[All photos and opinions are my own unless stated otherwise. All links are non-affiliated. All prices were correct at time of writing. Prices may vary at time of reading.]

Located 115 miles south of Rome, Naples is one of Italy's less touristy cities. With a high crime rate, lots of litter and few attractions worth visiting, it's no surprise so few tourists visit the area. So long story short, no, I do not think Naples is worth visiting unless you're using it as a stopover point for further travels. In this blog I'll give a run down of why I didn't like visiting Naples but if you do decide to visit, I'll also list a few things I did whilst I was there, most of which were outside the city.

Why I Didn't Like Naples

The biggest thing I disliked about Naples was the sheer volume of cars on the roads and the disregard for pedestrians. Wherever, you were in the city, there was always a constant flow of cars. At zebra crossings, I would often wait until a local crossed the road as I was so worried I would die crossing the road! Even at red traffic lights, drivers would often drive across the crossing even if you were still in the middle of it! Maybe this is normal in other European countries but not in the UK!

Litter is also another big problem in Naples. Everywhere I went there were bags of litter everywhere, even on the small island of Procida. This just added to the run down feel of Naples. However, this isn't just an isolated problem in Naples, I also found it to be a problem in Rome as well, which is a much wealthier city than Naples, so can't use the excuse that it can't afford proper waste collection.

Crime is also a large problem in Naples, with the city basically run by the local mafia. Pickpockets are a big thing, particularly at the Metro or train stations, which is why many tourists end up 'losing' certain belongings whilst in Naples. Luckily, I wasn't affected by this, even though I used the Metro late in the evening when I arrived. To be honest, I was less worried about pickpocketing than getting runover by cars but it's still something to be cautious about if you visit Naples.

Things To Do

If the three things listed above haven't deterred you yet, then here's my list of things to do in Naples. I spent 2.5 days in Naples but felt like I had run out of things to do by the end of my trip.

1. Island of Procida

On my first day in Naples, I took the ferry to the Island of Procida. Despite this island being less well-known than it's neighbour Ischia, the ferry was almost full and I was surprised at the number of people visiting. The ferry took 40-60 minutes each way and cost approximately €15-20 euros each way, depending on the boat you go on. This island is more popular with locals than tourists but I decided to visit it after my sister recommend it. One of the good things about Procida is that it's possible to explore the whole island within half a day without the use of a car.

One of the best view points on the island is at the Church of Santa Margherita Nuova, which is a short walk from the ferry port. Here you get beautiful views of the colourful buildings on the island along with the sea. Narrow streets take you around the island but once again traffic and litter is a problem wherever you go.

The view from the Church of Santa Margherita Nuova

Whilst I was here, I walked from the ferry station to a nature reserve on the opposite side of the island only to find that it was closed. This took me about an hour. Whilst this was disappointing it was nice to walk along the beach and appreciate having the sea around me. On the way back, I took a different route to explore some other parts of the island.

The view walking back from Riserva Naturale Statale Isola Di Vivara

Corricella Marina on the north-east side of the island

2. Appreciate the city's architecture

In the evening after visiting Procida, I decided to explore some of the city of Naples, despite the risk of becoming roadkill. Whilst doing this I got to appreciate the city's architecture, which was impressive despite having just visited Rome. I decided to visit Nuovo Castle and Ovo Castle. I didn't go inside any of these buildings as I visited quite late in the evening and was on a tight budget but the external design of these buildings was still nice to see.

Nuovo Castle

En route to Castle Ovo

3. Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii Tour

One of the main reasons people visit Naples is to see Mount Vesuvius and the ruins of Pompeii. As I didn't have a car I decided to join a group tour, which cost approximately €100 per person from TripAdvisor, and included free pick-up from your accommodation in Naples, a pass and guided tour of Pompeii, free lunch and a pass to walk up to the creater on Mount Vesuvius. I do think this tour was a bit overpriced but it was much easier than arranging the travel myself and I got to meet some nice people on the bus.

The ruins at Pompeii were impressive and it was nice to find out how archeaologists figure out what purposes different buildings were used for. However, the preserved bodies were the most interesting to see. Personally, if you're only hoping to visit Pompeii then I would stay overnight in Pompeii rather than staying in Naples. If you're not going on a group tour, then tickets to Pompeii start at around €16 per person.

Some of the preserved ruins at Pompeii

Mount Vesuvious, on the other hand, was a bit disappointing. Maybe that's because I've been to Sicily and seen Mount Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano, which I partly hiked up a few years ago and thought was much more impressive. At Vesuvius, the bus took us up to the highest car park, close to the entrance. From here it's about a 20 minute walk to the crater. Unfortunately, it's not possible to walk around the entire crater but it was quite cool to see gases coming up from it. If you decide to drive, you'll have to park at one of the lower car parks and walk quite a bit further and basic tickets to the national park would cost around €10.

The main crater on Mount Vesuvius

Where To Stay

I stayed at the Hostel of the Sun for three nights whilst I was in Naples. This hostel cost around €25 per person per night for a four-bed dorm plus city tax. The hostel was nice and clean with free breakfast and a shared kitchen for cooking cheap meals. It was also close to the ferry port and Castle Nuovo. However, it was located in a slightly dodgy alley and was quite far away from the main train station, so required the Metro to reach. Nonetheless, if you still want to go to Naples, I would recommend this hostel, even if it is a bit on the pricey side.

So, Is Naples Worth the Visit?

Personally, I would say no. All the areas I visited have the potential to be beautiful tourist hotspots; however, the traffic and litter just spoiled it for me. Although I never felt unsafe (unless crossing roads), I don't think it's worth your money. The only reason I chose to visit Naples was because I didn't have enough days left on my Interrail pass to travel further south to the Amalfi Coast.