downer

We have 10 days in Rome (woohoo!) and we were wondering whether to follow the Fodor's 3-day itinerary for Naples & environs, or just hit up the side trips off of Rome? Obviously, it would be simpler from a hotel-booking stand point. It's bad enough having to email dozens of places without being sure...

PalenQ

3 days in Sorrento would be great but i'd rather not stay in gritty Naples

Sorrento is a perfect base for nearby Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius climb, the Amalfi Coast and nearby islands like Capri and Ischia - i'd skip Naples completely with only 3 days

kja

Hi, downer -

I thoroughly enjoyed Naples and would think that 3 days there would give you time to see some of its treasures. But whether to go or not depends on what you want to see and experience!

Enjoy!

zeppole

I plan to spend at least 3 days or more in Napoli in the next few months, so obviously opinions vary!

I'm very interested in Italian culture, ancient, baroque and contemporary, this will be my second visit to Napoli, and I will spend more than one day at Pompeii, and the rest of my time in touring underground Napoli and museums and churches. I will probably also visit Ischia, and maybe Sorrento, although I've worried about reports of lots and lots of tour bus groups, especially near the waterfront.

I think if you have never been to Roma, however, you would have a delightful time spending 10 days there with a few side trips.

PalenQ

I have spent several days on a few occasions in naples itself and i find it one of Europe's most fascinating cities - the kind of old-world look that more scrubbed and gussied up cities had when i first went to Europe in 1969

And talk about churches - an unGodly number and people actually go to them

I took a day trip to Naples from Rome two years ago on a Sunday and the churches around the town center were packed - young girls dressed up so cute, etc.

I'm sure that you will, like i, see this church mania as some kind of primitive thing based on your past postings i believe but it was fun seeing old-time religion

That said the city even then had garbage and litter everywhere and this was before the current garbage crisis where garbage periodically mounts everywhere and then there is also the street crime problem that got so bad troops were deployed in last year to help out.

The typical tourist i believe will much more like Pompeii, Sorrento as a clean safe base, Capri, Amalfi, etc.

Fra_Diavolo

Definitely worth they three days and strongly suggest you stay in Naples.

downer

Hi all! Thanks. Right now, I'm thinking about basically staying in/around Rome and really soaking it in. My basic idea was that of all cities in Europe, Rome would keep us most occupied...

What's steering me away from Naples & Pompeii, actually, is that on our last Europe trip, we spent 3 weeks in Greece - loved every bit of it, but I think I need to 'save up' some ancient ruins for some time later. I know I'll be back again...I'm going to do some research on the Amalfi Coast this evening, but I think I can probably make a decent Southern Italy trip with Gargano Peninsula, Matera, Positano and ending up in Naples. Thoughts?

Dayle

downer,

If you do decide to stay in Rome the 10 days and do a couple of day trips, I visited Tivoli (Hadrian's Villa and Villa d'Este) and really enjoyed both. I don't know how anyone could not just love the fountains at Villa d'Este. A delightful treat.

Also, you could do Orvieto easily as a full day trip (1 hr by train). We stayed 3 nts and really loved the town. Much to see and do and a wonderful combination of ancient and modern day life.

Buon viaggio!

treble

We just got back from Naples, and 3 nights would be well spent there, we loved Rome for a week, and did one side trip to Tivoli. Capri was gorgeous, don't miss it. Take the underground tour in Naples...unless you are claustrophobic. Eat the best pizza, go to churches and museums. Sightsee in the city, go to Mt. Vesuvius. You don't have to go to Pompeii, there are still sights (in Naples) to see other than ruins. btw--If you don't want more ruins only go to Ville d'este, the other villa in Tivoli is ....ruins, of course.

Castellanese

Hi Downer,

You should consider Naples not only because of its small but fascinating historic center but also because of its great food. I also think that 3 nights are OK if you focus on a few landmarks.

Based on my experience, I think that 4 nights on the Amalfi Coast are the minimum. You don't mention Capri, but I think it's as beautiful as the Amalfi Coast and spending a couple of nights there would be nice considering the island has a very different atmosphere when the daytrippers are gone.

Castellanese.

zeppole

There is a big difference between staying in Napoli and staying in the Amalfi Coast or Capri in terms of daytrips to other points of interest.

Napoli is as central as Roma to an extremely wide variety of experiences outside of Napoli. Basing yourself in an Amalfi town or island is a great opportunity to take a break from sightseeing, but if you like to sightsee, the logistics of getting from one place to another soak up time, and put some places almost off limits.

Since downer is already weary of tracking down hotel accommodations, I think that without a compelling urge to pull up stakes and decamp for Napoli or the Amalfi, day trips from a home base in Roma may make for the happier vacation for downer.

zeppole

Downer, I think your instinct to stay put is the one should follow. Napoli and its environs have a lot more history to offer than the Greek connections, but the areas within easy reach of Roma by train are fascinating.

Most day trips focus on heading north and east of Roma, but depending on the time of year, you might also research Latium and some islands like Ponza for something off the beaten track.

PalenQ

To me Sorrento is the perfect base for Naples area attractions rather than seedy Naples itself

buses to nearby Amalfi towns - ferries to Capri or Ischia - short train ride to Pompeii and a vibrant safe town to return to at night, when the streets are packed vs a Naples where you may have to watch where you go at night, etc. And even more a central base than Naples - i'd day trip to Naples from Sorrento

WebVisionItaly

Downer,

You do not sound like the 'typical' tourist. There is no more garbage in the Naples the city than any other. Some of the surrounding communities for sure, and that is slowly being dealt with.

You can easily reach Sorrento and Capri from Naples by hydro boat.

IMO, Naples is a great city worth visiting. I love Rome and I love Naples - they are both amazingly rich cities. The nice part of Naples is you can really let southern Italy sink in, different from Rome.

Naples is absolutely NOT ONLY about Pompeii and the other "ruins".

Naples is very much alive today and you'll love seeing the Galleria, eating the Campanian food, maybe see a opera at the most beautful opera house in the world, visit one of the greatest museums in the world, all the while looking up, you will have to pich yourself at the sight of Vesuvius and knowing you are in one of the this most beautful bays in the world!

See a nice introduction Campania video here:

http://www.webvisionitaly.com/catego...p;ref_item=104

PalenQ

I agree with all WebV says but still say Naples is a gritty city - i was there before the garbage crisis and there was litter all over the place.

Along the road along the sea there are huge billboards and when they scrape the old paper off it just piles up underneath - the whole road is terribly littered as a result

And that beautiful bay you are talking about it - good luck seeing it anywhere from the lower town

i walked along the road along the port - the road with trams trundling down it - and you never see the sea but just ugly deteriorating detritus of factories, docks, etc. I never did see the sea but maybe i did not go far enough towards Vesuvius

Naples a fascinating unique town but one that most Americans i know would not feel comfortable in - and this is not to mention the alleged pickpocket problem.

And the train station area seems especially seedy - on a Sunday there was a vast market everywhere - on all the streets - a fascinating old-world market with poor folk selling all kind of cheap junk. I wandered thru it and felt safe and all but there were many characters about that many Americans just would not feel comfortable around - right or wrong but that's my take.

kja

Hi again, downer -

> I think I can probably make a decent Southern Italy trip with Gargano Peninsula, Matera, Positano and ending up in Naples. Thoughts?

Yes - that would be a good plan. So it makes sense to focus on Rome for this trip if that's what you most want to do.

Hope that helps!

downer

Hi all...well. All these strong for /against opinions basically point to: one must go and see for oneself!

As of this moment, we're planning to make a day trip of it - early train out of Rome.

Does the 'Making the Most of Your Time' recommendation of the 'city sightseeing tour, starting near the port at Piazza Castello' make sense? I'm assuming we can always just take advantage of the route and tune out the 'cheese factor', if any.

Goldiept

Hi Downer,
I've been interested in your questions and answers since we plan to be in Italy (Rome and Amalfi/Naples areas) in November. You haven't said when you are going.

I've been reading some of the postings and it sounds like the weather will not be so great that part of the year.
It might influence your final decisions. We may change our plans just because of that issue too.

downer

Goldiept,

I use weather.com's travel forecast as I get closer to the actual travel dates...they don't have much 'accurate' info outside of the next 10 days, but the 'average' temperatures for Rome in November appear to be 60's daytime high....not bad. Looks like Nov. is their rainiest though...

PalenQ

I've spent a week or so the past few January in the Rome-Naples area and have had weather often in the low 60s or mid 50s and sun - so the weather may not be as bad as you think. And since there were so few tourists in Rome it was really to me nicer in some ways than summer. And i got hotels for about half or less of what i would have paid in summer IF i could get them - like 35 euros with breakfast and shower/toilet in the room a few blocks from Termini station.