Naples, Rome or another Italian city for a short break

[raf_gti]

I'm looking to book a long weekend to Italy in May and I fancy either Naples or Rome, I'm guessing plenty of you have experience of Rome but any of you for Naples?

I'm looking for somewhere which is fairly vibrant and I am not especially looking for a 'history' based trip, it is just going to be a nice romantic break with plenty of food & drink!

[V8mate]

Sicily?

A little further south (warmer in May!) and great for quietly enjoying Italy ratherthan running with a throng of tourists.

Plenty of cheap flights there too.

[Targarama]

Naples is an armpit. Sorrento/Amalfi is nice though - but you fly into Naples... What about Dubrovnik or Split?

[garycat]

Naples is dangerous place - you are very likely to be mugged if you wander around looking like a tourist.

[atomicpunk]

I guess it depends on what you mean by Naples.

If you're referring to the Bay of Naples (Sorrento, Capri etc.) then go for it. It's beautiful.

If you mean the city itself, then I wouldn't recommend it for a romantic break. It's an 'interesting' place to say the least. Particularly if you want Albanians to sell you knock off Marlboros and pornographic DVDs in the main square.

Just read up on the book and recent movie 'Camorra' to get an idea of what I mean.....

[chris watton]

Targarama said:

Naples is an armpit. Sorrento/Amalfi is nice though - but you fly into Naples... What about Dubrovnik or Split?

I wanted to go to Naples and Pompeii, but my boss told me that there are more thieves and pickpockets per square kilometre than tourists!

[raf_gti]

Sicily would be very nice, a lot would depend on flights there, I'm trying to fly from either Doncaster or Humberside in order to keep the travel time to a minimum.

Is Naples really that bad?

[atomicpunk]

raf_gti said:

Sicily would be very nice, a lot would depend on flights there, I'm trying to fly from either Doncaster or Humberside in order to keep the travel time to a minimum.

Is Naples really that bad?

Yes.

[jshell]

Naples? No, no it's a dodgy st-hole! Really, don't go, especially not on a romantic break. However, Florence (further North) or Sorrento (just down from Naples) are lovely. From Florence you can see the gorgeous city and take the train for a day trip to Pisa. From Sorrento you can take the jet-boat to island of Capri, towns of Amalfi or Positano - or even visit Naples for an afternoon, bus to Pompei (amazing) or Mount Vesuvius. Rome is great, but big and very, very busy!

[Puggit]

Can't add more - avoid Naples itself, but enjoy the surrounding area.

I took a wrong turning from the airport, ended up driving in to town. I stopped at some red lights and got hooted

[tinman0]

garycat said:

Naples is dangerous place - you will be mugged if you wander around looking like a tourist.

EFA

Naples is a hole. Worth a single visit to assure yourself you haven't missed anything, let alone waste a week there. If you are not into "combative" driving, then don't even visit the place. And if you take your car in, they charge you to get into Naples which is the ultimate insult.

Rome is nice once you get inside the ring of graffiti. Its like a living museum, absolutely stunning only spoiled by Italians with spray cans.

I would say get a rental car and go visit the countryside. Lazio is absolutely stunning, with beautiful villages. Viterbo is worth a visit as is Orvieto. Make the investment in getting to those two places and you will be rewarded. South of Rome in Lazio is pretty special as well. Monte Casino is easily in range of a couple of hours driving as well.

[raf_gti]

tinman0 said:

garycat said:

Naples is dangerous place - you will be mugged if you wander around looking like a tourist.

EFA

Naples is a hole. Worth a single visit to assure yourself you haven't missed anything, let alone waste a week there. If you are not into "combative" driving, then don't even visit the place. And if you take your car in, they charge you to get into Naples which is the ultimate insult.

Rome is nice once you get inside the ring of graffiti. Its like a living museum, absolutely stunning only spoiled by Italians with spray cans.

I would say get a rental car and go visit the countryside. Lazio is absolutely stunning, with beautiful villages. Viterbo is worth a visit as is Orvieto. Make the investment in getting to those two places and you will be rewarded. South of Rome in Lazio is pretty special as well. Monte Casino is easily in range of a couple of hours driving as well.

I think that is a resounding NO! for Naples then

I would love to rent a car and go driving but the OH certainly wouldn't so we will be limited to staying inside the city. Would Rome be comparable to the bustle of London? Verona has also caught my eye so perhaps that is somewhere else to consider...that is if I can find airport outside London that you can actually have a city break from!

[williamp]

Another one for Sicily. Lots to see, and you can drive the Targa Florio route

[CivicMan]

Portofino, or Rapallo as a slightly cheaper alternative - stunning coastline, easy flights in to Genoa, half hour drive to resort. Chic and different.

[ali_kat]

I hated Amalfi

Didn't think much to Naples, but it is close to Sorrento which great base for Pompeii, Amalfi, a day trip to Naples and Capri, and it does have stuff there worthwhile going to see, just make sure you leave everything in your hotel safe, and only take 1 card, in a pocket that can't be picked

Loved Rome, Sorrento and Capri (oh and the drive to Amalfi, that was amazing and made the day worthwhile if nothing else )

ETA - loved Turin as well

Edited by ali_kat on Sunday 8th February 12:15

[tinman0]

raf_gti said:

I would love to rent a car and go driving but the OH certainly wouldn't so we will be limited to staying inside the city. Would Rome be comparable to the bustle of London? Verona has also caught my eye so perhaps that is somewhere else to consider...that is if I can find airport outside London that you can actually have a city break from!

Rome is very nice, but very busy, with a road system that would confuse the hell out of a pigeon let alone a human. Easily walkable if you are in the centre (and like long walks).

Personally, chloroform the OH, hire a car and when she wakes up make sure you are in Orvieto. She'll thank you. Eventually.

[Famous Graham]

Only problem with Rome is the Romans. But that seems to be a side effect of any European capital city. I mean that in terms of customer facing people - waiters, shop assistants etc - not so much regular residents. Rome, London, Paris...all treat you with contempt. And bung tourist rates on the food

Other than that, it's a nice city. Not sure what temps are like in Feb, but certainly in April short sleeves were fine during the day.

eta - missed the fact you said May. Should be nice and warm without being too hot to exacerbate the car exhausts

Edited by Famous Graham on Sunday 8th February 12:03

[Brown and Boris]

I am a big fan of Rome, although Milan is more workaday and cheaper. Milan has a fabulus restaurant (one of the best I have ever been to) called Nabucco.

I am told that Sienna is fabulous if you want to enjoy the cafe culture.

Pisa is Ok, and Florence is great as long as you don't mind being in the tourist pack. Venice is prety unique (ignore the free trips to the glass works) but you will pay through the nose to be in the cnetre but their waterbus service is good.

Sardinia is good if you like beaches and hiking but not so if you are a foodie as it is a bit touristed and 'pizzay'.

I would love to to do the catacombes in Naples but have heard it is a dump with some dodgy areas.


If I had just one trip it would have to be Roma, I believe the world's greatest city on a number of fronts but my next is to get to Pompei.

[Ordinary_Chap]

I have been quite a few places in Italy and really love Rome. Its touristy but is a place everyone should visit.

Naples is the worst place I have been to in Europe. It's not only dirty, it's full of crime and would make anywhere in the UK look safe. I can't strongly enough advise you not to go there.

[schmalex]

Florence is lovely, but a little highbrow. We went there in Fenruary a couple of years ago & it was very nice, but once you have seen one art / sculpture exhibition, you've pretty much seen them all.