Transportation in Naples

A comprehensive guide to transit, ferries, trains, and other ways of getting around Napoli

Driving

See comprehensive pages about driving in Italy and driving directions in Naples

Public Transit

Networks

Main public transit systems in and around Naples:

    • Airport: Alibus - €5 one-way (tickets also good for a connecting public transit ride up to 90 min total), circulates between Capodichino Airport, Piazza Garibaldi Central Train Station, and 2 stops at the Port (Immacolatella/Porta di Massa and Molo Angioino/Beverello). Runs every 20-30 minutes from 0745 (from the airport) or 0700 (from the port) to 2140 (from the airport) or 2100 (from Piazza Municipo)...but check the schedule to be sure.
      • Cheaper but Slower/Less Convenient Alternatives:
        • ANM Bus C68 runs between Viale Fulco Ruffo di Calabria (just outside the airport) and Piazza Carlo III (which is still pretty far from downtown Naples)
        • ANM Bus 580 runs between Via Salomone Oreste (not far from the airport/Capodichino base) to Piazza Tecchio in Fuorigrotta (in one direction) and Stazione Scampia (in the other direction, aka Piscinola Metro Line 1).
        • ANM Bus 182 runs between Viale Comandante Umberto Maddalena (a bit farther away) to Piazza Cavour (a stop on Metro Lines 1 & 2) and then to Piazza Dante (also Metro Line 1)...but make sure you get on the right direction (the other way goes north of the airport)
      • If you're going to Sorrento or the Amalfi Coast, Curreri Viaggi runs a bus between the airport and Sorrento.
      • If you're going to Salerno (at the end of the Amalfi Coast), CSTP runs line 119 but only 3 times a day, and not on Sundays
    • Underground: Metropolitana - Naples' main "metro" underground, which is technically two services:
    • West: Cumana and Circumflegrea 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 EAV website has more.
    • South: 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 NA-2, NA-3, and NA-5, respectively (see Tickets, below).
      • The Campania Express is a special version of the Circumvesuviana that only stops in Naples, Ercolano, Pompei, and Sorrento (basically the 4 places tourists want to go), and thus goes a lot faster. It also costs a lot more (€15 roundtrip, or €10 if you have a Campania Artecard, compared to €2.50, €3.20, or €4.50 for the normal NA-2/3/5 tickets)...it also only runs a few times a day and only between late May and mid-October.
    • Buses: 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 and half of the Metro system (see above).
    • Buses Outside Naples: 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 (the schedule calls it "Cittadella NATO") and the Aversa train/metro station from 0400 to 2200. From the Aversa train station you can take trains (including the EAV Arcobaleno "Rainbow" line) to Naples or other destinations (Rome, etc.). CTP also runs buses between towns north and west of Pozzuoli (Quarto, Monterusciello, Licola, Arco Felice...).
    • Amalfi Coast: SITA Sud run buses mostly to/from and within the Amalfi Coast. SITA stands for Società Italiana Trasporti Automobilistici ("Italian Auto Transport Company")
    • Everything Else: EAV (Ente Autonomo Volturno) runs a bunch of different services including the Circumvesuviana (see above), former MetroCampania NordEst (the Arcobaleno or "Rainbow" line, going from Piscinola, the end of Line 1, to Aversa, near the Support Site), and the former "Sepsa" lines (Cumana and Circumflegrea)
  • Maps:

Late-Night Options

Unfortunately, most of the public transit listed above doesn't run very late, especially when considering how late Neapolitans eat dinner. Some options:

  • Metro Line 2: As of 2021, the last Line 2 for Pozzuoli leaves Piazza Garibaldi at 2156
    • According to the Trenitalia website, the first Line 2 trains leave from Pozzuoli towards Naples at 0554. The first direct trains from Naples (Piazza Garibaldi) to Pozzuoli are at 0623 (but direct trains from Napoli Campi Flegrei to Pozzuoli start at 0500).
  • Metro Line 1: As of 2021, the last train leaves Piscinola at 1:04 AM and leaves Piazza Garibaldi at 1:32 AM...this can get you to various parts of downtown or Vomero but not the Campi Flegrei. See the ANM Website for more.
  • Cumana/Circumflegrea: As of 2021, the final Cumana headed to Torregaveta leaves Montesanto at 2141; the final Circumflegrea headed for Licola leaves Montesanto at 2112 (but there's another one that goes to Quarto leaving at 2136). See the EAV Website for more.
  • Campi Flegrei: An EAV bus ("Napoli - Monte di Procida") leaves various spots in downtown Naples including Piazza Vittoria (on the Naples waterfront, not far from Castel dell'Ovo) at 12:15 AM bound for Pozzuoli, Cuma, Bacoli, and finally Monte di Procida.
    • this bus is probably the best option for folks living in Pozzuoli and beyond who want to stay downtown beyond 10 PM
  • Airport: Midnight to 4:30 AM you can take night bus N5 (but the pickup/drop-off near the airport is at Piazza Vittorio, at the intersection of Calata Capodichino and Corso Secondigliano, a good ~mile walk from the airport).

Avoiding Pickpockets

Naples in general, and especially the Central Train Station at Piazza Garibaldi, is notorious for pickpockets. A particularly bad place is getting on & off the Circumvesuviana train. However, if you take the following precautions, you can travel in safety (also realize that it is extremely rare for pickpockets to actually hurt anyone—you are much more likely to get hurt/killed in the US):

    • 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, the UnicoCampania TIC ("Ticket Integrato Campania"), to use across several different transit networks. Most tabaccherie (tobacco shops) and newstands sell them. For example, you can buy a TIC that takes you from the Cumana (run by Ente Autonomo Volturno (E.A.V.), formerly SEPSA) to the metro line 2 (run by Trenitalia or RFI, Rete Ferroviaria Italiana) to the Circumvesuviana (also run by E.A.V., formerly its own agency) to a local Amalfi Coast bus (run by SITA Sud, also see unofficial English site). Here are the major tickets:

    • "Integrato" TIC Napoli - 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, €1.50) or an all-day pass (giornaliero, €4.50).
    • UnicoCampania TIC NA-x - This is for travel to/from Naples and somewhere outside the city. For example, to travel between urban Naples and...
      • Pozzuoli, Herculaneum, Gricignano, Quarto = NA-2 (€2.70 for 120 min)
      • Pompeii, Monte di Procida, Villa Literno = NA-3 (€3.50 for 140 min)
      • Caserta, Capua = NA-4 (€4.30 for 160 min)
      • Sorrento = NA-5 (€4.90 for 180 min)
    • UnicoCampania TIC AC-x - This is for travel between two points that doesn't include Naples. For example, TIC AC-4 gets you between Salerno and Positano. Find the exact fare here.
    • "Aziendale" (Transport Operator) Tickets - these are issued by one transport company and are only good on that company's services. Usually cheaper than the TIC tickets for a specific ride/itinerary (as long as you aren't changing operators), but more of a hassle. This page shows what they look like for ANM; this PDF shows the ones for EAV. (Prices below are as of 2021:)
      • for example, if you want to take a single Naples Metropolitana Line 1 ride within the city of Naples, you can pay €1.10 for a single-way (corsa singola) ticket from ANM (confusingly called "ANM-U-NA-1") or "tipo A", or €3.50 for an all-day (giornaliero) card
      • ...but if you want to ride the Metropolitana Line 2 (which is run by Trenitalia/RFI) or the Cumana (which is run by EAV) within the city of Naples, you pay €1.30 for a single-way ticket (corsa singola "ANM-U-NA-2") or "tipo B", or €3.50 for an all-day (giornaliero) card
      • ...compared to the €1.60 UnicoCampania TIC Napoli which lets you ride any form of transport within the city of Naples for 90 minutes (including transfers), or €4.50 for an all-day (giornaliero) card
      • Similarly, an "Aziendale" ticket from Trenitalia/RFI on the metropolitana line 2 between Pozzuoli and Napoli costs €2.20 (good for a single trip) compared to the €2.70 TIC NA-2 (which good for 120 minutes, including transers)...unfortunately there does not seem to be a daily pass for NA-x and AC-x passes.
    • UnicoAlibus - €5 one-way ticket to/from the Capodichino airport, Piazza Garibaldi (train station), and Piazza Municipio (ferry terminal near Piazza Plebiscito), that is also valid for other connections within the Naples urban area (for up to 90 minutes)
    • Ticket Prices
    • ArteCard - While the ArteCard 365 is great for residents, there are a few tourist versions that offer free transport as well as entry into museums/archaeological sites:
      • "Campania 3 day", costs €32 (as of 2021) which includes free transit anywhere in Campania for 3 days, plus free entry into two sites with 50% discounts on most other sites
      • "Campania 7 day" costs €34 (as of 2021) and includes 5 sites for free, but does not include free transit (anymore)
      • ArteCard passes don't cover the Campania Express, Alibus, Sita Sud (Sorrento/Positano/Amalfi buses), or Trenitalia trains (except Metropolitana Line 2)
    • [confusingly the Campania Region started with "UnicoCampania", rebranded as "TIC - Ticket Integrato Campania" in 2015, and then in 2017 re-rebranded to "UnicoCampania - TIC" (!)]

Ferries

Ferries connect Naples (and other places, like Pozzuoli) with the various islands (Procida, Ischia, Capri) and with the coast (Sorrento, Amalfi, etc.). There are also some longer-haul ferries that run to the Pontine Islands, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Tunisia, etc.

Ferry Terminals

The following are the main ferry terminals; Napoli Unplugged's Maritime Transportation Page also shows all the area ports' locations on Google Maps:

    • Napoli
      • Mergellina is an smaller terminal near the Mergellina metro stop at 40°49.63'N 14°13.35'E
      • Near the Castel Nuovo (with free shuttle bus connecting the two every ~15 min):
        • Molo Beverello (40°50.28'N 14°15.3'E)
        • Calata Porta di Massa (near Molo Immacolatella Vecchia, 40°50.57'N 14°15.56'E)
    • 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

  • Recommended: Traghetti Ischia shows Ischia ferries but also pretty much everything in the area except for some Amalfi Coast ferries
    • Capri.com also has a pretty nice / easy to read schedule lookup tool
    • NaplesBayFerry.com is also pretty good, and includes a helpful map
    • Capri Tourism also is pretty comprehensive but despite its dropdown menu it's still missing most of the Amalfi ferries; it does have a nice PDF of the Capri ferries

Ferry Companies

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. For a great introduction to Italian trains, see The Man in Seat 61's Guide to Train Travel in Italy.

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; a handful of trains going north to Rome or south to other destinations stop here.
    • Pozzuoli Solfatara (or Villa Literno) - while Pozzuoli is mostly a Metro Line 2 stop, occasionally trains run from here to Villa Literno (and even Formia), from which you can catch a train to Rome, bypassing downtown Naples. If you live in the Campi Flegrei, you can go from Pozzuoli or Villa Literno to Rome fairly cheaply/easily.
      • Is it worth it? Since it takes 0.5-1 hours to get to Napoli Centrale from Pozzuoli on Metro Line 2, if you're starting from the Campi Flegrei it can sometimes be 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 - 3 hours and cost €12.65, while even the fastest trains from Napoli Centrale are 1.2 hours and can cost at least 3-4 times as much—if it takes 1 hour to get to Napoli Centrale (which is typical), that means your total travel time is almost the same!
      • What's the schedule? Go to the Trenitalia website and search for trips between Pozzuoli Solfatara and Roma (be sure to select "Regional trains"); the ones that show 2 Regionale trains will be the ones that bypass downtown Naples.
      • How do I buy tickets? 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 the connecting train in Villa Literno/Formia is an Intercity, stop by the ticket booth to buy an upgrade, or you can pay for the upgrade plus an additional fee on the train.
    • Napoli Afragola - this relatively new (2017) station services Frecciarossa trains bound between Salerno and Milano Centrale, departing roughly once an hour. If you live near the Support Site this is probably the most convenient/quick way to get to cities in the north.
    • Caserta - this station to the north of Naples serves a handful (~3/day) of Frecciargento trains leaving for Rome/north and Salerno/south
    • Aversa - this is the closest train station to the Support Site, although it does not service high-speed trains
      • Want to go to Rome from here? The best bet is the relatively slow (but also pretty cheap) ~2.5 hour Regionale train, since traveling to Napoli Centrale takes a while (it's similar to the Pozzuoli discussion, above). If speed matters more than money, you might try the Afragola station (see above).
      • See CTP, above, for information about the bus between the Support Site and Aversa train station.
      • EAV (see above) also runs a metro (the Arcobaleno or "Rainbow" line) 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

    • Frecce ("Arrow") - high-speed trains that travel between major cities
      • Other names: "Frecciarossa" ("Red Arrow"), "Frecciaargento" ("Silver Arrow", slightly slower than the red ones), "Alta Velocità" (Highest Speed), or "Fast"
      • Frecciabianca ("White Arrow") are the slowest high-speed trains (formerly known as "EuroStar")...as of 2021 they're fairly rare (mostly for travel between Milan and other cities in the North)
      • Time from Naples to Rome is just over 1 hour
      • Price varies by when you buy; if you buy well in advance, you can get substantial discounts
    • Italo - this is a private train company that runs Frecce-like trains along the same tracks as Trenitalia...it's almost the same price/speed, although with some plusses (free wifi) and minuses (Rome's station is Tiburtina, which is less convenient for most people than Termini). See this comprehensive review by The Man in Seat 61
    • Intercity - while they are slower than Frecce 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.
    • Regionale ("Regional") - these stop in every cattle town along the way ("Regionale Veloce" skip a few stops). Some are modern commuter trains; some look like they were left over from Mussolini's regime. Cheap but slow. Most Regionale do not have reserved seating, and you have to "validate" your ticket before boarding.

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

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

Taxis/Uber

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/use an app.

Apps

  • Uber - same app you probably already have; Uber finally launched in Naples in fall 2020
  • FREE NOW (fka MyTaxi) - iOS and Android, taxi app that works in many places in Italy (and Europe)...note that the meter starts when the driver accepts the trip, so if you notice a driver accepting from very far away (and suspect there are closer cabs) you might want to cancel & try again.
  • (otherh apps: inTaxi? it Taxi? GOXGO?)

Phone Numbers/Companies

Prices

  • Official taxis have pre-determined fixed rates (copy here) set by the city government (more on Napoli Unplugged)
    • Consult the fare card (which should be displayed) and discuss the fare with the driver before you leave to make sure you don't get ripped off.
    • The airport also has a useful page describing how to register a complaint
  • For U.S. Military, the Naples Chief Petty Officers' Association runs a "Tipsy Taxi" service to prevent drunk driving (basically the chief's mess will spot you up to €150 for a taxi, which you need to repay the next day); call the NSA CDO at 335-640-6597 or NSA Quarterdeck at 081-568-5547

Strikes

Strikes are, unfortunately, common in Italian public transit, trains, and airports. However, even during a strike, or sciopero, there are still trains and busses that run...in fact, there are certain trains that are "guaranteed" even in the case of a strike (see a Trenitalia page on the subject, which links to a page in Italian that lists guaranteed trains).

To learn when strikes may be scheduled, consult the following resources: