Naples - where to stay, where is safe?

WE went to Sorento a few years ago and were warned to be very careful if we visited Naples -- so we didn't.

Rowantree I recommend looking at the Monastery stays website
www.monasterystays.com/
It isn't as awful as it sounds, these are buildings that are now used as accommodation for visitors. I stayed in one in Venice-really good value, a beautiful building, not 5 star but clean and comfortable and really well located. The company are very helpful and send instructions on how to get there just before you travel. I'm sure if you asked they will tell you where is safe. I stayed just outside Sorrento when I went to Pompeii. Enjoy.

Sorento was perfectly safe and there were plenty of excursions to Naples, Vesuvius, Capri, Amalfi, etc.

I'd second staying in Sorrento, unless you must stay in Naples. It is easy to get to Naples to site see. Sorrento is lovely, relaxing and yet lively at the same time, with lots of history to delve into.

Can't comment on hotels because we were in our motohome.
They say "See Naples and die" We joked: See Naples and your dying to leave.
It was so dirty and 'grim' looking. But as your only there to visit Pompeii all the above is irrelevant.

We flew to Naples but didn't stay there. We stayed on the Amalfi coast at Maiori. We visited Sorrento, Positano, Herculaneum, Pompei, Amalfi town, Ravello and all the usual places. All extremely beautiful. It was quite a few years ago though.

Two female friends of mine, not spring chickens, stayed a couple of nights in Naples when travelling round Italy by train. They found a B and B on Internet, and said was spotlessly clean, nice people and cheap. Naples unimpressive - piles of rubbish everywhere - but they had no problems at all. Pompeii was scruffy, crowded and over run with stray dogs apparently.

Haven't stayed at Naples but stayed in a lovely hotel The Belaire in Sorrento. Small hotel all rooms have sea view. Food service and cleanliness good. Within walking distance to town. Did our own visit to Pompeii and used local bus/ferry for Capri, Amalfi coast .

Thanks all- interesting as we may go next year.

Rowantree- out of interest where will you be staying in Sicily?

DD and I stayed in Sorrento a few years ago in a family run hotel. It was lovely and very friendly. There was (at the time) a direct train to Pompeii that stopped right outside, very easy. I've never looked round Naples but DH and I have friends that visit quite often and say it is really interesting with lots to see!

Friends of our flew to Naples to go to Sorento and area. They rented a car from airport, and as soon as they got to MWay, a car overtook them, pointing to the tyre. And yes, sure enough they had a flat tyre. Stopped by the side to change tyre- had to get all bags and luggage out to get spare wheel- then a second car arrived- stole their bags and luggage as she was helping with the front right wheel changing- and were gone in seconds. They were so upset and disgusted they went straight back to airport and got a flight back.

Not saying this to alarm you- but it is apparently a very common occurence at Naple's airport. Have your moBILE handy and a board saying TELEFONO POLIZIA and the police number- and call for assistance- stay in the car with doors locked.

I'll second everyone who recommends staying in Sorrento. My DH and I honeymooned there 34 years ago. We stayed in the Grand Hotel Ambasciatori, and had a wonderful time. We were also warned that if we went to Naples to be very aware of the crime, handbag snatchers on motor cycles, pickpockets etc. We didn't go, but we went to Pompeii and did a day trip to Venice.

Surely it must be possible to go on a guided visit to Naples- same as we would do in Palermo. It would be interested to see- but with someone who knows where to go or not and has excellent local knowledge and language.

We went to Naples a few years ago and got a fairly central hotel, old-fashioned but comfortable, through a booking agency, Venere, which DH has used a lot, and which has taken us to good hotels, not too expensive, whenever he has used it. We were there for several days and found the public transport easy to use and just followed the advice to keep all eyes peeled for pickpockets. One night we were going to bed when we thought we heard fireworks at some distance, but the fact that they lasted for only a short time and didn't sound quite like fireworks suggested that possibly it was gunfire. No obvious bodies lying around the next day though.

The only problem was crossing the road; we had naively believed that traffic in Italy drives on the right - not so. It drives, in Naples, on both sides at once and in all possible directions, including sideways. We were sure that we were going to end up in the middle of the road, stranded on a traffic island, hoping that people would frisbee pizzas to us. However, we survived, enjoying the pizzas at restaurant tables instead. DH wants to go back to go to Herculaneum (we just did Pompeii last time) and a museum which has a lot of stuff rescued from Pompeii. I wouldn't mind going back, but am a bit apprehensive about the fact that Vesuvius is well overdue to pop again

Why did I read the title as nappies?

My wife and I stayed in Naples for a week a year ago and found it perfectly safe and friendly, though the drivers are a bit mad by our standards!
Obviously you take particular care, as anywhere, at places like airports.

If you’re staying in Naples, obviously you’ll visit Pompeii and Herculaneum, but I suggest you also visit the museum en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naples_National_Archaeological_Museum
This has an amazing collection of items from the excavations, and the secret cabinet, a room devoted to erotic artefacts!

The Teatro San Carlo, is worth a visit: www.teatrosancarlo.it

We stayed at this small, slightly idiosyncratic, but delightful hotel right in the centre: www.artresortgalleriaumberto.it/en/

Love Naples, vibrant & fun with so much history & so much to see & do plus a brilliant base for Sorrento, Amalfi coast (by boat), Pompeii, Vesuvius plus Ischia & Capri. The sea front prom near the castle & Marina is particularly attractive. As anywhere, keep your wits about you & don't wear your best jewellery! Stay at San Francesco al Monte, a superb hotel high above the city with amazing views. It's right by one of the 2 funiculars into the heart of the city. Don't be scared if Naples, it's well worth staying. The driving is something else - last time we went we saw a guy on a scooter carrying a chair under his arm & a woman on a scooter with a child on the handlebars - that's Naples for you!

We toured Sicily a few years back and it was one of our best holidays - it's really interesting, with loads of history, scenery and terrific food. The Etna summit and Taormina were particularly stunning. You don't need a guided tour in Palermo - it's as safe as anywhere as long as you avoid the dock area and follow a nun when you cross the road , and people were very helpful when we got lost (as we invariably do). We stayed in Sorrento after that and had a lovely, relaxing week, with the Amalfi drive, visit to Ischia, etc. Pompeii of course, and we didn't find it at all crowded or dirty (and it was August, so probably the busiest time). Again, it's easy to get lost there - take a good site map.

But we didn't go to Naples. We were advised not to, by Italians, unless we had a particular reason to. We were told there's not that much to see, it's filthy and dangerous for tourists. Right or wrong, I wouldn't know. There was some sort of rubbish collectors strike going on at the time, so a lot of the filth might have been temporary!

Sorrento is probably the best place to stay - it's very safe, beautiful and relaxing. However, I would recommend a visit to Naples if you can. Yes, it has lots of problems but there are many fascinating things to see and good places to eat (after all, it is the city that invented pizza!). Just be careful about wearing expensive jewellery or watches or putting phones/wallets in back pockets. A guide is a good idea. I went last year on my own - DH stayed in Sorrento! - and had a fantastic tour on the back of a Vespa! The guide was brilliant, we saw all the places I wanted and had a stop for coffee and cake. The traffic was chaotic ... I'd never drive there ... but being a passenger was exhilarating! Pompeii is very crowded but well worth seeing too.

I agree with everyone who suggested staying in Sorrento. It is such a beautiful and relaxing place to stay with lots of travel links to Pompei, Herculaneum , Capri and the Amalfi Coast. Just FABULOUS!!

The benefit of staying in Naples, rather than Sorrento is that you can get to the fascinating sites north of Naples as well as Pompeii and Herculaneum to the south. The traffic in this area is horrendous and it is not feasible to visit the northern sites on a day trip from Sorrento. The National Museum in Naples is a must for the huge selection of finds from the sites in the area. If you stay or visit Naples, just be sensible, don't wear flash jewellery, etc and be aware of pickpockets. After all, there are places in our British big cities you would be very careful. As for Sorrento, I revisited it last year after a 20 year break and would not go again: the centre is so commercialised, 3-4 cruise ships in most days. I think you can get ferries to Capri and Ischia from Naples. Having said that, the Amalfi drive is a must and Positano is delightful.

We stayed in Sorrento a few years ago. They have a great train to Popeii and Herculeanum, plenty of buses down the Amalfi coast. Also worth hopping on the ferries both down the Amalfi coast and up to Naples. We didn't go to Naples by ferry, ran out of time, but we were told that it takes you right to where the museums and historic areas are without going through the more grubby parts.

We visited the area last October to rendezvous with our daughter & family who were travelling around Europe in their motor home for a year. We wanted to give them a break from their van so booked us all into a hotel south of Salerno. Strange area but great hotel, spotless, lovely pool and garden area and beach just across the road - which we were usually the only people using despite really good weather. We went into Naples by train and then on to Pompei, the toilets at Naples station were the most disgusting I have ever, ever experienced. We also visited the Amalfi coast by boat, Positano is just delightful and I really hope we get to return there. Agree about the driving, not sure how we ever got back to the airport, but loved our first, and so far only, visit to Italy