Itinary Help: 10 Days in Campania
 

I finally have the chance to see some of the places that were short changed on previous group tours. Travel is in April, 2007.I would like to spend a full day each in Pompeii and Herculaneum. I am worried about staying overnight in Naples although I might chance some day trips. Been to Capri twice so that can be skipped. I'm open to ideas and suggestions. Places to base would be greatly appreciated. Not looking for expensive hotels but not a backpacker either.

Stuart:

Here are a few ideas:

Pompei: Allow a full day for the ruins. There is a great hotel there called the Hotel Forum. One of the nicest hotels we stayed in in Italy, and CHEAP. In 2004, was 90 euros a night, and its front door was directly across from the back entrance to the ruins. There is a great restaurant next door, a lunapark (little amusement park) across the street, and it is about 2 blocks to the main piazza in Pompei, where the Santuario is located. The Santuario is worth checking out - they say miracles happen there. One of the statues produces tears. ;)

For Herculaneum (Ercolano), I would stay in Pompei. It is only a couple of stops away on the Circumvesuviana train line, and there really aren't any super accommodations in Ercolano itself. The ruins are very accessible from the Circumvesuviana line.

There are other ruins located in Torre Annunziata, also off the Circumvesuviana.

You could also go to the Reggia di Caserta, (Caserta palace) which was modeled on Versailles. The Reggia itself is amazing (some scenes from the new Star Wars movies were filmed there), and the grounds are even more incredible. The gardens are just fantastic.

What can I say about Naples? It is insane, but some people love it (I am one of them). I do have to say, you pay for quality in Naples. If you don’t want expensive hotels, and are worried a bit about being there (which you don’t have to be, but if you are a nervous traveler might not be ideal), then I’d base elsewhere. The Pompei hotel is located halfway between Naples and Sorrento and you could reach either in about 30 minutes on the Circumvesuviana train line. Just my suggestion.

There are many things to do in Naples, like visit the archaeological museum (where many of Pompei’s best artifacts are kept), check out Maschio Angioino (the castle near the port), the Capella San Severo (with the Veiled Christ statue – a masterpiece of marble sculpture), the Galleria Umberto II (? Think it is Umberto II – looks much like Milan’s more famous Galleria), go to the Teatro San Carlo, see Piazza Plebiscito, go up to Capodimonte where the famous ceramics are made, journey to Pozzuoli to see the solfatara (sulfur fields – this is a very volcanically active area and the sulfur literally sizzles out of the ground here ), see the Castel Dell’Ovo, and last but not least eat the best pizza on earth. Oh, and see Spaccanapoli (the street that literally “splits” the old section of Naples in half).

You could also go to Paestum, which is a little ways southeast of the Naples area, but has some of the best greek ruins in Italy.

The Amalfi coast is of course an option. I personally find it a little touristy, but it is certainly breathtaking in its beauty. You could try Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano, Praiano, or Vietri sul Mare.

In addition, you could also go to the less-frequently visited Salerno. It is a great Italian port city.

Take a bus up to the top of Mount Vesuvius and climb to the crater. The views are astounding and it is cool (though vaguely frightening) to see the crater smoking.

You may have already seen Capri (twice) – but I can never get enough of it. However, if you are tired of it, you could try Ischia or Procida. Procida is the island where the movie Il Postino (with Massimo Troisi) was set.

Sorry if I rambled – I love Campania. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

To NNolen,
That was a wonderful reply to my questions. I really appreciate all the suggestions for places to visit.
The hotel by Pompeii sounds ideal as one place for a base camp.
The reason I'm concerned about Naples is based on a previous occurence in Madrid a few months ago. I've always considered myself a savy traveler as far as pickpockets are concerned. I keep valuables hidden under my clothes and am aware of strangers lurking about me. But I was robbed in Madrid by a person disguised as a policeman. He demanded to see my ID papers. I had to retrieve my passport from the pouch under my clothes. Then he demanded to check my money because of the possibility of conterfeits. How do you say no to a policeman? So I lost some money. I'm imagining that things in Naples could be even worse so I'm fearful of staying there.
You mention several places to visit. Are any of these difficult to travel to? I'll be relying on public transport and I do tend to find my way to wrong tracks at times. Is Paestum a location that requires a guide to appreciate? How long should I plan for a visit to Positano?
Even though I'm traveling with limited luggage, I don't want to change hotels every other night. Aside from Pompeii, any other suggestions for a base for exploring.
Once again, I thank you for your response. I hope I continue to ask questions as I near the time for my visit.

Hi S,

Good advice from nn.

We stayed 3 nights in Naples. I loved it. My Lady Wife didn't think it that great.

See the Naples and AC part of my trip report for further info.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34451044

Ira’s Italy Photos
Praiano
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=11knfe8...0&y=1tkcm7

Positano
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=11knfe8...1&y=x6te72

Naples
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=11knfe8...&y=-28lwh4

((I))

Hi Stuart,

I would say the most difficult things to get to are Paestum and Caserta. Everything else is fairly easily reachable via train or bus. You might be able to talk to your hotel for transport help, as well.

I don't know that guides even do Paestum - I've only ever been there on Easter Mondays when it is full of Italians playing soccer and eating casatiello. :)

You could use Pompei as a base for Naples/Ercolano/Pompei/Torre Annunziata, and you could use Sorrento (which I don't love, but which is convenient) for a jumping off point for the Amalfi coast.

Everyone will give you different opinions on how long to stay in Positano. It is a fairly small town, and I would say a day or two should do you, especially if you don't plan on much beach time. (Considering you are travelling in April, I doubt you are considering extensive beach time).

If you decide to do one of the islands (Ischia or Procida), I'd stay on the island itself as a base for a day or two and condense all your activities. It gets expensive and time consuming to keep going back and forth on boats.

As far as the police officer situation goes in Madrid, any traveler can be caught off guard at any time. Naples is fairly notorious for petty crime, but if you keep your wits about you and hide the majority of your cash, you should be fine. Also, you are perfectly within your rights to request identification and question the police officer. If he's the real deal he should easily be able to produce further documentation.

Hope this helps!