Naples: a rough reputation, a cheap city, and surprisingly good
Updated October 2026
We have been to Naples twice, once in late June and once in late August. The city has a rough reputation, but we liked it.
Naples at a glance
- Best time
- April to June, September to October
- Price level
- affordable
- Getting around
- on foot and by metro, no car
- Best for
- food, history and day trips
- The catch
- Naples is loud and gritty. It is not for everyone.
When to go
Temperatures are average daily highs in °F and °C (WeatherSpark). Ratings are our own. $ = cheapest, $$$ = most expensive. 🔥 = heat, ★ = big event.
A cheap city between pricey neighbors
Naples is not a rich city, and prices are really low. The paradox is that some of Italy’s most expensive places, Capri and the Amalfi Coast, are right next door. The Amalfi Coast has its own catches, so it has its own page.
Eat pizza where it was born
Pizza was born in Naples, or so the story goes. The legendary pizzeria is L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele, at Via Cesare Sersale 1.
Stay central, with a local host
We stayed in a small apartment fairly central, and the local lady who ran it pointed us to all the right places. Do it: a local’s tips beat any guidebook.
Out on the bay by pedal boat
Something different: we rented a pedal boat. From the water you can photograph the city and Vesuvius, and it’s an easy, relaxed afternoon. We set off from the Baia delle Rocce Verdi beach in Posillipo, and yes, there really are green rocks in the sea. The beach club next door charges, but the beach is free.
Getting around
Walk and use the metro in the center. Don’t bring a car: Naples traffic is famously wild.
What Naples costs
On a budget, about $100 to $120 per person per day. In comfort or luxury, about $330 to $340. The lower number is the quiet season, the higher one peak season.
Includes your stay, food, activities and local transport, not flights. Converted at about $1.10 per euro. Estimates only.
Flights from the US and Canada
Fly into: Naples (NAP). Typical economy fares per person, round trip. Canadian fares are in Canadian dollars. Not live prices, so always check before you book.
Day trips
Naples makes a good base because trains and boats run often in every direction. You can stay in one hotel and do day trips to ruins, islands and the coast.
The Roman city buried in ash. Give it at least half a day, and bring water.
It’s about a half-hour walk to the crater rim. Buy tickets online in advance.
A huge royal palace built to rival Versailles. The gardens have a pool more than half a mile long.
We haven’t been here ourselves, so this is based on other travelers’ reports.
The Faraglioni rocks, Anacapri, and the Blue Grotto if the sea is calm.
Lemons, and cliff-top views over the Bay of Naples.
The best-known town on the Amalfi Coast. A long day, but by ferry the ride is part of the fun.
Too far for a day trip, but a great overnight: leave the big bags at the hotel and take just one night’s things. Tropea is a town on a cliff edge on the Calabrian coast, with a turquoise sandy beach below. Clearly cheaper than the Amalfi Coast.
We haven’t been here ourselves, so this is based on other travelers’ reports.
Where to eat
Breakfast and brunch
Lunch
Dinner
We picked these places from Google ratings and reviews in October 2026, and we haven’t eaten at all of them. Many Italian restaurants take reservations on WhatsApp, and a reservation only counts once they reply. The Map link opens the restaurant in Google Maps, where you’ll also find a booking button if they take online reservations. Opening hours change, so check before you go.
Food and wine
Campania on a plate: a typical four-course menu, and the wine to go with each.
Soccer
Even if soccer isn’t your sport, a home game is one of the best evenings you can have in Italy: the singing, the flags, the whole crowd living every pass. Tickets usually cost a fraction of a pro game in the US or Canada.
Kickoff times are set only a few weeks ahead, so check the club’s website for the schedule.
Golf
There’s practically no course around Naples that works for a golf trip. The closest, Circolo Golf Napoli, is for members and US military personnel only, and Volturno Golf gets weak reviews. If golf is the point of the trip, pick Sicily, Puglia or Lake Garda.
Shopping
- Via Toledo: Naples’ main shopping street. 📍 Map
- Via Chiaia: smarter shops and tailors. 📍 Map
- San Gregorio Armeno: the nativity street, selling handmade crib figures all year round. 📍 Map
From our own photos
Many people think this is Milan, but Galleria Umberto I is in Naples.
Culture and events
- The miracle of San Gennaro’s blood, three times a year: the Saturday before the first Sunday in May, September 19 and December 16. Crowds wait in the cathedral for the saint’s blood to turn liquid. The big day is September 19, when the cathedral and its streets fill up, with little effect on the rest of the city.
- Christmas on San Gregorio Armeno, November through Christmas: every workshop on the street sells nativity scenes. The narrow street is packed on weekends.
Check the exact dates on the event’s own website, as they can change from year to year.
Plan it
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