Does anyone actually like Naples?

[FrodoBiggins]

Going to Naples with my DH end of Sept, then on to Sorrento and Capri start of Oct. Everyone (literally everyone) I've told irl has said Sorrento/Amalfi/Capri are great but Naples not so much. I was really looking forward to it (still am) but I'm a bit confused now - it looks interesting and cool!
For info we're there 5 days, doing Herculaneum and Pompeii so maybe 3 days free. We like history and food. It seemed an obvious choice. I can speak Italian, DH is OK he can get by.
Anyone got any recommendations or is it as "grim" as everyone seems to say?

In the old town there are plenty of former palazzos you can stay in, I’d recommend doing that over a station hotel any day. In fact just leave the station and get far away from it. The metro is really easy to use!! The whole area around Piazza del Plebiscito is my favourite, and we didn’t feel unsafe around there at all.

We stayed in Santa Lucía area and really liked it @FrodoBiggins . B&B Orsini was delightful. Easy bus ride from airport. Next to the lungomare. Easy walk to the Spanish quarter etc. Peaceful at night. Loved it.

I went to Naples for the first time this year, we normally go to Salerno further along the coast as I have family there. Absolutely loved Naples. It’s noisy, dirty and full of life! I’d go back tomorrow!

Amalfi is totally overrated, go up the mountain to Ravello instead.

Loved Naples. Make sure to do a trip up to the top of Vesuvius, the highlight of my trip!

DD and I adored Naples.

I have been twice and loved it both times. The first time I was with a group of girlfriends in our early 20s meeting up with some friends who were from Naples. We have an amazing time being shown the sights by locals and ate fantastic food. It was back in the early 00s when Italian men still openly cat called, but we still didn’t feel unsafe

The second time I went was with my husband and we went for a hardcore pizza tour (6 pizzas in 3 days!). This was 5 years ago, and while I felt the graffiti and rubbish wasn’t great, we never felt unsafe. The people are genuinely the friendliest I’ve met in Europe - one night we ended up mistakenly gate crashing a family party in a pizzeria and the whole family invited us in and fed us (and gave us Nutella pizza to take away).

We want to take our kids there when they are c 12 and 10 because they would love the food and history. The locals are really friendly towards families and children from what we observed.

Didn't love it. Street food is amazing. Sorrento/Amalfi coast/Capri just unbelievable.

My DH travels to Naples with work and adores it, although it probably helps to be a guest of locals. He says it is much improved since when he first went about 20 years ago.

We loved Naples - so much life and soul. Didn’t feel especially unsafe either - just kept our wits about us as I would as a fairly obvious tourist anywhere.

I love that area of Italy in general, but found Amalfi and Positano much harder work than I did the previous time we went - so, so busy and wall to wall American tourists (which is fine, just not what I want from Italy!). I don’t like Sorrento so didn’t go again.

Like most tourist hot spots in Italy.

The Capo do Monte palace is stuffed full of fantastic art - well worth a bust. Absolutely loved Naples

We also lived there for a few years and agree with everything you’ve said. ❤️

Out of necessity I won't have time to explore Naples, so in a way I'm glad to read the thread which is a bit negative although I know every city has its ups and downs. I'm going to try and get from Ostia Lido where we are staying to Herculaneum and Pompeii in one day. Whew! Early start but should be doable on the fast train. I'll be so busy figuring out where to go that Naples will just be the train station!

I'm in my late 60s and will be doing that bit solo. Will see Rome and the coast with DP. He has been to Naples and Amalfi/Pompeii etc. before, but I haven't. Don't have any desire to see the postcard type stuff in Sorrento and surrounds, so will skip all that and focus on the Roman stuff, which is nearly as old as me lol. 😊Wish me luck!

I loved how much there was to see and do and the food etc, but I did feel it was a bit sketchy for walking around late at night which was a shame. Outside of that I liked it a lot. It is a bit more gritty than other parts of Italy I've been to, but still plenty of good in there!

I have just returned from a fortnight in Sorrento. We did one day in Naples. I didn't enjoy the city but loved the underground tour. It is not somewhere I will return to.

Agree with @TragicMuse saying to go to Ravello - it is absolutely beautiful there. Despite being a bit busy, it felt tranquil, I loved it.

I love Naples and I’m going back in October

Love Naples. Going in March again. Ignore the annoying title but this is a good guide book to get some history and great places to visit - free on kindle unlimited https://www.amazon.co.uk/Glam-Italia-Fabulous-Things-Naples-ebook/dp/B0DMTT4W57

Loved it! We stayed for a week at Easter, and other than a day trip for Vesuvius/Herculaneum and one for Pompei, we stayed in Naples the whole time and didn't run out of things to do. We had thought of an island trip, but the ferries are expensive so we didn't bother.

We stayed to the north of the Universita metro and walked most places. I'd have a look at Street View to try and get a quiet spot as of course the central area has lots of outdoor nightlife.

Yes there is graffiti, but some of it is artistic. Yes there is rubbish, but they do clear it up sometimes, and let's be honest, the UK is getting worse and worse on the rubbish front. We'd heard it was rough, but it didn't feel that way and we didn't feel unsafe anywhere. It's a very vibrant and photogenic city.

Watch out for pickpockets. A guy put his hand in the front pocket of my skirt! Luckily there was nothing in it but is shows how brazen they are.

iI enjoyed Naples, we just went for a long weekend which was long enough. We went in winter which I think was a good thing. It’s scruffy and dirty but it’s a cool place.

I already posted my thoughts in a comment up thread, but you asked about hotels.

We stayed here https://www.correra.it/en/
This was 10yrs ago. I recall it was very clean, included a continental breakfast and was just up a lane off the main road. Very quiet though. It was 2min to Dante metro station and a 3min walk up the road to the archaeological museum. I have no idea what the area was though, if its the centre of town etc? The hotel felt safe and staff were very friendly.

We visited Naples for a day when holidaying in Sorrento.
I didn’t like it and couldn’t wait to leave.
its busy, noisy and I felt unsafe. Too many scooters/mopeds.
its got some interesting places but isn’t a nice looking City.
We went for Pizza in the restaurant Pizza was invented. That was nice.
The rest is happily have missed.
Sorrento/Amalfi coast are amazing.

It was miserable, dirty, dingy and generally a bit dodgy. The pizza was great. And Vesuvius, Herculaneum and Pompeii.

Yes if you can don't stay in a hotel near the station. It's not a huge city and the metro is good so it won't affect your trains to Pompeii etc if you're a bit further away. I stayed in the centre storico, as a pp said around Dante or Museo metro station would be worth a look. I stayed in an old flat in an old square off a main drag with a balcony, it was a nice escape from the chaos

Haha this is actually very accurate - you could also add intermittent church bells, a random man singing opera from a balcony, enthusiastic football related applause...

Just watched a programme on channel 4 about Pompei. Loved it all when we went. The view from the bay of Naples is breathtaking. Loved Naples, Sorrento and everything about the Amalfi coast. Capri is beautiful too.