NFR - A bit of trip advice: Naples

[The Equalizer]

I've just booked up a long weekend in Naples in mid-April, and I'm really quite excited.

We're already planning to do the main events, ie, Pompeii, Herculaneum. But other than that, my knowledge of the town and area is very limited.

If anyone has been out there, are there any must-see sights of historical importance or beauty? I think we're also planning to have a butchers at the catacombs as I like a bit of the macabre.

Thanks in advance!  :wine:

[alfie]

I've just booked up a long weekend in Naples in mid-April, and I'm really quite excited.

We're already planning to do the main events, ie, Pompeii, Herculaneum. But other than that, my knowledge of the town and area is very limited.

If anyone has been out there, are there any must-see sights of historical importance or beauty? I think we're also planning to have a butchers at the catacombs as I like a bit of the macabre.

Thanks in advance!  :wine:

Pompeii is very large, was quite surprised but to be honest after about 1/2 hour i was getting bit bored, one street looked like another. Still that was me you may well enjoy wandering around all of it.
:54:

[The Equalizer]

I've just booked up a long weekend in Naples in mid-April, and I'm really quite excited.

We're already planning to do the main events, ie, Pompeii, Herculaneum. But other than that, my knowledge of the town and area is very limited.

If anyone has been out there, are there any must-see sights of historical importance or beauty? I think we're also planning to have a butchers at the catacombs as I like a bit of the macabre.

Thanks in advance!  :wine:

Pompeii is very large, was quite surprised but to be honest after about 1/2 hour i was getting bit bored, one street looked like another. Still that was me you may well enjoy wandering around all of it.
:54:

I'm going to be hugely interested in seeing as much of it as possible having spent such a long time studying it during Latin lessons at school. I want to find the via where Caecilius, Matella and Quintus lived with Clemens the slave.

[Burt]

Capodimonte is worth going to. A good museum / gallery, combined with some gardens and space, which after 10 seconds in Naples you will really feel the need for!

Pompei and Herculaneum were amazing. I found the latter more interesting as the buildings are more complete, you could easily see how much stuff had to be shifted to excavate the site, and just seeing what used to be the waterfront was very evocative.

[JBH]

Just a word of advice, keep away from the Docks area it is not a very friendly place!

[alfie]

I've just booked up a long weekend in Naples in mid-April, and I'm really quite excited.

We're already planning to do the main events, ie, Pompeii, Herculaneum. But other than that, my knowledge of the town and area is very limited.

If anyone has been out there, are there any must-see sights of historical importance or beauty? I think we're also planning to have a butchers at the catacombs as I like a bit of the macabre.

Thanks in advance!  :wine:

Pompeii is very large, was quite surprised but to be honest after about 1/2 hour i was getting bit bored, one street looked like another. Still that was me you may well enjoy wandering around all of it.
:54:

I'm going to be hugely interested in seeing as much of it as possible having spent such a long time studying it during Latin lessons at school. I want to find the via where Caecilius, Matella and Quintus lived with Clemens the slave.

I was to start with, but it is hard walking on the cobbles and trying to stop my wife from falling over and it was really hot, but enjoy it mate it is an experience.

[In the Enclosure]

Make sure you get a guide at both sites as they bring it to life. The Commentary on the brothel in Pompei is funny ! The casts of dead bodies is sad but the guides point out chariot wheel ruts, fast food shops of old etc
Sorrento, is pretty as is Positano and Ravello (Where they held the G8 meeting) and a coach trip would probably cover all 3
Capri and Ischia can be reached by ferry boats.

If you like Lemoncillo as an after dinner drink they often give it to you free.

One point of caution if you are staying in Naples is keep to the main streets. I believe some areas are gang controlled

Hope you enjoy it - Good food good wine nice people.

[The Equalizer]

Make sure you get a guide at both sites as they bring it to life. The Commentary on the brothel in Pompei is funny ! The casts of dead bodies is sad but the guides point out chariot wheel ruts, fast food shops of old etc
Sorrento, is pretty as is Positano and Ravello (Where they held the G8 meeting) and a coach trip would probably cover all 3
Capri and Ischia can be reached by ferry boats.

If you like Lemoncillo as an after dinner drink they often give it to you free.

One point of caution if you are staying in Naples is keep to the main streets. I believe some areas are gang controlled

Hope you enjoy it - Good food good wine nice people.

Superb! I'll definitely take your advice there. Not sure if I'll get enough time to go to Capri as well, as it's a Friday-Monday trip. I was intending to go there last year with my ex, but we ended up going to the Semana Santa week in Seville, Cordoba and Granada. I'm off to Naples with my best mate, so I also need to make time to do plenty of boozing! ;)

[cmg]

Fantastic city, beautiful and historical area.

'Some of the streets may be gang controlled' is a bit of an understatement. If you like a bit of excitement and 'local colour', Naples is definitely the place for you. A bit like Marseille on speed.
Maradona and Napoli - a marriage made in heaven.
Avoid 'Godfather' jokes.

[The Equalizer]

Just a word of advice, keep away from the Docks area it is not a very friendly place!

I think that's pretty sound advice for any harbour town in the world mate.

[The Equalizer]

Out of interest, what's it like as an English speaker with the locals? My Italian is non-existent, and my Latin is rusty at best. I'll be employing the use of a phrase book and accentuated hand gestures, but may need to revert to speaking loudly in English on occasion.

[HatterDon]

Out of interest, what's it like as an English speaker with the locals? My Italian is non-existent, and my Latin is rusty at best. I'll be employing the use of a phrase book and accentuated hand gestures, but may need to revert to speaking loudly in English on occasion.

You could always do what I do when I'm in Paris -- speak German. It always improved the quality and speed of service.

[cmg]

Out of interest, what's it like as an English speaker with the locals? My Italian is non-existent, and my Latin is rusty at best. I'll be employing the use of a phrase book and accentuated hand gestures, but may need to revert to speaking loudly in English on occasion.

You could always do what I do when I'm in Paris -- speak German. It always improved the quality and speed of service.

Made my day, HD!

On a (slightly) more serious note: it's been a few years since I was last in Southern Italy, but, on the subject of receptiveness to English on the scale 0 (Paris) to 9 (Amsterdam) I'd put Naples at about 4  [London would be an 8].
Incidentally a mate of mine who is something of a Classical scholar seemed to get by OK with Latin.

[The Equalizer]

Out of interest, what's it like as an English speaker with the locals? My Italian is non-existent, and my Latin is rusty at best. I'll be employing the use of a phrase book and accentuated hand gestures, but may need to revert to speaking loudly in English on occasion.

You could always do what I do when I'm in Paris -- speak German. It always improved the quality and speed of service.

Made my day, HD!

On a (slightly) more serious note: it's been a few years since I was last in Southern Italy, but, on the subject of receptiveness to English on the scale 0 (Paris) to 9 (Amsterdam) I'd put Naples at about 4  [London would be an 8].
Incidentally a mate of mine who is something of a Classical scholar seemed to get by OK with Latin.

Brilliant! Nice one mate. Latin it is.

[Rhys Lightning 63]

I've only been to Naples for one day as part of a cruise in 2011, but it was great. We went up Vesuvius and then went round Pompeii. Absolutley wonderful trip if that's the kind of stuff you enjoy.

I'd highly recommend taking a guided tour round Pompeii as you would miss some of the important stuff if you went on your own

[ron]

I've always intended to get to the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento, Capri, Naples etc , but never quite got to go.

Chatting with my barber who was born just outside Naples, one thing that he suggested was that the trip to Capri was a rip-off, and if seeing the Blue Grotto on the island was not a priority , then the sightseeing time would be much better spent going to Ischia instead.   

[Rupert]

I'm going to be hugely interested in seeing as much of it as possible having spent such a long time studying it during Latin lessons at school. I want to find the via where Caecilius, Matella and Quintus lived with Clemens the slave.

Oh, no, you've just revived thirty-year old nightmares of Mr Jenner, his excruciatingly unfunny jokes and poor old me trying to work out why the fact that I had done so well in Classical Studies in the first year was a trigger for the school to stick me in Latin in the second and third years. When we had to select our O level subjects, for some reason I forgot to stick Latin on the list. Mea Culpa!

[The Equalizer]

I'm going to be hugely interested in seeing as much of it as possible having spent such a long time studying it during Latin lessons at school. I want to find the via where Caecilius, Matella and Quintus lived with Clemens the slave.

Oh, no, you've just revived thirty-year old nightmares of Mr Jenner, his excruciatingly unfunny jokes and poor old me trying to work out why the fact that I had done so well in Classical Studies in the first year was a trigger for the school to stick me in Latin in the second and third years. When we had to select our O level subjects, for some reason I forgot to stick Latin on the list. Mea Culpa!

Endless hours of pain with Messrs Ogilvy and Kennard at Emanuel School, repeating the terms 'flocci non facio' and 'simulaque' ad infinitum...

Or as my friend Adam just commented on Facebook:

"However no where near as much time as you spent with your chums in the masturbatorium of your poncy school deliberating over a biscuit."

[mangoputney]

get on the train for a short ride down to Sorrento

maybe pop on the ferry over to capri

[King_Crud]

I stayed in Sorrento for Easter 3 years ago, it would be a nice place for a day trip for Naples. If you want boozing there's plenty of squares with bars, and most staff speak English. I was there just after we beat Jeventus in the Europa, I told the owner of a bar I was a Fulham fan and he kept giving me free drinks as he hates Juventus.