So we just spend 3 nights there (after a gorgeous week on Ischia). I read so many tales that it was dirty and dangerous and was a bit trepidatious to be fair. We stayed at the Relais Castel Nuovo - opposite the cruise terminal/ferries to the islands which was very central. First day we did a walking tour of the historical centre which really helped to get our bearings. Second day we got train to Herculaneum. Definitely preferred Herculaneum to Pompeii. 3rd day we visited the Galleria Borbonica (underground ex water storage/bomb shelter etc) and wandered round the Spanish Quarter and Pignasecca market.
We started off being hyper vigilant about bags and phones etc but really we didn't find Naples any different to any other big city - we at no point felt unsafe - apart from the odd occasion of crossing the road! You have to be quite forceful if there are no crossing lights. It certainly wasn't dirty - yes there are bins in the residential areas awaiting collection, and some graffiti. Restaurants were really nice and generally filled with locals. Yesterday was a BH and the whole city was out, queuing for pizza and eating ice cream. It's extremely vibrant and a town made for locals rather than tourists maybe. Architecture and history is amazing. My best description would be Barcelona on steroids - though many MNetters also hate Barcelona....
The atmosphere in the Spanish Quarter with all the football stuff on show (they just won the league) was incredible. DH is not a fan of Maradona though and he is much in evidence :) We still only barely scratched the surface in 3 days as it was hot walking about and spent a lot of time drinking aperol spritz on shady terraces. It is LOUD though and busy - though food and drink and atmosphere amazing. Everyone is out for a passeggiata in the early evening - so if you don't like crowds it's not for you. I will go back. I still want to visit the Archeological Museum and lots of other stuff we didn't have time for.
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