Solo travel · Naples · Italy
Solo travel in Naples
How to enjoy Naples at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo, CC BY 2.0
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Quick answer
Naples is cheap, sociable and full of street life, which suits solo travellers who are comfortable with chaos. Pizza and street food make solo eating easy and inexpensive. Many solo travellers base themselves in Quartieri Spagnoli and Via Toledo.
Key facts
- Base
- Quartieri Spagnoli and Via Toledo
- Getting around
- Walking
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Language
- Italian and Neapolitan
Solo travel tips
- Stay in the historic centre for hostels, pizzerias and walkable sights.
- Join a guided underground or street-food tour to meet people.
- Keep valuables zipped and phones out of reach, especially around Piazza Garibaldi and on the Circumvesuviana.
- Use official taxis with fixed fares at night.
- Day trips to Pompeii and Herculaneum are easy to do independently by train.
Where to stay
$$ · Best for budget, food lovers and solo travellers
Quartieri Spagnoli and Via Toledo
Built in the 16th century to house Spanish troops, the Quartieri Spagnoli are a steep grid of narrow alleys rising from Via Toledo, the city's main shopping street. Small trattorias, street murals including the Maradona mural, and very local life make it a characterful base, with Toledo metro station nearby.
- Good
- Central and inexpensive; Authentic street food; Close to metro and funiculars
- Watch out
- Steep, crowded alleys; Scooter traffic; Can feel chaotic at night
- Nearby
- Via Toledo, Toledo metro station, Galleria Umberto I, Montesanto funicular
Great on your own
Museum · Centro Storico
National Archaeological Museum
Visit before Pompeii to understand what you will see there, and head first to the mosaics on the mezzanine.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Religious site · Centro Storico
Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ
Photography is not allowed inside; take time to look at the veil from several angles.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Street · Centro Storico
Spaccanapoli and the decumani
Walk it end to end in the morning, then return to Via dei Tribunali at lunchtime for pizza.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Food
- Photo spot
Palace · Santa Lucia and the Lungomare
Piazza del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace
Combine the palace with Teatro di San Carlo and coffee at a historic café on Piazza Trieste e Trento.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Historic site · Centro Storico
Naples Underground
Wear comfortable shoes and skip the narrowest passage if you are claustrophobic; there is a way around.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Castle · Santa Lucia and the Lungomare
Castel dell'Ovo
Come at sunset and climb to the top terrace for views of the Lungomare and Vesuvius.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- History
- Kids
Meeting people
- Pizza on Via dei Tribunali — Put your name on the list at a historic pizzeria, wait on the street with locals, and eat a margherita folded in quarters or at a crowded table.
- Pignasecca market — The oldest street market in Naples, near Montesanto, sells fish, produce and fried snacks; go mid-morning for the liveliest stalls.
- Piazza Bellini and the historic centre — Student bars, cheap drinks and crowds spilling into the square near the university.
- Chiaia baretti — Small cocktail and wine bars around Vico Belledonne a Chiaia and Via Bisignano, busiest at weekends.
Sensible precautions
Pickpocketing and bag-snatching are the main risks, especially around Piazza Garibaldi, on buses and on the Circumvesuviana. Traffic is chaotic, so cross roads carefully, and keep phones out of reach on busy streets.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Staying connected
- Good mobile coverage across the city; EU roaming applies to European SIMs, and many cafés and hotels offer Wi-Fi.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Naples good for solo travellers?
Naples is cheap, sociable and full of street life, which suits solo travellers who are comfortable with chaos. Pizza and street food make solo eating easy and inexpensive.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Naples?
Quartieri Spagnoli and Via Toledo: Dense grid of washing lines and street shrines beside the main shopping street.