"A city in perpetual motion" Top 5 Page for this destination Naples by toonsarah

Naples Travel Guide: 1,218 reviews and 2,999 photos

Pulcinella on the streets of Naples

My over-riding impression of Naples is of a city in perpetual motion: full of energy and life.

There is always something going on to catch your eye – a street performer, a lively debate in a café, an old man watching from a stone balcony, a woman putting out the washing next door and gossiping, and scooters weaving constantly through all the apparent chaos.

Sunshine in November

A long weekend in early November turned out to be a perfect time to visit Naples – warm sunny days and the tourist haunts of Pompeii and Herculaneum not too crowded at all.

Evenings were admittedly chillier, but still very pleasant, and bars and cafes had a welcome number of locals as well as visitors, so we felt we were experiencing something of the everyday life of this tumultuous city.

Sights within and beyond the city

Because we made the most of the sunny weather to do some trips out of the city, you won’t find a comprehensive set of tips on Naples here; it’s more of a personal view coupled with a selection of the sights that particularly appealed to us in the short time we had available, mainly in the old Centro Storico district.

I’ve also made separate pages about the places we visited in those side trips, Herculaneum, Pompeii and Sorrento, and done a brief overview of each destination under “Off the Beaten Path” here.

~~~o~~~

Pros and Cons
  • In a nutshell:Intense, exhausting and life-affirming
  • Last visit to Naples: Nov 2007
  • Intro Updated Dec 23, 2011
  • Add to Trip Planner (?)
  • Report Abuse

Reviews (33)

Comments (22)

  • TooTallFinn24's Profile Photo
    Aug 23, 2012 at 3:56 PM

    After reading your Naples pages I decided that Naples would be interesting for a day coming back from Sorrento on our first visit to Italy. Thanks for the candid information that will help in planning.

  • calcaf38's Profile Photo
    Aug 3, 2011 at 3:27 PM

    Thank you for visiting my Tela page. I enjoyed your Napoli page. If I ever go to Italy again, this will be my choice.

  • Trekki's Profile Photo
    Sep 27, 2010 at 6:05 AM

    Napoli is still my "finale" on my way through your Campania tour and I desperately want to go now! Not so much for sightseeing but for Napoli and the chaos :-) But... first my Italian must be better :-) Thanks for the inspiration again :-)

  • hunterV's Profile Photo
    Apr 14, 2010 at 10:29 AM

    Hello, Sarah! I enjoy reading your pages with virtual tours: vibrant, witty and absorbing! ><><><> Thanks a lot! See you in Lviv!

  • xaver's Profile Photo
    Nov 9, 2009 at 5:02 AM

    I couldn't agtree more with your introduction of Napoli, this is simply a city where there is always something going on, great complete tips.

  • deecat's Profile Photo
    Oct 20, 2009 at 2:48 PM

    So glad to see that someone else enjoyed Naples. Great find on the hotel. Excellent restaurant tips. Surprised you did not see the fabulous National Archeological Museum with all the Pompeii and Herculaneum treasures.

  • icunme's Profile Photo
    Aug 24, 2009 at 10:19 AM

    Outstanding photos equalled by your writing. Great info on transportation to Pompeii and Sorrento. Adding to my trip planner. Grazie, Sarah

  • hopang's Profile Photo
    Jul 7, 2009 at 8:35 AM

    The elegant Duomo, the fine churches and the impressive city squares especially Piazza Dante are certainly wonderful tourist attractions to explore. Castel Nuovo certainly looks amazing! We hope to visit Naples one day. ~ho & pang

  • Redang's Profile Photo
    Jun 10, 2009 at 11:01 AM

    So funny, we both visited Naples in Nov '07! good and useful page if I happen to come back

  • Jan 23, 2009 at 2:50 AM

    Great pic: Pulcinella on the streets of Naples. A lot of information!

toonsarah

“I slept on the strange pillows of my wanderlust”

Online Now

Female

Top 1,000 Travel Writer
Member Rank:
0 0 0 1 5
Forum Rank:
0 0 1 6 2

Badges & Stats in Naples

  • 33 Reviews
  • 86 Photos
  • 1 Forum posts
  • 21 Comments
  • 5,879PageViews

Have you been to Naples?

  Share Your Travels  

Latest Activity in Naples

Travel Interests

See All Travel Interests (12)

Latest Naples hotel reviews

Hotel Excelsior
139 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 19, 2013
Hotel Europeo/Europeo Flowers
131 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 20, 2013
Hotel Rex Napoli
107 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 5, 2013
Grand Hotel Oriente Naples
38 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 12, 2013
Apartment Inkiostro
4 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Oct 10, 2010
La Controra Backpackers Hostel
15 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 8, 2013
Renaissance Naples Hotel Mediterraneo
165 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 7, 2013
B&B La Bouganville Napoli
58 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Oct 1, 2012
Rainbow Bed & Breakfast
1 Review & Opinion
Latest: Mar 30, 2013
Ostello Mergellina
13 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 15, 2013
Mercure Napoli Angioino Centro
93 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 24, 2013
6 Small Rooms B & B
26 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 14, 2013
Hotel Fontana Bleu
1 Review & Opinion
Prati Hotel
40 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Nov 8, 2012
Leopardi
3 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Feb 10, 2013