Comments on: Things You Should Know About Naples

By: Alek

Alek — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:39:42 +0000

Bravo! One of the best articles I’ve read recently.
And actually great point for taxi drivers in Rome and Naples, of course there are always rotten apples, but majority (in my own experience) are the best taxi drivers in the world. They know their routes and streets and shortcuts, and the best ones are those without the GPS! So instead of ripping you off, they will actually save you money and time, by taking you the best possible route and very fast! Even more fast than you would like to Of course make sure that they are official and have taximeter working and that it’s on. Also a good point for the absence of the mass crowds. On my first ever visit to Italy, I noticed the same in Verona, and it made me like the town very much so… unlike Florence where you literally have to jump over the tourists to pass in the street and the queues are horrible and the food not so great because every second place can be considered a tourist trap. Of course Florence is a beautiful town as well but it’s still more pleasurable when you don’t have those massive crowds around you!

By: Denise

Denise — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 20:50:33 +0000

thanks! Doubt I’ll be going to any high end dining establishments so my jeans should be fine!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 21:59:57 +0000

Italians definitely dress up more than many people I know, but they’ll still often wear jeans (nice jeans!) out in the evenings. You can read a bit more about what to wear in Italy here:
http://www.italylogue.com/featured-articles/what-to-wear-in-italy.html

In most cases, however, you’ll only have particular dress code “rules” in certain situations – churches, high-end restaurants – and the rest of the time, provided you’re not trying to linger over a nice lunch in the same clothes you went hiking in, you’ll be fine.

By: Denise

Denise — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:06:15 +0000

Thanks Jessica! One more question–I know sometimes people in some European cities tend to dress up more–would wearing jeans and t-shirts for my romps through the city during the day and dining at night be ok, or would it be a sure sign that I’m a low-class American

By: Jessica

Jessica — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:49:56 +0000

I did my first trip to Naples solo, & was nervous. In the end, staying in the historic center, not staying out too late, & being *really* aware of my surroundings made me feel more comfortable and made it so Naples didn’t frighten me in the least by the 2nd day.

I didn’t wear a backpack – I carry a small-ish cross-body purse when I travel – and I wore my big DSLR around my neck at all times. When walking through crowds or whenever I wasn’t using the camera, I usually held one arm across it in front of me. I also decided to leave my watch in my hotel room (the only jewelry I wore out and about in Naples on that first trip was my wedding band).

I opted to be back in my hotel room around when it got dark, so I did miss out on the general hubbub of evening Naples, and I was almost always the only person in restaurants for the “tourist” dinner hour – but I figured if that made me feel safer, that was okay.

And with all of the above precautions, I felt perfectly fine walking around Naples by myself. I did stick to the historic center, but I happily people-watched, took pictures, dined alone, etc. without feeling like a target at all.

On my first visit I stayed at the Hotel Europeo (on this list): http://www.italylogue.com/accommodation/hotels-in-naples-historic-center.html

And if you’d like to be well taken care of by a tour guide friend of mine for a few hours one day, Marina is lovely: http://www.italylogue.com/featured-articles/a-passionate-naples-tour-guide-marina-de-martino.html

By: Denise

Denise — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 23:25:52 +0000

Hi, love your site and all the great info. Was wondering if you had any advice for a single woman traveling in Naples? I plan to stay in a hotel in the historic center and try to avoid any sketchy areas, but in terms of just daytime sightseeing, is it OK to wear a backpack and bring my (relatively) expensive camera? I’ve also heard stories about women being harassed–is it ok to dine alone, sit on the plazas and people watch, etc. or are single women seen as targets? Any help would be much appreciated!

By: Anna

Anna — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:14:27 +0000

I am going to Naples at 14th of July, and the information I got from you Jessica,is really very important for me & it’s worth to know………….Everybody tells me be careful otherwise u will be robbed….and all these make me feel a bit afraid…but after my trip i HOPE I will change my mind)))

By: Jessica

Jessica — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 22:17:28 +0000

I’m glad you’re finding the charms of Naples, Tricia – you’re going to know the city FAR better than I do at the end of your three years.

By: Tricia

Tricia — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:28:08 +0000

As a current resident of Naples (my husband is in the Navy and we are stationed here for three years) I have to say that I was both scared to death and intrigued before arriving two months ago, due to all of the horror stories I had heard. While parts of Napoli are certainly dirty and run down it is not at all like I had expected. It possesses a charm that no other Italian city can compare to. Thank you for providing a list of important sights- I am embarrassed that I have not seen most of them yet and plan to follow your lead!

Ciao,
Tricia

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 19 May 2010 20:09:15 +0000

Hi, Lori:

I don’t know where the best place to go to get that information would be, but I’d suspect that starting with the tourism office in Naples might be a good start – they might be able to point you in the right direction.

http://www.inaples.it/eng/home.asp

Have you also tried just looking at a Google map of the Naples area, to see if there are towns around Naples that look like they might fit the pronunciations you have?

Ciao,
Jessica