I’ve at all times had a gentle spot in my coronary heart for Rome—and can at all times exit of my method to defend it towards its many detractors. The “Everlasting Metropolis” will eternally be a journey favourite of mine. However, I’ve additionally come to like an Italian metropolis that’s much more maligned than its capital: Naples, the misunderstood hub of Italy’s south, which many vacationers use as little greater than a base for excursions to the Amalfi Coast.
My comparability of Rome vs Naples isn’t to encourage you to skip one and go to the opposite, nevertheless. As an alternative, I goal to encourage you to see each, when you can handle to find time for doing so inside your Italy itinerary.
One of many important variations between Rome and Naples is their reputations. Whereas not everybody loves Rome, as I discussed earlier on this publish, its advantage as a vacationer vacation spot is troublesome to disclaim, if solely due to how ubiquitous it’s within the international dialog about journey. Naples, however, tends to be often called a grimy mafia den, assuming it’s identified in any respect—for a lot of vacationers, it’s an afterthought.
One other means this manifests itself is in what number of worldwide occasions come to Rome, however to not Naples. You may think about Rome to be your journey’s important course—Naples is dessert, child!
Rome
Methods to Examine Rome With Naples
Cityscape and sights
Rome has a extra iconic cityscape than Naples, with landmarks just like the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain recognizable even to vacationers who know comparatively little about Italy. Certainly, whereas Italian vacationers could know Naples sights just like the Centro Storico and Fontanelle Cemetery effectively, it takes even seasoned foreigners fairly some time to get a lay of the land.
Meals
That is one other space the place, not less than on the floor, there is no such thing as a competitors between Naples and Rome. Rome, in any case, isn’t solely the unique of classics like carbonara and tiramisù, however because the capital of Italy has meals from just about all around the nation represented. Naples, nevertheless, has one factor that Rome doesn’t: The very best pizza in Italy, and arguably the world.
Panorama
Rome, like many well-known world capitals, is a metropolis constructed atop Seven Hills; along with this, its important geographical characteristic is the Tiber River, which roughly bisects it. The pure skyline of Naples, however, is dominated by Mt. Vesuvius, which is especially spectacular when considered from the north, rising not solely above the town itself, however above the Gulf of Naples.
Day Journeys
One factor which will shock you, when you’re contemplating Naples or Rome, is that Naples has far many day journeys on provide. From Rome, the one fascinating one is Tivoli Gardens (which, to be frank, is de facto not in good condition). From Naples, however, you’ll be able to go to ruins in Pompeii and Ercolano; you’ll be able to see the Amalfi Coast on a day journey, or make a multi-day tour out of it, with visits to the islands of Capri and Ischia added on.
Security
Vacationers who know nothing concerning the sights or delicacies on provide in Naples most likely affiliate the town with crime, specifically organized crime. In actuality, nevertheless, la famiglia has a lot deeper ties to the island of Sicily, which is hours away from Naples. For the typical overseas customer, Naples and Rome are each comparatively secure. The best hazard you face is commonly crossing the street with out getting hit by a motorbike!
Naples
How Many Days Do You Want in Rome? What About Naples?
On the floor, you would possibly assume you want extra days in Rome than you want in Naples. Rome is a good deal extra well-known than Naples, in any case, and has extra sights which are higher identified. However, since there are extra day journeys and excursions on provide when you head south to Naples, my expertise has been that you’ll normally find yourself spending longer within the Naples space general than you’ll the Rome one.
Whether or not you’re in Rome or Naples, I typically advocate spending a minimum of 2-3 days in any Italian metropolis. In Naples, nevertheless, due to the components I discussed above, you would possibly spend 4-5 nights and even longer. Nicely, once more, not less than within the neighborhood. Many vacationers will break up this, with 2-3 days in Naples correct, in addition to 1-2 evening stays on the Amalfi Coast, and probably additionally on the islands of Ischia and Capri.
Different FAQ on Visiting Naples and Rome
Is it value going to Naples from Rome?
Because of high-speed trains that take simply over an hour every means, it’s completely potential to journey to Naples for a day from Rome. Nonetheless, since most vacationers who head to the Naples space are finally certain for outlying locations like Pompeii, the Isle of Capri and the Amalfi Coast, it doesn’t find yourself making sense to come back down merely for the day.
The Backside Line
I’m not evaluating Rome vs Naples with the intent that you’ll skip one in favor of the opposite. Reasonably, I goal to open your thoughts: Particularly to the concept the much-maligned metropolis of Naples really makes a terrific companion to close by Rome, if not an outright alternative for it throughout your journey to Italy. Naples is kind of a bit much less touristic than Rome, to say nothing of the truth that it presents extra (and higher) day journeys, and has a lot tastier pizza. To me, it’s simply as important to understanding Italy as Rome is, and certainly as a lot as Florence, Milan and Venice are.
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Robert Schrader is a journey author and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications resembling “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” alongside the way in which. His weblog, Go away Your Day by day Hell, offers a mixture of journey recommendation, vacation spot guides and private essays masking the extra esoteric facets of life as a traveler.
