roseeastyy

I've recently traveled to Naples in Italy and l had a love hate experience with the city , I felt like the people didn't care about their city , threw rubbish everywhere and l also had the experience of some rude Italians as well but then l've met some nice ones as well. I also loved the food it was gorgeous and so was the weather. I just would love to know what you thought of it ?

Down below is a blog l'm writing about my travels to it , here is my first day there http://roseeastyy.blogspot.ie/2016/0...ns-learnt.html

greg

Napoli is not for everyone. I don't know where else in Italy you have been to before your visit. It has charms as well as quirks peculiar to the city. It is probably not a good city to start a trip in Italy or a city to explore without understandings of the place.

Ah, the rubbish. Yes, I have seen them every time I visited the city. If you have read about the government's ongoing issues with the garbage collection industry, you would have a better idea of why the rubbish was the way it was. I thought the people were doing the best they could under the given circumstances. They still piled up garbage at trash bins. It was that the bins were overflowing. The trash bags seemed to be piled up at usual collection points. It was that there has not been collections for who knows how many months.

docdan

Have not been to Naples, but have made several trips north of Rome, and I would have to say, in my experience, the northern Italians are usually uniformly very nice.

jft

I liked Naples. It had spirit, lots of interesting things to see in it and nearby, great food at reasonable prices. I think you need to know where to go and where not to go.

Fra_Diavolo

Loved Naples -- but then, I'm not trying to promote an insipid blog!

Blueeyedcod

You didn't stay in the best part of town - anywhere near the port is unattractive, busy and full of traffic. I live in the Naples area on and off for some months of the year and there has been no large-scale garbage 'crisis' since 2008. What you probably saw was the general condition of the port area and a slow pickup on rubbish day.

I don't hear anyone complain about this part of Naples being 'dirty'

http://tinyurl.com/hgn9vb8

The city is no different to Rome in terms of traffic and pace although at least Naples has some parts that are pedestrian zones and tranquil (see above link).

ira

I liked Naples.

My Lady Wife did not.

Whathello

Seems OP is the perfect tourist.

One shouldn't accept to have taxi organized by hotel - a sure way to have to wait more and to be sure to pay more.

Conned by the first restaurant ? I wonder if OP knows of the italian habbits, which can be confusing for unaware tourists.
Such as paying for 'coperto', paying for bread etc.
And yes, asking the price before ordering is always a good idea. Not asking is opening a door for potential nasty surprises.

Rude Italians ? I don't know and I've never felt they were ruder than elsewhere. However OP might be in the category who may find the french 'so rude' when we only expect to be greeted.
So again, was the expected ceremonial observed ?
Smile, saying 'bongiorno' etc.
I know it is not always 'easy' when you come from another culture and are tired from the trip.

So if I appear rude myself, maybe we should all give some slack towards each others : OP with Italians, me with OP, regulars who will come and say how bad I am.

I hope OP will come back later when she finds out that Naples has a lot to offer.

FranknSense

I felt like the people didn't care about their city , threw rubbish everywhere <<

I was there during a garbage workers strike, so you know my opinion of the city...blah

dwdvagamundo

I love Naples and would live there if I had the chance-probably in Pozzuoli or somewhere north of the city on the Bay, though.

tuscanlifeedit

I'm leaning towards returning to Naples, because I didn't really like and think maybe I need to give it another chance.

I would really like to know where people stayed and most enjoyed themselves.

bilboburgler

I've never met a rude Italian, I've met Italians who think I've misbehaved and have told me so in no uncertain terms, ones who want to share their opinions with me etc etc, but not rude. Have Italians tried to pull a fast one, oh yes and had the grace to say sorry when caught out. Equally when I've had a problem I've found Italians who when asked to help will embrace the problem as their own and do their best for a complete stranger.

HappyTrvlr

We knew the flat rates for taxis and when a taxi driver at the airport quoted us a much higher rate, charging for luggage too, we stated the set rate and he smiled said OK. Met very nice people in Naples as one does all over the world. We liked the energy and the historical feel of the city. Walking on tne Lungomare was wonderful. Food was incredible.

Leely2

I was there a few weeks ago and liked it a lot, though I do agree that it can feel a little gritty and at times intense. Fun, though, with great food and plenty to see.

I stayed at Hotel Piazza Bellini. This was an excellent location for walking easily to many sights, but was a bit too student-hang-out-y for me in the evenings. Nowadays I prefer to be more out of the thick of things; for people who like being central, this is a fantastic area. The hotel itself is wonderful.

Fra_Diavolo

I'm reminded of something that happened in Naples back in 1971. I was in the train station and needed to use the bathroom. There was a uniformed guy collecting a fee and handing out toilet paper. I had no change, and handed him a small note -- maybe 500 lire? Can't remember -- anyway, he jumped to his feet, saluted, then led me to stalls, holding the door open for me when I entered.

However, he didn't offer any change.

el13207

Love Italy, Napoli not so much (other than the pizza). We have traveled throughout the country on several trips and Naples is the only place we didn't like, perhaps because we were pickpocketed there (lesson learned: don't get on crowded buses - husband 's wallet, pruned to a minimum for security, still lifted from a zipper pocket). And we're not rubes- we travel a lot and have been throughout Europe and Asia, never pickpocketed before.
As others have noted, a dirty city, scruffy and gritty. I know some love it, but I'd never return (no Gino Sorbillo or Da Michele, alas...), And we will be in northern Italy for two weeks again in October. Just my two cents.

greg

I was also pick-pocketed on a bus in Napoli, but I still like Napoli. It has energy and vitality. I expected I would get pick-pocketed, so I put a decoy wallet in my pants pocket. It was actually amusing to see what happened especially how quickly the thief realized he himself got conned for change. Many mention just "be aware." But as el3207 mentioned, on a crowded bus where you get pushed against many peoples busy fingers, how does "being aware" work?
In order to go to many places of interest in Napoli, one often need to walk through "interesting" neighborhoods. A neighborhood where cars are parked every which way, several men gather on the streets in the middle of the day, where people size you from balconies, etc. One lady from the U.S. I traveled with freaked out as if we are going into some places for the dealers by comparing to similar environments at home. For some, one objectionable thing negates everything else the place has to offer, while others consider all the pluses and minus and come to an overall impression of the place.

Napoli is not for everyone.

Leely2

Ohhh, I almost forgot. My favorite thing about Napoli: sfogliatelle ricce!

There's a little tourist shuttle that takes you up to Capodimonte and has a few stops in the center and then down by Castel Nuovo so that's one way to avoid crowded buses if you're worried. We were there in summer so just walked everywhere--except one day it was baking hot and we took the shuttle back down to town.

http://www.museocapodimonte.beniculturali.it/

dwdvagamundo

Museo Capodimonte is a very nice museum, as is the Museo Archaeologico. Two world class museums.

We stayed in Pozzuoli last time at a small hotel--La Tripergola. Liked it so much that we stayed there for another couple of nites on our return from Sicily.

Blueeyedcod

If el and greg got pickpocketed on a crowded bus it is unfortunate but a money belt would have prevented this. A thief cannot get under your clothes without you being aware.

Here are crime statistics which prove that Naples has less street crime than Rome, Turin and Milan

http://www.ilsole24ore.com/includes2...l?refresh_ce=1


<<In order to go to many places of interest in Napoli, one often need to walk through "interesting" neighborhoods. >>

If people are frightened by cars parked haphazardly and locals chatting then perhaps they should just stay home.