We just back from 3 weeks in Europe including 4 nights in Naples. Pompeii was incredible so was the archeological museum, but we didnt enjoy our time in Naples at all! We actually read some hate-naples threads before going and thought to ourselves: "these guys are so close-minded. So what if the city is dirty? so what if it's a bit dangerous? We're going to love that about it!" However, we didnt' find much to love about it at all: We both felt sick from the exhaust fumes and the crowds. Shop owners were incredibly rude and locals didnt know how to smile and most looked miserable. We didnt do Capri or the coast, which we really regret, but when we were there, we wanted to spend our time in the city trying to find something to like about it. We don't regret going there at all, but definitely regret spending 4 nights there--one night would've been enough! I know some people love Naples, and I would really love to know why. What is it about the city of Naples that people love???

I love Naples. I'm also an "urban" girl - I live in a big city at home and enjoy visiting big cities when I travel (in addition to seeing the charming small towns and villages, which I also enjoy.)<BR><BR>Naples is a vibrant, bustling city of contrasts. It's a city full of real Italian people, going about their lives. There is much for a tourist to see (the Archeology Museum is amazing; the Palazzo Real is by far the most opulent palace I've seen anywhere, including Versailles; the cloisters are unlike anything anywhere; the tiny Capella San Severo has more than one sculpture that will blow your mind; etc.) but it is not a tourist trap.<BR><BR>The food is simple, yet delicious, and inexpensive. The Bay of Naples and the elegant buildings in that area are beautiful. The narrow streets in Spaccanaopli are the epitome of Italy (to me) with the lines of clothes drying, the various shops, the piazzas, the people calling to one another.<BR> <BR>I found people to be busy going about their lives, but extremely kind. When I asked a lady for directions to the Piazza del Gesu (in my not-very-good Italian), she actually took me by the hand and led me there!<BR><BR>All that said, people who don't like urban environments, or who are uncomfortable in places that are not spotlessly clean, or who don't speak any Italian at all, may very well not like Napoli. To each his/her own.

Leslie, I am with you, and how about Vomero?, a charming area of Napoli, we loved Napoli, found charming people that some times even walked along with us to show us the right direction we have asked for....not to speak of the classy charming place we stayed in, called Grand Hotel Parker... the say see Napoli then you can die, ....may be it is a little too much, but I enjoyed it a lot.....

Thanks for your replies. I'm really interested in hearing more from people who love Naples. We actually thought we would love it too as we don't mind dirtyness and love to see locals go about their daily lives. We loved Egypt, with its similar traffic problems, loudness, and congested streets. But Naples...

My parents are from Naples, (A small town not far from Naples.) It is the birthplace of Pizza! I don't know where you live but a lot of the Italian slang that you hear, on The Sopranos or other movies like that is from Naples. Or it could be from North Jersy.

SA - I'm interested to hear what you saw and did while in Napoli, and where you stayed. I expect that those things would have colored your experience.<BR><BR>The only thing I didn't like much about Naples was the heat and humidity; it was still very warm when I was there in October, and I wilt in that sort of weather! I didn't encounter rude shop owners at all. Though I did find that there was much less English spoken than in other parts of Italy, and was glad to know enough Italian to communicate on a basic level.

Lesli - I'm curious, where did you stay in Naples?

Lesli- I am going at xmas- would like to know where you stayed. <BR><BR>Graziella- I Would love to hear more about Vomero.<BR><BR>Dell vec- The Neopolitan dialect has some of the most creative, beautiful and amazing idioms (and gestures) in all of Italy! <BR><BR>I can't wait to go back there! I only got to spend one day there so far.<BR><BR>For those of you who can't take the crazy flavor of Naples- you can easily hop on one of the ferries over to Sorrento, Capri, Ischia or Procida for a break!<BR><BR>It always helps if you learn to speak some Italian before arriving.....<BR><BR>

Naples is a very polarizing city, you either love it or hate it. I found it to be exactly like as described by SA, and would not waste another travel day in it, one night would've have been more than enough for me.

I stayed in Spaccanapoli (the historic center) right off the Piazza del Gesu, at the Albergo Sanservero Degas last year, and enjoyed it. It's a small, family-run place with good rates and simple, clean rooms that had tile floors, nice bamboo-type furnishings, a/c, and a view of the piazza from my window.<BR><BR>They have two other locations nearby, both of which are in Rants & Raves here. I saw one of them when I went to pay my bill by credit card, and think I would have been equally happy there.<BR><BR>They have a website now:<BR> http://www.albergosansevero.it/ac3_ing.html

I enjoyed Naples, too. We stayed at both the Parteno and the Miramare--both were great and right on the bay.<BR><BR>The Sanservero chapel, the acqueduct, Spaccanapoli, the museum, the Uva castle, the San Martino villa and museum, the opera house, the Duomo...These were just some of the thigs I enjoyed in the city. I also loved Cumae, Pozzuoli (sp??), Pompeii, and Herculaneum. We had unseasonably cool weather in April and that was a blessing as extreme heat can really ruin a sightseeing trip (at least for me). I spent a good eight days there.

Lesli--I also stayed in Spaccanapoli. We stayed at the hotel Des Artistes (which was very nice actually)--http://www.hoteldesartistesnaples.it/eng.htm. We did some shopping there (but ended up not buying anything). We sat at piazzas and watched people. We went to the archeological museum and loved it. And we spent a day in Pompeii and loved it as well. The city itself (the shopping, people watching, eating at restaurants, riding the metro/buses, and interacting with locals) was not a good experience. It was very obvious that they didn't like tourists, although my husband would try speaking to them in italian. <BR>The people there were very different from the rest of the italians (in Venice, Rome, and Cinque Terre). They were rude and unappreciative of the beautiful city and buildings around them. <BR><BR><BR><BR>

Well, of course the Neoplitans were differnet from the Venitians, Florentines, and Romans! Just as New Yorkers are different from Texans!<BR><BR>Italy has different regions just like the US, or any other country. The food, language, and customs differ depending on where you are.<BR><BR>Naples does not cater to tourists; it's true. That does not make the locals rude. They simply go about their business without kow-towing to outsiders. The buildings and history are fascinating to us, but to them, it's just their home town. <BR><BR>Calling a group of people rude, or anything else negative, based on the limited contact you had with a few of them, however, is rather rude of YOU, SA. I'm sorry you did not like Naples, but your attitude does not seem conducive to enjoying such a place.

SA,<BR> I visited Naples myself in January 2001 and was not at all impressed. On the first day alone, we were almost roughed up by some organizaed crime types. I have been robbed in other places like Rio. That is not the big deal, things happen. But I found the city to be very dirty. I try to keep an open mind but my experience was almost identical to that of the original post. The only thing that saved Naple's face in my mind was that a lady who owned a shoe store gave me a big discount because I bought two pairs of shoes for my wife. And we had dinner in one of the nicest restaurants in Naples. But I will only go back if I really have to, not exactly by choice.

I wonder if the split opinions is due to the main tourist area being kind of unsavoury or of limited appeal, but getting outside the train-station, Spacc., and Arch. museum area can be very appealing. Some sites like Capidimonte is hard to get to or off the tourist radar. Naples is ideally situated for visits to Caserta, Paestum, etc. which is also low on the radar. I think tour books need rewriting (Rick Steves normally does well, but I think he goes on autopilot in Naples and chooses badly).

Was in Naples in June. Only good thing there is the Circumvesuvia to Sorrento or the ferries to the islands off the Naples coast-especially Precida (sp). Gypsies, drug dealers, and other assorted crooks. What do you expect in a city with a 30 percent unemployment rate. Did have a great pizza there though.