Why Naples is Better Than You’ve Heard
Quick
– when I say “Naples,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Garbage? Mafia? Pickpockets? If any of these negatives are the first
things to pop into your head, you’re not alone. There’s no getting
around it – Naples has some problems.
As is often the case,
however, there’s more than one side to this story – and Naples is also a
city that’s absolutely worth visiting. (Guided tour might be required to : fabiocomella@alice.it)
Here are three reasons you
should go to Naples in spite of everything you’ve heard.
1. You want real Italy? You got it.
Lots
of travelers complain about popular places being “too touristy,” but
fighting tourist crowds tends to annoy intrepid travelers even more
(nevermind that they’re tourists, too). Naples is by no means a quiet
backwater – this sprawling city is teeming with people in every corner
and at pretty much every hour. The percentage of those people who aren’t
residents, however, is relatively small when compared to tourist cities
like Venice or Florence.
As a major port city, Naples gets is
fair share of tourists who sometimes stop for the day to eat a pizza and
stroll through the
the archelogical museum
but who more often head straight for the Amalfi Coast or Pompeii
instead. In other words, even though there should be an enormous influx
of cruising day-trippers in Naples (like Venice), there isn’t one. The
result is that Naples is not only a living, breathing city, it’s also
not rolling out the red carpet for anyone. Tourists and locals alike
have to fend for themselves.
Streets
in Naples are busy, dirty, noisy, and sometimes littered hasn’t been picked up (an ongoing political/mafia problem). Some
shops sell tourist souvenirs, sure, but most of the shops in the
historic center sell stuff for the locals – laundry detergent,
motorcycle helmets, fresh fish. Naples gives travelers an opportunity to
explore a very real Italian city without feeling like they’re plodding
along behind every other tourist in Italy – all without needing to get
far off the beaten track at all.
2. Major history and scenic sights are easy day trips.
While
most travelers in Italy stay north of Rome, two of the most popular
places to visit in Italy – the two things that draw even
less-adventurous travelers to the south – are both easy day trips from
Naples.
Pompeii was famously leveled by a volcanic eruption in 79 AD, and the excavated
city is very close to central Naples. (In fact, the same mountain that
did all the damage looms over Naples, too.) Pompeii is such a nice day
trip from Naples (to be sure to see the
hightlights ask for a licensed Tour guide as Fabio Comella)– and include a stop at the less-visited but
better-preserved
Herculaneum
on your way back to the city. On another day, don’t forget to walk
through the fabulous Archaeology Museum in Naples, too, where most of
the stuff they’ve uncovered at both Pompeii and Herculaneum is on
display.
Now
that you’ve got your history component covered, plan another day trip
to visit the yes-it’s-really-that-beautiful Amalfi Coast. The town of
Sorrento is an easy train or boat ride from Naples, and from there you
can take a bus up and down the coast (or rent a scooter, if you’re more
daring) for a day’s worth of fun in the sun. If you can afford a night
or two along the coast, that’s great – you’ll certainly see more of it –
but
hotels on the Amalfi Coast are so much more expensive than most hotels in Naples that you’ll save a bundle by making it a day trip (or two) instead.
Which brings me to…
3. Budget travelers don’t have to make massive sacrifices.
When
compared with other big cities in Italy, Naples is downright cheap.
It’s not cheap in the sense that it can compete with Southeast Asia, but
a whole pizza and bottle of water at one of the city’s famous pizza
places will only cost you €5-7. That’s a seriously inexpensive meal by
Italy’s standards, and yet it’s also some of the best food you’ll find
in the city.
You can find high-end hotels in the city, but there are plenty of
budget-friendly hotels right in the Naples historic center,
too. Not only that, the fabulous Hostel of the Sun is one of the
best-rated hostels in Italy as well as Europe, and dorm beds start at
less than €20/night.
Naples
has its share of free things to do, but even the museums and galleries
and attractions that charge a fee are pretty inexpensive – and if you’re
going to be in town for a few days (and especially if you’re going to
Pompeii and Herculaneum) you can get one of the
regional Campania Artecards
that gives you major discounts on attractions as well as free
transportation. A 3-day card for the whole region is €27 and gets you
into your first two sights completely free, with 50% off all other
sights after that. Considering Pompeii and Herculaneum are each €11 to
get in, the thing almost pays for itself when you make those your first
two (and therefore free) attractions.
Remember all those negative things you’ve heard about Naples? Don’t forget them entirely.
Okay,
now that you’ve moved Naples up on your list of places to visit, I want
to remind you that all those things you’ve heard – about the garbage
crisis and the petty thieves – shouldn’t be entirely forgotten. They
shouldn’t keep you from going to Naples, but they should make you stay
alert.
Here are the things to keep in mind:
- Garbage It was a problem till 2 years ago. The current mayor of naples has solded the garbage's strike.
- Mafia – There’s a major
organized crime problem in the region that includes Naples (and they
reportedly are part of the garbage problem, too), but this is another
thing that’s bad for the people who live in Naples and not such an issue
for those who just visit. The mafia isn’t gunning down unsuspecting
tourists in mobster-movie-like scenes.
- Pickpockets – Of all the problems most associated with Naples, this is the
issue that tourists need to be extremely aware of. Pickpockets will
steal from whoever’s an easy target, whether you’re a local or not, but
it’s the tourists who are almost always the easiest marks. Make sure you
aren’t an easy target. Leave your shiny baubles – including your watch –
at home (or in the safe/locker at your hotel/hostel), use a purse that
you can carry across your body, keep your big camera hung around your
neck in front of you, carry most of your cash and important documents in
a money belt under your clothes… You know the drill. Be smart, be
aware, don’t be an idiot, and you’re much less likely to have any
problems in Naples or even know that pickpocketing is an issue.
This article was taken by the website"twenty something travel"
Others helpful articles to read :
http://www.napoliunplugged.com/Naples-Is-In-My-Heart.html
An understimated gem :www.fabiocomella.blogspot.it/2015/04/an-understimated-gem-naples.html
Guided Tours
www.campaniaguidetours.com
