Castellanese

Hi everybody,

I'm thinking about visiting Naples next June, so how long do you think I should stay? I'm mostly interested in exploring the city, tasting the food and doing some shopping. The only museum I'd be interested in visiting would be the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (time allowing) and I definitely want to day trip to Pompeii.

Thanks!

ira

Hi C,

We very much enjoyed 3 nights in Naples.

ekscrunchy

Are you combining Naples with another place or three? I have only a week for a trip this spring, so I decided on 2 nights Naples and 5 in Amalfi. But if I had more time, I would spend the entire week in Naples, just exploring, shopping, eating, and taking side trips to Paestum, Solfatara, etc.

caroline_edinburgh

We very much enjoyed a week there last year - there was so much to enjoy in the city we never made it to Pompei, Herculaneum, Vesuvius or anywhere else. We were there end May/early June. Here's my trip report in case it's helpful - http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34830452

CasaDelCipresso

you can certainly fill a week in the area (!)

I, persoannly...can only take a day or two of Naples itself and prefer to relax a bit rather than stay in the hectic city...but you could just as easily base yourself there and daytrip out of the city too.

You should leave a day (in my opinion) for Pompeii...maybe do Vesuvious the same day - maybe go out to Ercolano....as others have said, Paestum is REALLY amazing and unique...you could take the ferry out to Amalfi or Positano...or spend a day in Capri...take the train out to Sorrento...lots to do!

Castellanese

Ekscrunchy, I'm still deciding whether to do Lisbon/Paris or Lisbon/Naples. When I do all the research, I'll be able to make a decision.

I usually plans my trips like that. For instance, this year I'd planned two trips: Turin/Sicily and Turin/Morocco. However, after doing all the research, I ended up visiting Turin/Morocco, which was one of the most interesting (kind of odd combination, I admit) trips I've ever made.

Thanks for the link to your trip report Caroline, I'm checking it right away.

Waldo

Hey Guys-
I know it sounds crazy, but one of the BEST spots in Naples is Mc Donalds, believe it or not! There is a large Mc D's right across from the Piazza Dante, on Via Roma (or Via Toledo, take your choice of names). It is a two story place, with one wall of the second story being all glass. What I invariably do, is order a hamburger, or such, and go upstairs to the second story, and sit right by that big window-wall. From there, one can see Naples laid out before their eyes. The Piazza Dante is alive with humanity and activity. The hubub of traffic and people is mezmerizing. I can sit there for hours and just watch Naples going on its' daily adventures beneath me. Besides, the University is also at Piazza Dante, and one can see all the lovely young female students gracing the environment.

jjkbrook

why so categorical that you would only see the Arch. museum? The Capodimonte is one of the great painting galleries of the world, lightly visited so you can really see the wonderful Farnese collections. A half day for that, a half day for the Arch., a day for Pompeii and a couple of days for touring the city proper, prowling around, dropping into churches, eating shopping - I would say a min of 4 days - you might shave it down from that but you will be rushed - i could see adding a couple more days too. so that there would be time for Pozzuoli, Herculaneum and a lot more prowling and eating

caroline_edinburgh

I wasn't particularly thrilled by the archaeological museum or the Capodimonte. I've listed my top sights in my trip report but to me the very best was the catacombs of San Gennaro.

Waldo, I agree piazza Dante is an excellent place to while away an hour or two - but I'd rather do it over a Negroni sitting outside a bar in the square itself.

caroline_edinburgh

I meant to add a smiley there )

ekscrunchy

Caroline...tell me more about what you thought of the Naples Arch museum, please. I was there once but it was so long ago I can barely remember..

Big and dusty?

Castellanese

Hi,

This is the itinerary I've come up with for Naples:

day1: Arrival.
day2: Centro Storico.
day3: Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Via Toledo.
day4: Certosa di San Martino and Vomero.
day5: Royal Naples and Chiaia.
day6: Day trip to Pompeii.
day7: Departure.

According to my bookguide, Royal Naples would be the area around Piazza del Plebiscito and Piazza Trento e Trieste. In Vomero, I'm interested in strolling around Piazza Vanvitelli and Via Scarlatti since, according to my bookguide, you can do good shopping there.

Concerning museums, I've had really bad experiences with them in Italy. I've been to Vatican City twice, and twice I've hated it because it's like some sort of Catholic Disneyland packed with people to the point of barely being able to move (or see anything). The same goes for Galleria della Accademia in Florence. I'm interested in visiting the Museo Archeologico Nazionale since I've read that most of the stuff found in Pompeii is on display there, so I'm willing to make an exception to my "no more museums policy". However, I love churches.

ekscrunchy

It appears that you have mapped it out nicely. And I will be there in May so will offer a few tips on where to eat when I get home...

ms_go

We visited Naples in June a couple of years ago, and I recall the archaeological museum being delightfully uncrowded--if crowds are your concern. I recall it being a little warm inside; that was my only complaint.

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/137...53249937MGgAVt

I think your itinerary looks great. We only had about half that amount of time.

jjkbrook

The Capodimonte is very lightly visited maybe because of its isolation - on a Sunday morning I was alone with the paintings in most of the rooms, including with their wonderful Caravaggio. Its a magnificent painting collection, reminding us that the Farnese family was originally from Parma - I agree that some of the european museums are painful - the Vatican, Uffizi Louvre, d'Orsay - but this is not one of them, just the opposite. The palace which the museum is sited in also includes a stunning formal ballroom and other roomms previously used by the royal family and the park in which it sits, on top of the hill, is worth a stroll. As for the Arch museum, there are only a couple of must see rooms, the mosaic from the house of the faun (tho you can see the copy much better in Pompeii) and the Farnese marbles, Herc and a Venus are the highlights. I do urge you to break your rule and go up the hill if you like great art.

caroline_edinburgh

Hi eks. It's hard to put my finger on why i was disappointed by the archaeological museum. Partly, I think, I expected great things since it seems to be *the* thing most people do in Naples, even if they only do one thing - and to me it just wasn't that out of the ordinary. The main specific disappontment was that I expected a extensive displays all about Pompeii and Herculaneum, putting the finds from there in context, and there wasn't a lot. I don't know if there was less than usual due to the temporary exhibition of (I think) Roman gold. Or maybe it just that well curated ? There were endless halls full of (admittedly very impressive) Greek statues. The Egyptian section was OK but very crowded. I liked the mosaics, though. I wouldn't say don't go, but it wouldn't be one of my top recommendations.

But Castellanese, the museum is nothing like the Vatican museums & the Uffizi in terms of crowds. Only the Eyptian section was busy when we went, and that was a national holiday with free entry. In Naples generally there were some other tourists around but not a lot - nothing like Rome or Florence.

Re your overall itinerary - this is unusual for me (I'm quite a lazy traveller) but I think you are maybe allowing more time than some sights, at least, need. Most of them are quite close together. You could easily walk round 'Royal Naples' & up the via Toledo to the archaelogical museum, and tour that, in a day or less.

*Please* don't miss the catacombs of San Gennaro !

I take it you also will be fitting in churches as you go, then ? I've listed my favourites in my trip report.

We didn't think a lot of Vomero - it just seemed like a well-off suburb which could have been anywhere, and was *full* of teenagers - but we're not into shopping.

ekscrunchy

Caroline: Thanks very much for that. I am trying to decide whether to take a day away from Naples or from the Amalfi coast to visit Pompeii....Fortunately, I do not have too many "sights" on my own list for Naples, because I will have so little time....I often prefer just wandering around to visiting museums...

caroline_edinburgh

Hi again eks. It would be a lot easier to get to Pompeii from Naples. Are you going to Naples first ? I agree, wandering around (interspersed with eating & drinking breaks) is the best thing of all. We saw so many interesting sights just in the street in Naples, like ladies in tenements above shops lowering their shopping baskets with money & presumably a list out of the window, & pulling their groceries back up !

The little square off Spaccanapoli - piazza San Domenico Maggiore I think - was another favourite place for a Negroni.

thursdaysd

Hi eks - when in May will you be in Naples? I couldn't get FF seats for Catania-London, so I'll be spending an extra night in Naples in the middle of May.

Another board has a poster going on about Naples being dangerous for a woman traveling alone. I take it I can ignore him?

ekscrunchy

Thursday..I plan to be there the first couple of days in the month. What about you? Truly I would not put much stock into the theme of Naples being dangerous for a woman alone. I don't think you are planning to wander alone into shady, deserted areas late at night....what do others here think about this topic??