Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast are the Italy of your wildest dreams – a rich, hypnotic mix of vibrant street life, decadent palaces, pastel-hued villages and aria-inspiring vistas.
With a car you’ll discover there’s more to Italy than Michelangelo masterpieces and Roman ruins, and you’ll be able to properly explore Campania’s rugged mountains, steaming fumaroles and ethereal coastal grottoes. Welcome to Italy at its most seductive and intense.
AMALFI COAST HIGHLIGHTS
Positano
Pearl of the Amalfi Coast, Positano is scandalously stunning, a picture-perfect composition of pastel-coloured houses tumbling down towards a deep indigo sea. See it on Trip 1
Legendary Amalfi town sparkles the brightest among the glittering string of coastal gems. See it on Trips 1 3
LEOKS/SHUTTERSTOCK
CITY GUIDE
Naples
Naples (Napoli) is an exhilarating sprawl of bombastic baroque churches, Dickensian alleyways and electrifying street life. Its in-your-face vitality can be overwhelming, but once you’ve found your feet you’ll discover a city of regal palaces, worldrenowned museums, superb pizzerias and sweeping seascapes.
Driving is not the best way of getting around Naples – the roads are anarchic and much of the city centre is off-limits to nonresident traffic. You’ll be better off leaving your car as soon as you can and using public transport (bus, metro and funicular); a day pass costs €3.50.
Parking
Street parking is not a good idea – car theft is a problem – and few hotels offer it. There’s a 24-hour car park east of the city centre at Via Brin; otherwise ask your hotel for advice.
Where to Eat
To taste authentic Neapolitan pizza, head to the centro storico (historic centre) where you’ll find a number of hard-core pizzerias serving the genuine article. For a more refined meal, make for seafront Santa Lucia and the cobbled lanes of Chiaia.
Where to Stay
For maximum atmosphere, consider the centro storico. Seaside Santa Lucia is home to some of the city’s most prestigious hotels, and Chiaia is cool and chic. For lofty views and a chilled-out vibe, hit Vomero.
Useful Websites
I Naples (www inaples it) The city’s official tourist-board site Napoli Unplugged (www.napoliunplugged.com) Up-to-date listings, articles and blog entries.
Road Trip Through Naples: here
Destination coverage: here
TOP EXPERIENCES
A Cappella Sansevero
Marvel at human ingenuity in the Capella Sansevero, a baroque chapel where you’ll find Giuseppe Sanmartino’s amazing sculpture Cristovelato (Veiled Christ)
A Museo Archeologico Nazionale
Eye up classical interiors and erotica at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, which hosts one of the world’s finest collections of Graeco-Roman artefacts.
A Teatro San Carlo
Demand an encore at Italy’s grandest opera house, which regularly stages opera, ballet and concerts
A Museo di Capodimonte
The Museo di Capodimonte might hold one of Italy’s less famous collections, but it’s also one of its best, showcasing names such as Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Masaccio and El Greco
A Certosa e Museo di San Martino
This charterhouse-turned-museum combines cloisters and carriages with romantic views.
A Neapolitan Street Life
There’s nothing like waking up to the sound of a Neapolitan street market, whether it’s rough-and-ready Mercato di Porta Nolana or the city’s oldest, La Pignasecca
NEED TO KNOW
CURRENCY
Euro (€)
LANGUAGE
Italian VISAS
Generally not required for stays of up to 90 days (or at all by EU nationals). Some nationalities will need a Schengen visa.
FUEL
Filling stations are widespread. Expect to pay around €1.46 per litre of unleaded petrol (benzina senza piombo), €1.29 for diesel (gasolio).
RENTAL CARS
Avis (www.avisautonoleggio.it)
Europcar (www.europcar.it)
Hertz (www.hertz.it)
Maggiore (www.maggiore.it)
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Emergencies (Police 112, 113; Ambulance 115)
Roadside Assistance ( 803116 from an Italian landline or mobile phone; 800 116800 from a foreign mobile phone)
When to Go Climate
High Season (Jul–Aug)
A Prices high on the coast; accommodation discounts available in some cities in August.
A Prices also rocket for Christmas, New Year and Easter
Shoulder (Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct)
A Good deals on accommodation, especially in the south.
A Spring is best for festivals, flowers and local produce
A Autumn provides warm weather and the grape harvest.
Low Season (Nov–Mar)
A Prices up to 30% lower than in high season.
A Many sights and hotels closed in coastal and mountainous areas
A A good period for cultural events in large cities
Your Daily Budget
Budget: Less than €100
A Dorm bed: €20–35
A Double room in a budget hotel: €60–110
A Pizza or pasta: €6–15
Midrange: €100–250
A Double room in a hotel: €100–200
A Local restaurant dinner: €25–45
A Admission to museum: €4–18
Top End: More than €250
A Double room in a four- or five-star hotel: €200 plus
A Top restaurant dinner: €45–150
A Opera ticket: €40–210
Eating
Ristorante Formal dining, often with comprehensive wine list and more sophisticated local or national fare
Trattoria Informal, family-run restaurant cooking up traditional regional dishes.
Vegetarians Most places offer good vegetable starters and side dishes.
Price indicators for a two-course meal with a glass of house wine and coperto (cover charge).
€ less than €25
€€ €25–45
€€€ more than €45
Sleeping
Hotels From luxury boutique palaces to modest family-run pensioni (small hotels).
B&Bs Rooms in restored farmhouses, city townhouses or seaside bungalows
Agriturismi Farm stays range from working farms to luxury rural retreats.
Room Tax A nightly occupancy tax is charged on top of room rates.
Price indicators for a double room with private bathroom:
€ less than €110
€€ €110–200
€€€ more than €200
Arriving in Italy
Naples International Airport (Capodichino)
Rental cars Agencies in the Arrivals hall.
Buses Run frequently between 6am and 11.20pm; €5.
Taxis Set fares €18 to €27; 20 to 35 minutes
Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci) Airport (Rome)
Rental cars Agencies are located near the car park
Trains Run frequently from 6.08am to 11.23pm; €14.
Buses Operate between 6.05am and 12.40am, limited night bus services; €6 to €7.
Taxis Set fare €48; 45 minutes
Malpensa Airport (Milan)
Rental cars Agencies in the Arrivals halls
Trains Run half-hourly from 5.37am to 12.20am; €13.
Buses Run every 30 minutes from 3 45am to 12 15am; €10
Taxis Set fare €95; 50 minutes.
Mobile Phones
Local SIM cards can be used in European, Australian and some unlocked US phones. Other phones must be set to roaming.
Internet Access
Free wi-fi is available in most hotels, hostels, B&Bs and agriturismi, and in many bars and cafes
Money
ATMs are widespread in Italy. Major credit cards are widely accepted, but some smaller shops, trattorias and hotels might not take them
Tipping
Not obligatory but round up the bill or leave a euro or two in pizzerias and trattorias; 5% to 10% in smart restaurants.
Useful Websites
Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/italy) Destination information, hotel bookings and more.
ENIT (www italia it) Official Italian-government tourism website
For more, see Road Trip Essentials.
Road Trips
1 Amalfi Coast, 7 Days
A stunning coastline of vertical landscapes and chic resort towns.
2 Shadow of Vesuvius, 2–3 Days
Head from Naples’ tumult to Pompeii’s long-buried mysteries.
3 Southern Larder, 3–4 Days
Pair raw beauty with exuberant cuisine on Campania’s coast.
4 Cilento Coastal Trail, 4–5 Days
A rugged peninsula where mountains meet the pristine sea.
Not for the faint-hearted, this trip along the Amalfi Coast tests your driving skill on a 100km stretch, featuring dizzying hairpin turns and pastel-coloured towns draped over sea-cliff scenery.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
7 DAYS
100KM / 62 MILES
GREAT FOR…
BEST TIME TO GO
June or September for beach weather without the peak summer crowds.
ESSENTIAL PHOTO
Positano’s vertiginous stack of pastel-coloured houses cascading down to the sea.
