Travel to Naples

Flying to Naples

Air Italy, British Airways, easyJet, Monarch and Thomson Airways offer direct flights to Naples from the UK. Air Italy/Meridian also operates direct flights from the USA. As with most airlines, the cheapest fares are found in advance, although there are bargains to be had from January to Easter too.

Flight times

From London - 2 hours 40 minutes; New York - 9 hours; Los Angeles - 14 hours 30 minutes (including stopover); Toronto - 11 hours 30 minutes (including stopover); Sydney - 25 hours (including stopover).

Travel by road

Driving in Naples is a true test of courage given the anarchic local driving habits, the confusing one-way streets and the restrictions on non-resident traffic in the historic centre, which is typically closed between 0800-1830.

Traffic in Naples drives on the right and the minimum driving age is 18 years. Speed limits are 130kph (80mph) on motorways, 90/110kph (56/68mph) on country roads and 50kph (30mph) in urban areas. All those without an EU licence must carry an International Driving Permit. A Green Card is useful, though not compulsory for EU nationals.

The Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI) (tel: +39 06 491 115; www.aci.it) provides a useful advisory service and can deal with breakdowns.

Emergency breakdown services

ACI (tel: +39 803 116).

Routes

Naples is well connected to Italy's national motorway network. It stands between the A3, which goes south to Salerno and Calabria, and the A1, which runs north to Rome and Milan. The A30 skirts Naples to the northeast and provides a good alternative to the often congested A3. The A16 runs east to Bari. The Tangenziale di Napoli (Naples's ring road) is where these motorways connect with the city.

Coaches

Eurolines (tel: +39 0861 199 1900; www.eurolines.it) operates coach services between Naples and major Italian cities as well as the rest of Europe.

Time to city

From Rome - 2 hours 30 minutes; Milan - 7 hours 30 minutes; Bari - 2 hours 40 minutes; Salerno - 1 hour.

Travel by Rail

Services

Naples is the rail hub for southern Italy and is well served by regional, Intercity and Eurostar trains that connect with all of Italy’s major cities as well as other European destinations. There are up to 30 trains daily to and from Rome, while other services connect Naples with Milan, Paris, Madrid and even London. The main railway station is Stazione Centrale (Central Station), Piazza Garibaldi.

At the new high-speed railway station Naples Afragola, which lies about 8 miles (13 km) north of Naples, services operate to Rome and Salerno. Naples Afragola is an intermodal hub also connecting passengers to Bari and to the regional train network of Ente Autonomo Volturno (www.eavsrl.it).

Operators

Trenitalia (tel: +39 06 6847 5475; www.trenitalia.com) is the national rail company, which runs a fast, efficient and good value service throughout Italy.

Italo (tel: +39 06 8937 1892; www.italotreno.it) offers high-speed service to Rome, Florence, Bologna, Brescia, Ferrara, Padua, Salerno, Milan, Turin, Venice and Verona.

For destinations along the Amalfi Coast, EAV (tel: +39 081 1980 5000; www.eavsrl.it) operates services to Sorrento, Ercolano and Pompeii as well as lines to Piedimonte Matese and Benevento.

Journey times

From Rome - 2 hour 40 minutes; Milan - 2 hours 40 minutes.