Revisiting Naples Italy

There are about 35 cities with a population over 500,000 in the United States.

If Naples were in the USA it would be the city (of that size) in America with the 3rd lowest crime rate (After Honolulu, HI and San Jose, CA).

The best area to stay is probably Chiaia (near Piazza Plebiscito, which however belongs to the San Ferdinando district). Posillipo is the top, but a little isolated. Mergellina and Vomero are also great. Anything west of Piazza Plebiscito is good.

The Quartieri Spagnoli are to avoid, at least at night. Also avoid the area near Piazza Garibaldi (Station) at night. The Sanita' district is the most dangerous, but a tourist doesn't need to go there.

MUST SEE:

Piazza del Plebiscito, Palazzo Reale, Galleria Umberto, Teatro San Carlo;

The 3 Castles (Maschio Angioino, Castel dell'Ovo, Castel Sant'Elmo with Certosa & Museo of San Martino - the last at Vomero, reachable via funicolar);

Museo Archeologico Nazionale ;

Reggia di Capodimonte

Via Toledo/Via Roma, San Gregorio Armeno , Piazza del Gesù area, San Domenico Maggiore ;

Churches (Santa Chiara, Duomo, Gesù Nuovo, Chiesa del Carmine, Piazza Mercato)

Santa Lucia, Mergellina, la Riviera di Chiaia, via Chiaia and surrounding (piazza dei Martiri, via Filangieri, via dei Mille etc.)

Subterranean Naples

Roberto, thank you for the info. We will also be in Napoli later this year. It will be our 3rd day trip, coming from Salerno. The first year we were rained out after visiting the Museo Archeologico Nazionale. The second year we managed to walk from the station to Piazza Plebiscito with many stops along the way. So, we still have a lot to see. Now, if I could just talk my wife into staying a few days...

I love Napoli! I always stay at a B&B near the station (less than €50 per night with bath, breakfast and rooftop views of the city, PM me if you want the name); I figured out that the shopkeepers who sit outside their stores are actually keeping an eye on me. I also travel solo.

Roberto's recommendations are spot on. If you have time, a daytrip to an island - Procida and Ischia are my favorites - will give you some quiet time, and the approsch to Napoli by sea is beautiful.

For a single woman, the advice to avoid the Spanish Quarter at night is undoubtedly good. However, for the couples out there: my husband and I (in our mid 60s) rented an apartment in the Spanish Quarter the last time we were in Naples and it was fine (my husband would say wonderful). The street life was endlessly intriguing.

Three years ago we also stayed near the station at Hotel Cavour near Piazza Garibaldi. We were in our middle 60s at the time and we felt perfectly safe, although we usually returned to our hotel before dark. While it's true Piazza Garibaldi has a certain reputation, no matter where we travel we should always be aware of our surroundings. We stayed there for three nights and chose that location for the convenience. Our hotel served breakfast, had a restaurant where we ate our dinner, and our room had a terrace with a great view. We had no problem staying in that area.

To Robertos' list I will add Capella Sansevero, Xmas alley,and on the outskirts of Naples...
Reggio Caserta (rivals Versailles) The medieval town above it Caserta Vecchia. Capua for its' Amphitheater,
Pozzuoli with its quaint docks and harbor, The Greek temple across the road and Cuma, home of the sibyls.

Be sure to look at the Campania Artecard. Though the site is somewhat difficult, it has a wealth of information.

Great list guys! Thank you so much for the information, including names for places to say etc. I did manage to track down Xmas alley and had a blast and begun my nativity scene that now stays out year round :) Also comforting to hear of other solo ladies who have stayed in Naples with no trouble. My first trip, I actually wandered into one of the areas listed as a "no-no" by the train station. It didn't take me long to figure out to get the heck out of there. Between the obviously bootlegged merchandise being sold and the otherwise shadiness, It was safe to say to get out of there, even though I was not approached by anyone. I was just curious to see what else was out there, past where I did go on Steve's list. I really do love this city, even with its edginess. What are your thoughts on the modern Pompei?

I mentioned San Domenico Maggiore. San Severo chapel is there.

But the Chapel entrance is around the block and is easy to miss