A few questions about Naples
Jan 3rd, 2003, 11:37 AM
#1
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A few questions about Naples
We will be spending our last night in Italy in Naples. We will arrive in Naples by noon but leave early the next morning on a 7:30 a.m. flight. Since we will be spending less than 24 hours in Naples, we did not want to splurge on an expensive hotel and decided on the Hotel Rex. <BR><BR>My questions are: <BR><BR>(1) How easy is it to get a taxi early in the morning (I assume we need to be at the airport 2 hours early) from Hotel Rex? <BR><BR>(2) How far is it from Hotel Rex to the airport?<BR><BR>(3) If you only had a day in Naples, what would you do??? Where would you eat?<BR><BR><BR>Thank you!<BR><BR>Laura <BR>
Jan 3rd, 2003, 12:06 PM
#2
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The thing that sticks in my mind most is a description I heard about Naples. <BR>They sais it was like going to a train wreck.<BR>On the other hand I would love to see the "Veiled Christ". It is an incredible sculpture that is in a church in Naples.
Jan 3rd, 2003, 12:13 PM
#3
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I enjoyed walking around Naples, but am not familiar with the Hotel Rex; however, I don't feel you should have any trouble getting a taxi. Just ask the hotel how much advanced time is needed. The Veiled Christ is wonderful. They have the greatest gold store it is called Prato and Sons (I think) and is close to the train station. They weigh the gold by the once. Most of the clientele are Italian. Stay out of the Spanish neighborhood. M.
Jan 3rd, 2003, 12:35 PM
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I would recommend the National Archeological Museum where the treasures of Pompeii and Herculaneum are kept. My impression of this museum is that the treasures are unbelievable, but the building has huge cracks in the marble floor, the exhibits are poorly lit with hand pencilled descriptions, marble staircases have decades of dirty patina - I doubt they've ever been cleaned. That's one of the reasons I loved the museum - it is totally like Naples itself - incredibly rich in treasures, dirty, shabby, and in your face. <BR><BR>Getting a cab shouldn't be an issue if you're in a square - last month, we had about 15 guys yelling at us and at each other vying for the job of taking us to Sorrento. In general, Naples is a "difficult" city, and I would perhaps have the hotel hire a reputable driver to take you to two or three sites, wait for you, and return you to your hotel. Have fun.
Jan 3rd, 2003, 01:00 PM
#5
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1. Reserve taxi from Hotel Rex the evening of your arrival. <BR>2. Distance approx. 5 miles. Fare approx. 25 Euros. Travel time under 20 minutes (by Neapolitan cabbies, fasten your seatbelt!)<BR>3. Museo Archeologico, Spaccanapoli District, Cathedral of San Gennaro, Veiled Christ, St. Clare's Cloister, Piazza Municipio and Maschio Angioino Castle (symbol of the City), Bourbon Royal Palace in Piazza Plebiscito (Palazzo Reale).<BR>4. After dinner, walk along Via Partenope and Via Caracciolo towards Mergellina, then turn back same way to the hotel (which is around the corner form the Hotel Excelsior).
Jan 3rd, 2003, 01:04 PM
#6
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Dinner at one of the restaurants in the Borgo Marinaro District by Castel dell'Ovo (across Via Partenope from the Hotel Vesuvio where Hillary dined in the rooftop restaurant). Five minutes on foot from Hotel Rex. After dinner, you can walk along Via Partenope and Via Caracciolo towards Mergellina, with fine night views of the coastline and (returning to the hotel), Mt. Vesuvius. Lots of people walk this promenade in the evenings, so its safe.
Jan 3rd, 2003, 02:06 PM
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The Spanish Quarters is the district in-between Via Toledo/Via Roma and the Vomero Hill, originally built to house the Spanish garrison during the period of Spanish occupation of Naples. Now, it is a generally poor area with lots of atmosphere during the day, and rather creepy (and dangerous) at night. Alleyways are narrow and dark, with little if any sunlight. It's fine to explore parts of this neighborhood in daylight when shops are open, but the area should be avoided at night and during daylight when shops are closed. The two central funiculars to the Vomero actually begin in the general area of the Spanish Quarters. You can't avoid noticing the area (to your left) as you walk northbound on Via Toledo towards the Archeological Museum.
Jan 3rd, 2003, 02:52 PM
#14
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Laura: I did the exact same thing last Oct. Stayed the night at the Hotel Rex with 7:30 flight home. There was a threatened taxi strike the morning I was leaving, so after a very anxious night, I was able to get a taxi at 5:30 a.m. the next day. Definitely ask the desk to reserve a taxi for the next morning. I loved Naples and next time, I will spend more time there. You can walk up the main street to the Archeo Museum and to the Spaccanapoli district, maybe a 30 min. walk or an hour stroll. It is colorful and wonderful. So is the Spanish District. I never felt unsafe and I was solo. Do check the times things are open, I was disappointed that some churches I wanted to see were closed from 1:00 to 3:00, The waterfront area, which is just around the corner from the hotel is wonderful for a stroll in the evening. You must try the pizza while you are there, it's heavenly. My best memory of Naples hands down is the people. I must say, the Neopolitans are the warmest,friendliest people I have ever met. They go out of their way to be helpful. I think you should allow at least an hour before your flight. For a 7:30 a.m. flight, I left the hotel at 5:30 a.m. BTW a taxi ride in Naples is quite the experience and not for the faint of heart. I was very glad I was not driving. For the location and the money, the Hotel Rex was very good.
Jan 4th, 2003, 07:14 AM
#15
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I've been to or through Naples several times. Visit the Museum others recommend.It contains all the treasures taken from Pompeii and other places.Its awesome. Do not get a taxi yourself, ask your hotel and agree the price. You have been warned !. Take care where you walk. Many areas have robbers and pickpockets. Yes I do like Naples but do heed my warnings.
Jan 10th, 2003, 07:56 AM
#16
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Hi there! My husband and I are heading to Italy in a couple of weeks here, and we are very interested in visiting Naples. I've been all over southern Italy and down to northern sicily, palermo, etc, and I have never once had a problem with pick-pockets or petty crime. Is naples really that much different than, say, palermo? It seems like everyone agrees that Naples has a lot of great sites to see but that it is a dangerous city, I'm just wondering how much of the hype is real? My husband and I travel pretty rough in Italy, we've stayed in $7 a night hotels, if you can imagine, and been in some pretty "poor" cities in sicily, but I can't ever remember being scarred or worried. Is naples the exception? Should we be worried? Also, does anyone know of a small rural town outside of naples that's worth basing our day trips out of? We are looking for the type of town that sees little to know tourism and were no english is spoken? Does anyone know of town like this outside of naples????????? Very anxious to hear anyone's stories about travel in naples!
Jan 10th, 2003, 08:21 AM
#17
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There's an abundance of small, rural towns outside naples. I have many relatives in one of them, Cervinara, in the Avellino province. It's about 30 miles or so from Naples. Here's some basic information: http://www.italyworldclub.com/campania/avellino/cervinara.htm<BR>It's a pretty little town, but I don't know where you would stay once you got there. Perhaps they have some agritourismo options in the area.
Jan 10th, 2003, 09:40 AM
#18
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Let me preface my response by confessing to being a Pompeii freak (Pompeiiophile?). I recently visited Naples for the first time, specifically to see the archeological museum. I was not as impressed with the museum as I thought I would be, but I was awed by the extent of the collection in the National Museum of Capodimonte. It was one of the best I have seen in Italy.<BR><BR>I also visited Herculaneum, which in its own way is better than Pompeii. You can crawl around the buildings, and you can take time to contemplate what you are seeing because it's not plagued with crowds like Pompeii.<BR><BR>In all the years of visiting and living in Italy, I had never experienced traffic like I found in Naples. Words fail.
Jan 10th, 2003, 10:03 AM
#19
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All the adviceis good, but no one has mentioned PIZZA. Good Neapolitan pizza is unlike anything you'll find elsewhere, although you can find bad and mediocre pizza as well. I had pizza three times in the two days that I was there, once at Triannon, which is well known and has wonderful pizza and a nice family atmosphere. We had planned to try Da Michele but were put off by the long line, so we went to Triannon which is in the same block. Neither of these is fancy, but they both have strong reputations for great pizza. I also had pizza in a Spaccanapoli District restaurant, and it was okay but not special. My third pizza was a slice at a storefront on the main street, and it was bad even by my local (Washington, D.C.) standards.<BR><BR>The other thing you'll remember about Naples is the Archaeological Museum, which is no longer as dowdy as it once was.
