crack" in the crush of traffic and the huge gypsy encampment we passed before our taxi got lost trying to find our side street hotel. My first impression of our hotel was a dingy parking level with a dumpster and a minuscule elevator which opened to a stylish lobby that looked straight out of an Anthropologie catalog. We had only one day and night there before catching a flight back to the US, but it is the place in Italy I most want to return to. We did have a wonderful young guide for four hours who walked us to some of the best sights in the inner city. On this first visit I didn't want to wander looking lost while reading a map. Next time I would not worry about feeling unsafe. It's a city that grows on you; certainly not Disneyesque but an authentic Italian city. If you are interested in seeing the museums, don't to on Tuesdays when they are all closed. If you're hesitating for safety reasons, hire a guide for the first day and you'll probably want to stretch your visit til at least a second day. Probably not the easiest destination for a new traveler, but not to be missed if you want to dig deeper into Italian culture. Give it a try and decide for yourself!

Thanks, Agnes, for posting the link to my trip report.

Howell, the RS guidebook overstates the drama of street life in Napoli, but the walking and sightseeing recommendations are good.

I have been to Napoli dozens of times, never felt unsafe at any time of day and well into the evening. I have never had a dishonest cab driver, either, but I almost never take taxis anywhere.

There is an expanding shopping area at the train station, some construction still going on in Piazza Garibaldi, but there are good hotels in the area. Even more, traditional tourist hotels along the waterfront.

Napoli is not Disneyesque. Traffic is more like "Rome on crack". The metro/underground is good, buses can run late due to traffic. I left Napoli three days ago and miss it already.

First time I did not like Naples, but I felt I didn't really give it a chance. Second time organised with Mondo Guides to collect us from Pompeii, and drive us to Naples were we had a fantastic tour of the city. Third visit we went again to Pompeii, then caught the train to Naples were we met a lovely local girl, Marianna, who gave us a "Naples Greeter" tour. It was a free tour, though we bought her pizza. I am with the "Sydney Greeters" and love taking visitors around my local area. I try to fit in a Greeters walk whenever I can.
All these were day tours, commuting from Rome. In October we are staying in Naples for 3 nights. I certainly don't find Naples scary-Did I mention I am travelling with my 10 year old grand daughter?

An Italian point of view: Naples is a world on its own, a very disorganized one and one that seems to resist any try get better. If you cannot stand the grit, the disorganization and people trying to take advantage of you (plenty of them), you should better stay out of town. Naples has a lot of hidden treasures - it was a capital city and the largest city in Italy for most of its time, it is the place originating incredible art and music - but sometimes they are really hidden and lost to people who cannot understand the language, and I mean not standard Italian but the local dialect. The Naples people may be incredible - fiction, cinema and drama may look positively bland if compared to real Naples; I know people that have moved to Naples and will not come back, notwithstanding all the drawbacks. But I understand the city may look a lost cause to ordinary tourists. Its beauties are not laid in a standard tourist pattern.

If you want to understand Naples, this book would be useful:
https://www.amazon.com/Thus-Spake-Bellavista-Picador-Books/dp/0330301845/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1469344416&sr=8-5&keywords=de+crescenzo

Very interesting and enjoyable. Go to Napoli, lodge at Chiaia area or Piazza del Plebiscito area, walk the Mercatini streets, October is a perfect month for Napoli and visiting nearby towns.

I agree with Ruth and Lachera (who obviously knows more than I do, but still...) I spent a little time in Naples with a 15 yo and 30 yo in 2000. I LOVED IT in spite of the taxi drivers. It's a city built on Ancient roads. It is a nitty, gritty city hiding treasures. If the surface of things bothers you, skip it. If you can look beyond the signs or graffiti and see the ancient city and the life around you, then you will likely love it. My travel companions were too tired or something to see this, so we moved on to Sorrento. In my opinion, Sorrento is a view, and after that you are in any other tourist city, but with gelato. Naples is an experience and an education and has a view, too! I've been trying to get back to it to spend quite a few days there, but to date have failed. However, I will add, I live in a neighborhood where some houses are kept beautifully, most are average, and others you wonder what they are thinking. Maybe that is the key? What does your life at home look like? I love the energy of places where everyone is not like me. (Sounds like a scientific study might be needed regarding who likes Naples). :) And if you are nervous about it, maybe you will feel better staying in Sorrento and commuting back and forth to Naples until you know for sure.

PS. Howell, I just noticed you are from Baltimore, so I'll assume you are used to large cities. Consequently, I believe you will enjoy it.

Naples has Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius. In my opinion that is reason enough to visit Naples.

We are very experienced travelers, and Naples is pretty much the only city I absolutely hated. Couldn't wait to leave. Here are some particulars, which may or may not still pertain.

Disorganization: We spent a big part of our first day trying to get to the Archaeological Museum. We had explicit directions from our b&b; however, they involved changing buses at a piazza, the official name of which was different from the name commonly used. Also, that piazza was in a pedestrian zone. The bus stop was actually a block or so away, so we couldn't recognize it by name or by it being a piazza. We ran into the same problems a couple of other times.

There is actually good public transportation, but we couldn't get route maps, even from the TI office. In one stunning example of ineptitude, the person at the TI office told us we needed to take a certain bus; but she knew only that the stop was "nearby." We wandered around, only to discover that the stop was across the street from the TI office. One more issue about the TI office was that there was a sign in a large piazza pointing in a direction opposite to where the office was actually located. That was 15 or 20 years ago. Maybe by now they've managed to put up a sign which sends tourists in the correct direction.

We attempted to buy Campania cards, but all of the places which should have had them . .

We only spent 24 hours in Naples, because it can be hard to get to Sorrento or the AC if you arrive late in the day. We had a spanking modern renovated hotel (Palazzo Decumani) with a nice staff and powerful air conditioning. They held our luggage while we WALKED to the Archaeology Museum and then WALKED around town to have pizza lunch (wait to be seated, quite busy). We took our rolling luggage and WALKED about a mile to the central rail station to take the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento. Never one moment of fear or distress.

It is not reasonable to describe Naples as scary or intimidating. It is true that someone from the rural US, who drives everywhere, and never sees poor or homeless people (I mean, in US cities ... or Meth factories in our pastoral hills .... ) could be startled in Naples. The art and European history everywhere in Naples makes up for slobs parking on the sidewalk or uncollected trash. (Come to think of it, as the Tea Party starves American governments for income, we have a lot of potholes and blowing trash over here, don't we?)

We saw only a fraction of Naples in 24 hours, and I urge you to visit. You do need a printout of the FIXED RATE taxi rides, and you should not drive a car in Naples.

Computer glitch, I'll continue.
All the places - - TI, Arch. Mus., etc. - - which should have had the Campania cards were out.

Street conditions: The streets were filthy, just loaded with trash, cigarette butts, etc. There were also a lot of people begging in the streets, including drugged out young folks. I didn't feel afraid, just repulsed.

Our departure experience was a replay of Day 1. We needed to take the SITA bus to Amalfi. We were told it leaves from a major piazza and had no problem getting there. That piazza is 2 blocks long in each direction and has bus stops at each (8) intersection. We trudged around to each one, schlepping our bags. When we completed the circuit and hadn't found the SITA signs, we asked a (non-English speaking) policeman. By showing him the letters "SITA" he understood what we wanted and directed us to the stop, 2 blocks off the piazza. Good thing we had allotted lots of time.

In retrospect, I would have stayed a couple of nights at Pompeii and done a day trip into Naples for the museum, only, later proceeding to Amalfi. Nothing else was worth the hassle.

Just to clarify, in case anyone thinks this is a suburbanite voice. I grew up in Chicago, and have lived in the SF Bay Area since then. I know and like urban. However, in my experience, nothing in either locale has equaled the disorganization and seediness of Naples.

Sorry but not a fan of Naples. The minute we got off the train from Rome and went to look for the luggage storage room at the train station there was a local there wanting to "help" us. We found the storage area without his "assistance". We took the metro two stops to the archeological museum which we enjoyed, grabbed a pizza at a small pizzeria and then went to the church of Sanseverro. Someone was following us near the church. We kept turning around and giving him the eye until he beat a retreat. Walking back to the train station, a local warned us to watch out for thieves on Vespas that snatch bags. And Naples is really dirty.

Naples is definitely different than the Italy of the north, and it is a bit "rough around the edges". During the day especially it seems somewhat chaotic and disorganized, and when walking through the narrow streets the buildings give the impression of being old and dilapidated, with laundry hanging from balconies.

However I don't mind that at all, and hope to make a return visit one of these days. I think it's worth at least one visit, so that you can decide for yourself. Two suggestions though....

1. Book a hotel in a nice area, and the Chiaia area mentioned earlier is a good choice.
2. Arrange a local guide for at least part of your sightseeing, such as the Archeological Museum. Pino Esposito (mentioned in the guidebook as I recall) is an outstanding guide.

Naples is part of the "fabric" of Italy so it would be a shame not to see (experience) that.

If the surface of things bothers you, skip it. If you can look beyond
the signs or graffiti and see the ancient city and the life around
you, then you will likely love it.

Wray, you sound like a good friend mine: mid-60's, diminutive, solo traveler from England. She walked all over Naples by herself (not at night), the scariest thing she encountered was trying crossing the streets, and she is definitely going back for a deeper dive. For all of the tourists who claim that they want to see the 'real' Italy? Well, Naples is gritty, chaotic, dilapidated, graffiti-covered, interesting, historic 'real' Italy as much as other cities/towns which have been nicely restored for visitors. Maybe more so. You have to be willing to look beneath the surface, or at least appreciate that surface for what it is. If not, stay in Sorrento.

I've only been through there but I know what I saw through the window in that brief time would have been enough to fill a couple of memory cards on my Canon. It'll be on the destination list for a future trip.

Like some other replies, I would agree that you either really like or really dislike Naples. Count me in the really like camp! I have only spent a few days there but never felt threatened or afraid or minded the grittiness. It's just what Naples is and I enjoyed it for it's own "special" personality. I thought the rather small Capella San Severo had some beautiful sculptures; unlike any I seen anywhere before. And the National Archaeological Museum is one of my favorite museums in Europe. Everyone has a different experience and a different assessment of any city so you should judge for yourself. Try it, you just might like it!

In reading all these posts, I see a sort of split between wanting to "see" a place and wanting to "be" there. Of course, one can do both, but many tourists don't get to the "being" level of awareness. Nothing wrong with concentrating on "sights", we all do it, and a vacation should be fun, not stressful.

I am thinking that to enjoy Napoli, one needs to "be" there, to reach a level of understanding beyond sightseeing.

A few years ago, there was trash piled up above my height along the streets; what impression would I have left with if I did not know that the Camorra (local Mafia) controlled the access to the dumps and would not let the trucks through? This was major news throughout Europe, people in Napoli were desparate. The EU and international health agencies got involved.

Why is the soccer stadium metro stop called Quattro Giornate? For the four days it took the people of Napoli, including the street kids, to get the German army out of the city shortly before the Allies arrived.. The stadium is where all the captured adult males of the city were held in retribution for Napoli's violent resistance to German occupation.

For me, traveling is what I do to understand as well as to see and enjoy. It helps me to know myself, the places I go to, and my connection to our big human family.

And Napoli is just plain FUN! If you like the outdoor life of Florence, there's much more of that at Napoli, their Mercatini streets should be revving up in October as the Chestnut harvest roasts in big grill pans and Christmas is coming! Spaccanapoli and other Mercatini streets should start hopping in October!

For me, Napoli is a way to be intimate and personal. Yes it has magnificent views and intriguing places to visit, in and around the city, but there I'm special on the Mercatini streets, and I can walk into a ristorante and be surrounded by customers and staff making sure my order is communicated! LOL! It's all FUN!

I don't want to stop the discussion, but I do want to thank everyone who has responded. The discussion has been very helpful. Clearly Naples arouses strong reactions. I'm sorry to hear about some unpleasant experiences and take them as guidance about what to avoid. I do appreciate the descriptions of pleasant experiences as encouragement to spend time in the city. Again, I'm thankful to everyone; if anyone wants to add a comment, please do so.

I haven't been to Naples since 1993 (I stayed for 3 nights, with a few nights in Rome on either side), so I have no recent experience. But I'll never forget the accurate assessment of the Cadogan guidebook I was using at the time: "The only subtle thing about Naples is its charm."

It's certainly an in-your-face experience, and even as a New Yorker, it comes on quite strong. But it got under my skin (as I see it did for others), and I do think of going back often. I did get bad vibes from certain areas and left quickly, but most of the city didn't feel scary then. And oh, the pizza!

In 1993 it certainly wasn't accustomed to or adapted for tourists. I'm not at all surprised at Rosalyn's problems getting accurate bus stop directions; it's the kind of place where "everyone" knows these things (meaning if you live there, you know that "the bus stops at Piazza BlahBlah" really means "the bus used to stop at Piazza BlahBlah but now stops two blocks west of there, since the Piazza itself was made pedestrian twenty years ago"). After Rome, I just took this as part of the adventure; those not up for adventure could certainly find it frustrating, angering, etc.

One thing that I think is certain; "only mildly interesting" is not an accurate description. Love it or hate it, "bland" is never a word that has been applied to Naples. Strong reactions are the only kind people have to the place.

Rather than love or hate it, I'd say my opinion is in the middle. To me Naples is like one of those old black-and-white pictures of NYC around 1900 come to life. Crowded streets, pushcarts, lots of people, clothes drying on lines between apartments, the works. The museum was great, as was the pizza (we ate not at the place listed as the originator of pizza, but the one across the street -- best pizza I've ever had!) But it is gritty and urban. An Italian friend says tourists are relatively safe except for perhaps pickpocketing; the serious crime is between natives. Still I was happy visiting as a daytrip from Sorrento.

As for buses, I can match with stories in other countries like France. Buses aren't really for tourists, even though you're welcome to take them. They're for locals that take them daily and know the stops. So in France trying to find a bus to take a RS recommended ride that started at the "train station", this meant a side street found after a few laps. In Nice we had a nice map from the hotel that pointed to a location we never saw the bus number we needed; we finally found the bus after 45 minutes by walking towards the heart of town and hearing some Swedish girls ask (in English since they didn't speak any more French than we did) where the bus to Eze was. And on the way back the bus went down a different set of streets so we didn't know where to get off to be near our hotel. And while you might think that a bus on your side of the street is going in one direction and a bus in the other direction would be caught across the street, sometimes buses loop around a block so that buses in both directions go to the exact same stop...

Myself and my husband loved Naples. We went for half a day and stayed all day. Capella San Severo Museum left me speechless.
Having Pizza and sharing a glass of Lemonchillo with an American Soldier stationed there. It was fun, lively gritty and beautiful. The garbage strike was over so the streets were fairly clean. I did not feel too safe at the train station and I kept very vigilant.
Happy Travels

Like Zoe, I also spend a lot of time in the Naples area. 2-3 months in the past 12 years. My daughter lives in the area, so I visit frequently. Have only done 2 trips to Europe without touching Bella Napoli.
My feelings for the Campania area echo hers'.

As with any city, those armed with good information tend to have a better appreciation and enjoyment.

Here are 2 maps. Enlarge them and print them out.

http://unicocampania.it/index.php?lang=en&center=inside&colonna=turisti&action=mappe

The first is of the bus routes and the monuments. The Arrows show the direction the busses travel in and dots show aproximate stops.

The second map is of the metro lines.

Tickets for both are reasonable. A 3 day travel pass is probably the most convenient.

A Campania artecard, tutte la regione will cover sights and transportation, you just need to do the math to see if it's right for you. Use the most expensive sites first and it pays for itself.

The hop on off bus is by far the best we have encountered. Great overviews of the city.

Hope this is of some help.

Have a wonderful time

Edit. I'm not a youngster, 68, 5'3 female. Never felt unsafe!
Second Larrys recommendation for BnB.

If you have the Rick Steves Audio Europe app (definitely download it if you don't have it), go to the ITALY section and download "Naples and the Amalfi Coast" and "Naples and Nearby." Rick interviews Nina Bernardo, and American-born guide who lived in Naples for 4 years and is now an RS tour guide in Southern Italy. She paints a very vivid picture of Naples, which she makes no bones about loving.

Personally, when we go this September, we are staying in Sorrento and making a few day-trips into Naples for the Archaeology Museum, Pompeii & Herculaneum, and pizza from the place it originated. And, yeah, I'm avoiding the taxis.

I lived in Napoli for nearly six months back in the 90s--and have visited a few times since--and absolutely loved the people and the city. It's very intense; the comments calling it "Rome on crack" are spot on. It's fast-paced and you have to stay on your toes to navigate and keep people from taking advantage of you.

However, despite its rough exterior, I've never met a friendlier people. The city is the truest "Italy" you'll ever experience. I wouldn't say that there are any spectacular, must-see sights, but there are wonderful surprises around nearly every corner. It's not laid out very well for tourism; it's a huge city with sights spread across miles, and a pretty limited public transportation system (though the public transportation has improved greatly since I was there 20 years ago).

Despite my love for the city, I can't recommend actually sleeping in the city. Sorrento is much more tourist-friendly and has great places to sleep and eat. But I would recommend spending at least a day (as a day-trip from Sorrento or Caserta) roaming the streets of Napoli and immersing yourself in the most authentic "Italy" still in existence.

When I visited Naples, I thought of a movie I had watched that was set in the area. It's called Ciao Professore and even though I couldn't understand much of the dialogue without subtitles, I quite enjoyed it. Naples is "intense" at times, but there's a certain charm to that.

I am in Naples now. I love the crazy and gritty vibrant streets of Naples. After 3 nights in Positano, stunningly beautiful, but with its boutiques of linen clothing, overpriced cafes ( most with surly service) and crowds of tourists, I craved the realness of Naples. I have visited Naples 3 times before but only as day trips from Rome. I decided to spend 3 nights here and it is not enough to see all I wish to see. I am taking my family to the Archeological Museum of Naples today and then lunch at Sorbillo. I took the Rick Steves Shared Tour of Naples run by Mondo Guides yesterday, which was very good value at €25 per person.

We will be basing in Sorrento early next March, and have blocked out a day for Naples. Mainly it is to visit the Archeological Museum--which has been said is a bookend to Pompei, which we visited last year. Depending on weather, we will decide whether Naples warrants a 2nd day out of the 5 nights we will be spending in Sorrento. Planning on taking the CV train--which has been discussed at length on the boards here.

A lot of Napoli depends on where you lodge I think. Recently i stayed in north Napoli at District Sanita', near to and inbetween the Museo subway stop and the Piazza Cavour subway stop, i never did make it on any of those subways at those stops, the platforms were always so crowded, they'd mob the train, and oddly the trains never stayed long enough for people to fill up the seats, they'd always move away from the platform with the outside stairway still full of people hanging on for dear life as just a few at a time made it to the aisle!

So I took the bus a lot, unless the van came by for the cimitero! It was only one Euro to the cimitero and often the entire stop would load into the van, me not wanting to be left behind and alone at the bus stop would go with them, I've been at the cimitero more times than i care to recall here, but that was life there, it helped to blend in, the ladies looked out for me, and I enjoyed the community!

There's more, I stayed at this B and B owned by a young husband and wife who would come into my room at 10 PM every night to tuck me in! They'd come in to share pleasantries and laugh at my daily experiences, and when they saw loose covers, each would take a side and tuck in the covers all along the side of the bed and meet in the middle at the end! I'd have to stay swaddled like that the whole visit. When I was sure they had gone to bed, I'd kick the covers loose and go to sleep!

I always take negative comments about visiting Italy with a grain of salt and a chuckle.

After reading all of the negative comments about the city, I am more excited than ever to visit. I love the grit. I love being out of my comfort zone. We're so spoiled in the U.S. I'm willing to bet that I'll fall in love with belle Napoli and the meraviglioso popolo of that city

Ray, I think you will love Napoli. Every time I return I need an extra day.

OK, then, what about wandering around the Spanish Quarter during a weekday in March, on a daytrip from Sorrento? Will it be deserted? Dangerous? Fun? I'd really like to see it, after the Archeological Museum of course. It's the type of thing I come to Italy for...