Hi,

Can anybody recommend a safe, decent and inexpensive hotel or a convent in Naples. I'm having a hard time finding one. My budget is no more than 100 euros per night for a double room with breakfast.

Thank you so much!

Here's a Swedish Web site that mentions two convents in Naples:

http://www.klosterresor.nu/index.asp...mrade=campania

The Swedish version gives the prices; the English version does not.

If you do not want to book through Klosterresor, the telephone number of Istituto Piccole Ancelle di Christo Re is listed in www.paginebianche.it:

Istituto Piccole Ancelle Cristo Re
80135 Napoli (NA) - Via S. Giuseppe Dei Nudi, 77
081 5498842
081 5497627
081 5498830

And this is the contact information for Camaldoli:

"Suore di Santa Brigida"
Eremo SS. Salvatore
Via dell'Eremo 87
80131 Camaldoli NAPOLI

Tel +39-081-5872519 / 5875807
Fax +39-081-5876819
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.brigidine.org

P.S. I'm not sure how much English is spoken at either of these convents. The Piccole Ancelle seem to be Italian; the Brigidine Sisters are Swedish, I think.

I stayed last June at the Hotel Executive which I booked through www.venere.com. We stayed in a superior double which in June was €114pn while a standard double was €104pn. You don't say what time of year you are going, but maybe it will be less then - Venere is currently showing doubles from €75.

It was nothing fancy but pleasant enough and the staff were friendly. The best thing about it was the location - it was very conveniently placed for walking round the Centro Storico, catching buses (most stop at via Medina, just round the corner) & a 10 minute walk from both the main ferry port (Molo Beverello) & the Teatro San Carlo. Even the express airport bus stopped just round the corner (its 2nd and final stop).

I'd spent a lot of time researching the best area to stay. I wanted it to be convenient for walking around the centre & for transport; but was a bit worried about being in an unsafe area, after all the stories you hear about Naples. I was very pleased with my choice and would stay there again.

Caroline,

I am searching for a hotel in Naples with the same concerns that you refer to in your posting. The Hotel Executive appears to meet all of my goals. I'm glad you took the time to research its location and tell us about it on this forum.
How far is the Hotel Executive from the central train station. I'll be arriving from Sorrento. I read a letter on trip advisor that they were stuck with a 40 euro taxi fare for a short ride. Anything you can tell us about how to safely travel to the Hotel Executive from the train station.

Hi Eloise,

I already phoned Istituto Piccole Ancelle di Cristo Re and it's exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much!

Thank you also Caroline_Edinburgh for your recommendation.

Hi Stuart2611.

Well, we got the bus from the airport so I'm not entirely sure, I'm afraid.

But there are definitely buses going from Piazza Garibaldi outside the railway station to the main road the hotel is next to - I can't remember its name now but it is the continuation of Corso Umberto. I'll try to remember to look it up tonight. Unfortunately most of the buses we went on were unpleasantly crowded, but I imagine if you got one starting at the station it wouldn't be too bad.

An alternative might be tram no. 1 which runs along the seafront and stops at Molo Beverello, so only 10 minutes' walk. We never got it ourselves but saw some & they looked nice & uncrowded.I don't know if it goes to the station, though.

There is an underground system - they are still building it & when we were there I think the nearest stop was Piazza Dante, about 15 minutes walk - so maybe not much good.

Are you arriving in the daytime ? The area around thevstation is supposed to be the most dangerous at night, but it seemed fine in the daytime. If I were arriving in the daytime, I think I'd go for a bus from outside the station & look around until I found an empty one. Or maybe you could arrange with your hotel to have a taxi meet you at the station, if you're not happy with the bus idea ?

Caroline
Thanks for the reply about the Hotel Executive location. All the info I had read indicated central location but was not specific about train stations. I will go from there to the airport so that the proximity of the airport bus is perfect. I am still concerned about traveling in Naples, particularly with luggage, and not knowing where I am going. I just don't want to tempt fate, and feel I will be a target unless I know what I am doing. I may try and call the hotel and ask them. Reviews have indicated the staff is not very helpful. It's worth a try, or I may just chicken out and skip Naples.

I hate when people do this -- so I am sorry if I become one of those -- but I loved this place so much that we have stayed there 3 times --
http://www.parteno.it

however, the rates are 125 for a double, but if you are a single person staying a double it is 90 euro per night.
Anyway, I know you said your budget is for not more than 100, but I just thought I would suggest this place, as having actually stayed there a few times the location, comfort, and price were unbeatable for us.
Also, it includes breakfast.

Don't worry Neddag, thanks anyway for the suggestion.

By the way, the convent it's not actually in via S. Giuseppe Dei Nudi, but in via Pollisipo.

Has anybody been to that part of Naples? Is it too far from the historic center? My heart is set on staying there anyway because from the pictures I saw on the internet it looks quiet and nice, but I'd like to know what to expect.

Thanks again!

Right, I've now got my Naples guidebook & enormous Naples streetmap in front of me.

Castallanese, I think you mean via Posillipo, don't you ? Posillipo is miles out of the centre - and did you see what I said about the buses nearly always being unpleasantly crowded ? I wouldn't want to stay out there - IMO it's much better to stay in the centre so you can walk to most places.

Stuart, the main street which buses go along which is right next to the Hotel Executive is the via G. Sanfelice. Like I said it's the continuation of the corso Umberto I which starts at piazza Garibaldi in front of the station. Although the hotel's address is via del Cerriglio the entrance is almost on the corner so you don't need to worry about going up a dark and narrow little street.

Assuming you'll arrive in the daytime, all you need to do is find somewhere to buy a bus ticket (maybe in the station or failing that, at a tabacchi or news kiosk outside). Look around the bus stances in the square to find one which goes to via Medina or piazza Municipio (there are loads but I think the R2 is the most frequent). Get on, punch your ticket. Stay on for the length of corso Umberto, round piazza Giovanni Bovio & get off on via G. Sanfelice. You should be able to see the hotel - it's on the same side of the street as you got off the bus.

We had the same worries beforehand as you do - to the extent that I had tried e-mailing the hotel to ask them to book us a taxi to meet us at the airport. Unfortunately I couldn't find an e-mail address for the specific hotel, just for the group it's part of. So I e-mailed them & got an unhelpful reply back, telling me that there would be taxis at the airport. We actually found the staff at the hotel itself very friendly.

So then I decided we'd get the airport bus - and was pleased to find that the express bus stops at 2 places, first at piazza Garibaldi then at piazza del Municipio just round the corner from the hotel.

I would urge you not to skip Naples - we spent a week there, loved it, never felt unsafe and will definitely go back. I did buy my guidebook & enormous map (Touring Club Italiano, 'Napoli, Ischia, Capri') well in advance to help with my research - mainly into where would be the best place to stay - and I recommend doing the same.

Just let me know if I can help any further - if you like I can dig out the list of other central modest hotels I considered.

Caroline,

Thank you for writing back about the location of the Hotel Executive. I think I'll definitely take your advice and book a room there. I am still nervous about trying to find the bus, even in daylight while I'm trailing luggage in Naples. I'll call the hotel for their advice. I may also arrive at the city by ferry from Sorrento. It may be less scarey to find transportation to the hotel from the dock. I'll work it out. Thanks for your help. I've been lost on buses in Italy before. I just don't want to do it in Naples.

Stuart2611....I think I would re-think the Hotel Executive. It's one of the very few hotels that don't look like the website. We found it dirty and the staff not helpful. It was very cramped. I would not return there myself and I like little cheap hotels.

After considerable research to find a suitable place to stay with very similar criteria to the OP, I came across a reference to the B&B Cappella Vecchia 11 (www.bednaples.com) in one of my guidebooks (DK Eyewitness, I think). The area it's located in, the Chiaia district, is supposed to be one of the nicest in Naples, convenient to the harbor and public transportation and just 100 euro/night for a double w/ breakfast. Their website looks quite nice and is full of other interesting info. I booked a room for next May.

Ann, you surprise me. How long ago were you there ? We were there in June last year and it was fine - the room wasn't large but average by Italian standards, it was clean & the staff were some of the most pleasant I've come across in an Italian hotel.

Stuart, if you are coming from Sorrento it would be *much* better to get the hydrofoil to Molo Beverello, then it's only a 10 minute walk to the hotel. I wish I'd known that before giving you all the advice about buses ! Get a decent map & it's a doddle - even if it's not detailed enough to show via del Cerriglio it should certainly show via G. Sanfelice. In fact you should be able to do it using Multimap or similar. Or I could give you detailed instructions if you wish.

When we left the hotel we were going to Ischia so we walked to Molo Beverello to get the hydrofoil there; then came back the same way & got a hydrofoil to Sorrento.

However, if Ann has put you off the Executive, let me know if you want my list of other places I considered as being in an OK location.

We were at the Executive a year ago. I wouldn't go back.

Caroline, Ann1

Thank you for your input regarding the Hotel Executive. Based on all that I have read here and in guidebooks, I'm ready to chance it. Naples has me really spooked so I don't do this easily.
One question for Caroline. What is the walk like from the dock to the hotel.Is it fairly flat or uphill.I'll be coming with luggage. I'm also having problems figuring out which ferry lines come into Molo Beverello.There are two different docks. The ferry web sites are not in English and I can't figure out how to book from Sorento to Naples on the right ferry line. Luckily the folks in my Sorrento hotel are very helpful.I'm sure they will point me to the right place.
Thanks for all your help.
I promise to post my experiences on my return.

Hi Stuart. The walk is fairly flat - maybe just very slightly uphill but barely. We wheeled our suitcases from the airbus stop to the hotel when we arrived in Naples, then from the dock to the airbus stop en route back from Positano to the airport, & had no problem.

I suspect all the hydrofoils from Sorrento go to Molo Beverello - it is the main 'shorthaul' passenger port in Naples. There's no need to book in advance. If your hotel doesn't have timetables, just pop down to the Sorrento dock while you are there & check out the times - then get there half an hour before you want to travel & buy your ticket before departing.

P.S. I should perhaps have added that we are not young or fit