Grand Hotel Parker's
Why we like it: The oldest hotel in Naples, opened in 1870 on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, with 67 rooms, views of the gulf and Vesuvius and a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Duration2 nights
From RomeHigh-speed, about 1 h 10
Getting aroundOn foot, metro, Circumvesuviana and hydrofoil
Best timeApril – June · September – October
BookingSansevero, Vesuvius and dinner
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for Wednesday to Friday or Thursday to Saturday, so as not to fall on a Tuesday, when the Sansevero Chapel is closed, or on the first Sunday of the month, with more people at the sites. No car at any point.
Day 1
- 108:00Train from Roma Termini
You reach Napoli Centrale before a quarter to ten. Leave your bag at the hotel, on Piazza Bellini.
- 210:30Sansevero Chapel
The Veiled Christ and the anatomical machines. €12, with a compulsory booked time. Closed on Tuesdays.
- 311:30Spaccanapoli and San Gregorio Armeno
The two decumani on foot, with the nativity-scene street in between.
- 413:30Pizza at Da Michele
Four pizzas at €6.50, no reservations and open all day. About twenty minutes' walk from the decumani.
- 516:00Napoli Sotterranea
A one-hour guided visit 40 metres beneath Piazza San Gaetano, in Italian or English.
- 620:30Dinner at Palazzo Petrucci
Signature menus from €100 to €150 above the Posillipo sea. Taxi from the centre and reserve.
Day 2
- 108:30Herculaneum
Circumvesuviana to Ercolano Scavi and six minutes' walk. €16; two or three hours.
- 213:00Vesuvius crater
Taxi or private shuttle from Ercolano to the car park, then a 4 km round-trip path. €10, online only, in ten-minute slots; in winter the last entry is at 15:00.
- 319:30Dinner at Mimì alla Ferrovia
Neapolitan cooking since 1943 beside the station, on your return from the Circumvesuviana. Tables of one to three people in order of arrival.
Day 3
- 109:00Hydrofoil to Procida
About 40 minutes from Molo Beverello with Caremar. Terra Murata and Corricella on foot.
- 216:00Train back to Rome
From Napoli Centrale; in Termini in the early evening.
Naples in a day from Rome leaves out the best of what surrounds it. With two nights everything changes: one day for the historic centre, another for Herculaneum and the Vesuvius crater, which leave from the same town, and a morning on Procida before the train back. Everything is done by train, metro, on foot and by boat, and you sleep on a square in the centre.
How do you get there from Rome?
By high-speed train, Frecciarossa or Italo, from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale: about an hour and ten minutes. By car it is more than two and a half hours along the Autostrada del Sole, and in Naples you will not use it: the centre is a restricted-traffic zone. From Spain you can also fly direct to Naples and do the plan in reverse.
Where to stay
| Accommodation | Where | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Piazza Bellini | Piazza Bellini, historic centre | Walking distance from everything, with rooms for five |
| Hostel Mancini | 650 m from Napoli Centrale | Tight budget and train departures |
| Grand Hotel Parker's | Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Chiaia | Views over the gulf and Vesuvius |
Where to eat
- L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele, the classic pizza at €6.50, every day from 11:00 to 23:00.
- Mimì alla Ferrovia, a trattoria from 1943: parmigiana, pasta mista with potatoes and provola, babà.
- Palazzo Petrucci, the special dinner: tasting menus by chef Lino Scarallo in Posillipo.
If you have one more day
Spend it on Pompeii: Circumvesuviana to Pompei Villa dei Misteri and four hours in the Roman city. Or carry on to the Amalfi Coast.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Naples, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Naples
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Fly to Naples and take the Alibus to the centre
Naples has its own airport, Capodichino, north of the city, with direct flights from several Spanish cities. From there you do not need a car: the Alibus bus drops you at Piazza Garibaldi, in front of the central station, from where the metro, the Circumvesuviana trains to Herculaneum and Pompeii and the high-speed trains to Rome leave. If there is no direct flight from your city, fly to Rome and take the train down: about an hour and ten minutes.
- Getting thereNaples Capodichino (NAP), with direct…
- Getting aroundOn foot through the historic…
- Where to stayHostel Mancini, 650 m from…
- ServicesAlibus between the airport and…
Getting there
- Naples Capodichino (NAP), with direct flights from Spain
- Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and the high-speed train from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale
- Alibus from the airport to Piazza Garibaldi, with a ticket on board
Getting around
- On foot through the historic centre
- Metro from the central station towards the centre
- Circumvesuviana to Ercolano Scavi and Pompei Villa dei Misteri
- Hydrofoils from Molo Beverello to Procida
Where to stay
- Hostel Mancini, 650 m from the station and the Alibus, for the first night
- Hotel Piazza Bellini, in the historic centre, five minutes from the Archaeological Museum
Services
- Alibus between the airport and Piazza Garibaldi
- Napoli Centrale station, with trains to Rome and the Circumvesuviana next door
Without a car: on foot, by metro and on the Circumvesuviana
Naples is best done without a car. The traffic is chaotic, the historic centre is a limited traffic zone and everything important is on foot, by metro or by train: Herculaneum and Pompeii on the Circumvesuviana, Vesuvius by train and bus, and Procida by hydrofoil.
60–160 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHotel Piazza Bellini, in the…
- Getting aroundOn foot through Spaccanapoli, Via…
- Where to eatL'Antica Pizzeria da Michele, about…
- ServicesAlibus from the airport to…
Where to stay
- Hotel Piazza Bellini, in the historic centre, with two metro stations nearby
- Hostel Mancini, 650 m from the central station and the Circumvesuviana
Getting around
- On foot through Spaccanapoli, Via dei Tribunali and the Sansevero Chapel district
- Circumvesuviana Napoli–Sorrento to Ercolano Scavi and Pompei Villa dei Misteri
- Vesuvio Link: train to Pompeii and an EAV bus to Vesuvius
- Caremar hydrofoil from Molo Beverello to Procida
Where to eat
- L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele, about ten minutes from the station
- Mimì alla Ferrovia, next to the station, for a meal before the train
- Palazzo Petrucci, in Posillipo, by taxi, for the special dinner
Services
- Alibus from the airport to Piazza Garibaldi
- Napoli Centrale station
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a car
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Hotel Piazza Bellini & Apartments
Why we like it: Four-star hotel in a 16th-century palace on Piazza Bellini, five minutes from the Archaeological Museum, with family rooms, duplexes and terraces.
Hostel Mancini
Why we like it: The first independent hostel in Naples, opened in 1998 650 m from the central station, with dormitories, private rooms, breakfast and a free kitchen.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Naples
L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele
What to order: the margherita or the marinara; if you cannot decide, the marita, half and half.
No booking: you queue. Open every day from 11:00 to 23:00.
Mimì alla Ferrovia
What to order: for a starter, the parmigiana di melanzane or the peperoni 'mbuttunati; then pasta mista, patate, provola e guanciale, and babà for dessert.
Tables for one to three people, in order of arrival; for four to ten, with booking on its website. The website does not publish the hours or the prices.
Palazzo Petrucci
What to order: the six-course Posillipo menu, or the five-course Lino Fai Tu if you want the chef to decide.
Tasting menus only. Dinners every day and lunches from Friday to Sunday, according to the Michelin Guide. Book.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Buy the Vesuvius ticket as soon as you have a date
Tickets are released 30 days ahead and in slots of 50 people.
- 2Check the weather warning
With an orange alert the Vesuvius path closes.
- 3Book Sansevero and Petrucci at the same time
They are the two things on the getaway that fill up.
Pompeii and Herculaneum on the same day
It is too much: leave Pompeii for the extra day.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need for Naples?
With two nights you see the centre, Herculaneum, Vesuvius and Procida. For Pompeii, add a third.
Can you do it without a car?
Yes, entirely: high-speed from Rome, metro, Circumvesuviana and hydrofoil.
Where should you stay?
In the historic centre, at Hotel Piazza Bellini; by the station, at Hostel Mancini; with views, at the Grand Hotel Parker's.
When should you go?
In spring or autumn, from Wednesday to Saturday, to avoid the Tuesday closure of Sansevero.