In the middle of a delayed, sweaty, overcrowded train ride from Naples Central Station to the archaeological ruins of Pompeii — somewhere around Torre del Greco — it dawned on me: maybe all the rumours about Naples are true.
It was my girlfriend and I’s first international trip together. After considering our options for a few days, we decided to head to the colourful Amalfi Coast. It looked like a destination that was romantic, relaxing, and reasonably priced. I had rarely been more excited to embark on an adventure.
Until I realised that the easiest way to get from Belgium to Amalfi without a car is flying into Naples.
Now, I had heard stories about Naples. How the city’s trash problem hadn’t been fixed in years. How nearly every building was covered in graffiti (and not the fun kind). And how the public transport was unreliable and inefficient — at best.
You may say Naples is the most unfiltered, gritty version of Italy you can find. And you may even believe that’s a good thing. But I don’t.
If you like Naples, good for you! I’m not trying to get you to dislike the city. It has wonderful places waiting to be discovered, the food is to die for, and the centuries’ worth of history hidden in the city are unfathomable.
All I’m saying is: it’s not a city that immediately enchants everyone.
To a small-town guy like myself, Naples feels a lot like the New York City of southern Europe. You feel like you just have to visit at some point, the place has plenty of things to do, and you need a few days to decompress when you get home.
The only way to find out whether the destination is worth your time is to give it a try.
Two days in Italy’s city that could have been
Reading this article may lead you to believe that I hated every minute of my time in Naples. But nothing could be further from the truth. After all, you can’t hate a city you’ve only spent two days in.
We decided to explore Naples before continuing to the Amalfi Coast. We were going to be passing through anyway, so why not slow down a bit and take a gander at the city?
As it turns out, two days was plenty of time to do everything we wanted to do in Naples. In short: walk around, eat and drink to our hearts’ content, and soak in the atmosphere.
One thing I liked about these two days is that we didn’t feel the need to cross off things from a list of “things to do in Naples”. This allowed us to spend quality time together without feeling anxious about missing out on certain experiences.
I’m sure we skipped a few things that would have been worth our time, but I don’t regret any of the decisions we made on this trip. I will look back on our time in Naples and remember the conversations we shared on a rowdy square and the dogs who came to say hi when we were having a drink.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The food in Naples: surprisingly mediocre
When you’re talking about the literal birthplace of the pizza, you’d better have a good reason for criticising the food.
Don’t get me wrong — some of the food we had in Naples was mouth-watering. We were blown away by the sfogliatelli, arancini, sgagliozze, crocchè, and other food with names that are tricky to pronounce for non-native speakers.
Remarkably, the one thing that disappointed us was the pizza. Maybe it’s because we were only there for two days and we didn’t venture far enough into the lesser-known depths of the city in pursuit of the perfect pizza napolitana. Or maybe it’s because we were anticipating a life-changing meal.
Either way — we expected more from a city known for its pizza.
We were told the best pizzeria in Naples was L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele. So, of course, we were more than happy to wait in line for 15 minutes before a middle-aged Italian man shouted my girlfriend’s name and handed us our dinner in the typical square cardboard boxes.
Again, don’t get me wrong: in terms of value for money, we got a deal that was hard to match. €5 for a pizza we both struggled to finish? Come on.
Could it be that I drew the wrong conclusion from this experience? That Naples does have life-changing pizza — and it’s just a matter of managing expectations?
Maybe Naples is a city that will grow on me with a second visit. Or maybe it’s just not my cup of tea. And you know what? I think that’s okay.
PIN IT!
Photo credits
- Photo by Kir Shu on Unsplash
- Photo by Sam van Bussel on Unsplash
- Photo by Cenk Batuhan Özaltun on Unsplash
- Photo by Théo Roland on Unsplash
- Photo by Victor Malyushev on Unsplash
- Photo by Ivon De pol
Pedro
January 7, 2023 at 7:17 amThis article: The worst of blogging in one place
Alison Elsner
April 3, 2023 at 5:39 amLol love the reply. In addy to the horrific grammar, this blog is pointless. Did they like it or not? What were the really bad parts besides mediocre pizza and graffiti? If there are so many amazing things to see then why start the blog saying how awful it is? What a worthless read.
Renita
August 9, 2024 at 11:04 pmI am in Naples right now and I hate it; noisy and dirty.
Lisa brinkley
January 22, 2023 at 6:01 amThis guy obviously did not spend much time in Naples. The pizza, seafood, and pastries are life changing. The Veiled Christ, catacombs, and Santa Chiara are amazing. Then there were the funiculars, ocean views, open air markets, ancient castles and shops, etc. If he thinks this is the New York of Southern Italy, he isn’t very familiar with either place. Yes, there was trash. And crime. And life threatening traffic. It’s Naples!
Alison Elsner
April 3, 2023 at 5:42 amDear Sander: the correct phrasing is “It was my girlfriend’s and my first international trip…”. You would never say “It was I’s first …”. At least don’t broadcast you’re an amateur. Cringe-worthy.
Toni
May 11, 2023 at 6:20 pmI just returned from Naples on May 5. It was one of the worst places I’ve ever visited and I’m a seasoned traveler, especially in Italy. Yes the food is surprisingly mediocre, the city is covered with crowds, trash and graffiti so that it feels dirty and unsafe, and many (most) of the churches are either locked up or charge a significant price to get in the door. Yes there are long lines in Rome but at least St Peter’s is still free and the streets are relatively clean and the food is to die for…not in Naples. I was there 3 days, 2 1/2 days too long. If you want to see the archaeological museum, stay in a city on the Amalfi Coast and visit Naples for a half-day.
Lauren
July 1, 2023 at 4:25 amWhy anyone spends even a minute trashing this blog is a mystery.
Lighten up.
Brian
December 8, 2023 at 8:52 amI am glad that the author wrote this because I just got back to Madrid from
Napoli and I’ve never been so glad to get out of a place. I hated it, and I went in with a very open mind. Considering that my great grandparents are from there, i was really hoping to feel some connection, and all I could feel is “I can understand why they left”. I will never go back, 4 days was enough. The state of that city is third world and there’s literally no excuse for it. Disgusting toxic waste literally everywhere you look, I even tried to go to a “upscale” part of town, maybe less garbage but that’s it. awful transport options, downright dangerous drivers who I think actually want to kill you, aggressive beggars, horrible hygiene practices in the restaurants, for example a worker using their teeth to open a package, or another coughing on the pastries, everything was stale. Just awful. The pizza was ok. I think the claim to fame is all about things that happened in the past. There’s no reason in 2023 to go to Naples unless you want to see just how bad Europe can be. most people will try to leave Naples if they are from there if they are looking for opportunities a have desire to live a decent life. Sure, Naples has history but is that really enough to keep a city going? To put it frankly, POMPEII also has history, so when your city offers the same thing as a town that was destroyed 2000 years ago, it’s pretty sad . It suffices to say I HATED NAPOLI. Total dumpster fire.
John
April 4, 2024 at 9:03 amyou still have to respect it. Maybe you need another view of things.
Mahdi
June 11, 2024 at 10:36 amPlease do not talk behind the drivers of Naples🌸🙂
John
April 4, 2024 at 9:01 ambro this kinda makes me mad. My grandparents grew up there and you just trash-talk it.Yes, you may not like it, but you still have to respect it.
Kamasino
July 22, 2024 at 10:08 pmgrow up idiot
poppy75
April 5, 2024 at 1:38 amWhen you said “girlfriend and I’s” – you can say “girlfriend and my”, since “I’s” is not possessive, and you should be able to break the sentence into two parts with both being grammatically correct:
“My girlfriend’s first trip” + “My first trip” etc
Yes, there is a reason so many people from this area emigrated to the US in the late 1800s. Guess it’s still the same.
MM3 1973-76
June 8, 2024 at 3:49 amI spent 8 long weeks in Naples, Italy on two separate occasions. Back in the mid 70’s.
After visiting 28 countries and living in three of them. I can attest to the fact that Naples is one of the most deplorable, dirty cities I ever have been in or visited.
Tony
August 4, 2024 at 2:48 pmIf you want manicured lawns and tidy streets go to Disneyland. And don’t try to be a food critic. For you the highest expression of cuisine is the hot dog. This city had classic literature while your ancestors were still living on trees. Please don’t come to Naples.
Jason bass
November 28, 2024 at 2:43 amthat aint true at all. Naples is just a shithole