Driving

Public Transit

Networks

The following are several of the public transit systems in and around Naples:

• Alibus - For €3 one-way, circulates between Capodichino Airport, Piazza Garibaldi Central Train Station, and Piazza Municipo (right by the Castel Nuovo/Maschio Angioino and Piazza del Plebescito).  Runs every 20 minutes from 0630 (from the airport) or 0600 (from Piazza Municipo) to 2330 (from the airport) or 2400 (from Piazza Municipo).  See this PDF timetable from the ANM website for details.  Slower but cheaper (€1.10 Uniconapoli, see "Tickets" below) alternative bus lines between Garibaldi and Capo are 3S and 14; from 0025 to 0430 you can take bus #449.
• Metropolitana - Naple's main "metro" underground, which is technically two services: the older Line 2 is run by Trenitalia and the remainder (including funiculars) are run by Metronapoli.  To see a map of the lines (minus funiculars), go to Google maps and turn on "Transit."  The Metropolitana Wikipedia page also has good information.  Alas, the metro closes relatively early (at least for eating dinner); here are the limitations and workarounds:
• Last Line 2 for Pozzuoli leaves Garibaldi at 2222 (the last one from Campi Flegrei leaves at 2246; you can go from Garibaldi to Campi Flegrei at 2320 but you can't continue to Pozzuoli); there is a ANM bus #401 that runs every hour from 2310 to 0415, picking folks up from various parts of Naples (e.g. Piazzas Garibaldi, Municipo, and Bagnoli) to Pozzuoli.
• On Line 1, the last train leaves Piscinola at about 2240 and leaves Dante at 2310.
• Funiculars run until 2200, except for Centrale (Augusteo across from Galleria Umberto to Piazza Fuga near Vanvitelli) closes at 0030 Wed-Sun and Chiaia (Parco Margherita near the Amadeo metro to Cimarosa near Vanvitelli) closes at 0030 Fri-Tues.  Nighttime alternatives include ANM bus #404D running every 110 minutes from 2320 to 0300 from Garibaldi/Municipo to the Quattro Giornate line 1 station, ANM bus #435D running every 70 minutes from 0040 to 0435 from Garibaldi to Plebescito and then up to upper Vomero (near the Medaglio d'Oro line 1 station) eventually to Camaldoli, and ANM bus #440 which runs every 80 minutes from 0040 to 0510 from Garibaldi along the water to Posilipo.
• According to the Trenitalia website, the first Line 2 trains leave from Pozzuoli towards Naples at 0542 and 0613.  The first trains from Naples to Pozzuoli are at 0540 and 0619 (although earlier trains leave from Napoli Campi Flegrei).
• SEPSA runs the Cumana and the Circumflegrea, which run between Naples and the Campi Flegrei west of Naples.  While their trains are a bit more run down than the Metropolitana, they can be very convenient for people who live west of Naples.  The last Cumana leaves Montesanto for Torregaveta at 2141; the late-night alternative is the EAV bus (see below).  Check out this cool Google Map of the major metro systems including SEPSA's trains (As noted above, the Metropolitana lines show up if you click "Transit" but Google's default doesn't have the SEPSA lines).  [If you're curious, SEPSA stands for Società per l'Esercizio di Pubblici Servizi Anonima which means "Joint-Stock Company for the Operation of Public Services"]
• Circumvesuviana runs around Vesuvius (hence the name, "around Vesuvius"!) to various suburbs; it is most useful for getting to Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Sorrento.  Catch it from the Centrale Train Station; you have to walk to the end of the train station and down some escalators to get there; in most cases you want to catch the trains leaving for Sorrento.  Note the tips under "Avoiding PIckpockets," below.  Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Sorrento require Fascia 2, 3, and 5, respectively (see Tickets, below).
• ANM (Azienda Napoli Mobilità) is the major Naples bus service; they mostly service the city itself, but also have "extraurbane" lines that run to nearby suburbs like Pozzuoli.  They also run the Alibus airport shuttle (see above).
• CTP (Consorzio Trasporti Pubblici di Napoli) runs buses in various Neapolitan suburbs, mostly north of the city, including the T63R, which runs roughly once an hour between just outside the gate of the Gricignano Support Site and the Aversa train station from 0400 to 2200.  From the Aversa train station you can take trains to Naples or other destinations (Rome, etc.).  CTP also runs buses between towns north and west of Pozzuoli (Quarto, Monterusciello, Licola, Arco Felice...).
• SITA Bus run buses mostly to/from and within the Amalfi Coast.  SITA stands for Società Italiana Trasporti Automobilistici ("Italian Auto Transport Company")
• EAVBus runs buses in various places around Naples (including many which used to be run by SEPSA).  For folks living in the Campi Flegrei, there is a bus that runs all night long between Garibaldi, P. Municipio, Mergellina, Pozzuoli (Piazza Capomazza), Lucrino, Bacoli, Fusaro, and Monte di Procida.
• MetroCampania NordEst is a relatively new organization running trains and other transport between Northern Campania (including Aversa, near the Support Site) and Piscinola (where you can catch the Metropolitana Line 1 to downtown Naples).

Avoiding Pickpockets

• Be a "hard target" - if you blend in and look like you know what you're doing, you're less likely to be targeted than if you obviously look like a lost foreigner
• Don't have anything to steal - minimize how much cash/credit cards you have on you
• Hide what you have - put your money, etc. in a money belt, interior pocket, etc. so it's hard to get
• Get on the front - pickpockets tend to avoid the first car of the train, since the driver/conductor is usually there
• Avoid commotions/crowds - any commotion is likely a distraction so you don't notice the pickpockets

Tickets

Conveniently, all the various transit agencies have collaborated to allow you to buy one ticket to use across several different transit networks.  Most tabaccherie (tobacco shops) and newstands sell them. For example, you can buy a UnicoCampania card that takes you from the Cumana (run by SEPSA) to the metro (run by Trenitalia) to the Circumvesuviana (run by its own agency) to a local Amalfi Coast bus (run by SITA, also see unofficial English site).  Here are the major tickets:

• UnicoNapoli - This is good for any public transit in and near the city of Naples, including the entire Metropolitana system.  You can either buy an hourly ticket (good for 90 minutes, €1.10) or an all-day pass (giornaliero, €3.10).  Weekend all-day passes are slightly less (€2.60).
• UnicoCampania - These come in different "fascia" (bundles) depending on how far outside of Naples you want to go.  (You can click on an interactive map to see which fascia you need.  For example, Sorrento and the Amafli Coast is Fascia 5.)  There is also an "Extraurbana" if you want to go from one non-Naples place to another without going through the city itself (e.g. from Salerno to Paestum, these also have different prices based on distance). Just like UnicoNapoli, they come in hourly and daily (giornaliero) versions.  There is also a "3T" three-day pass for €20 that provides free transit anywhere in Campania (including the Alibus and Gulf of Naples islands).
• UnicoAlibus - €3 one-way ticket to/from the Capodichino airport, Piazza Garibaldi (train station), and Piazza Municipio (ferry terminal near Piazza Plebescito).
• UnicoCostiera - Good for busses and other public transit along the Amalfi coast (between Sorrento and Salerno).  45 minutes for €2, 90 minutes for €3, day pass for €6, or 3 days for €15.  Note that UnicoCampania Extraurbana passes are usually a better deal; for example, an E5 pass is good for transit anywhere between Sorrento and Salerno and costs €3 for 140 min, €5.90 for a day pass, or €4.70 for a weekend day pass.  Shorter trips cost even less (e.g. E3 for Amalfi to Salerno, €1.90/3.80/3.10 for 100 min, daily, and weekend daily).
• ArteCard - While the ArteCard 365 is great for residents, there are several tourist versions that offer free transport as well as entry into museums/archaeological sites.  The most useful is the €27 "Campania 3 day" version, which includes free transit anywhere in Campania for 3 days, plus free entry into two sites with 50% discounts on most other sites.  (If you take public transit to and from Herculaneum and Pompeii as your two free sites, the card more than pays for itself.)

Ferries

Ferry Terminals

• Napoli - Mergellina is an smaller terminal near the Mergellina metro stop at 40°49.63'N 14°13.35'E; Molo Beverello (40°50.28'N 14°15.3'E) and Calata Porta di Massa (near Molo Immacolatella Vecchia, 40°50.57'N 14°15.56'E) are both near the Castel Nuovo (see this handy map that shows the two; there is a free shuttle boat that connects the two every 15 minutes).  In general, ferries leave from Calata Porta di Massa and hydrofoils from the other two.
• Pozzuoli - ferries to Ischia & Procida, plus a couple to Capri.  Metro del Mare runs to Sorrento and Amalfi Coast from spring to fall.  40°49.44'N 14°7.09'E accessible by Cumana or Metro Line 2
• Procida - one port, many ferries going to/from Ischia stop here
• Ischia - Ischia Porto (closest to Naples/Castello Aragonese, 40°44.74'N 13° 56.32'E), Casamicciola (north coast, near spas, 40°44.96'N 13° 54.33'E), Forio (largest town, on the west coast)
• Capri - Marina Grande
• Sorrento - Marina Piccolo (is actually larger than the Marina Grande, which cannot accomodate ferries)
• Positano, Amalfi, Salerno - during the summer, ferries link these Amalfi Coast towns with each other and Naples

Schedule Summaries

Summary of Procida at procida.net, summary of Capri lines at capritourism.com (select your "destination" from the drop-down menu), summary of Ischia lines at ischiainformazione.net, summary of Naples lines (used to be more comprehensive, but now doesn't list Pozzuoli) on Qui Napoli.  The Naples Port also lists all departures for the next 24 hours.

Ferry Companies

• SNAV - ferries from Naples Molo Beverello to Capri and to Ischia Casamicciola (via Procida)  www.snav.it 081-428-5555 [warning: their catamarans are known as the "Hurlinator"!]
• NLG (Navigazione Libera del Golfo) - ferries from Naples Molo Beverello to Capri and from Naples Calata Porta Massa to Sorrento. www.navlib.it 081-552-0763, 081-552-7209
• Neapolis - runs ferries from Naples Molo Beverello to Capri (a division of SNAV/NLG?) 081-552-7209, 081-428-5555 - Capri: 081-837-0819, 081-837-7577
• Alilauro - ferries from Naples Molo Beverello/Mergellina to Ischia and from Beverello to Sorrento.  www.alilauro.it 081-497-2222 call center, 081-497-2238 booking,
• MedMar - ferries from Pozzuoli to Ischia (Porto & Casamicciola) and from Naples Calata Porta Massa to Ischia (Porto). www.medmargroup.it 081-551-3352 or 081-333-4411
• Caremar - ferries from Pozzuoli to Procida, Ischia (Porto & Casamicciola) and from Naples Molo Beverello & Calata Porta Massa to Procida, Ischia, and Capri. www.caremar.it 081-526-2711/1335 (Pozzuoli) 081-551-3882 (Naples)
• Gestur - two ferries per day between Pozzuoli and Capri and five per day between Pozzuoli and Procida www.gestur.it 081-853-1405 or 336-277-840, info@gestur.it or ges.tur@libero.it
• Metro del Mare - a low-cost series of ferries that run in the summer (starting 4/23/09; more frequent departures start 6/1/09; fall service from 9/14/09-10/11/09) from Bacoli, Pozzuoli, and Naples (Beverello, although MM1 also stops in Mergellina) to the Vesuvius suburbs, Sorrento, and Amalfi Coast www.metrodelmare.com 199-466-664 info@metrodelmare.com
• Alicost - ferries within the Amalfi Coast www.lauroweb.com/alicost.htm 089-8710483
• LMP (Linee Marittime Partenopee) - includes Alilauro, NLG, and Alicost; see combined schedules at www.consorziolmp.it

Trains

Trains connect you easily and conveniently with the rest of Italy and Europe.  Depending on how many people are traveling, trains can be cheaper than driving, and in many cases (such as going to a crowded city like Rome or Florence) cause less hassle. 

Stations

The following are the main train stations:

• Napoli Centrale (Garibaldi) - this is the main train station, with the most traffic, next to Piazza Garibaldi downtown.  Be forewarned that there are a number of pickpockets in the area.
• Napoli Campi Flegrei - like Mergellina, this is both a Metro and a train stop; all of the EuroStar (normal ES, not ES-AV or FAST) trains from Naples to Rome stop at Campi Flegrei.  As a result, it is often faster (albiet not cheaper) for people living west of Naples to catch certain trains here vice at Centrale.  (Note: in early 2009, Trenitalia re-routed most EuroStar trains, so there are currently only two that stop at Campi Flegrei:  from 6/14 to 9/5 there is a train from Rome that arrives at 0822, and one that departs for Rome at 2136.  You can still catch the regionales bound for Villa Literno or Formia, as described in the Pozzuoli section below.)
• Pozzuoli Solfatara - while this is mostly a Metro stop, occasionally trains run from here to Villa Literno or Formia, from which you can catch a train to Rome.  Since it takes 0.5-1 hours to get to Napoli Centrale from Pozzuoli on the Metro, it is thus sometimes both cheaper and faster to take a train to Rome directly from Pozzuoli (changing trains in Villa Literno or Formia).  For example, a Regionale train from Pozzuoli (changing in Villa Literno or Formia) takes about 2.5 hours and cost €10.50, while even the fastest trains from Centrale are 1.5 hours and cost over 3 times as much--if it takes 1 hour to get to Centrale, that means your total travel time is the same!  To see these options, be sure to click "All Solutions" on the trenitalia website.  To buy a ticket, stop by the bar outside of the Pozzuoli station and ask for a biglietto anadata a Roma (one way ticket to Rome).  If one of your connecting trains is Intercity, you might have to pay a small additional fee on the train.
• Aversa - this is the closest train station to the Support Site.  See CTP, above, for information about the bus between the Support Site and Aversa train station.  MetroCampania NordEst (see above) also runs a metro between Aversa and Piscinola (where you can catch Metropolitana line 1 to Naples).

Types of Trains

There are four major types of trains, in descending order of speed and cost; examples are standard times and rates from Naples to Rome as of 2008:

• Alta Velocità - travel between major cities at 200 kph. (1:21, €36.10...or the similar "Fast" for €32.30)
• EuroStar - travel between major cities. (1:53, €27.60)
• Intercity - while they are slower than AV or ES trains, IC trains have more comfortable 2nd class cabins, and arguably have more personality.  Since they are older, they are likelier to be dirtier, however.  Intercity "Plus" trains are somewhat newer, and inexplicably cost less.  (2:00-2:13, €19.50-21.50)    
• Regionale (sometimes also called "Espresso") - these stop in every cattle town along the way.  Some are basically modern commuter trains; some look like they were left over from Mussolini's regime.  (2:16-2:43, €10.50)  

At night, many trains (such as ICN, "Intercity Notte") offer beds, with between 2 and 6 to a compartment.  This can often be a convenient way to travel long distances, since you don't have to pay for a hotel room that night, and you show up first thing in the morning.  On some trains (such as Intercity 2nd class), if there is room in a compartment, you can also push together two facing seats to make a horizontal bed.

Airports/Airlines

Three main airports are nearby that you should consider for air travel; also see the Europe page's list of discount airlines:

• Naples Capodichino (NAP) - obviously the closest and most convenient, although it does not have as many flights as Rome's airports
• Roma Fiumicino ("Leonardo da Vinci", FCO) - Rome's major airport.  Obviously this would involve getting to Rome first, but sometimes it is cheaper/easier since Rome has more flights.
• Roma Ciampino (CIA) - a formerly military-only airport that now caters to low-cost airlines such as easyJet and RyanAir; it does not have direct rail connections but there are still various relatively cheap transport options (also see Wikipedia's information on transport here).  There is cheap parking for military personnel near the military base (41°48.6'N 012°35'E??, see map).  If driving, do not follow signs for Ciampino Centro (with a target), only Ciampino Airport (with a picture of an airplane).

See this site for information on transport to and from both FCO and CIA.

Taxis

Unless you are at a place like Piazza Garibaldi, it is generally hard to find/flag down a taxi.  Thus, it is usually advisable to call.  The following are numbers for taxis in Naples:

081-556-4444 Napoli
081-556-0202/081-560-6666 La Partenope
081-20-20-20/081-552-5252 Consortaxi
081-570-7070 LA 5.70
081-444-4444 Blu
081-551-5151 Free
081-570-7070 Cotana

Many routes and destinations have pre-determined fixed rates.  Consult this and discuss the fare with the driver before you leave to make sure you don't get ripped off.

Strikes

• US Navy PAO Notes
• Yahoo news on Italian strikes (in Italian)
• Italian strike calendar (in Italian)