Naples

Cruise ships berth in the centre of Naples.

In downtown Naples, the cruise port is close to ATMs, places to eat, visitor-information kiosks and toilets. The city centre is a 10-minute walk from the cruise terminal.

From Naples Airport, the best option is the Naples Alibus Airport Bus, which goes straight to the ship every 20 minutes. En route to the port, it also calls at Naples Central Station.

Naples traffic can be chaotic, so leave generous time for journeys. The city's harbour is itself a key place to visit, combining attractive scenery with many cafés and ice-cream parlours. Directly opposite are Piazza del Municipio, its striking Castel Nuovo and Naples city centre.

Download a printable map for your visit.

Naples, or Napoli in Campania, ranks among Italy's most beautiful cities. Its broad bay gives attractive views towards Capri and the Ischia Islands. Although perhaps not as delightful as Rome or Florence, the city still deserves a place on any list of Italian destinations not to miss.

Naples is also surprisingly manageable on foot. Points of interest appear on almost every corner, and most distances are short enough to cover within minutes, especially through the historic centre.

Parts of Naples can feel a little “rough” around the edges. Keep possessions secure because pickpockets here are extremely accomplished.

Naples has Hop-on Hop-off buses whose pick-up point is only a 5-minute walk from the cruise terminal, on the left side of Castel Nuovo. Some buses have an uncovered upper deck, so choose clothing to suit the conditions.

Trains run to Ercolano, Pompeii and Sorrento. For Pompei, SITA bus 5001 also leaves in front of the terminal and takes 45 minutes.

Fast ferries from Beverello reach Sorrento in a 40-minute crossing; the ferry terminal is only 100 metres from the cruise berths. A one-way ticket is 12.30 Euro. On arrival, the bus into central Sorrento costs 1 Euro. From a nearby station, very frequent trains take 1 hour back to Naples for 4.10 Euro and stop at Pompeii. At Naples Garibaldi station, use the bus while watching your possessions, or take a taxi to the port.

A new metro station near the cruise terminal opened in 2015, providing useful links to the National Museum and main railway station. Tickets cost Euro 1.50 and remain valid for an hour, with trains every 10 minutes. For Stazione Centrale di Napoli, alight at Piazza Garibaldi.

Pompeii opens daily from 8:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. and is this part of Italy's foremost historic site. Once a thriving city of 20,000 people, it was buried by Vesuvius's eruption in A.D. 79 for some 1,700-plus years. Excavation led to its rediscovery in the mid-18th century, and visitors can now follow the streets of the doomed ancient settlement.

Vesuvius is the only volcano on mainland Europe to have erupted in the past hundred years, although it is not erupting now. Italy's two other volcanoes, Etna and Stromboli, stand on islands. Vesuvius rises on the Bay of Naples coast, about nine kilometres, or six miles, east of Naples and close to the shoreline. Viewed from the sea, it dominates the bay's attractive landscape with Naples before it.

Capri, Ischia and Sorrento are each a short voyage away, with ferries for Capri departing beside the cruise ship. Some boats take 75 minutes, while some very fast hydrofoils complete the journey in 40 minutes. Capri is a small Italian island 5 km from the mainland in the Bay of Naples and has been a renowned beauty spot and seaside resort since the Roman Republic. Check current Timetables.

Shopping is a favourite Naples pastime, and the principal retail district is a fairly easy 10-minute walk from Stazione Maritima. Continue beyond Castel Nuovo to Via Chiaia, a largely pedestrianised street of shops and bars and the city's favourite place to browse. On either side, countless characterful alleys and picturesque squares invite exploration.

Galleria Umberto I is an extensive covered shopping space comparable to Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

For lunch or dinner overlooking the water, head west and follow the waterfront to Via Riviera di Chiara, where numerous outdoor cafés are heated in cold weather.

Remember the city's defining equation: Napoli=Pizza!

The currency is the Euro.

Many cafés provide customers with free WiFi, particularly near the main railway station. Most larger cafés also include free WiFi.

The emergency number is 112.

Most Italian shops and businesses trade Monday to Saturday from roughly 8am to 1pm and again from about 4pm to 7pm. Many close on Saturday afternoons and Monday mornings, while southern opening and closing times can be an hour later. Some northern firms keep a 9am-5pm schedule for international business. Traditionally, only bars and restaurants open on Sunday, though most towns have a pasticceria trading in the morning, and Sunday opening is becoming more usual in large cities and tourist districts.