Naples is around a 2 hour train ride after transfers and waiting. I really like the story of Pompeii so I liked it but there is not much else there in my opinion.

In Rome make sure you eat in and visit the Trestevere neighborhood. Away from the tourist areas.

Make sure you walk where ever you go. You miss the little things when you are on the tram or a bus.

http://goeurope.about.com/cs/rome/a/rome_free.htm

http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/daytrips.html

There are so many places in Rome worth visiting, its really depends on your interests and where you want to go. I lived there for 3-1/2 monthes and still didn’t see everything I wanted to. Some places I would definitely recommend though are the St. Peter’s Basilica and the Galleria Borghese. San Clemente, which is near the colosseum, was also one of my favorites and Sta. Maria della Vittoria (Where Bernini’s Ecstacy of Saint Teresa is, by the Piazza della Republica metro stop) is also really beautiful. As for beaches, they are about an hours train ride away, but I don’t know much other than that.

I have been to Naples twice. I also really liked Pompeii, so I would definitely recommend that as well. The city is not considered to be all that nice, but it isn’t too dangerous, from my experience either. Just a few weeks ago there were over 100 members of the local mafia arrested in Naples, so this might also have made the city safer. I would just recommend to watch your purse and don’t stay out too late. Also, I would avoid staying in the area in the immediate vicinity of the train station.

Have a great trip!

Well, for Rome, obviously go to all of the famous landmarks. Get to the Vatican EARLY!!!! or else you’ll probably be stuck in line forever. Naples is about a one and a half- two hour train ride away. It’s nice enough, but I would recommend visiting the Amalfi Coast instead. You can take a train and then a bus from Sorrento to get there. It might be too long for you, I don’t know how long you are planning for your trip. However, if you get the chance to see the Amalfi Coast, take it! You will not be dissapointed.

I lived in between Roma and Napoli and visited both cities very often. Roma because I loved it and Napoli because I had to. Crime in Italy, as most of Europe, is predominately no-violent. No matter where we found ourselves it was never scary to go out at night. Pick pockets abound in Roma, because of the tourists, as well as Napoli. Just make sure if you have a backback you stand against the wall in a crowd. Scam artists are very active as well, buy nothing from a street vendor.

I’ve gotta tell you, August is the WORST time to visit Italy. Many reasons chief is that it’s the busiest time for tourists. It’s hot stuffy and crowded. Everything in Roma from Piazza di Spagna (Spanish steps) to the Forum there are tourists just lounging everywhere, so many that it’s hard to walk around. August is the month that the bulk of italians vacation so all the beaches are super crowded as well. Just some friendly advice.

Go everywhere & anywhere! If you have a chance to travel outside rome do. Youll see more of the real Italy. Rome is amazing & what ever you do there youl find it amazing. Be careful with your money as it is really dear & food isnt cheap so if you can cook do. Just let go & have fun. Rome will entertain you.

Rome is easy to walk around and there are so many sites to see, but I’ll recommend a couple of my favorites: The Pantheon, located in the Piazza della Rotonda was my number one favorite building to visit. A short walk away is the Sant’Ignazio di Loyola, on the Piazza Sant’Ignazio which houses Andrea Pozzo’s trompe l’oeil ceiling frescos. Don’t forget to visit the Borghese Gallery, located in the Villa Borghese Park. One of the most spectacular gallery’s I’ve ever visited, and it’s not that big so it’s not overwhelming. As for Naples, it’s about two hours away. I’m sorry I didn’t spend any time there because there are sites to see. I instead stayed in Sorrento and visited other close by areas on the Amalfi Coast and also Pompeii, all of which I can recommend. Never having been to Naples, I can’t say how dangerous it is. My boyfriend’s relatives in Palermo warned us against it, but little did they realize that Palermo has a bad reputation too. I think you have to take precautions wherever you go, and everthing should be all right.

i really recommend at least a week in rome. i was backpacking and only spent 5 days there and we still didn’t see everything. circus maximus is really cool to experience and of course the colleseum. the roman forum is a must. make sure to see trevi fountain and the spanish steps and the piazza navona is nice. i recommend visiting the pantheon.

napoli is a few hours from rome and it’s quite dirty with a lot of petty crime (pick-pockets). i hated napoli. i didn’t find that there was much to see. but you can visit pompeii and take the tour up vesuvius which is just a short train ride from napoli and worth it. we took the ferry to capri from napoli and that was beautiful.

i would suggest going to cinque terre which is about 4 hours north from rome rather than going to napoli. cinque terre is a paradise with beautiful buildings and scenery and quiet beaches. much more worth the trip than going to napoli.

Hi!

For me the nicest thing to do was meeting or observong people while havin a coffee in one of those many bars.

It took me a while until I had figured out how it works in sucha bar, but then I enjoyed it a lot. Also the coffee is really affordable……. compared to Germany where I come from.

Have a nice and enjoyabe trip!

Hi

Sorry to take so long.

It’s so long since I went to Rome except as a transport link, that anything I say about the city itself is terribly dated.

However I have been more recently to some places in Lazio much nearer to Rome than Naples is, that you might like to consider. They are all easy and quite quick to access. If you have the Rome all da or week ticket, you can easily visit Ostia Antica without extra cost!

You can find them on my website by lcicking on Italy and then Lazio notes – and on Lazio photos as well if you are interested.

Cheers

David

OK – so I’m absent- minded! The url is www.freewebs.com/kdcx.