Naples suggestions please?

I asked a similar question in January 2024. See https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/naples-and-environs-suggestions-per-favore

Acraven’s answers in particular were outstanding, though way more than one could possibly do in four nights and three full days.

As to our four days, see the part of my trip report where I talked our final four days in southern Italy (my third ‘reply’ to myself) at https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/southern-italy-30-days-three-ways-to-travel.

I would say our personal highlights were the Archaeology Museum, Pompeii, Spaccanapoli, and our day trip to Ischia. The Duomo and Gesu Nuovo churches were also impressive, (We somehow missed San Servo, as well as the Tesoro next to the Duomo due to bad timing on our part.) I was quite glad that we visited the Archaeological Museum the day before we went to Pompeii.

Our biggest disappointments were a day and a half of rain and the Capodimonte Museum, partly because its Caravaggio was on loan to another museum in Naples (how crazy is that?), but also because it just wasn’t all that impressive a museum IMHO. (Also, getting to Capodimonte by bus rather than by taxi was a mistake; otherwise bus, metro, funicular, and train to Pompeii and ferry to Ischia were all fine.)

I hope this helps you with your planning.

fred - thank you very much! I will have a look at the two threads you linked!

What month are you traveling? We're doing a very similar length of stay, and at the same hotel, in November so I can't offer much advice until we travel. Since it's not really "beach" weather we aren't doing any of the islands nearby.

We are planning a day in Naples doing the Archeological Museum, an Underground Tour (this one is the plan https://www.napolisotterranea.org/en/), and walking around.
The next day we are doing Pompeii and potentially stopping in Herculaneum on the way back to Naples. The last day we are going to Paestum as my daughter loves Greek temples.

Your assumptions of how to get to Pompeii are correct. If you can, buy your tickets in advance as the ticket line can be frustratingly slow. Also arrive at opening time to beat the crowds. We noticed how much the place filled up by about 11:00. We counted something like 35 tour buses in the parking lot.

If you have time, I recommend a stop at The Villa of Oplontis which is one train stop north of Pompeii. No crowds and it takes about an hour to tour. It's about a €5 add-on to your Pompeii ticket.

The Archeological Museum in Naples is well worth the time to tie together what you'll see in Pompeii.

The two central rail stations are thoroughly unified, with an escalator and long marble-tile corridors. Download the Naples flat-rate taxi sheet. It is still in effect, despite an elderly date. Kind of like Circumvesuviana rolling stock!

We're in Naples right now. Wow, this place is just one huge party! Watch out for motorbikes.

Here’s a thread I’ve saved for our trip to Naples
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/napoli-finally

hey hey randomnightowl
sent you a private message, check upper right hand corner.
aloha

Thanks to all. Lindypope I too will be in Naples in Nov. One night on the 3rd up a late arrival and then on the 26th-Dec4th for Naples. Rain--I spent a month in Paris, Nov 2023 and it rained/drizzled/misty/sprinkled the whole time except for 4 days but heck it;s Paris! So after that for me what the heck is a little rain! Enjoy your time.

If I were visiting Naples again, I'd stay in one of the spendier hotels at the waterfront. Naples is a buzzy, energetic place, but the narrow streets away from the water are filled with random, rapid motor scooter traffic and can feel pretty fraught, especially for an old codger like me. The waterfront is a much more tranquil area in which to relax before bedtime.

As for transit, those who have Eurail unlimited passes can travel freely on the M2 metro line, since it's run by Trenitalia. M1 is run by ANM. Our host told us that ticketing on M2 doesn't extend to validity on M1 or the other transit options; the Naples transit website doesn't suggest that to be true. You should probably try to find out for yourself at an information center. We were able to get everywhere we needed to go by foot and/or the M2. Naples is a pretty compact city.

About Pompeii and Herculaneum: we took a tour through both ancient cities guided by an archeologist using the Arkos tour company; highly recommended. After our guide's detailed discussions we felt we didn't need to visit the Archeological Museum. Besides, we felt a bit history-saturated at that point. We instead spent the following day along the waterfront, which was very worthwhile. Everyone has different priorities.

Do Ostia Antica, the real Pompei, instead. RS considers it the most underrated sight in the country. Never underestimate the right kind of rain. It showed Bologna in a very different and more colourful evening light, and made for a good sleep.