Naples is a major Italian city with a nearly 3,000 year old history, a rich gastronomical culture and very friendly people.

By far, one of the best experiences that you can have in Naples is eating the delicious Neapolitan pizza. Even UNESCO recognized the value of the Neapolitan art of pizza making; inscribing it in the intangible cultural heritage list.

Naples is easy to reach as it has an international airport, several train stations that connect the city to the rest of Italy and even a seaport with ferries that will take you to the surrounding areas.

Food in Naples

Undoubtedly, the food experience will be the highlight of a visit to Naples. The Neapolitan pizza, fresh seafood and pasta flavored with local spices will be something that you’ll continue to talk about to your friends and family at future gatherings. You may never want to eat a pizza from a chain restaurant again, instead longing for that Neapolitan style that still rests on your palate long after you’ve returned home.

Some of our top gastronomical recommendations are:

Pescheria Azzurra - This is a seafood market that also doubles as a restaurant. Apart from the amazing and fresh seafood (it is a seafood market after all), you will occasionally see some of the staff and local patrons spontaneously break out into song as the crowd cheers them on.

Tandem Ragu - This restaurant was recommended by our AirBnB host, a Neapolitan local, who admitted to us that the sauce that Tandem uses was better than her own mother’s sauce! True to her word, this restaurant did not disappoint, as it features many delicious pasta recipes as well as vegan and gluten free options. Tandem has about 5 locations throughout the city of Naples so if one restaurant is too full, you can always head to another location.

A Figlia d’o Marenaro - This is a high end seafood restaurant that is mostly frequented by locals. Of course, the seafood itself is amazing but the innovative presentation of dishes is something that will catch your attention.

Pizzeria Pellone - This was the best pizza that we had in Naples, with its perfectly cooked crust and cheese, and it was also the most filling. We ate here on our last night in Naples and were so full from just one amazing pizza (each person) that we didn’t eat anything else for the next 18 hours. If you happen to be waiting in line (typical for a weekend), then you can buy an appetizer from the restaurant’s kiosk while you wait.

Antica Pizza Fritta da Zia Esterina - This is a grab and go kind of pizza shop where you can order a pizza and they will fold it up so that you can eat it like a sandwich while you continue site seeing. The unique thing about this pizza shop is that they also serve fried pizza, which was every bit as delicious as it sounds.

Gino e Toto Sorbillo - This is a world famous pizza restaurant that has been featured in the prestigious Michelin Guide 2019 as well as Lonely Planet. Its reputation is so widespread that on Friday nights and weekends, you will see huge crowds of people as well as 2 lines/queues wrapped around the block of people waiting to get inside.

Savvy Traveler Tips about the Lines/Queues

If you are walking around town and looking for something to eat, you may notice long lines/queues at some restaurants. Although the restaurant may be popular, don’t be fooled into thinking that this is the reason for the long line/queue. In Naples, locals do not stand in line/queue for restaurants. Rather, they know to walk up to the hostess at the front and put their name on the list and wait to be called when a table is ready. The people that you see crowded at the front of the restaurant are locals who are waiting for a table. However, the people that you see lined up/queued up are the tourists who don’t know any better.

This happened to us at a famous pizzeria called Gino e Totto Sorbillo, which has been featured in Michelin Guide 2019 and Lonely Planet as well other publications. We stood in line for 3 hours only to get to the front of the queue and be told that we had to put our name on the list! As we got closer to the front, we noticed that locals would skip ahead of us. I thought this was some kind of misunderstanding until I observed several locals walk up to the front, put their name on the list and be called within 15-20 minutes. The next time we went to a crowded restaurant we did as the locals did and waited no longer than 15-20 minutes for a table while the same poor souls whom we observed standing in line were still in queue after we had finished our meal and left the restaurant.

Places of Interest

Royal Palace of Naples - This is one of the palaces that served as a residence and administrative headquarters of the Kingdom of Naples. It is now a museum that features gardens overlooking the Bay of Naples as well as views of the plaza and street below.

San Francesco di Paola - This basilica is located across from the Royal Palace and resembles the Roman Pantheon inside. Upon entering, you’ll note the circular space which is decorated by statues of saints and large columns with the ceiling capped by a dome.

Castel dell’Ovo - This is a large castle located near the port of Naples with a long history that dates back to Roman times. The castle is open to the public and some rooms inside the castle can even be used for conferences and meetings. You might even see a newlywed couple having their photos taken in front.

Naples Cathedral - Also known as the Cathedral of San Gennaro, this is the most important cathedral in Naples as it houses the tombs of Saint Januarius (the patron saint of Naples), a former pope and other historical figures.

National Archaeological Museum - This museum is famous for its many artifacts from Greek and Roman antiquity.

Daytrips

Because of its location, Naples also serves as the perfect base for exploring the surrounding areas of Pompeii and Caserta, as well as the nearby islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida.

Pompeii was an ancient city that was destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD/CE. The Archaeological Park of Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is just a short 3 minute walk from the train station. In fact, when you arrive at the train station in Pompeii, you will see a tourist information center right as you exit the train station, where they will provide you with maps, information on excursions, transportation and any other information related to your visit in Pompeii free of charge.

The archaeological ruins of Pompeii are a massive complex, and you may find it difficult to walk and see the entire area in a day. As you walk through the ancient city, you will be marveled by the remains of such grandiose plazas, amphitheaters, temples, villas, restaurants, statues and even human remains frozen in time by volcanic ash. Huge columns, cobblestone streets and buildings are all flanked by wild rosemary bushes, olive trees, and an imposing Mount Vesuvius.

Some of the murals and floor tiles at various villas and temples are incredibly well preserved and you can see every color and detail in them. The Lupanar, which are the well preserved ruins of a brothel, even have paintings on the walls depicting various sexual positions that were once available for hire.

Located just an hour train ride outside of Naples, the Royal Palace of Caserta is the world’s largest palace by volume and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built by the kings of Naples in the 18th century in order to rival their relatives who had built the Palace of Versailles, it is considered to be the ultimate expression of Baroque architecture and you will need a full day or more in order to see the palace, park and gardens.

Inside the palace you will be amazed by the multitude of Baroque artwork, tapestry, chandeliers, paintings on the ceilings, statues and ornate furniture and living quarters.

Once you are done exploring the palace, save some time to roam around the park and gardens. In fact, the park and gardens are so big that the palace actually offers a tram service to help you move around the park. As you walk around the park, you will come across secret passages, waterfalls, beautiful fountains, statues, ponds, lagoons and botanical gardens.

Restaurant Recommendations

Just in case you get hungry after touring the palace and gardens, we recommend you try the following:

Nello Pizzeria - Just a short walk from the palace, you will find this little pizza shop which serves delicious Neapolitan style pizza made with D.O.C. cheese (Mozzarella di Bufala) at very reasonable prices. The staff are incredibly welcoming and friendly. In fact, one of the patrons who walked in even introduced himself to our table and struck up a conversation, even though we didn’t speak Italian.

Ristorante PepeNero - This is an awesome restaurant that is frequented by locals and tourists alike. It’s very spacious inside so there is minimal wait time and the food is excellent. The environment looks fancy although price wise, it is within the mid range budget.

Helpful Tips For Your Visit

Arrival/Getting There

From Naples, you can visit Pompeii by taking the train from Garibaldi station to Pompei Scavi station.

From Naples, you can also visit the Royal Palace of Caserta by taking the train from Piazza Cavour to Caserta station.

You can find more information on train schedules at https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html.

If you wish to visit the islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida, or you wish to visit Sorrento, you can purchase a ferry ticket at the main port of Beverello.

You can find more information on ferries at:

SNAV: https://www.snav.it/en/

Allilauro: http://www.alilauro.it/en

NLG: https://www.navlib.it/en/

Getting Around

Walking - Naples is easy to walk around, although you should be warned. In the downtown area, you may come across broken glass, garbage on the streets and dog poop so be careful where you step.

Taxi - Taxis are widely available in Naples but this will be the most expensive form of transportation.

Trains/Metros - The entire city is connected by several train and metro stations and this will be one of the more affordable options for getting around the city. You will find them by looking for a sign with a red letter “M”.

You can find more information on train schedules at https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html.

Bus - Although widely available, we did not use this form of transportation so we cannot comment on it.

Ferries - You can hire ferries to take daytrips to the surrounding islands and coastal areas.

You can find more information on ferries at:

SNAV: https://www.snav.it/en/

Allilauro: http://www.alilauro.it/en

NLG: https://www.navlib.it/en/

Language

The official language is Italian, but the Neapolitan dialect is quite distinct from the standard Italian which is based on the northern dialect. In fact, it is not uncommon for people to say that they speak “Neapolitan” as well as Italian.

English is spoken at the tourist centers such as the information booths, train stations, airport, hotels, etc. but most people that we encountered in the city do not speak much English (or at the very least, they give the impression of not being able to communicate in English). This is especially true of people who are middle aged and older.

Scams

One of the unfortunate things about Naples is the propensity for scams on tourists and even Italian compatriots from other parts of the country. Below are some typical scams to look out for while visiting Naples.

Shop/Restaurant Prices – Many low and mid-tier restaurants or shops will only accept cash or coins. Prices will typically not be displayed and when you ask how much something costs you will get a different answer depending on your tourist profile so budget accordingly.

If you are deemed to be from a wealthy English-speaking country, expect to be charged the highest prices. If you are Italian but from outside of Campania (and especially from the northern provinces), you will pay slightly lower prices as compared to the latter. If you are a local, then you will pay the lowest prices.

We actually experienced this during our most recent trip when we purchased two sandwiches from a shop located just across the street from Piazza Cavour train station. Those two sandwiches cost us 7 Euros. As we sat down to eat our sandwiches, an Italian girl with a northern dialect walked in and ordered the exact same thing as us. She payed 5 Euro. Shortly after she left, a local walked in and ordered the exact same thing (these sandwiches were quite popular) and payed 3 Euro.

Another time this happened to us is when we ate at a popular pizza shop in downtown Naples. They charged us 5 Euros cash for 2 fried pizza. After we paid, they handed us the receipt and it read 4 Euros.

Change – Very few merchants and service providers will claim to have any change if you pay with a note that is over 20 Euros. In some cases, even a 20 Euro note is too much for them to produce change. This is usually a complete fabrication, where they are hoping that you will just give them the difference to avoid a tense situation. Our best advice is to carry plenty of small bills and coins to be able to pay most small merchants and taxi drivers.

Taxis – Most taxi drivers will not charge you what the meter reads. They will claim that there is a “special fee” that has to be paid to the airport (if you are driving to and from the airport) or in other cases they will insist on a flat fee. In very clever cases they will even say that the meter does not include the cost of the tip, which they call “mangiare” (tipping is not part of the Italian culture so insisting on a tip is a scam). And in many cases, no taxi driver will claim to understand English, so our best advice is to avoid taxis if possible and use the train to move around the city. Otherwise, be adamant about sticking to the meter and don’t feel bad about haggling just because the taxi driver is friendly (every taxi driver that we encountered was extremely charming and did an excellent job at guilt tripping).

Tipping/Gratuity – Tipping for services is not expected in Italy so if a merchant or service provider insists on a tip, then it is likely a scam.

Other – Being a major city, Naples is also subject to many scams that are common throughout the world such as pickpockets (especially at crowded places like train stations), bag slashing, counterfeit goods, etc.

Currency

The currency that they use is the Euro and many vendors and merchants will only accept cash. Credit cards are rarely accepted except for large, legitimate institutions such as name brand hotels, major stores, international chains and large, popular restaurants. As such, make sure to always carry cash and coins.

Weather

The weather is temperate, with very mild winters and hot summers. Temperatures generally will range from the low 40s – mid 60s Fahrenheit (4 – 18 Celsius) in the winter and autumn and from the low 70s – high 80s Fahrenheit (21 – 30 Celsius) in the spring and summer.

Accommodations

Hotels – Naples has every type of accommodation available ranging from budget and mid-tier hotels, international brands and luxury hotels.

AirBnB - AirBnB is widely available in Naples and in some cases can offer you the best choice in terms of location/proximity to important attractions. The tradeoff is that the residential buildings in downtown are very old and can seem a bit decayed. You will also have to contend with piles of garbage overflowing from the bins outside of the residential buildings which can be unsightly.

Hostels and Low Budget Hotels – Hostels are available throughout Naples with prices ranging from $18 - $70 per night depending on the time of year.

Other

Information Centers - If for any reason, you find yourself lost or need additional information, you can always visit the local information center which can be found at various booths throughout the city. The information center will usually appear as a booth with a cursive letter (i) on it. They usually have maps, bus schedules and information on excursions and activities which they will provide to you free of charge. Some information centers might even be able to sell you tickets for said excursions.

Garbage - The downtown area can seem really unsightly, as it is often littered with trash and dog poop. Sometimes you will find furniture, glass and litter all over the sidewalk.

Motorcycles - Many people in the city drive motorcycles and the way that they drive them may come as a shock to some. Motorcyclists will sometimes drive on the sidewalk in order to weave around cars and obstacles in the street. In one case, we even witnessed a motorcycle enter a small grocery store. The rider never got off the motorcycle nor did he turn the engine off. He simply paid for his groceries and then drove out of the store.

Cars - Cars in the downtown area will not generally stop for pedestrians crossing. Also, it’s not unusual to see people park their cars on the sidewalk.

Other - There is a notable dichotomy between the north and south of the country. In general, we observed people in Naples and the surrounding region to be shorter, with darker features (eyes, skin, hair) and thicker skeletons than their compatriots in the north. Perhaps this is a biased observation, but the people of Naples were aesthetically beautiful, with mixed features that reminded us of the many peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.