ITALY - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 370

Day Excursion to
Naples (Napoli)
City by the Bay
Depart Rome Termini Station
Distance by Train: 134 miles (216 km)
Average Train Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
City Dialing Code: 081
Tourist Information Office: Main Hall of Napoli Centrale Rail Station, in front of
Platform 20 (English-speaking staff)
Tel: [phone] or 206666; Fax: [phone]
www.comune.napoli.it
Hours: 0900-1800 daily
Naples (Napoli) is a world apart. There is no other place in Italy quite like it. In
fact, there's no place that we have visited in the rest of the world quite like Naples.
When you go there, you don't really see Naples—you feel it, hear it, and taste it.
After you've been to Naples, you come away either loving it or hating it. You alone
must be the judge.
Naples itself is a coalescing of gaiety and sadness. Its inhabitants, the Neapolit-
ans, are expressive, noisy, and vivacious. They are imaginative, superstitious, and
(about a third of them) unemployed, either by choice or by circumstance—it's dif-
ficult to determine which. But as a consequence, crime is rampant, so watch your
wallets, pocketbooks, cameras, and other valuables.
But don't go to Naples in fear for your life; just be cautious. The Neapolitans
don't want to harm you; they are only interested in your valuables. They want you
to enjoy yourself and come back again—with more valuables. Deal only with offi-
cial agencies. If you plan to take a city tour or sign up for a trip to Vesuvius and
Pompeii, do it in an office, not on the street. Ignore the uniformed people who ap-
proach you on the street or in the rail station wearing badges proclaiming they are
“official guides.” There are several small shops on the square facing the station
where you can buy one of those badges yourself.
Now for the fun part. Spaghetti was invented in Naples, as well as Neapolitan-
style ice cream. Pizza first saw the light of day in Naples. If you can, enjoy a pizza
in one of the pizzerias located in the old quarter of Naples. If you do, you'll prob-
ably not patronize your local pizza parlor for at least 30 days following your return