6 days in Naples or 3 in Naples, 2 in Rome, before Milan?

[AvidBee]

I'm going to be going to the Formula One in Monza in September, and we have decided we want to make a bit of a holiday of it.

The thing is, we can't choose between basically a week in the sun and by the sea before travelling up to Milan, or splitting between Naples then Rome.

Which is better? Which would be the better choice?

Naples is pretty rough, and if you're driving it's hard going!

As a holiday destination it's not for everyone, so a whole week would be a risk IMO.

Just come back from Naples, absolutely loved it. A bit crazy but felt really authentic and not touristy. As others have said, it's a great base to explore other places

Naples a bit rough and ready - food no where near as good as Rome.
I love Roman food but Naples is so good for pizza and the coffee is the best in Italy ime (maybe Trieste is a close second).

There are much better places than Naples, it’s on the bottom of my list when it comes to Italy. Sorrento, Amalfi, Pompei, mount Vesuvio are all great to visit.

I guess it depends if you want a sanitised, touristy version of Italy or not. Either version is fine!

How funny! As if the back streets of Naples is the only real version and everywhere else holiday makers go is like The Truman Show.

My OH and I are in opposing camps of the eternal Roman v Neapolitan food war. He even thinks Roman pizza is better - a lost cause.

The variety of food in southern Italy is fantastic - the number of different pastries alone seems infinite - and (apart from the sweet stuff) I find it lighter than the food further north.

I felt very unsafe in Naples itself. I went to pompeii, Amalfi etc.

Naples is very marmite. Some people love it, some hate it. Either way most would agree you can see lots of it in a day or two. I would go to Sorrento over Naples any day! You can do both!

I’d get the coach from Naples to sorrento and use that as my base. It’s beautiful and you can get the train / boat to Positano and Amalfi. Lots of lovely things to see and do!

interested on peoples thoughts on Milan. My husband and I are going there for a short break in June. 3 full days. I’ll be more than happy with one day in Milan and time by lake Como.

last year was our first visit to Italy. I also had a short trip to Florence which was also strikingly beautiful. We used the trains and travelled over to Bologna. Trains were so easy to use and were cheap.

Jubilee or not, I'd still include Rome. There's nothing like it, it's one of the most incredible cities on earth. It doesn't matter how touristy or full it is, it's still incredible.

September is a pretty reasonable time to go - the insane heat of August eases up and there crowds are lighter. It's still worth booking in advance for anywhere you especially want to visit, though.

Naples is more divisive. Lots of crime, graffiti, pick pocketing, but also a lot to see and explore. It's got a strong sense of identity and (like most of Italy in fairness) a fantastic food heritage. Definitely not remotely a beach stay, though, so if that's what you'd really like it might be worth a rethink.

I loved Naples so much I feel sad when people slag it off. Vesuvius, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Sorrento, Capri, Amalfi coast… all just a hop away. And it does indeed have the best pizza in Italy!

OP you might be better just doing Rome/Tuscany if you want some beach life, and it’s a lot nearer to Milan.

We did a big Italian trip by train a couple of years ago. 3 nights in Venice, 2 in Florence, 1 night in Naples, over to Ischia for 6 nights to chill and ended with 3 nights in Rome.
Naples we stayed in primarily to visit Herculaneum and onward ferry to Ischia (didn't have time for Pompeii too, but Herculaneum was amazing). Naples itself was very, umm, gritty, but we did stay very centrally. Ischia was beautiful and exactly the chilled beach break we needed.
Rome is another level entirely - it was our second visit and still didn't see everything, but very much a city break.
If you want beach, head to Ischia - was so easy from Naples.

I wasn't a fan of naples at all. As mentioned further up, it's pretty run down

After all of this, we've decided to just do Rome, before travelling up! Thanks everyone!