Taxi in Naples

[maggie3]

How much should two of us with no luggage expect to pay for a taxi from the cruise port in Naples to the Archaeological Museum? Do all taxis use meters? Should we negotiate a price before we get in? How much tip would be expected? It is our plan, after touring the museum, to do our own little walking tour of the major sights of Naples, with some detours, as we head back to the pier. Thanks for all advice.

[euro cruiser]

The trip from the cruise port to the museum is only about two miles, and I would expect to pay about 10 Euro.

 

Naples has a set fare system, but the cruise port/piazza municipio to the archaeology museum is not one of the routes in the set fare system.

 

Here is the city web site information on taxis, including the fare card. My best advise is that you print this out and carry it with you: http://www.comune.napoli.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/EN/IDPagina/6665

[texancruzer]

That was our original plan also.....and we negotiated with the head taxi guy (there is a pecking order here !) and he had a new very young taxi driver take us since it is considered an undesirable fare. While on the way we ended up negotiating for him to come back and pick us up at a set time. He was there right on the dot......then we asked him for "good" pizza.....he took us to a great place and waited for us.....then a "short" tour of the famous long street and then back to the ship. I don' remember the exact price but it was reasonable. We tipped him well tho :D He was so young and very sweet. Trying very hard to please us.

 

Naples is a gritty place (no offense to any Neapolitans) but that is how it felt to me. By that I mean there are many "rough" areas and the traffic :eek: OMG...... I am glad we did not walk much. Not like Rome or Florence.

Have read of others who walked all over...... but this was just our experience.

[Keith1010]

I would get a taxi that is not in the cruise ship terminal. Ane I recommend negotiating te rate up front.

 

Keith

[maggie3]

Keith, I am the original poster. May I assume that the best place to get the taxi to the Archaeological Museum would be right on that main street that leads up toward the museum? Would we look for a taxi stand, rather than hail a taxi?

[euro cruiser]

I'm not sure what Keith's objection is to getting a cab at the port, but I can think of two reasons. First, most taxi drivers at the port will be looking for half or full day fares and won't be happy about a short trip to the museum. Second, because of one way streets and construction at Piazza Municipio, cars have to take a somewhat out-of-the-way routing leaving the port.

 

There used to be a taxi stand at Piazza Municipio, which is across the street from the port, but due to ongoing construction of the new subway line, I don't know exactly where it is right now. However, if you look at a map, the most direct route to the museum is up Via Medina, so you could start out walking toward Via Medina and look for a taxi stand along the way.

 

You cannot flag down taxis in Italy - they must be called or picked up at taxi stands. According to the City's web site, there are more than 165 taxi stands in the City of Naples.

 

Another option would be to take a bus. You can pick up any one of three buses on Via Medina that go to the museum (P. Museo): #201, R1 and the R4. If you choose to take the bus, there is a newstand on the corner, after you cross the main street in front of the port (Via C. Colombo), where you can purchase tickets.

 

It's only about a mile and a half from the port to the museum, but going there is uphill. You might consider walking back to the ship, an entirely downhill walk, along Via Toledo (a main shopping street in Naples). About halfway between the museum and the port Via Toldeo becomes primarily pedestrian - which makes for a lovely walk.

[maggie3]

Thanks, euro cruiser. That sounds like good advice. After the Archaeological Museum, we also hope to visit Cappella Sansevero and a few of the other landmarks in the Spaccanapoli area, with a stop for pizza, and then possibly the Duomo too. Is it easy to get a cab or bus from the Archaeological Museum to Cappella Sansevero (or a nearby location)? Is exploring Spaccanapoli on foot an easy task, or is there much uphill? If we walk from Spaccanapoli toward the Duomo, will we be heading into a dicey neighborhood? Is the Duomo worth the detour? Last but very importantly, is there a safe route to walk from Spaccanapoli back to the cruise pier. We are both over 65, reasonably fit, but hope to avoid hills and dangerous neighborhoods, though we do know enough to expect seediness.

 

 

I'm not sure what Keith's objection is to getting a cab at the port, but I can think of two reasons. First, most taxi drivers at the port will be looking for half or full day fares and won't be happy about a short trip to the museum. Second, because of one way streets and construction at Piazza Municipio, cars have to take a somewhat out-of-the-way routing leaving the port.

 

There used to be a taxi stand at Piazza Municipio, which is across the street from the port, but due to ongoing construction of the new subway line, I don't know exactly where it is right now. However, if you look at a map, the most direct route to the museum is up Via Medina, so you could start out walking toward Via Medina and look for a taxi stand along the way.

 

You cannot flag down taxis in Italy - they must be called or picked up at taxi stands. According to the City's web site, there are more than 165 taxi stands in the City of Naples.

 

Another option would be to take a bus. You can pick up any one of three buses on Via Medina that go to the museum (P. Museo): #201, R1 and the R4. If you choose to take the bus, there is a newstand on the corner, after you cross the main street in front of the port (Via C. Colombo), where you can purchase tickets.

 

It's only about a mile and a half from the port to the museum, but going there is uphill. You might consider walking back to the ship, an entirely downhill walk, along Via Toledo (a main shopping street in Naples). About halfway between the museum and the port Via Toldeo becomes primarily pedestrian - which makes for a lovely walk.

[euro cruiser]

There is a taxi stand right in front of the Archaeology museum, so it's easy to get one there if you want to. Buses won't be as helpful in Spaccanapoli - the streets are too narrow for buses. This is all part of the historical center (centro storico) of Naples and it's not a "dicey" neighborhood. It's loaded with shopkeepers, students (there are a couple of universities in the area, and a music conservatory) and tourists.

 

The walking distance from the museum to the Duomo is only about a half a mile and it's relatively flat, as I recall. There are certain areas of incline, mostly heading from the water toward the museum, and there is a slight downhill in the last block or so before you hit Via Duomo.

 

I've been asked about the Duomo before and I wish I had a better answer, but as churches go in Italy, it just doesn't knock me over. I can't even say why, it's perfectly nice, it just doesn't "speak" to me the way so many others do. When I was in Naples in February I went back a couple of times to see if it was just my mood on a given day, but there wasn't any real improvement in my appreciation.

 

I found San Domenico Maggiore (which is only a short block from Cappella Sansevero) and Gesu Nuovo far more moving and artistically interesting, but that's me.

 

One stop I always encourage people to consider in this part of Naples is the cloister at Santa Chiara. The church is nice, but the main attraction is the cloister behind it, an oasis of calm in the midst of the bustle of the city. It's just across the piazza from Gesu Nuovo.

 

If you don't want to walk back to the ship, there is a taxi stand at Piazza del Gesu Nuovo. However, if you're feeling up to it, it really is a lovely walk down Via Toledo to the port, and it's all downhill.

[maggie3]

Thank you, euro cruiser. That is exactly what we needed to know. Our plan is sounding very do-able. If we decide to skip the Duomo, is there any street you would cut through to get from the Archaeology Museum to Sansevero, or for optimum safety and local atmosphere should we just start down Via Toledo and turn left at Via Maddaloni/Spaccanapoli?

[euro cruiser]

The most direct route is down Via S. Maria di Costantinapoli to Piazza Bellini. It's not a particularly interesting street, but you won't be on it all that long. There are several restaurants and cafes at Piazza Bellini, if you're looking for a stop at that point.

 

From Piazza Bellini, I'd turn left onto S. Pietro a Maiella to Piazza Miraglia, then right onto S. Domenico Maggiore.

 

If you'd like to walk a couple of more blocks (they're pretty short blocks), Via S. Gregorio Armeno is interesting, with the shops that sell the nativity scenes. Most are now mass produced - there are a few artisans left, but their work is very expensive. A few pieces from the mass produced places are inexpensive, fun reminders of Naples, however.

[KirkNC]

Just an FYI, there is a thread on Trip Advisor concerning a number of areas in the museum closed right now. The poster said half the museum including the frescos and Egypt display as well as others. Here is a link:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187785-i421-k3724405-Archaelogical_Museum_WARNING-Naples_Campania.html

 

We plan on still visiting the museum when we go in August (after going to Pompeii in the morning). After the museum we plan on walking back to the ship and visiting all the churches Euro Cruiser is talking about. The total distance from the museum to the port is just under 3 km.

 

Kirk

[maggie3]

Euro cruiser we had been looking at Via S. Maria di Constantinapoli for our short cut, and it is good to know that would be a safe route.

KirkNC, we have been to Pompeii and the Amalfi coast twice, as well as to Capri, but this time we want to concentrate on Naples itself. Like yourselves, we will probably visit the museum anyway in hopes that what is left relates to Pompeii. I will keep reading on tripadvisor. I wonder if there is a possibility of any of the missing displays returning by fall.