Naples Worthwhile?

We have five nights / four days to spend in the Naples / Amalfi Coast
area before boarding a ship in Sorrento. In the past we've been to
Pompei, and to Amalfi twice on day trips.

We were planning to just skip Naples, but Frommer's guide raves about
how the historic center has been cleaned up, and the crime situation
greatly improved.

Questions:

1) Is Naples now a good walking-around city? Worth a couple of days?

2) Where should we spend two or three nights on the Amalfi Coast -
Amalfi (where we've already been), Sorrento (where we'll walk around
anyway our last day), or someplace else?

Walt Bilofsky wrote:

We have five nights / four days to spend in the Naples / Amalfi Coast
area before boarding a ship in Sorrento. In the past we've been to
Pompei, and to Amalfi twice on day trips.

We were planning to just skip Naples, but Frommer's guide raves about
how the historic center has been cleaned up, and the crime situation
greatly improved.


Frommer's is written for rich fat Amerikan tourists, best to go with a
Michelin guide or Guide Bleu...


Questions:

1) Is Naples now a good walking-around city? Worth a couple of days?



Only if you like pickpocets, prostitutes, and a virtual plethora of
rubbish...


2) Where should we spend two or three nights on the Amalfi Coast -
Amalfi (where we've already been), Sorrento (where we'll walk around
anyway our last day), or someplace else?


Isla di Capri...

Walt Bilofsky ha scritto:

1) Is Naples now a good walking-around city? Worth a couple of days?

I'm Italian (not from Naples, so, like many Italians, I too love and
hate Naples).
Naples is a wonderful city: you must be careful, but if you don't need
to drive (driving in Naples is TERRIBLE: no rules at all...), and if you
pay some care to your goods (don't walk with too many bags, luxury
camera, luxury mobile phone or visible money/wallet, you will not have
problems.
Don't buy anything: many fake goods!
But food is wonderful, take a view from the 'Posillipo' hill (reachable
by bus and/or funicular) is compulsory!
Also the center is very good, so I advice you to give Naples a chance...
Maybe you can sleep outside (Pompei, Sorrento) and reach daily Naples by
suburban train (Circumvesuviana).

Ciao, Piero.

Is Naples now a good walking-around city? Worth a couple of days?
Don't buy anything: many fake goods!

Some of us actually WANT to buy fake goods. (Last time I went
to Istanbul, a friend back home was very keen for me to buy her
a fake Rolex - unfortunately it turned out that they were much
harder to find than they used to be).

Heck, I'd even start wearing Armani if I could find something
with the logo spelt wrong.

==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === http://www.campin.me.uk ====
Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557
CD-ROMs and free stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, and Mac logic fonts
****** I killfile Google posts - email me if you want to be whitelisted ******

Walt Bilofsky wrote:

1) Is Naples now a good walking-around city? Worth a couple of days?

Maybe a couple of hours. Get a train into the central station, walk around a
bit to see how crazy the place is, then get out again.

There are supposedly some tourist attractions, but I've always given them a
miss.

--
Bartc

"Jack Campin - bogus address" wrote in message
...
Is Naples now a good walking-around city? Worth a couple of days?
Don't buy anything: many fake goods!

Some of us actually WANT to buy fake goods.

But the Italian authorities don't like you to do so.

Prepare yourself for a 5000 Euro fine if caught with them.

(And yes I too think that they should target the sellers, not the buyers,
but they have decide not to)

tim

"bartc" wrote:

Walt Bilofsky wrote:

1) Is Naples now a good walking-around city? Worth a couple of days?

Maybe a couple of hours. Get a train into the central station, walk around a
bit to see how crazy the place is, then get out again.

There are supposedly some tourist attractions, but I've always given them a
miss.

I had the same negative image of Naples as most of the responders
here.

But Frommer's (2008) says "[Naples'] artistic and historic riches are
more easily accessed since the historic center's thorough
refurbishment during the 1990's. Also, police work has been effective
in reducing crime and making the tourist areas safer than ever. Yet
Naples is a big city and you should still keep an eye on your
belongings." And in their recommended 7 day tour of Naples and Amalfi
Coast they suggest two days in Naples.

So - are people replying based on visits in the past 5 years, say, or
on old information or prior impressions?

Piero wrote:

Walt Bilofsky ha scritto:

1) Is Naples now a good walking-around city? Worth a couple of days?

I'm Italian (not from Naples, so, like many Italians, I too love and
hate Naples).
Naples is a wonderful city: you must be careful, but if you don't need
to drive (driving in Naples is TERRIBLE: no rules at all...), and if you
pay some care to your goods (don't walk with too many bags, luxury
camera, luxury mobile phone or visible money/wallet, you will not have
problems.
Don't buy anything: many fake goods!
But food is wonderful, take a view from the 'Posillipo' hill (reachable
by bus and/or funicular) is compulsory!
Also the center is very good, so I advice you to give Naples a chance...
Maybe you can sleep outside (Pompei, Sorrento) and reach daily Naples by
suburban train (Circumvesuviana).

Ciao, Piero.

Grazie, Piero. Yes, we are always careful with valuables and aware of
other people when walking in large cities.

Would it make sense to stay two or three nights in the historic center
of Naples? Staying in Sorrento, counting travel time and waiting, it
would take about 2 1/2 hours to go to Naples and back.

Ciao,

Walt

....
We have five nights / four days to spend in the Naples / Amalfi Coast
area before boarding a ship in Sorrento. In the past we've been to
Pompei, and to Amalfi twice on day trips.

Naples, try http://www.parteno.it/public/parteno/
Great location. Trolley hub nearby.

We loved Positano. Having done the Amalfi thing perhaps you'd want to take
a day trip or two from Naples to Capri?

Good luck, s

"Walt Bilofsky" wrote in message
...
"bartc" wrote:

Walt Bilofsky wrote:

1) Is Naples now a good walking-around city? Worth a couple of days?

Maybe a couple of hours. Get a train into the central station, walk around
a
bit to see how crazy the place is, then get out again.

There are supposedly some tourist attractions, but I've always given them a
miss.

I had the same negative image of Naples as most of the responders
here.

Me too. I found nothing of real interest there

I'm told that there are so worthwhile art museums, but I don't do art
museums. Though the complainant was that they only opened in the morning,
so to do them all took twice as many days as necessary. This could have
changed

tim