Naples Cruise Terminal: Where It Is & How to Get There

Naples still gets skipped by a lot of first-time visitors to Italy, but it's one of the country's busiest cruise ports, so a Mediterranean cruise will very likely put you there for a day. That's good news. Naples is loud, chaotic, beautiful and full of the best pizza you'll ever eat, and the ship docks right in the middle of it.

Unlike Rome's port at Civitavecchia, which is more than an hour from the city, the Naples terminal is a short walk from the Royal Palace, Via Toledo and the old town. You can see a lot of the city on foot, ride the metro to the archaeology museum, hop a ferry to Capri, or do Pompeii or Herculaneum on your own if you watch the clock. This page covers where the terminal is, how to reach it from the airport and the train station, and how to get out of it on a port day.

More for your day in Naples:

• Top 10 Things to Do in Naples
• Things You Should Know About Naples
• How to Get from Naples to Sorrento
• How to Do a DIY Tour of Pompeii & Herculaneum
• Italy Ports of Call: Where Cruise Ships Stop in Italy

Where the Naples Cruise Terminal Is

Big ships tie up at the Stazione Marittima, the huge 1936 passenger terminal on the Molo Angioino pier. It faces Piazza Municipio and the Castel Nuovo, the five-towered castle locals call the Maschio Angioino, which is the landmark to look for when you walk off the ship. The port is run by the Central Tyrrhenian Sea Port Authority.

Right next door is Molo Beverello, the pier for the fast boats to Capri, Ischia, Procida, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. It has a new passenger terminal with a walkable roof terrace, built in the 2020s as part of the redesign that joined Piazza Municipio to the waterfront. Slower car ferries leave from Calata Porta di Massa, less than a kilometer east along the port.

The old map below shows the terminal in relation to the main train station, the archaeology museum and the historic center ("Centro Storico"), with arrows pointing toward the airport and Sorrento.

Getting Into Naples from Your Ship

Walk. For a first visit, this is what I'd do. Cross the road to the Castel Nuovo, then it's roughly 10 minutes on foot to Piazza del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace, with the Galleria Umberto I and the Teatro di San Carlo on the way. From there Via Toledo runs north into the Spanish Quarter, and the old town along Spaccanapoli is about 20 to 25 minutes' walk from the ship. Mind the traffic and the scooters, which do not stop for you just because you're on a crosswalk.

Metro. Municipio station, about 300 meters from the terminal, is on Line 1 and Line 6. Line 1 is the useful one. Heading one way it runs to Toledo, Dante and Museo, the stop for the National Archaeological Museum, where the best finds from Pompeii and Herculaneum actually are. Heading the other way it goes to Università, Duomo and Garibaldi, under the main train station. Line 1 is also known as the "art metro", and Municipio itself is worth a look: digging the station uncovered remains of the ancient harbor and the castle's old fortifications, and some are on display inside. A single metro ride cost about 1.50 euros in 2026, and ANM (the city transit company) was planning a fare change for 2026, so check anm.it. Buy tickets from the station machines or a tabaccheria.

Taxi. Naples has official flat fares (tariffe predeterminate) between set points, published by the city. On the current city tariff sheet, the port to Napoli Centrale is 15.50 euros and the port to the airport is 24 euros, with luggage and supplements included. Ask for the tariffa predeterminata before you get in, and only take a white licensed cab with a meter and the fare card on display.

Day Trips from the Port

Capri, Sorrento and the islands. This is the easiest day trip by far, because the fast boats leave from Molo Beverello, a few minutes' walk from your ship. Naples to Capri takes about 50 minutes on the fast boats and costs roughly 14 to 31 euros each way in 2026, depending on the boat. capri.net lists the operators and times. More on the island in our Capri guide.

Herculaneum and Pompeii. Both are on the Circumvesuviana railway, run by EAV, which starts at Napoli Porta Nolana and stops at Napoli Garibaldi, below the main station. From the ship, ride Metro Line 1 from Municipio to Garibaldi and change there. Get off at Ercolano Scavi for Herculaneum (about 20 minutes) or at Pompei Scavi for Pompeii (roughly 35 to 40 minutes). EAV's reserved-seat Campania Express tourist train is suspended from 1 October 2026, so for now plan on the ordinary trains, which get very crowded and are known for pickpockets.

On a port day with an early all-aboard, go to Herculaneum and skip Pompeii. It's closer, it's small enough to see properly in two hours, and it's better preserved. Herculaneum costs about 16 euros in 2026 (official site). Pompeii now sells named, timed tickets with a daily visitor cap, from about 20 euros for the ancient city alone; book on the official site and bring ID. If you'd rather not risk the train, the city's flat taxi fare to Pompei Scavi is 70 euros each way, which splits well among four people. Your ship will not wait for you, so leave at least an hour of slack on the way back.

The Campania Artecard covers transport and museum entry, and it can pay off if you do the metro, the archaeology museum and one of the ancient sites in a day.

Getting to the Cruise Terminal from Naples Airport

Naples Capodichino airport is only a few kilometers from the center. A Metro Line 1 station at the airport is under construction and due to open around 2027. Until it does, you have the bus or a taxi.

• Alibus: ANM's airport bus leaves from outside arrivals, stops at Piazza Garibaldi (the main train station), then runs to the port at Immacolatella/Porta di Massa and Molo Beverello/Stazione Marittima. A ticket was about 5 euros in 2026, valid 90 minutes; buy it from a tabaccheria or in the ANM Go app. The airport's bus page has the timetable.
• Taxi: the flat fare from the airport to the port (Molo Beverello/Piazza Municipio) is 24 euros on the city's tariff sheet, luggage and airport supplement included. Confirm the flat fare with the driver before you set off. The airport's taxi page has more.

With luggage and a boarding time to hit, I'd take the taxi. The Alibus is fine if you're traveling light.

>> Finding Cheap Airfare to Naples

Getting to the Cruise Terminal from Napoli Centrale

Napoli Centrale, on Piazza Garibaldi, is where the high-speed trains from Rome arrive.

• Metro: the easiest option. Take Line 1 from Garibaldi station, below Napoli Centrale, three stops to Municipio, about 300 meters from the terminal. Station escalators are long but it beats dragging a suitcase across town.
• Alibus: the airport bus stops at Piazza Garibaldi on its way to the port, so you can catch it here too.
• Taxi: there's a rank in front of the station. The flat fare from the station to the port is 15.50 euros. The Piazza Garibaldi area is a classic rough-around-the-station neighborhood, and unlicensed drivers do work it, so use the official rank and ask for the flat fare before you get in.

Naples cruise port photo is from the Port Authority of Naples website