Now that I am living in Italy, it was finally time to take a trip to Naples.  It’s such a short train trip from Rome and the birthplace of Pizza Margherita after all!  

In previous trips to Italy, and the Amalfi Coast specifically, Sorrento was always recommended as a more manageable base.  Although Naples is chaotic and bustling, it is worth a trip and with proper planning you can enjoy a relaxing break filled with great Neapolitan food and Roman history.

Naples turned out to be a a great base for taking day trips to the Pompeii ruins, the Isle of Capri, and the Amalfi Coast.  I also found the Naples metro easier to navigate than Rome (with pretty blue mosaic tiled stations).  

The regional Circumvesuviana train line goes to Sorrento with stops at Herculeum and Pompeii along the way. During the tourist season there is also a new Campania Express service that only stops at the major tourist sites and is less crowded than the regional commuter train.  I highly recommend buying tickets in advance online to save waiting on long lines at the station in Naples.      

Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world!  Spaccanapoli street literally divides the historic city in half and there are just so many old alleyways to explore filled with tiny pizzerias.  In the city center, Via Toledo offers plenty of sit down restaurants as well as Neapolitan street food options.    

Renaissance Naples Hotel Mediterraneo

(Via Ponte Tappia 25, Naples)

Since I planned a trip over a long holiday weekend, we were able to fit in a day trip to Capri.  This a Marriott affiliate property near the port allowed us to catch the ferry service easily.  The rooms were just average, but the rooftop views of Mount Vesuvius and the city were breathtaking.  The medieval Castel Nuovo is worth a stop if you are near the harbor.   

The hotel’s rooftop breakfast service on a sunny day just makes you want to linger and watch the ships sail in and out of the port.  The fresh baked olive bread was amazing.  It was so peaceful that we almost cancelled day trip plans.  

Naples National Archeological Museum

(Piazza Museo, 19, Naples)

The National Archeological Museum is a must stop for art history lovers – especially if you are interested in mosaics.  The museum is the best destination to view artifacts depicting daily life and mosaics from the Pompeii and Herculeum excavations.   Unfortunately, many pieces were missing placards and explanations.  

We spent half a day exploring all of the exhibits, which include the famous Farnese collection of greco-roman sculptures.  

The Alexander Mosaic (depicting a battle with Darius II of Perisa).

This was a floor mosaic in a luxury private residence in Pompeii.  Can you imagine what the rest of the residence must have been like?

Portrait of a couple showcasing what is thought to be an example of the rising middle class in Pompeii.  There is some debate about whether it depicts the baker Paquius Proculus and his wife or perhaps a public official Terentius Neo and his wife.

L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele

(Via Cesare Sersale 1, Non-stop service from 11am-11pm, closed on Sundays)

Although we had amazing pizza and crocchette di patate (fried mashed potato balls) all weekend at the stand-up shops along Via Toledo, my cousin convinced me that we had to find L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele.  Julia Robert’s scene in Eat Pray Love only added to the fame of the historic pizzeria.  

Google maps led us a bit astray and through some very typical Naples alleyways (filled with row after row of hanging laundry as typically depicted in photos of Naples).  I am so glad we went a bit out of our way to eventually find it.  Later we learned that it would have been simpler to walk along Corso Umberto I (one of the main streets).       

We lucked out with scoring a table quickly by arriving late afternoon (around 3:45 pm).  We completely missed the lunch rush, but the line was starting to snake around the corner by the time we left about and hour later.  During regular dining hours this would not be the spot for a meal to linger over.  

The menu is simple and limited to only two classic options: Margherita and Marinara.  That’s fine by me, given my love for Pizza Margherita.  Even at places with extensive menus, I only tend to stray when there is a spicy pizza option.    

You can watch the pizzeria staff churn out pizzas in the wood burning oven at an amazing pace to keep the crowds at bay.  

We wound up seated next to a Anglo-American couple on a scouting trip through Italy to find new food inspirations.  Based in northern UK, they develop menus and food products for the pre-made meals sold at the major British supermarket chain’s.  Wouldn’t it be great to travel the world and dream up menus and recipes for a living?