Naples or Venice?

Sunflower86 · 03-11-2010 3:36pm #1

Hi,
I'm travelling to Rome next April for a few days and I wanted to make another stop in Italy while on the trip. I was thinking either Naples or Venice as I can combine either with my Aer Lingus flight.

I was just wondering if anyone could suggest which one would be better?
Which would have the best touristy things to do and which would be easier to get to Rome from by train?

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

xalot · 09-11-2010 4:00pm

Have never been to Naples but have been to Venice 3 times and I love it. April is a great time to go as the weather will be good and it wont be too touristy. It depends on your interests etc. Venice is not great for nightlife but it's very romantic and great if you're into musuems etc.
I'd imagine Naples is much more affordable.

www.trenitalia.it is a great website for finding our how long/ prices for train journeys (you'll need to use the italian names for places - venice mestre and napoli - i think.)

P. Breathnach · 09-11-2010 4:14pm

Based on my experience of Venice and what I have read about Naples as a holiday destination, I'd definitely take the Venice option.

ghosttown · 09-11-2010 4:20pm

How long have you got ?
Venice is lovely, expensive around the squares by the canals, but can be smelly.
Naples is an absolute kip and you'd be taking your life in your hands, but if you head to Naples and then on to Amalfi you'll be in the most magical place.....Amalfi town, or anywhere along the Amalfi coast out by Pompeii / Sorrento.

rossie1977 · 09-11-2010 7:33pm

naples is alot easier to get to, very easy to combine a trip there with rome, its roughly an hour from rome to naples by high speed rail, its going to take you 3hr 45mins to get to venice

while naples itself is nothing to write home about, south of naples is lovely, pompeii, sorrento, amalfi coast and the isle of capri are all within an hour south by rail, beautiful part of world, imo the nicest part of italy

bills · 09-11-2010 8:50pm

Venice is amazing & would definetely get my vote.
Loads to see & do & just one of the places you have to go to at least once in my opinion.

Miaireland · 10-11-2010 6:23pm

Having been to both without a shadow of a doubt I would say Venice. It is a much nicer city.

tinkerbell · 10-11-2010 8:52pm

Do NOT go to Naples - it's a horrible place and full of crime. I've only been to Naples to go to the airport and to go visit Pompeii. We flew into Naples when staying on the Amalfi coast, if you have time - go to the Amalfi coast or visit Pompeii, but I wouldn't venture into the city at all ... even the locals in Amalfi told us to stay as far away from it as possible!

franb7111 · 11-11-2010 11:28pm

had the misfortune of spending about 24hours in naples on our honeymoon, its rip off central and a kip, if you really want to go to the area, stay in sorrento, positano or amalfi. We stayed in positano for about 4 nights in april, it's quiet but fantastic, the views are spectacular. You can get the train from rome to naples and then the feeder train to sorrento, if you are going to stay in positano, make sure you get to sorrento before 8pm as the last bus leaves for positanio at 8. There is plenty to do, visit pompei, take a day tip to capri (a day trip is plenty) make sure you take the chair lift ride to the top of the island. If you are going for the north you could do worst than stay some where around lake garda. Sirmione is a nice semi pedestrian town on the south shore that juts out into the lake. From here you could do a day trip(train) to verona or on to venice, you could also rent a car and drive around the lake, what ever you do spent as little time as ncessary in naples

santiago · 11-11-2010 11:30pm

I cant believe that you are having doubts about Venice,

ardmacha · 11-11-2010 11:47pm

Naples is well worth a visit. Not everyone warms to it, but it is a place with real character and there is loads to see. Just watch out for pickpockets as you absolutely should do everywhere in Italy, Rome and Venice included.

However I am going to say stay in Rome, if you only have a few days. Why rush off to Venice when you won't have time to see everything in Rome and nearby. As EI fly to Venice you can go there some other time and you'd do well to spend a few days there too and go to other places like Verona up that end. A fast train Rome-Venice is over €70, a significant part of the cost of a flight.

Beruthiel · 12-11-2010 12:18pm

I took a two week holiday on the Amalfri Coast & Sicily. We flew in and out of Naples. I swore if I lived to be a hundred, I'll never go near that city or airport again.
Naples is a kip.
The airport is a nightmare to get in and out of. The people running it couldn't organise a pissup in a brewry.

Without a shadow of doubt, go to Venice.
We spent 3 days there. Got a three day pass for the vaporetto and practically lived on it. It's a stunning city and like no other. Very romantic.
We stayed on the Lido which is the last island on the vapretto.
We managed to get a B&B with a room on the roof. The view back to the city at night time while sipping a glass of wine was stunning.
Do not buy anything on San Marco square. It's dire expensive.
Go down the side streets for cheaper food and drinks.

btw
I stayed five days in Rome and imo it wasn't enough.
There is so much to see!

Naples or Venice?

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