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- Destinations
- Europe
- Italy
- Naples
Naples
Italy's third-largest city thrives on the chaos that prevails
amid its busy streets. This is the place where pizza was invented,
and its restaurants continue to serve some of Italy's finest
cuisine.
Sheltered by the Bay of Naples and dominated by the slopes of
Mount Vesuvius, Naples is imbued with the best of nature's bounty.
The city is somewhat schizophrenic in its juxtaposition of superb
museums, Renaissance and Baroque churches alongside crumbling
tenement blocks and squalor. Noisy markets sell a collection of
items, from high-quality fresh produce to fake designer goods.
Roads are characteristically hectic with gung-ho moped drivers
weaving wildly through the streets and frustrating traffic jams
clogging the city's arteries. Despite these less refined elements,
Naples is a fascinating destination and a great base from which to
explore the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii and Herculaneum.
The city's transport hub is located around the immense Piazza
Garibaldi, on the east side of Naples. The area's growing African
population has imbued the streets with the flavours of its
immigrants. Southwest from here is the Piazza Bovio, and branching
to the left of it, the Piazza Municipio and nearby Piazza del
Plebiscito. On the watery edges are the Molo Beverollo and the
Stazione Marittima, the point of departure for ferries. From the
reaches of Spaccanapoli one can explore the historic part of Naples
with its numerous palaces and churches.
Information & Facts
Climate
The Mediterranean climate of southern Italy is milder and
sunnier than the north, with Naples being characterised by dry
summers and wet autumns and winters. The average temperature in
summer (June to September) is 72°F (22°C), and in winter (December
to March) it's about 48°F (9°C).
Getting Around
Naples has a public transport network consisting of buses,
trolleys and a subway, which is complicated to use but preferable
to taking on the city's notorious traffic jams in a hired car or
taxi. Tickets for all forms of transport are uniform, and can be
obtained at stations and kiosks that advertise the 'Gira Napoli'
(Naples Pass). The city's ANM buses are fairly frequent, most
departing from the Piazza Garibaldi. There are two metro lines, the
'Metropolitana' line being the one that serves downtown (where most
sights are located). Funicular railways run up the Vomero from
stations at Piazza Montesanto, Amadeo and Augusto. There are taxi
ranks in most piazzas, but using a taxi can prove expensive because
of traffic congestion.
Language
The official language of Italy is Italian. English is
understood in the larger cities but not in the more remote parts of
the country.
Money
The Euro (EUR) is the official currency, which is divided into
100 cents. Those arriving in Italy with foreign currency can obtain
Euros through any bank, ATM or bureaux de change. ATMs are
widespread. Travellers cheques can be exchanged with ease in the
large cities, not so in the smaller towns. Credit cards are
accepted in upmarket establishments and shops around the cities.
Banks are closed on weekends, but tend to have better rates than
casas de cambios.