Highlights of Naples

[michelle028]

Hi All,

 

Are there any HOHO buses in Naples when you exit the ship?

 

Or - any public transportation routes that we can take that give us a feel for the city? or cheap tours?

 

NCL offers $79 pp Naples by motorcoach tour ("The route takes you past piazzas, monuments, churches and museums. Capture a panoramic view of the city and the Bay of Naples from the vantage point of Posillipo Hill and enjoy a complimentary refreshment or an ice cream at a local café)

 

I could probably do this by myself.

 

We just want to explore Naples on our own for a few hours and then head back to the ship.

 

Any free attractions that can recommend as a must-see?

 

We love to see churches, maybe do some shopping, grab some pizza, gelato. Just have an easy day.

 

Let me know!

[chipmaster]

Hi All,

 

Are there any HOHO buses in Naples when you exit the ship?

 

Or - any public transportation routes that we can take that give us a feel for the city? or cheap tours?

 

NCL offers $79 pp Naples by motorcoach tour ("The route takes you past piazzas, monuments, churches and museums. Capture a panoramic view of the city and the Bay of Naples from the vantage point of Posillipo Hill and enjoy a complimentary refreshment or an ice cream at a local café)

 

I could probably do this by myself.

 

We just want to explore Naples on our own for a few hours and then head back to the ship.

 

Any free attractions that can recommend as a must-see?

 

We love to see churches, maybe do some shopping, grab some pizza, gelato. Just have an easy day.

 

Let me know!

 

My 2 cents that the sole purpose of the Naples stop is Pompeii and Amalfi coast. I highly encourage if you are doing the DIY that you find the path to even just do the public transportation and take public transportation to Amalfi. Even if you do nothing but ride the bus is interesting. We did head ons with bus several times.

 

Or DIY with public to Pompeii, IMHO it would be tragic to do the port and not experience one if not both of the stop's main purpose :D

Edited April 10, 2015 by chipmaster

[michelle028]

My 2 cents that the sole purpose of the Naples stop is Pompeii and Amalfi coast. I highly encourage if you are doing the DIY that you find the path to even just do the public transportation and take public transportation to Amalfi. Even if you do nothing but ride the bus is interesting. We did head ons with bus several times.

 

Or DIY with public to Pompeii, IMHO it would be tragic to do the port and not experience one if not both of the stop's main purpose :D

 

I never thought to do public transportation to Amalfi coast. What a great idea!

 

How do I ride the bus/train.....

 

What number should I take? Where is the stop? How much is it? Does it do one big long loop? how long would it take?

[euro cruiser]

The Amalfi Coast is near impossible by public transit within the confines of a port day. You spend so much time getting there that you've got almost no time to actually be there before you need to head back.

 

If the Amalfi Coast is your goal, a car and driver is your best option. High speed ferries may work, but the connections are not ideal, such that again, you get there and have an hour or two and need to head back.

[euro cruiser]

Lack of awareness of the myriad options available leads folks to think that there's only Pompei, the Amalfi Coast, and perhaps Sorrento or Capri to enjoy on a port stop at Naples. There is much, much more, a lot of it within walking distance of the cruise port.

Edited April 11, 2015 by euro cruiser

[chipmaster]

Lack of awareness of the myriad options available leads folks to think that there's only Pompei, the Amalfi Coast, and perhaps Sorrento or Capri to enjoy on a port stop at Naples. There is much, much more, a lot of it within walking distance of the cruise port.

 

Many options.. but you have to make choices if you only are there once and may never get back. If you could only see one or two things on a budget what might they be? FWIW I researched a few other things, but honestly was happy I did Pompeii and Amalfi with my family.

 

As to just riding a bus there and back.. the poster was going to just do Naples on a Ho Ho.. just suggestions...

 

:D

[kunnocat]

Yes there is a very good HOHO bus. Offers 3 routes, I did two and enjoyed them both. The Terminus is just outside the wharf exit. K

[euro cruiser]

You can find the information on the HOHO bus here: http://www.napoli.city-sightseeing.it/eng/index.htm#

[michelle028]

Yes there is a very good HOHO bus. Offers 3 routes, I did two and enjoyed them both. The Terminus is just outside the wharf exit. K

 

 

Out of curiosity, how long was each route?

 

Ps. thx for all the suggestions everyone.

[cruisemom42]

My 2 cents that the sole purpose of the Naples stop is Pompeii and Amalfi coast. I highly encourage if you are doing the DIY that you find the path to even just do the public transportation and take public transportation to Amalfi. Even if you do nothing but ride the bus is interesting. We did head ons with bus several times.

 

Or DIY with public to Pompeii, IMHO it would be tragic to do the port and not experience one if not both of the stop's main purpose :D

 

Tragic??

 

They may be the "main purposes" according to you -- but that doesn't necessarily make them the main purposes of everyone. :D

 

There are many interesting things to see in Naples itself, if you enjoy cities (which I do) versus pretty views. They have arguably the best archaeological museum when it comes to ancient Rome, interesting churches (including the one with the famous "Veiled Christ" statue, and more. You can see a "slice of life" for typical southern Italians in Naples -- and enjoy a slice of Neapolitan pizza while you are at it.

[80sGirl]

Tragic??

 

They may be the "main purposes" according to you -- but that doesn't necessarily make them the main purposes of everyone. :D

 

There are many interesting things to see in Naples itself, if you enjoy cities (which I do) versus pretty views. They have arguably the best archaeological museum when it comes to ancient Rome, interesting churches (including the one with the famous "Veiled Christ" statue, and more. You can see a "slice of life" for typical southern Italians in Naples -- and enjoy a slice of Neapolitan pizza while you are at it.

 

So agree cruisemom42!! We lived in Naples for 3 years on a NATO tour and got so tired of hearing that Naples was just about Pompeii and Amalfi.

 

Having said that, if you do want to visit Pompeii and/or Amalfi, I highly recommend a tour. Getting there and back on your own using public transit with appropriate time to actually see what you travelled so far to see would be difficult. Particularly if you don't speak Neopolitan (keeping in mind that knowing Italian in Naples isn't always as helpful as you might think! :D)

 

Naples is an incredible city to experience in it's own right. The museum is world-class as cruisemom42 pointed out and you could try for a tour of the opera house (Teatro San Carlo) the oldest opera house in the world. You could visit Galleria Umberto, a gorgeous shopping gallery with an glass dome roof; it's located across the street from Teatro San Carlo. It's about a 15 minute walk from the cruise terminal.

 

If you're into Christmas, you could visit "Christmas Alley". The actual name of the street is Via San Gregorio Armeno and is a year-round place to buy Italian presepe (nativity) pieces. You likely can't buy a presepe as they're made of materials you can't import into most other countries (cork, moss, wood) but the pieces are fine. Again, you could walk there easily ... maybe 25 minutes?

 

Or just wander this amazing city. And, DO NOT leave until you've had Neopolitan pizza. You'll never taste pizza like it anywhere, not even in other parts of Italy. The volcanic soil (thanks to Vesuvius and centuries of eruptions) gives the ingredients a quality unlike what you're used to. I never knew how tasty tomatoes were until we ate ones grown in Naples. Tomatoes! Boring bland tomatoes. Not in Naples. God ... I'm hungry now :D Thank goodness our next cruise has a port day in Naples. So looking forward to visiting her again!

[euro cruiser]

Having said that, if you do want to visit Pompeii and/or Amalfi, I highly recommend a tour. Getting there and back on your own using public transit with appropriate time to actually see what you travelled so far to see would be difficult. Particularly if you don't speak Neopolitan (keeping in mind that knowing Italian in Naples isn't always as helpful as you might think! :D)

Has it been a while since you were in Naples? English is very common and, due in part to the quickly increasing immigrant population, Neopolitan is less and less common. It's an interesting evolution, particularly in the last ten years. If you walk one block from the cruise port you enter a small Korean neighborhood, over toward Via Chiaia you'll find a large population from India.

 

It really is quite easy to get to Pompei using public transit, either bus or Circumvesuviana train. I agree with you about Amalfi, however. It's pretty near impossible to get there and back by public transit within the confines of a port day.

[80sGirl]

Has it been a while since you were in Naples? English is very common and, due in part to the quickly increasing immigrant population, Neopolitan is less and less common. It's an interesting evolution, particularly in the last ten years. If you walk one block from the cruise port you enter a small Korean neighborhood, over toward Via Chiaia you'll find a large population from India.

 

It really is quite easy to get to Pompei using public transit, either bus or Circumvesuviana train. I agree with you about Amalfi, however. It's pretty near impossible to get there and back by public transit within the confines of a port day.

 

We left in 2009 so no doubt things have changed since then. It may also be a function of the little town (Monte di Procida) where we lived being more "old-school"? I remember very clearly trying to communicate in my newly-learned Italian in our town and having locals look at me like I had two heads. So, I learned more of the dialect and it improved.

 

I also used to take the train into the city on occasion and whenever there was a delay or other announcement, it was always in Italian. There was never an English follow-up so that's what I thought may be an issue for someone trying to get to Pompeii or Amalfi on their own without knowing the language. But, again, that may be one of those things that have changed since we left.

[euro cruiser]

Well, as much as things change they also stay the same. While English is pretty widely spoken, especially among the under 40 set, transportation workers never seem to be among them. It mystifies me how Trenitalia manages to hire conductors who never seem to be able to communicate in anything but Italian. It balances out, however, because (in my experience, anyway) there's always been someone on the train who can and is willing to translate.

 

Naples is a university city which I think also changes the language situation (one of the major universities is only steps from the cruise port).

 

A somewhat related story from several years ago (I think it was 2010 but I'm not positive); I went into a TIM store near the port to purchase a new SIM card. I'd worked on my vocabulary so I could tell them what I needed and rattled off my question in Italian, only to have the clerk respond in perfect English. He told me that he'd spent a semester abroad in England while at university. The economic situation being what it was, he had a degree in engineering but the only job he could find was at a TIM store.

[agabbymama]

We had a friend on Sicily that we complained to in 1998 about the language barrier. He informed us that most Italians know English THEY JUST CHOOSE NOT TO USE IT. English has been taught in schools in Italy since World War II, so not just the under 40 set.

 

He felt at that time that as tourism grew, people would have to be conversant in English if they wanted to make a living. They want the tourist money and will learn they have to earn it.

 

When I returned in 2008, it appeared that transition had taken place. The people we encountered did indeed speak English quite well. I still had a problem finding "cough drops". From pharmacists, to clerks at the hotel, to clerks in the stores nobody knew what a cough drop was. Finally saw rolls of Vicks cough drops at the cash register in a tobacco shop, but never did discover what they might call them.

Edited April 13, 2015 by agabbymama

[cruisemom42]

When I returned in 2008, it appeared that transition had taken place. The people we encountered did indeed speak English quite well. I still had a problem finding "cough drops". From pharmacists, to clerks at the hotel, to clerks in the stores nobody knew what a cough drop was. Finally saw rolls of Vicks cough drops at the cash register in a tobacco shop, but never did discover what they might call them.

 

I believe they are called "pasticche" (tablets or pastilles) per la tosse (for the cough).

 

I had a very miserable upper respiratory infection last time I was in Athens and was afraid I would not be able to find some throat lozenges or cough drops for the long flight home. Lo and behold, I walked by a street vendor cart with 3 different kinds of Hall's cough drops.

Edited April 13, 2015 by cruisemom42

[euro cruiser]

English has been taught in schools in Italy since World War II, so not just the under 40 set.

Yes, but I took French throughout high school and college, even managing to pass a 400 level modern novels course in French, but about five minutes after the final exam I'd forgotten as much as I'd learned. Five years later ... forget about it! Just studying a language in school, especially if it's never used anywhere except while at school, doesn't mean a lot.