From the airport to the city centre Naples
Campania is served by the Capodichino airport of Naples (aeroportodinapoli.it). It is located less than ten kilometers northeast of the city (San Pietro a Patierno district). The ring road(tangenziale), which connects Naples and its neighborhoods, passes nearby. There are two ways to reach the center of Naples from the airport:
By bus. The Alibus shuttle bus (5 €) serves piazza Garibaldi (central station) and piazza del Municipio (Molo Beverello). It takes 20 minutes to get from the airport to Piazza Garibaldi. Daily connections from 7:30 am to 11:30 pm approximately.
By cab. Just be sure that the cab has a meter and that the vehicle's registration number is on the door. The list of fares should also appear; count on average 30 €.
From Naples airport, you can also reach several destinations in the area by bus:
Sorrento, Castellammare di Stabia and Pompeii with Curreri (curreriviaggi.it).
Cilento with Cilento Bus Infante Viaggi (agenziainfanteviaggi.it).
Salerno with SitaSud (sitasudtrasporti.it).
Arrival by train Naples
There are no trains directly to Naples from France. One possibility is to take a train to another Italian city such as Rome or Milan.
If your stay in Naples is preceded by a stop in another Italian city, the train is the best way to get around. Naples is easily accessible from the country's major cities by high-speed train (Frecciarossa, Frecciargento and Frecciabianca) operated by Trenitalia, the Italian state railway company (trenitalia.com). Another private high-speed train company, Italotreno, provides connections between certain cities at fares that are sometimes lower than those charged by Trenitalia (italotreno.it).
Napoli Centrale is the main train station in Naples (napolicentrale.it). It is located in Piazza Garibaldi, east of the historic center.
Arrival by boat Naples
There is no direct sea crossing between France and Naples. If you arrive in Naples by boat, you are probably coming from one of the large islands of the Mediterranean. Sicily and the Lipari Islands are particularly well connected to Naples, with several companies making the crossing: GNV (gnv.it), Tirrenia (tirrenia.it), Siremar (siremar.it), Alilauro (alilauro.it)...
Once here, there are several ways to discover Naples and its region by boat, thanks to the hydrofoils(aliscafi) and ferries(traghetti) that go to the islands of the Gulf and Sorrento. In summer, the Metrò del Mare goes down to the Amalfi coast and the Cilento. The boats leave from the Molo Beverello ferry terminal in Piazza Municipio, at the foot of Castel Nuovo. Here are the main shipping companies:
Alilauro (alilauro.it) : from Naples, several connections to Ischia, Procida and Sorrento.
Caremar (caremar.it): connections from Naples and Pozzuoli to all the islands and Sorrento.
Navigazione Libera del Golfo (navlib.it): connects Naples to Capri and Sorrento. NLG also offers connections to Positano and Amalfi only in summer.
SNAV (snav.it): routes from Naples to all the islands.
Metrò del Mare (metròdelmare.it): in season, several lines run along the Campania coast connecting Naples to the Phlegrean Fields (Bacoli and Pozzuoli), the Amalfi Coast and Cilento. The timetables of the connections are updated on the website only in summer.
Public transport Naples
In the city, the public transportation network is dense. The subway and the funicular are very convenient but do not cover the whole city center. As far as buses are concerned, it's another story... Several free downloadable applications allow you to find the lines and stations to reach your destination: with Gira Napoli, Metro Kinevia or Moovit, you just have to select your place of arrival to visualize the transport solutions available to you.
Metro. Easy to find as there are only three lines. Website: anm.it.
Line 1 passes through Vomero (Vanvitelli station), the Archaeological Museum (Museo station) and Piazza Dante, among other places. Work is underway to connect it to the airport, passing through the central station. This line is distinguished by the artistic design of several of its stations (Università, Toledo, Museo, Quattro Giornate, etc.). The "Metrò dell'Arte" can be admired and photographed! Guided tours are also available.
Line 2, the oldest and most obsolete line, actually built on the railway network,connects Bagnoli to the central station.
Finally, line 6 (no, there are no lines 3, 4 and 5!), with a very limited route in the western districts of Naples, currently connects the Fuorigrotta district to Mergellina, covering 4 stations. Currently under construction, it should eventually reach Piazza Municipio.
Funicular. There are four funiculars(funicolari) with few stations, the first three all go to the Vomero district: Chiaia, Montesanto, Centrale and Mergellina. Website: anm.it.
The Chiaia line : from piazza Amedeo (at the top of Chiaia) to Cimarosa in the Vomero, near Villa Floridiana and piazza Vanvitelli, passing through corso Vittorio Emanuele.
The Montesantoline : from Montesanto (near piazza Dante) to Morghen in the Vomero, near the Sant'Elmo castle and the Carthusian monastery of San Martino.
CentralLine : from Augusteo in the Spanish Quarter (near via Toledo) to piazza Fuga in the Vomero, passing by the west side of corso Vittorio Emanuele.
The Mergellinaline : from Mergellina to Manzoni (Posillipo).
Bus. The Neapolitan bus network is dense, so it is difficult to get an overview. So go to the tourist office to get a map of public transportation. Note that the bus lanes are non-existent (!). Tickets can be bought in tobacco shops(Tabacchi) recognizable by their T-shaped sign. Service is provided from 6 am on weekdays (between 6 am and 8 am on Sundays) to 11 pm depending on the line. Here are some convenient routes to get around:
the R2, which runs from Garibaldi Central Station to Piazza Municipio, via Corso Umberto I. Very busy line, be careful with your bags...
r3, from via Medina to Mergellina, passing through Santa Lucia and Chiaia.
r4, from via Medina to Capodimonte, via Toledo and piazza Dante.
Train. Interregional trains allow you to organize a day trip to the archaeological sites of Vesuvius, the Phlegrean Fields or Sorrento. Three lines cover the Neapolitan railway system and its region.
The Circumvesuviana, accessible from Naples from the central station (Piazza Garibaldi), connects the eastern cities of the region: Herculaneum (Ercolano), Torre Annunziata, Pompeii, Castellammare di Stabia, Vico Equense and Sorrento.
The Circumflegrea, which departs from the Montesanto station (near Piazza Dante), serves the western part of the city: La Trencia, Pianura, Cuma and Lido Fusaro.
The Cumana, which departs from the Montesanto station and corso Vittorio Emanuele, also connects the west of Naples: Bagnoli, Pozzuoli, Arcofelice, Lucrino, Baia and Torregaveta.
Bike, scooters & co Naples
Cycling is not very common in Naples and Campania. You will quickly realize that the emblematic means of transportation in the region is the scooter! If you are used to riding two-wheelers, renting a scooter is an excellent way to explore the islands of the Gulf of Naples: Ischia, Procida and Capri. You will be able to ride freely and stop for a swim in the small coves. Scooters can also be very useful to explore the Sorrento Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast. Be careful, driving a two-wheeler in Campania requires a good command of your vehicle: you need to be able to adapt quickly to the local traffic, which can be chaotic in the city, and to the "original" way of driving of the inhabitants. If you want to try the experience in Naples, go to this serious scooter and Vespa rental agency: Vespa Sprint, via Santa Lucia 32-36, tel. +39 081 764 3452 (vespasprint.it), open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 2pm and from 3pm to 7pm, Sunday from 9am to 1pm.
With a driver Naples
Taxis can be useful to reach the airport, train station or port from your hotel. However, traffic jams can make your journey longer. Two companies operating in Naples are Taxi Napoli (+39 081 8888; taxinapoli.it) and Radio Taxi Partenope (+39 081 0101; radiotaxipartenope.it).
By car Naples
The city of Naples does not lend itself to driving! Traffic jams, chaotic traffic, inaccessible historical center for non-residents, few and expensive parking lots... To discover Naples, prefer walking and public transportation.
Outside of Naples, it must be said that a car offers the freedom to discover the coast and the hinterland at your own pace and to reach the most isolated corners of the territory. There are several car rental agencies at the Naples airport and in town, near the train station. To reach the agencies at the airport, a free shuttle bus is available at the A5 parking lot in Capodichino. Bring some change because you will have to pay a few dozen cents to use the highway at the toll booth when leaving the airport.
A few rules of thumb before driving in Southern Italy:
Speed. The speed limit is 110 or 130 km/h on the highway, 90 km/h on the road and 50 km/h in the city.
Traffic signs. The road signs are green for the freeways(autostrade) and blue for the national roads. The signs are relatively well done and reliable.
Access. Be careful! In the majority of city centers, access is regulated. These are the ZTL(zone a traffico limitato) where access is often only allowed to residents. Be particularly careful with signs, as cameras are placed everywhere and you could be fined three months later at your home. In general, avoid driving in the city if possible. If your hotel is located in a historical center, ask your host beforehand where you can park your car.
Parking. In Italy, parking spaces are marked with different colored stripes on the ground: yellow for residents, blue for paying customers and white for free. The parking ticket can be purchased either from automatic machines, when available, or from tobacconists or newsstands in the form of a Gratta e Sosta ticket, to be placed in plain view inside your vehicle. Do not ignore these rules, as controls are frequent and severe. As an alternative, you can always use the covered parking lots.
Gasoline. Italy is unfortunately one of the European champions of the highest fuel prices.
Accessibility Naples
As far as public transportation is concerned, the public transportation company of Naples (ANM) guarantees that all metro stations and 80% of its buses are accessible to people with reduced mobility. In reality, the subway is quite convenient, but you will find that the retractable platform for accessing the bus is sometimes out of order, forcing you to wait for the next bus. For some of your journeys, you can use the company Amicar, which specializes in transporting people with limited physical ability. Its fares are equivalent to those charged by cabs, but it offers excellent service and adapted vehicles: tel. +39 081 6028779; amicarhelp.it.
