10 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO NAPLES

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With this selection of tips for traveling to Naples We look forward to helping you organize your trip to one of the most historic and most beautiful areas of Italy. In addition to knowing the beautiful and sometimes controversial Naples, visiting this city implies making a trip to Pompeii and Herculaneum, two archaeological sites located in the region of Campania, in southern Italy, which were buried under the ashes after an impressive eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD

Based on our trip to Naples and Pompeii we leave you a list of what we believe are the 10 essential tips for traveling to Naples and Pompeii. We start!

1. What is the best time?

As happens in most areas of Italy, depending on the time in which you travel,

High season (July and August): despite being high season, due to the holidays, according to our experience this It is not the best time to travel to Naples and Pompeii, especially the latter due to high temperatures. In addition, it must be remembered that in Naples many stores close because there are also vacations for locals.
Mid season (April to June / September and October): during these months it is usually good weather but not the heat of the months of July and August, so you can enjoy the visit to Naples and Pompeii in a much quieter way.
Low season (November to March): these are the least crowded months and therefore, the ones with the most adjusted prices for accommodation and flights. Do not forget that in some areas you can find shops and closed stores.

In case you are going to make your trip to Naples in high season, it is important to book flights and accommodation in advance to have more options and find more adjusted prices.

2. Entry requirements

If you are a Spanish citizen or of the European Union (EU) you can travel to Naples only with your ID or passport. For the rest of the nationalities we recommend you check the embassy website where you can find all the entry requirements.
In addition to this documentation, it is important to have the European Health Card so that if necessary, they attend you at any public hospital. In case you want to have the best medical care and repatriation, we always recommend the best travel insurance for Europe.

We always travel insured with Mondo, with whom we carry a totally adequate insurance to the needs that we will have on the trip. Hiring your insurance here with Mondo, just for being a Street Travelers reader, you have a 5% discount.

3. Security

Traveling to Naples is totally safe despite what you can imagine or have read. Due to its bad reputation there are few travelers who discard Naples as a destination, something we assure you is a mistake.
Regardless of this, it is important to act with responsibility and common sense and not leave valuables unattended, especially in crowded areas or crowds. In addition to this, in cafeterias or terraces, it is convenient not to leave the bag or mobile phone in sight and in the archaeological zones do not hire any guide without first checking that it is official.

In addition to these recommendations, it is important to carry a copy of your personal documentation such as ID, passport or insurance policy, in the cloud so that in case of theft or loss, you can perform any procedure faster.

Tips for traveling to Naples

4. How to start the trip to Naples?

The first and most important thing before traveling to Naples is to look for flights. In this case you can choose to fly directly to Naples or fly to Rome, usually cheaper, and get to Naples by train (1: 15h to 2: 30h depending on the train) or rent a car (Naples is 3 hours by car from Rome).
We recommend using this flight search engine, this train search engine and this car rental search engine to make the journey from your hometown to Naples.
See more information in the post How to go from Rome to Naples.

The next step is to find accommodation in Naples. Although there are different areas to stay in, we recommend you choose the area around the Plaza del Plebiscito or around the Central Station if you are going to travel. We stayed at the UNA Hotel Napoli and it was a total success. The hotel has a perfect quality / price ratio, excellent staff and rooms and an amazing breakfast served on a terrace with unique views of the city.

Once you have these reservations, we recommend you check out the best tours and excursions in Naples to be able to choose the ones that best suit your needs and your trip and thus not run out of seats.
You can check and book all excursions to Naples here.

Naples

5. Route through Naples

The first thing you should keep in mind when travel to Naples It is that the city can be visited in 2-3 days to which we recommend you add a day to make a trip to Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day, two archaeological sites that are two unique and essential places.
Keeping this in mind, to make a trip to Naples and Pompeii In addition to a visit to Herculaneum and even Vesuvius, we recommend you have at least 3 full days plus the days of transfers.

Among the places to see in Naples essential you can not miss:

Spaccanapoli (Naples Old Town)
Basilica and the Convent of Santa Clara
Naples Cathedral
Plebiscite Square
Castel dell'Ovo
Naples Underground
Umberto I Gallery
Spanish neighborhood

You can find much more information about these places in the post 10 places to visit in Naples essential and in case you want to know the city much better we recommend you book this Free Tour of Naples in Spanish or use the tourist bus to forget about transport in the city.

6. Pompeii

Located in southern Italy, just 25 kilometers from Naples, Pompeii went down in history in 79 A.D., after being buried next to Herculaneum, by the ashes of the eruption of Vesuvius volcano.
Although excavation work did not start relatively recently, today we can say that approximately 60% of the total is already unearthed, among which buildings and magnificent frescoes, which have made Pompeii one of the most important Amazing places to see in Italy.
Among the most important places in Pompeii are:

Faun's House
Apollo Temple
Villa of the Mysteries
Forum
The Lupanar
Terme Sabiane
Big and Small Theater
Amphitheater
Orto dei Fuggiaschi

Do not forget to read the post 10 places to see in Pompeii to have all the information about the places you should not miss and the post How to go from Naples to Pompeii to have all the data to make this journey.
To save you the long lines that form in the access, book this priority ticket to Pompeii with which you will save a lot of time.

Pompeii

Our recommendation is visit Pompeii and Herculaneum in the same day, visiting the latter first. Although both visits can be done perfectly for free, if you want to forget about transport and especially, to know the incredible history of these cities buried by ash, it is highly recommended to book this excursion to Pompeii by bus or this offer from Pompeii and Vesuvius by bus .

7. Herculaneum

Next to Pompeii, Herculaneum was the city that was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Despite being less visited than its famous neighbor, for us it is an essential visit, which together with Pompeii, allows you to know much better the reality of this dramatic episode.
Despite receiving all the strength of the volcano, being closer than Pompeii, Herculaneum is better preserved and in it you can find many buildings in which the two floors are still preserved and even, as in Pompeii, see some of the frescoes and mosaics that adorned them, in addition to hot springs and taverns, which in an incredible way, remain practically as they were.
To save you the long lines that form in the access, book this priority ticket to Herculaneum with which you will save a lot of time.

To get to Herculaneum from Naples you must go to the Stazione Circumvesuviana, which connects the city with Herculaneum and Pompeii and also with Sorrento, on the Amalfi Coast, and take the Circumvesuviana line to the Ercolano scavi station. The journey takes approximately 20 minutes.
Another option, much more comfortable and with which you can learn the whole history of this incredible place is to book this excursion to Herculaneum with a guide in Spanish.

Herculaneum

8. Vesuvius

Located less than 10 kilometers from Naples, Mount Vesuvius is another of the great essentials to visit when traveling to Naples due to its interest, the breathtaking views of the Bay of Naples and the Amalfi Coast, from more than 1000 meters high , and especially for its famous eruption of 79 AD, which buried Pompeii and Herculaneum under ashes.
If you want to make this visit you can opt for the following alternatives:

Car
Public transport: remember that the bus will take you to the base of the volcano, although the last section, which is also the hardest, you will have to do on foot. The visit can be combined with Pompeii, although in this case it is highly recommended to start very early to have time and in summer, to avoid the hottest hours.
Excursion: this is the most comfortable option, with which you will be picked up at the hotel and you will also have a guide in Spanish. You can book a bus tour with a guide in Spanish here or this or this offer of Pompeii and Vesuvius by bus

Vesuvius

9. Amalfi Coast

Facing the Tyrrhenian Sea south of Naples, the Amalfi Coast is one of the most demanded destinations by travelers from around the world. Although this destination can be visited as a unique getaway, if you have several extra days when traveling to Naples, ending the trip here may be the perfect icing.
With picturesque villages between cliffs, hidden coves and landscapes of infarction, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Ravello or the island of Capri, are just some of the places you can not miss in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Although the traffic, the amount of curves and the driving of the Italians, are reasons to forget the car on the Amalfi Coast, you can continue to reach the area by public transport by taking the train from Naples to Sorrento and from there take excursions by bus or Ferry through the different towns and islands.

Another alternative, if you do not want to complicate yourself with transportation, is to book a bus tour with a guide in Spanish:

Book excursion to Pompeii and Sorrento in Spanish here
Book excursion to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast here
Book Capri boat trip here
Book excursion to the Amalfi Coast here
Book excursion to Amalfi here

Amalfi Coast

10. Neapolitan gastronomy

Although we know that it is impossible to summarize in a few lines everything that means and includes Neapolitan cuisine, we want to leave you a selection of dishes that we believe, you can not miss the travel to Naples so that your experience is as complete as possible.

Neapolitan Pizza: they say it is the best pizza in the world. They have two specialties: the margarita, with tomato, basil and oil; and the seafood, with tomato, garlic and oregano and oil.
Spaguetti Alle Vongole: pasta that is accompanied by clams and spices.
Ragú: tomato sauce and red wine that is usually served with pasta.
Sfogliatelle Neapolitan: puff pastry with different fillings.
Neapolitan baba: sweet typical of Naples that you can not miss.

Recommended restaurants in Naples

Michele's pizzeria: this is the best known pizzeria in Naples and possibly in Italy. They only serve margarita and marinara pizzas, but we assure you that they are a real delicacy. The price of the pizzas is 4 euros. Yes, yes, you read correctly, 4 euros each pizza.
Pompeii: if you make this visit after Herculaneum, think that in Pompeii you can find, very close to the Forum, a restaurant / cafeteria where there are drinks, meals, ice cream ...
But if you are looking for water, you will find several sources of drinking water where you can refill the bottles of cool water.

Michele Pizzeria

More tips for traveling to Naples

Other of the best tips for traveling to Naples and Pompeii They are:

If you want to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day, we recommend you go to Herculaneum early in the morning to make the visit in 2-3 hours, saving you the busiest hours of people in Pompeii. The visit to Pompeii can be done after eating, when there are fewer people and the sun starts to go down. Remember that this visit will take you about 4-5 hours and it is from 5 in the afternoon, when all the organized groups begin to leave the premises and Pompeii is only for those who want to enjoy the sunset in the ruins.
We have read that if you do not have much time, it is best to opt for the Herculaneum visit, since it is better preserved than Pompeii. Although in some ways this is so, under our experience, we believe that one visit complements the other, so whenever you can, it is highly recommended to visit both archaeological sites.
If you are going to visit Herculaneum and / or Pompeii in summer time, we recommend you bring a cap, fan, water and sun protection. Think that there are very few places with shadows, practically none, so going well protected is essential.
If you are going to travel to Naples a few days, it is more advisable to fly to the city, even if it is more expensive, than not to fly to Rome.
Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot. You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
In Italy the voltage is 230V, the frequency 50Hz and the plugs are type F / L.

Do you want to organize this trip to Naples and Pompeii in 4 days for free?
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Another possibility to fly to Rome (cheaper) and get to Naples by train (1: 15h to 2: 30h depending on train) or rent a car (Naples is 3 hours by car from Rome)
The best offers of Flights to Rome here
The best hotels at the best prices in Naples here
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How to get from Naples airport to downtown
Rent your car to travel around Naples at the best price here
The best free tours in Naples for free in Spanish
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