I was in Caserta last year for two nights and planned to go again last month for a night, but a train strike messed up that plan. Here’s what I wrote. To save your knees, do the golf cart ride. He took us out to the end of the expansive gardens and also routed us through some of the forested sections along the side that have sculptures there, too.
The faster Trenitalia Frecciarossa trains will get you from Caserta to Roma Termini in one hour.
A 1-hr train to - Caserta
Thank you so much, Marcia, for mentioning Caserta in the forum early this year! As I departed the train, I was standing in front of the expansive Reggia di Caserta, the royal palace of the Naples Kings.
I chose an early entry time to be able to see the gorgeous Court Theatre. Everyone had to stand in a line, and they brought us in by small groups. The entire group was Italian except for a few Asian ladies. The moderator asked them “speak English?” to hand them a laminated translated sheet. When I stood up and said I speak English, he was suddenly very excited when he found out I was from the US. The conversation was all in Italian, but I could catch that he has a relative who works at Boeing in the Pacific NW.
Royal Apartments - each room had spectacular ceilings, a variety of huge chandeliers, and beautiful furnishings. It was all very grand & lovely to enjoy.
The garden was massive! I walked some of the long garden the first day. There’s also the option of shuttle buses, golf carts, or you can rent bikes.
Basilico Pizzeria Neopolitano - an amazing Regina pizza! Buffalo mozzarella cheese, fresh, sweet Marzano tomato sauce, olive oil and fresh basil. An absolutely perfect crust - wow!
My little Royal Gardens Hotel (more like a B&B) gave me a voucher for breakfast at a nearby bar - the typical spot to stop in for a morning espresso. As I walked around the corner there was the bar, packed! Oh no, I know what’s coming. Everyone standing up at a noisy counter where the tiny ceramic cups & saucers of espresso are served in quick succession. And a line? Ha! Okay, jump in for my first trial by fire - LOL! I received an excellent espresso & cornetto by the way! She gave me a break and motioned she would bring it to me at an outdoor table.
With Sunday morning open, I can only say I was led because checking one night at home to see on Google if there’s an “English-speaking Christian church in Caserta” is still unthinkable to me! Well, turns out there IS one here because of the US Naval base in Naples. What a fantastic worship service, and they live “making you immediately feel like family” - so glad I could worship with them this morning!
Golf cart for €10 gave much more than a ride to the top of the fountains that are at the far end of the garden two miles away. It also drove us into the side forests on paths where there were occasional sculptures even there!
Definitely go out to the end! The views and photo opportunities along the stops were beautiful! I brought my small sketchpad along, too.
I stayed at the little Royal Gardens Hotel that has a few rooms. The host was very nice! It’s on the side street that borders the palace, so my little balcony opened to that view of a tiny garden & the palace. There’s a lot of activity, so don’t expect a serene, quiet balcony scene.
