Naples Archeological Museum

Is it easy to walk from the port to the museum or would I be better getting a taxi.

Thanks

I would take a taxi; although it's not a long distance, the traffic in Naples is crazy and I think you'd have to cross some very busy streets to get there. The wise visitor to Naples arranges with the taxi driver in advance as to the charge rather than depending on the meter....:cool:

Just FYI, this museum closes on Tuesdays (not Monday, which is the norm for most museums...)

Edited to add: You could also take a bus; I found this post on tripadvisor on the logistics from the cruise port.....however, still looks like you have to brave the Naples traffic:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187785-i421-k1412407-l8533008-How_can_I_see_the_museum_Please_help-Naples_Campania.html#8533008

We DID walk there during our last visit. It was at least a 20 minute hike, and the streets were very confusing with garbage overflowing the sidewalks because of the strike. And it was raining, which made the experience even more unpleasant.

After visiting the museum (very worthwhile!), we took a taxi back to the ship. The taxi ride wasn't very much shorter (LOTS of traffic), but it was more comfortable.

Does anyone know the name of the circumvesuvium station stop in Naples for the museum and if you can walk from the train station to the Archeological museum? We would be there in early afternoon.

Does anyone know the name of the circumvesuvium station stop in Naples for the museum and if you can walk from the train station to the Archeological museum? We would be there in early afternoon.

I don't believe the Circumvesuviana train serves the museum. According to Rick Steves, the museum can be reached by taking the metro from the Naples central train station (Napoli Centrale). From the station, follow signs to the metro. The closest stop on the metro is Piazza Cavour. You may have to ask which track.

Do you take a bus from the port to the metro to get to this museum? How close is the bus stop to the metro to get back to the port?

Thank you.:p

Do you take a bus from the port to the metro to get to this museum? How close is the bus stop to the metro to get back to the port?

 

Thank you.:p

If you read the link I posted earlier, you can take the bus directly from the port to the museum. It appears there are two options. Route 201 is also recommended on the Naples Museum site, so I'd probably go for that one. Just beware of traffic getting to the bus stop.

You can also take the metro one or two stops from the Central Station at Piazza Garibaldi to the Cavour or Museo stop and its a very short walk from either of those, Museo being the closer.

Here is a link to what is, I think, the official museum website. It has a nice picture of the building in case you are trying to locate it walking or on the bus:

http://www.culturacampania.rai.it/site/en-GB/Cultural_Heritage/Museums/Scheda/napoli_archeologico.html

It also has a good deal of information about the Collections in the museum. Well worth browsing....

I walked and it was not that far. If you are from Yorkshire, I am sure you can walk it as well! The museum is well worthwhile going to.

andrew

I would take a taxi; although it's not a long distance, the traffic in Naples is crazy and I think you'd have to cross some very busy streets to get there. The wise visitor to Naples arranges with the taxi driver in advance as to the charge rather than depending on the meter....:cool:

 

Just FYI, this museum closes on Tuesdays (not Monday, which is the norm for most museums...)

 

 

Edited to add: You could also take a bus; I found this post on tripadvisor on the logistics from the cruise port.....however, still looks like you have to brave the Naples traffic:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187785-i421-k1412407-l8533008-How_can_I_see_the_museum_Please_help-Naples_Campania.html#8533008

Is not only very busy, is also very dangerous :eek:

Take the bus directly from the port to the museum.

Glad I searched for this thread. It has been very helpful & we would appreciate more advice.

We are taking a Pompei tour in the am so we will not be able to take the ship's tour to the museum--they offered it with other sights & pizza lunch for $75 pp, but we'd have to switch our Pompei tour to the afternoon (not what we want to do) So that leaves us on our own...

How much will the taxi be from the port to the museum, is there a taxi stand right there and how long a drive might it be on a Sunday?

Has anyone taken the headphone tour in English--how long? How did you enjoy the museum?

Are there pizza places nearby the port or the museum that will be open on Sunday? I found one .3 mi from the musem - Pizza Starita on Via Materdei-are the street safe to walk through? When above poster said "dangerous", I was not sure if that referred to walking through traffic or unsafe areas?

Most important, how easy will it be to catch a taxi to get back to the ship?

Neither if us speaks any Italian so we are feeling a bit nervous about setting out on our own...

P.S. Thanks for the Museum link in English--til now only had it in Italian!

Havent been to the museum yet...... going on our next trip in May. We plan to ferry to Capri in the morning - return to dock and then taxi to the museum for an afternoon visit.

From my research :

taxi from dock to museum 15 euro (each way) Taxis should be plentiful near the dock. Also back to the ship.

Can't help with the headphone tour.

Should be pizza places nearby. And even though many many Italians speak English have heard that Naples residents are not known to speak alot of English. We always take a printout of the addresses of our hotels or anywhere else we need to get to and hand that to the driver if they give us a blank stare. If all else fails tell them "molo beverello" which is the ferry dock right next to where the cruise ships dock.

Thanks

please post when you get back--enjoy your cruise

I've been in Naples several times and just being able to say "I'm sorry, I don't speak much Italian" in Italian opened many pleasant doors for me. First of all, they think it's very funny that I'm saying that in Italian, and they all strive to speak whatever English they know. I was looking for the museum while on foot and one local lady brought me in a store where she knew the man inside spoke English, and he gave me directions.

The traffic is absolute gridlock in that area during the week but much better on a Sunday. Make sure you're wearing money belts and not carrying anything valuable and you'll have nothing to worry about.

Incidentally, we had an English speaking tour guide and she very much enhanced our visit. I think she cost 9 euro each.

Last Sept. we took a ship`s tour to Pompeii in the morning, after the tour we asked the guide for a pizza place and among several she suggested we chose the one right across the street from the ship it is called Sophia or Sophie.

This restaurant was full of locals, almost no tourists, and had a very good pizza at very reasonable price. There were other things on the menu, but we only had pizza.

After lunch we crossed the street back to the ship`s terminal and there were many taxi waiting , so we took one to the museum for 15EU. The museum was GREAT! and we actually enjoyed our visit to Pompeii more after viewing all the furniture and artifacts that was removed from the site. As we had a late departure we decided to walk back to the ship via Toledo street , just follow this street all the way to the ship. It was Sunday, so all the stores along our walk were closed. Yes, it was dirty, but this is part of the Naples charm. It is not at all dangerous if you follow this main street, there were many local families out for a Sunday stroll.

Enjoy your time in Naples!

We visited Naples as a port stop in Sep 2008. We had already extensively visited Sorrento, Pompeii and the Amalfi coast on a previous land tour and loved it! We had gone through naples on the train and I have to admit I did not like the train station experience. However, there is just something about Naples that really intrigues me; the pizza, vesuvius and the quote..."see Naples and die". I took that as it was beautiful not we were going to die there ;)

We had friends that were victims of pick pockets in Naples and we have friends that were victims of this in Athens too...but I also love Athens. Often, pickpockets do a lot of business on public transportation, they are busy you are captive audience and squished together, it is easier to snag your wallet this way. So I surprised people are saying to use public transport like the bus.

Knowing the dangers I was still adamant I wanted to check out Naples, I really wanted to go to the archeological museum as well and get pizza.

We took some precautions...I studied the map beforehand so I didn't feel I needed to open it up at every corner (I dislike being a tourist in any city, more of an explorer). We also only took enough money for the day (less than 100euro), no credit cards and put the money in a money belt. It was just my sister and I (we are 40ish). I didn't take a purse and she didn't take a camera. What property we had on us we didn't really care about so that took the pressure off. Leave your precious valuables on the ship.

Our plan was to meander our way up through the old town and continue up to the museum and then walk back an alternate way to the ship.

The result...one of the best days of my life! Your route may depend on where your ship docks. Our ship docked the furthest towards Vesuvius or the right when facing shore. Oh yes, first, you must witness coming into port and seeing Vesuvius in the morning light. Fantastic!

The people were great, they were pretty tough and we had fun with them and always had the highest level of proper respect.

You could start off by taking any major artery up towards the museum we went up via Duomo. The main streets are busy so we went down a less busy cross street. Obviously always avoiding alleyways or empty streets. We came across a church where I remembered reading about the excavations that are presently being done. We poked around the church and someone who worked there approached us and said something in Italian all I could understand was 10 euros and scavi, so we gave him the money hoping this was to get in to see the ruins...otherwise we just threw away 10 euros. He pointed towards an entrance and 'yep' we went in and down stairs and came upon ruins!!!! An active dig excavating greek ruins dating back to 6th Century BC. On top of that, there was NO ONE there, not one person we had all the ruins to oursleves, it was unbelievable to roam around an ancient greek market below the city of Naples. I still can't believe I saw this. The workers were off as it was a saturday.

After a while looking around we went back up to the church and presto an Italian wedding! well we had to witness this so we just kept to the side the courtyard and smiled and nodded. Once the wedding entourage made their way into the church, we decided it was pizza time. Naples, the birthplace of pizza, fresh mozarrella, basil and san marzano tomatoes that are grown on the side of vesuvius.

By the way, I think the church was called San Lorenzo Maggiore I am looking at the map and that looks like it. We then walked up to via dei Tribunali and it was one of the old famous pizza places. It was very close to the church and I think it was called Di Matteo. There are two very famous pizzarias Di Matteo and Da Michele. This one was on via dei Tribunali for sure. Don't worry there is pizza everywhere.

The pizza waiter was extremely gruff and had the looks of a sopranos cast member (he still makes me laugh) the pizza was so good I ate way to much! while in the pizza place which had a bare decor and a terrazzo (sp?) floor, we studied the map for our next phase which was the walk to the museum. we walked along the same street Tribunali towards the piazza bellini and eventually to the via s.maria di constantinopoli. we were going to get a coffee in a cafe on the piazza bellini there were many of them. We decided against it in favor of a more local place. By the way, Napolitans are very serious about coffee and some is the best in Italy. We came across a little hole in the wall store that had a coffee bar in the back and two tiny tables out front on the sidewalk and one of those tables was available. We had a cafe napolitan (pretty much an espresso) and it was served with a san pelligrino back. OMG this was the best coffee I have had in my life, strong and smooth. I still dream about going back!

We finally made it to the museum, no mugging, no hassles, no garbage, nothing like that. My biggest complaint was I was still horribly full from the pizza. We used the english audio guide (well worth it) we were in the museum for a few hours, lots to see. The farnase bull and exhibit was exquisite. We inquired about the 'secret room' with all the erotica. Excellent, not an extra fee but it does close earlier than the rest of the museum so go there first. I have heard that you needed reservations but I guess by the time we got there it was not busy cause they told us we could go right in. Bring your camera lots of great works, mine is a canon elph so it fits in my pocket. I actually went so far as to bring a D-ring to secure it to my pants while walking.

We walked back to the ship the fastest way back, thank god it was slightly downhill. we were so hot and tired from our busy day. Honestly, people had us so scared about Naples and it was such a great day. It was probably my favorite of the cruise. Crossing the street was probably the most scary but nothing different than being in Hanoi Viet Nam and Naples had a rough and tough reputation but we've been to many huge south american cities that have that same gruff exterior and look beyond that and see the heart of gold.

Have a great time

Thank you to all who posted to help us wiht our plans We will do our Pompei tour & then plan on Pizza & the museum (cab there & walk back if we feel comfortable) Will also learn that one phrase in italian about not speaking well!