Help me feel better about Naples

[flitwit99]

We are going to Naples in a few weeks, mainly so we can visit Pompeii and the like. We are staying for 4 nights. I had thought we might stay somewhere else but dh has booked Naples. He said it was fine when he stayed there in 1988.
Everyone I have spoken to says Naples is horrible, dangerous, unsafe. We will have 3 kids with us, does that mean people will be nicer to us or be more likely to pickpocket us?
I have travelled all over the world and have never been this paranoid but I honestly have not heard anyone say a single good thing about Naples. Surely it can't be that bad? We'll be out and about most of the day but it sounds like there are lots of areas you wouldn't want to be in in the evenings.
Please help me feel better.

Maybe it’s got an air of menace because the mafia are very much still a presence thre. I read recently the maybe it’s the ‘ pippoto’

www.narconon.org/drug-information/naples-italy-cocaine-addiction.html

www.travelsafe-abroad.com/italy/naples/

Op read this

Just be aware of low level pick pocketing

I booked a cheap hotel near the main station. I left after one night and went to sorrento.
Train stations in most major cities are the roughest areas,

Oh I'm quite interested in this too. We're going to Ischia in the summer and were considering a night or two in Naples. We have some friends who returned recently and loved it - it sounds like you just need your wits about you. Unfortunately I'm a bit of a scaredy cat...

We went and stayed 1 night in Naples as per our plan in about 1988.

Didn’t think there was anything wrong with Naples apart from the traffic noise.
It was relentless. Didn’t really get much sleep.

Would want to make sure that the hotel had triple glazing and air con if I was to go again.

flugelhorn81

Ischia is fabulous. Can’t remember much about it other than Dp asking me to sniff his wine (I don’t drink). It smelled of smoke. You know that smell after a house has burned down and you go in the next day.
Strange wine was the only thing I remember as well as having a great time.

We've actually been a few times, just for a night or two on the way somewhere. You need to keep your wits about you and watch out for pickpockets but nothing bad happened to us.

You have to try the pizza though - Da Michele (oldest pizza place) and Di Matteo. Out of this world. And gelato!

We love live love Naples. We've been twice and will definitely be going back. I'd go as far to say it is one of my favourite places in the world.

It seems to be a marmite sort of place though. It brings out string emotions one way or another. Take a look at the trip advisor Naples forum, you'll find loads of lovers there.

We stayed at Hotel Piazza Bellini, which we loved. It is within walking distance of the archaeology museum and station in one direction and Dante in the other. We arrived on 3 Kings Day and it was very busy and noisy, but it felt safe. Just take the precautions that you would normally take against pickpockets.

We went last year, only did one night and that was more than enough. It was a shit hole and we didn't feel safe. Every single building us covered with graffiti, we didnt see a single building without graffiti.

Goodness, Naples sounds like Cape Town of southern Europe.

Lots of people will go out of their way to tell you how wonderful and safe they find the city (precisely because its reputation precedes it) but I think this poster summed up my feelings when I got off the tour bus in downtown area “It had this like air of menace about it, not really sure how to describe it.”

It felt like suddenly these groups of people who were just chatting and relaxing at various public squares and benches all clocked me getting off the bus. A real “hair standing up on the back of your neck” feeling.

Sorry... I was speaking about Cape Town... never been to Naples and now can safely say never intend to go to Naples.

I stayed in sorrento few years back, we day tripped to Naples. Was disappointed in the place but I didn't feel unsafe at all. Pizza was good!

I love Naples. It is a busy sometimes dirty, always beautiful city. You just need your ‘busy city’ head on. Just sensible security for money etc when out and about. Don’t get drawn into anything which feels ‘odd’ or distraction. I always feel eg Barcelona is more dodgy re pickpocketing etc.

Last time in Naples - last year - saw some of the worst out and out racism I have ever seen - on busy street - no one turned a hair (except us who probably stupidly called it out). For that reason alone my feelings about the city now include sadness -at the time I vowed never to go again.

Had several racist things not happened I’d go again in a heartbeat. Really lovely city otherwise.

It was also a cheap city. We brought a lot of our money back with us.

Another one to say Vesuvius is worth a visit. Steep climb and go early, we were lucky to go as there were forest fires all week closed it off and 42 degree heat, did suffer! The burnt trees at the sides of the road was sad to see but the crater is huge and it’s very interesting, also Herculaneum in addition it Pompeii. We didn’t go to Naples as we stayed in Sorrento which was nice and if you get a chance the cost road to Positino is beautiful.

Second vote for piazza Bellini hotel. Knownyou havenyour hotel sorted but for anyone reading more generally. Lovely clean, really well placed, much better than lots of alternatives, good breakfasts.

You will be visiting the tourist spots during the day so don't worry, I'm tempted to book it myself as it's half the price and got a station

Yes we preferred Naples to Barcelona too.

We did a tour of Italy for our delayed honeymoon/first anniversary and flew into Naples and stayed there for 2 nights.

Watch where you wander, I needed a walk the evening we arrived and we didn't want to go far from hotel and strayed into a more deprived area...it didn't bother me, but I suspect that is because I have travelled a lot more than DH,but he was super uncomfortable.

The biggest issue I took with Naples was the rip off taxi from airport to hotel, but as DH was not very well and in a bit of pain, it was easier than trying to get our heads around public transport.

The food was amazing, the people we met were friendly. There was a lot of building works going on to renew areas, this was May 2016, so would assume much has changed since we were there (hoping to go back next year and repeat the southern part of our holiday with DS).

As with any city, there is low level crime. I was warned about the Mafia still being active (not sure how true it was, but made for great pastime sat in the sunshine with local wine playing spot the Mafia 😂)

The biggest cultural difference we found was that the man is still expected to pay - I actually was carrying the money to begin with, and would ask for the bill as DH didn't speak Italian, but when it came it would be given to him, and he was looked to to pay.

Enjoy your break (I am very jealous) x

If anyone is thinking of going, I'd really recommend the place we stayed - www.salottoborbonico.com/en-gb. A beautiful, central B&B with lovely, English speaking owners who gave us loads of advice about what to do and where to eat, even booking us a restaurant.

People get so hysterical about Naples but it's honestly lovely with a lot of history and culture. Just don't be an idiot tourist and you'll have a great time.

RMogs as regards the man paying ; that is true but it certainly was quite common for the woman to 'hold the purse strings' and pass the man the money to pay so that he can save face.