Naples (ITA: Napoli) is the capital of Campania region and the third most populous city in Italy. Founded by the Greeks sometimes between the 7th and 6th century BC, Naples now boasts one of the biggest historical city centers in the world. With all its 448 historical churches, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

When we told family and friends that we’d be staying in Naples for a while – as we explore Pompeii and Herculanum – , everyone seem to have at least one idea on how to stay safe while we traveled. Yes, the city is filthy and it does have its connections with the Mafia…both not making it very appealing. But we didn’t find it to be unsafe.

How to get to

Naples is served by an airport, which gets quite a lot of flights from other European countries. Also, the airport is located very close to the city and is easily reachable via a bus.

Another good idea is to travel by train from another Italian city. It is located only 1h 10 min by fast train from Rome or 3h on the regional train.

What to do

Naples is known for three things: it is the gateway to the famous Pompeii, it is the birthplace of pizza and also the hub from where you set out to explore Amalfi Coast.

Find a place to stay in the historical center and you will only need to use public transportation when you get to/from the airport and the historical sites. Otherwise, everything is within walking distance.

Within the historical center you will find Napoli Sotterranea, which is the ancient aqueduct and can only be visited as part of a guided tour. Then just explore the small streets dotted with pizzerias and a variety of shops. The rule of thumb is to look for the longest queue , ideally with locals and that’s where the best pizza will be.

Don’t forget to check out the many churches – all of them are free to visit! – and stop by the piazzas to do some people watching and just relax.

Castel dell’Ovo and Castelnuovo (Maschio Angioino) are also interesting places to see. The latter is the medieval castle which now houses the city museum.

If time allows visit the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (National Archaeological Museum), which happens to be the biggest roman architectural museum in the world and contains paintings and objects which were removed from Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as other historical sites in the area.

Of course, make sure to plan a day trip (or two) to visit the very interesting Pompeii and Herculaneum, easily reachable via Circumvesuviana. And while you are at it, consider climbing Vesuvius – or taking a bus ride on it!

Amalfi Coast is a vacation destination in itself , but if you have only limited time on your hands you can do a day trip to Sorrento. And if you want to make it special, skip the train and take the ferry.

We spent only two days in Naples and barely scratched the surface. But we do want to go back for more as we really want to hike the Vesuvius.

Have you been to Naples ? If so, what did you like? If not, would you consider going?