Napoli

A good base for visiting Pompeii and Capri.

Do not arrive by train at night if you aren’t absolutely sure you know the most direct route to your hotel. If you’ve got guts, you can get a ride in a taxi. Walking around with luggage, looking lost, at night, in Napoli isn’t very wise or fun.

Don’t get in a taxi!!!! It was the most terrifying experience of my life (minus the metro being shut down in Roma in the am only to have a sea of people at the bottom of a not stopping escalator)the driver cut lanes, hopped curbs (he kicked us out of the car at one point because he had beached it while trying to get over to the railed bus side to cut traffic – as in we could have been stuck on the tracks). Luckily we had a camera that did video in tow…as our reactions are permanently documented- and he sure did get us to our destination fast.

Interesting story. I had come to Italy in search of discovering my roots and learning more about my family history. Out of the few months I was there this summer, I took a short trip to Barcelona to visit some friends. While there, I met a friend of a friend (born and raised in northern Spain) who had studied abroad in Naples. Since I speak very little Spanish, she and I communicated in Italian, my second language that I am still stuggling with learning. Anyways, as I was explaining to her why I had come abroad, I told her a bit about my family history, what the surnames were that I was looking for, where my grandparents were born, etc. As I told her my last name and where my grandfather was born, she gasped and exclaimed that her boyfriend, who is Italian and lives in Naples, has the same last name as me AND was born in a town right next to where my grandfather was born!
Needless to say, shortly after I arrived in Italy for the second time, I went to Naples, met him, other cousins, and had the time of my life. The city is so full of life and rich in culture, it’s absolutely incredible.
Sigh.

Definitely gonna go again – 2 days was too short to see/do much, but nice trip nonetheless.

My family is from outside of Naples. In order to get my Italian citizenship I need to go track down a bunch of birth, death and marriage certificates in a town hall I’m told probably burned down in a village whose entire population consists of people I’m related too. It looks a little unlikely at this point, but I’m being hopeful (:

i didn’t get the “unsafe” vibe from naples at all. yes, it’s a real, live working city with real, live working people, but that doesn’t mean you should walk the streets in fear.

i say just take the same precautions you’d take anywhere. don’t wear anything flashy, be aware of your surroundings, and keep your valuables in a safe place.

my friend i was traveling with got her mp3 player stolen somewhere in ischia or naples, so yes, bad things DO happen. but don’t let that scare you away from this great city.

My father & family left Italia, to come to the USA, from Napoli. While the Guerriero family is originally from Parma, they were more recently in Napoli before leaving the Motherland to come to the states. I have been there many times. Generally, most people are disappointed with Napoli, viewing it as a dirty city, and of course it cannot be compared to Roma, or to the Amalfi Coast, but it is still a great city on the Med, with lots of great food, cathedrals, and a short driving distance to Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, and many other great places in Italia! Ciao!

GUERRIERO

By far one of my favorite places I’ve ever been. It’s not touristy by any stretch. Authentic Italy. Authentic food. Authentic people. A bit dodgey after dark and daylight I suppose, and not the cleanest of cities but it all adds to the undeniable character of this city.

naples was the last place i visited during a 10-day stint in italy. i only stayed there one day and night and my experience there (although who can really judge by just one day?) was actually pretty scary in some ways although somewhat fun too.

we actually stayed in a hostel near the train station, which probably wasn’t the best idea; i needed to make an international phone call at around 10 p.m. and didn’t have a cell so as i was going outside to the payphones, the hostel-owners (really nice and helpful) seriously made the biggest deal about me watching my money, not bringing my wallet/passport type ID out, etc. one of the guys even patted me down to make sure nothing was visible (and i do take precautions when i travel…i don’t just fly off with wads of non-existent cash and jewels and i didn’t get the nasty uncle chester vibe from him either). as i went out i saw a lot of homeless folks and junkies. i just didn’t feel safe at all. then again, take a look at what part of the city i stayed and what time it was. eh.

the fun part was in the daytime (the hostel-owners still constantly insisted on not taking anything valuable with me, hidden or visible). my day’s worth of fun belonged with the market chaos and getting lost in the little alley-like streets streaming with motorcyclists; we visited a castle from where you could see mt.vesuvius in the pic (as i’m sure you could anywhere else)and the pizza was the best i’d ever had. that’s the birthplace of pizza for ya! :)