NAPLES/CAPRI - Can anybody help?

[TexasHorseLady]

(I am copying this from my question I posted in our roll-call thread. I am hoping somebody will have been to these places and can help me make a decision. Any insight would be great. My questions are in RED. Thanks ahead of time to anybody who can help me!)

...NAPLES/CAPRI - I simply can't decide. We have been to Pompeii, and did the Amalfi drive. Loved them both, but don't want to do that again right now. Capri sounds like it has lovely scenery, but I would not like those high-end shops (don't care about designer fashion as I am more into hand-crafted things I can't find elsewhere) or the crowds...and DH would like it less than me. I am not sure if that lovely scenery would outweigh the 'Rodeo Drive' scene. Herculaneum...maybe....but after seeing Ephesus and Pompeii would Herculaneum be a let-down? Any ideas? Has anybody been to all these, and what's the comparison? Are they too similar or is Herculaneum totally unique? For Naples area I am considering the Naples Archeological museum (mainly because of the Pompeii artifacts) and authentic pizza tasting...but I have a nagging bad feeling about going on a bus ride into a big dirty city (Naples) while I am in the most beautiful part of Italy. Any thoughts about choosing something in this region??

[mountainmare]

I have done all three and yes--I consider Herculaneum different. It has a completely different feel, you can tell this was a resort town for the well to do. We were in Naples on the day museums were closed so just walked through Naples back to the ship stopping at the famous DaMichele for pizza.

I am the only person on the face of this earth who loved Naples!!!

I thought it was alive with a bit of a sense of humor and alot of soul--but I'm from the East coast--and am used to NYC and Philly. As a matter of fact just this week I was in NYC with a friend who commented on how crowded and dirty the city was--but to me it was just "the city".

So ask yourself--are you very comfortable navigating all over Rome--for example? Not just the tourist stops...How about NYC, on your own?

An option in Naples could be a walking tour or the HOHO bus. I'm eager to go back and see the Veiled Christ!!!

[tom_uk]

We visited Capri in May 2006, on a 'Capri on your Own' excursion. We loved it; very beautiful, quite wild in places, and we didn't go near any of the expensive shops.

 

I've got a number of images on a site called 'travelserver', but Cruise Critic no longer permit direct links from here to there; so here's a link to a page on my blog which has the onward lnks t the images on Travelserver. Click on the one marked "Capri (2006) on Galaxy".

 

What time of year are you going? What day of the week will you be in Naples?

[RachelG]

I love Capri--and while I love to shop, I didn't shop at all on Capri because I was with my husband and son who hate that sort of thing. We grabbed a cab and went to Anacapri, then took the chair lift to the literal top of the island and hiked back down to Anacapri. It was GREAT! Highly recommended.

Also recommend visiting the church in Anacapri. The floor is a painted scene of the creation, but all the animals have human faces.

We ate lunch in Anacapri, then took a taxi back down to Capri and hiked to the other side of the island where there are amazing views. It was a wonderful day.

 

BUT, I also really like Naples. If you have not been to the archeological museum, that is a must. Plus pizza is the best there. I didn't feel scared or threatened at all, but it is a city. I happen to like cities, but some people don't. It just is really alive and vibrant.

[CoralReef]

Maybe you would enjoy the island of Ischia. We went there because Mr. CR's grandfather grew up there, but it might also be a fun choice for someone who has already seen the major sights around Naples and wants something laid-back, off the beaten track, beautiful, and non-big city.

 

The cruise ship docked beside the ferry pier at Molo Beverello. From the port building, it was a walk of 200 yards at most, to the building where ferry tickets are sold. If you go around the building to the street side, they have an electronic billboard showing the time and company of the next departure to each destination, so you can choose from among Alilauro, Caremar, SNAV, and Medmar lines. Alilauro had the most hydrofoils (faster than ferries) to Ischia and were leaving next at 7:35, so we bought tickets at their window. Their schedule that day was exactly what we expected from their website at http://www.alilauro.it//orari.php?lingua=english (choose your route from the dropdown). Fare was 13 € per person each way. The hydrofoil had comfortable upholstered seats, bathrooms, and a snack bar. It made the trip to Ischia in about 35 minutes.

 

Ischia was a relaxing day trip. It has a couple of pretty beaches, and is a charming island with softball-size lemons on the trees, picturesque white and pastel buildings, bougainvillea draped everywhere, and a green volcanic slope looming over the center of the island. There is a medieval castle you can visit, which hosts a torture museum. There are lots of shops and restaurants; the island is highly geared towards tourism, albeit mostly Italian tourists. However, we didn’t get a sense of crowding (except on the bus!), and we enjoyed the cobblestoned streets and the picturesque town squares and churches. We had excellent Neapolitan-style pizzas in the pedestrianized shopping area of Ischia Porto, a short walk clockwise from the port.

 

The ferry dropped us at Ischia Porto. To get to Nonno’s birthplace in the town of Forio, we took the bus. Buses are frequent, and can be found at the bus stop located about two blocks to the right of the ferry dock (standing with your back to the sea), and one street inland from the harbor. Since we thought we might continue all the way around the island, we bought giornaliero (24 hour) bus passes at 4 € each. The numbered buses all show their destination on the front, so it was easy to get anywhere. Also, the CD bus goes clockwise around the island all day, and the CS bus goes counter-clockwise. (Remember D = destra, S = sinistra.) For the castle (Castello Aragonese), you want Ischia Ponte, about 10 minutes clockwise from Ischia Porto.

Forio was about 20 minutes counter-clockwise (although we took the 7 bus) from Porto. The bus did get awfully crowded, but was a cheap and convenient way to travel around the charming island of Ischia. There is a very old church at Forio with a fascinating history -- Google "chiesa del soccorso" for details.

The Castello Aragonese (with a museum of torture!) is very close to Ischia Porto in the clockwise direction. It's on a smaller island connected to Ischia by a bridge. Ischia also has a famous garden started by Sir William and Lady Susana Walton, which is open to the public.

You could easily amuse yourself for a day on this lovely little island-- whether you decide to tour all the way around, concentrate on one or two sites, or just shop and eat.

 

[Travel to Ports]

TexasHorseLady,

Have you visited porttime (before it closed down) to see how many cruise ship passengers will be in Naples on your day in port?

When you say that you visited "the Amalfi coast" what does that mean? For some, its time in Sorrento or a trip to Positano. If you haven't visited the towns of Amalfi and Ravello, there is another option.

In June we visited Pompeii exhibit at Houston's Museum of Fine Art and I would expect from our visit that the Naples museum would be a treat!

Make sure to report back on your experiences.

David

[TERRIER1]

Thank you for the great information. Could you suggest how we would get from the port where the hydrofoil comes in to a nice beach?

[tom_uk]

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Could you suggest how we would get from the port where the hydrofoil comes in to a nice beach?

 

Most of the way round the island, there are cliffs plunging straight into the sea, so no beaches. Where there is a narrow strip of level ground at sea level it's generally developed. In fact the two ports (Marina Grande, where the ferries, etc, dock, and Marina Piccolo on the other side of the island) occupy the main areas of level ground at sea level. However, I gather that there is a small beach near Marina Grande, which is where the hydrofoils dock.

[richifreeman]

I suggest you from Naples dock to take a hydrofoil and go to Ischia, which is another beautiful island similar to Capri but less fancy where many local people go. Otherwise taking a taxi or a bus tour go to Hercolaneum which is according to me more interesting than Pompeii...and less crowded.

[sammiedawg]

I am not familiar with Garbo Limousines, their web site is in Italian.

Can you give me some idea what they charge for a day?

Thanks

[TexasHorseLady]

I love Capri--and while I love to shop, I didn't shop at all on Capri because I was with my husband and son who hate that sort of thing. We grabbed a cab and went to Anacapri, then took the chair lift to the literal top of the island and hiked back down to Anacapri. It was GREAT! Highly recommended.

 

I think we'll probably go to Capri, just because we always skip over it and this sounds like an easy way to go - just jump on the hydrofoil and zip over there on our own...no tour...no private driver.

BUT now I have another question:

If we go over to Capri and do the usual sights...

would we have time left over after visiting Capri to do something else...like maybe grab a taxi and go see the archeological museum in Naples? Or maybe Herculaneum?

How long would it take to visit Capri at a reasonable pace? I mean seeing the main sites, but no three hour lunch!

...or is Capri an all day visit?

Also, how far is the Naples museum from where the hydrofoil drops us off? How far is Herculeneum?

What do you think...is it do-able?

[RachelG]

For us, Capri was a whole day trip. We took the hydrofoil and got there about 10:30. We immediately got a taxi and went up to Anacapri then took the lift to the top of the island. Great views.

We hiked down and ate lunch at Anacapri, visited the church with the interesting floor there, shopped a little then took a taxi back down to the main part of Capri.

Then we hiked out to the hotel where Eisenhower and Churchill met during WWII and along the coast a little.

Went back to Capri and caught the hydrofoil at about 4:00.

It was a very full and active day but we like to walk a lot. Definitely need to wear good shoes if hiking down from the top--it is not difficult at all but some parts were a little slick as it had just rained.