Easter had come around and it meant that I now had the time to be able to head out for another prolonged trip, even if it was only two weeks this time but I was going to make the most of it. After the success of my last time Interrailing in Europe, I decided to repeat this method of transport and head out to explore the beautiful nation of Italy. A country that is world renowned for its varied and deep culture, its long and interesting history, its beautiful landscapes and of course, its food. This is a place that I’ve always to visit and certainly excited for this journey and the first stop on this trip was, Napoli.
Why I Head to Napoli
There are a variety of reasons that led me to go to Napoli. Not only is it a big city with plenty of attractions within its city walls, containing years of history, there are a wide array of tourist hotspots surrounding it. Volcanos, both big and small, ancient cities, beautiful coastline to the south with the Amalfi Coast and fascinating museums teaching you the history of the region and its ancient civilisation. Of course, one of the most important reasons why people would want to travel to Napoli would be to eat pizza in the place where it originated from.
A reason on its own, right?
I felt that this place had a lot to offer me in terms of what I enjoyed about travelling and thought it was unjust for me to miss it out when travelling through Italy. It was a place that I was really excited to be visiting. As to why this was first on my list, from the shortlist of places that I wanted to go to in Italy that I could afford, and the shape they made through the country, it was only sensible to pick one of the end cities and go from there. When looking at flights, Napoli was the cheapest to fly into, with Venice being the cheapest to leave via.
What I Thought of Napoli
Napoli was a brilliant place that I really enjoyed starting my trip with and felt that it set a standard high here. There were so many things that I enjoyed about the place. Within the city you have so much to see and do, from castles towering over the city to ancient underground tunnels; from numerous cafes to a plethora of amazing pizzerias offering that original pizza form; from expansive views of the bay to the impressive architecture of the cathedrals and churches.
Then you have outside of the city itself and further afield, where there’s so much to see and do that will easily keep you busy and entertained no matter what it is that you enjoy about travel, be it geographical wonders, history or picturesque locations.
Should You Cover It?
I think it goes without saying that I’d highly recommend Napoli just based on the paragraphs above. It has something for everyone to enjoy their time there.
If this message is unclear then continue reading and find out those finer details of what my trip entailed. You’ve got crazy hikes, history from all eras, ancient cities and nights of taking in Napoli’s nightlife.
Day 1 – Saturday 1 Apr
What a view you are greeted with when you fly into Napoli. Not only do you have the fact it is on the coast with the city meeting the sea but then there’s the back drop of Vesuvius… what a view! That’s all that needs to be said really with the picture below truly showing the beauty.
Getting from the airport to the centre of Napoli comes in two forms currently with either a taxi or the Alibus. The route I took was the utilising the bus, which drops you off at the Garibaldi station, allowing you to branch out using the metro. The bus is a cheap and relatively quick way of getting from A to B, costing just €5 each way and taking roughly 30 minutes. A taxi would be quicker at around 10-15 minutes but unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to tell you the price.
The place that I was staying here was a hostel called Giovanni’s Home and that’s exactly what it is, just converted into a hostel. As a hostel, I must admit I was a little dubious about it’s appearance. The description on Hostelworld wasn’t very descriptive nor did it have an array of photos to showcase it but the reviews spoke very highly of it (a 9.4 rating with 4066 reviews at the time of writing) and I was short of options due to most other places being booked up.
From the moment of walking in, I knew that I’d made the right choice. Giovanni takes the time to properly meet and greet all his guests before taking you a very thorough “check in”. What do I mean by that? Unlike other hostels where you check in, get shown your room and that’s that, sometimes with a little overview of the city. Giovanni though takes it to a whole new level! Getting you and couple of others together who are arriving at similar times, you are checked in before you get a history lesson from a truly passionate Neapolitan.
This starts at the origins of Napoli and how the Greeks and the Romans affected its path, with a few small digs at their rival city, Rome. This history lesson is then followed up by an depth list of recommendations for Napoli as a city, giving you the perfect walking tour as well as letting you know of places to avoid. This then gets expanded to cover “Giovanni’s 7 Day Itinerary” that he believes will give you a full appreciation of the region and the only acceptable way of doing things, whilst allowing you see things such as “acropolises better than Greece”, “arenas better than the Colosseum of Rome” and some of the most beautiful coastline on offer in the shape of the Amalfi Coast.
And trust me, he doesn’t hold back with his opinions with places!
As if that isn’t enough for you, there’s a lesson on Italian cuisine and he cooked us dinner! It may seem like only a simple spaghetti dish but it was full flavour, all from the addition of a few simple ingredients.
The time, dedication and passion shown by Giovanni was seriously impressive and second to no where else I’ve been before or after. You have to stay here! There’s no two ways about it.
Day 2 – Sunday, 2 Apr
First day and I was going to go big! Vesuvius beckoned me and I was going to summit it but not in the way everyone does it. Pretty much everyone gets the bus up but me? I was going to take the scenic route, enjoy the Italian landscape stretch out either side and hike it! Yes, you read that correctly, I’m going to hike to the top of the 1281m volcano. I’d packed my bag the night before, got up nice and early, and headed down into the metro to head to the main train station to head south to Ercolano, grabbing myself an Italian pastry based breakfast en route.
As I exited the Ercolano station, much to the surprise of the bus company guides, as everyone turned left, I turned right and set my sights on the summit. As crazy as this may sound I would honestly recommend this method. OK, it’s not as quick as getting the coach up but the views stretching out over Napoli as you walk up are great, you get to see the small dwellings of those living on the side of the volcano and numerous statues along the road side. You can see some of the examples of this below.
8 miles, 1200m of elevation and 2 hours later and I was at the peak. I am a bit of power walker so please note, this is a pretty quick time so it may take you a little longer as it is quite an incline in places. Another method you could use is take a bike!
Once at the top, I could take a breather as I queued to get my ticket to take the trail to the crater, which costs €10. The view from the very top was brilliant, even if the visibility wasn’t great, with Napoli stretching out to the north, Pompeii to the south and the bay connecting the two to the west. On a clear day you would be able to see the beginning of the Amalfi coastline.
Now that I’d cooled off, refreshed in the cool breeze and taken in the views and witnessed the smouldering crater, it was time to get back down. My plan was to get the bus but I’d overlooked one small thing: change for the ticket! Unsurprisingly, there aren’t many cash machines at the top of volcanos! So there was only one thing for it… run back down!
Travel Tip: Prior preparation prevents poor performance. I thought I’d made all the required preps to get me up and down. Clearly, I hadn’t! So when you're planning on doing something, check every stage of it and that you have what you need to facilitate it. If not, you can end up in quite a sticky situation.
With part one of the day completed, it was back to the train station for me to head further south to Pompeii, which sits only 15 minutes or so further down the line.
The first port of call upon arrival was to get some lunch! Thankfully right outside the train station and opposite the main entrance to Pompeii’s archaeological sight, there’s a lovely place to sit outdoors and enjoy Italian cuisine called Hortus Restaurant and Garden Bar. Reasonably priced, tasty food here is a perfect way to prepare you for a couple of hours walking around Pompeii or to refuel yourself on completion.
The visit to Pompeii was completely worth the effort. A vast archaeological site covering 44 hectares, you can see the size and scale of the city whilst also having an insight into the lives of the Romans, both how the cities would work and how social structures dictated someone’s living conditions. One of the things that I found really interesting was how advanced as a civilisation they were, with the technology they used and what was known about the sciences. The final thing that sticks out to me is the level of artistry that both survived and the levels of it, both with the painting and the mosaics.
I would highly advise someone to visit Pompeii to experience this amazing place. The prices to have the pleasure of seeing this amazing location is €17.50 for a full ticket however, if you’re from the EU and 18-24, it only costs you €3.50 so it would be rude to not take advantage of this!
I won’t lie to you, by the time I’d seen the whole of the site, I was physically spent. I was ready for bed. I had to drag myself to station to get myself back to Napoli and to the safe haven of the hostel.
Thankfully, dinner that night called for only one thing: pizza! So we asked our trusted hostel owner Giovanni as to where the best place was and he told us Pizzeria Donna Sofia Ai Tribunali was the best in town so there’s where our sights were set. The fact this place had been recommended as the best place to go for pizza in Napoli, which is a big accolade for the place where the modern day pizza originates from. I’m sure this pizza would have tasted amazing but after the day I had, it tasted oh so much better! It’s now ruined my experience of pizza for life, it’ll never hold up to this so be warned. A picture paints a thousand words:
One of the cool things that I got to witness was the shear intense passion of Italians, in particular when it comes to sport. The thing sending them wild this evening was football but not just any old football match. This was the local derby between Napoli and Juventus bringing the city to a stand still. I’m not even kidding! Every square that we walked through had a projector or TV set up in front of an array of seats, all filled with shouting and screaming Italians. Even in the restaurant that we were in, they had managed to get the game on and the staff were often caught stopping to watch the action unfold.
Pizza was followed up by heading for a drink or two with the crew at a very interesting place called Libreria Berisio. Why was it interesting? It is a cafe in the day and a bar at night, whilst being a book store all the time and it completely owns it! An awesome little place to enjoy a wine, cocktail, a mocktail or whatever you tipple of choice.
And that was how I rounded off my first full day in Napoli! A full on day but a very satisfying one! That left one thing: bedtime!
Day 3 – Monday, 3 Apr
Was I ready for the second day?
Mentally? Just about there after a sound night’s sleep. Physically? Well, I thought I was ready… turns out not at all! The cry out in pain as I tried rolling over with the aches from the day before said it all. Followed by hysterical laughter from both Deepak and I. On a normal day, getting off a top bunk isn’t a problem at all. This time though, it was hell. Jumping down was a no go, my legs wouldn’t catch me and using them to climb down was questionable at best. After a few attempts, with a lot of laughter at my predicament, I eventually made it down however, it did nearly end up with me in a pile on the floor.
It’s a good job that my day didn’t have much walking planned… oh wait no, my plan was to conduct a walking tour of all the location that Giovanni had suggested on his trusty little map. Well done me! Thankfully, once I was up and moving, stretching off slightly, I was just about ready to rock and roll.
This walking tour comprised of the following location:
- Napoli Cathedral – This was my first insight into the amazing work that goes into most Italian cathedrals. The attention to detail, the art work and the materials used in their places of worship are simply amazing! Even if not religious, I would suggest enjoying this building for what it’s worth.
- Gesù Nuovo Church – Another church and another fantastic building with amazing architecture that will leave you amazed, just like the first cathedral. The exterior of this church is definitely interesting one though. I wish I’d learnt about that at the time.
- Castel Nuovo – This is a large and imposing castle that sits on its own and at a first glance, is quite an odd shape from the front. I only looked at the place and in the areas that were free to enter when I was here, which allows you into the courtyard. You can enter for €6 if an adult and €3 for the reduced price, giving you access to galleries from across the years and various other museum elements hosted within the castle.
- Galleria Umberto I – What an amazing building this is! From the impressive facade at the entrances to the detailed floor mosaics, this building plays host to a variety of shops, cafes and social areas whilst having apartments in the upper tier of the building, all under a huge glass roof. A brilliantly built social area.
- Cappella Sansevero – You have to go here, you really do. It is €8 for an adult and €5 for those 10-25 and you may be wondering why is this so good? Well, the stone work here is utterly incredible! It genuinely looks real. You aren’t allowed to take photos in here but when you see it in person, you’ll be blown away! You must go!
One of the things that may put people off Napoli is the city’s appearance. With tall building and narrow streets, it can look like a dark and questionable place with the lack of sunlight being let in. However, don’t let this put you off as it is not the case at all as well as there being plenty of open and spacious areas throughout the city.
To finish off the day, a few of us headed to Napoli Sotterranea, or Underground Naples for us English speakers. An intriguing and varied tour that takes you through the history of the city covering how this area was used as a bunker during World War Two, the Greek-Roman aqueducts and the special archaeological sites from the Roman times and they were hidden in plain sight by the modern day city’s shape.
Day 4 – Tuesday, 4 Apr
Time flies when you’re having fun and that was certainly the case here. Before I knew it, I was on my final day in Napoli and soon to be moving on later that day. In the meantime though, I had a few more things to tick off my list before I headed off, that I’d seen on my little tour the day before. The first two locations that I wanted to see was the inside of Basilica Reale Pontificia San Francesco de Paola, which from he exterior looked like an impressive piece of architecture and was backed by the interior’s design with marble floor and intricate stone design.
On the way through the city, I looked up and just appreciated the picturesque nature of the buildings through the city, painted in their pastel colours and their rows of big windows and balconies. The next location that I was heading to was Ovo Castle, which stands out on a peninsula in the bay, standing watch over the bay and giving great views of the cityscape in both directions and of Vesuvius in the distance.
Now, it’s not usually something you get recommended when you head off to somewhere but I’m going to suggest checking out some of the metro stations in Napoli. The art that’s hosted at Garibaldi, Muncipio and Università station is pretty cool to check out whilst you are travelling around under Napoli. But the showcase station is Toledo. Wow! What an awesome spectacle it is!
The last place to tick off and what seemed a fitting location for me to overlook and say farewell to this wonderful city, Castel Sant’Elmo. At just €2.50 to enter, you are able to have a look around the castle, the museum here and of course, get your photo opportunity overlooking Napoli and its bay. Below you can see some of the shots that are on offer from this castle, prominently standing above Napoli. I can only thank Deepak for being my personal photographer for this little photoshoot. 10/10, would recommend!
Another thing this trip definitely included making a good friend in the shape of Deepak, a Canadian making most of his time in Europe and it seemed that we shared many ideas and values. Not only to bounce ideas off on what to do, someone to hang out and work out with on Giovanni’s terrace. The other thing I feel we share values on is chasing your dreams, growing to be the person that you want to be and inspiring others along the way. I may write my blog from time to but this guy is seriously bossing it! Since I’ve known him, he’s created his own class act of a podcast and business. I would certainly implore you listen to his top quality podcast as it’s an insightful listen every time, constantly improving as I’ve seen it grow from day one. Please click the picture to the right, give it a listen and subscribe to his various media streams.
Just as quickly was I arriving in a flurry being taken through the history of the city and the region, I was on my way off to my next destination, much to the annoyance of Giovanni. From that comment, you must have guessed it, I was on my way to Rome, the capital of Italy. Giovanni disputes this though as Napoli used to be but don’t worry, he doesn’t hold too much of a grudge…
So it was ‘Ciao’ to Giovanni, his hostel and the awesome city that is Napoli and onwards as Rome beckoned!
Things I Missed
From the story, you know what I managed to fit into my time here and what I thought of each thing but you may be wandering what else is on offer that I wanted to do but missed or what I wasn’t so keen on but would entice you so I’ll give a little section on the what other tourist attractions are available:
- Amalfi Coast – A famous stretch of coastline in Italy that is truly stunning from every photo that I’ve seen. Steep cliffs ladened with colourful towns provide picturesque views. Add in the beaches and the towering hills and mountains in the background and it’s a truly spectacular place that I really wish I had time to visit.
- Herculaneum – Pompeii is known for the being the archeological location in the region and a must see but that’s due to scale. However, if you head to Herculaneum, it’s known for being the most well preserved place.
- National Archeological Museum – A museum full of history and intrigue that I wanted to visit but required more time in this city.
- Archaeological sites to the west – I was only aware of this location due to Giovanni’s history lesson. There are plenty of sights to the west that play host to a mixture of Greek and Roman history that was advised to be visited. Add in some old volcano craters and you’ve got yourself a decent location.
I hope you enjoyed this content, able to glean plenty of information from it about Napoli and ultimately, inspired to explore this part of the world. With plenty of other places covered and plenty more to come, be sure to use the links around the blog to see what else I’ve written about whilst make sure you use the links below to follow me on social media and be one of the first to see when I announce my new blog posts!
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