Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
occupations. The palace, built by the Spanish viceroys in the 17th century, was
expanded by the Bourbon monarchs in the 18th century and decorated in its pres-
ent neoclassical design by the French in the 19th century. Back from the water in
the grid-work section known as the
Spanish Quarter,
the influence of Spain's rule
still rings in the local dialect and most of the surnames of the locals.
Directly above these areas are the
Vomero
and
Capodimonte
hills, where the
monastery of San Martino and the remains of catacombs testify to later Christian
influences. Contemporary Naples has been built snugly around the monuments
of its past. Ancient churches and convents sit among the modern buildings in
more recently developed areas of the city, like the main
industrial port
to the
south. And all along the northern shoreline, especially near the
Mergellina
port
and the
Posillipo,
modern apartment blocks are perched above ancient caves and
ruins.
LAY OF THE LAND
Naples is serviced by the relatively small
Capodichino International Airport
(Via
Umberto Maddalena, 192;
%
081-7896259),
with regular direct flights from
major European cities. There are no direct flights to Naples from North America
or Asia. The airport is only 6km (3
3
⁄
4
miles) north of the city, so getting in is fast
and relatively easy. There's a regular ANM
bus
(no. 14) directly to Piazza
Garibaldi, the primary train and bus terminus in the city center, for under
2,
but you'll still have to get to your hotel from there. A
taxi
direct from the airport
should cost between
€
25, depending on the disposition of the driver.
One of the easiest ways to visit Naples from other cities in Europe is
by train.
Tickets within Italy can be booked online at www.trenitalia.com, but tickets still
have to be collected at self-service kiosks in the train station. A one-way ticket
from Florence to Naples is around
€
12 and
€
56. For
local trains running to Pompeii or the Amalfi Coast, check schedules with
www.vesuviana.it. Trains cost around
€
42, from Milan to Naples around
€
2.50 from Naples to Pompeii. Those who
might consider a day trip from Rome to Naples (or vice versa) should know that
while the trip costs a reasonable
€
18, and the ride is a little under 2 hours, delays
and cancellations (especially for the last train of the day) are common on this
route and might throw a wrench in your plans. To help
plan your train travel
in
this region, consult
Campania Transport
(www.campaniatrasporti.it),
which cov-
ers all networks in the region.
The city's
main Centrale train station,
on Piazza Garibaldi, is not the most
pleasant point of arrival, as most of the parking area in front is (at press time) a
giant construction site for the new underground metro system. The station, how-
ever, is well connected to the city center and the port. But while many of the cen-
ter's hotels are within walking distance, it's not easy to maneuver your way out of
the area and through the multitude of scams that await you. A taxi into the cen-
ter should cost around
€
8. So long as you check that the meter is running, you'll
get to your hotel without blowing your budget.
From Naples, it's easy to go
by boat
(
Tirrenia ferries;
%
081-8449297;
www.tirrenia.it; or
SNAV ferries;
www.snav.it)
to Sicily, to the main villages and
towns along the Amalfi Coast, and even to coastal towns in Northern Italy. The
average ferry trip to Amalfi is just under 2 hours, with stops at Positano and
Sorrento. It takes just over half an hour to get to Capri, and only 15 minutes
€
