Naples to Royal Palace of Caserta - Questions?

[llarsen]

Hi,

 

We will be in Naples on Celebrity Ascent in September from 7am - 6pm (on a Sunday)

We have been to Capri, the Amalfi Coast, visited Ravello, Positano and Sorrento in the past on private excursions. All very beautiful and enjoyed every minute.

 

This time we are considering taking a train to the Royal Palace of Caserta (not to be confused with Royal Palace of Naples).

It appears 8:06am or 9:00am would be the earliest trains we can catch (not sure how long it will take to get off the ship if we are not on a ship tour?)

The trains take approx 40mins to get to the Palace, so we would be arriving at the Palace around 9:00am or 10:00am (depending on which train, prefer the earlier one if possible).

We will probably want to take the 2:22pm or 3:30pm train back to Naples Central arriving a little after 3:00pm or little after 4:00pm, giving us approx 5hrs at Palace.

I'm a little nervous about taking a bus (there are many and we do not speak Italian).

 

Questions:

Has anyone been to the Royal Palace of Caserta, and can you tell me if you had any problems?

Should we take a taxi from the cruise terminal to the Naples Central train station or is that too short a trip for them?

Is 5hrs at the Palace too much time? (We would like to have time for some Neapolitan Pizza in Naples)

Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

Thank you!

 

[marazul]

We have driven there so I can't answer your first two questions.  However,  five hours is way too much.  I would say 2-3 hours is ample. Go get some pizza in Naples. 

[euro cruiser]

I've been to Caserta from Naples by train several times, it's very easy to do since the train station in Caserta is facing the palace.

 

I would take the metro to Napoli Centrale from the Municipio station.  By the time you are there the new entrance to the metro station (at the cruise port) may be open, if not, the original entrance at the corner of Piazza Municipio and Via Medina is a short walk (about 500 meters/one third of a mile).

 

The visit to the open rooms of the palace takes about an hour, or 90 minutes if you are a very detailed visitor.  After that you want to enjoy the magnificent gardens, which may take two to three hours, again depending on your interest level.

[llarsen]

@euro cruiser Thank you so much for the detailed information! 

I'm torn between going to the Palace of Caserta on our own, or joining others from our cruise for a full day ItalyTours.eu tour to Positano and Sorrento. We have been to Positano and Sorrento in the past, and enjoyed them very much but have only seen photos of the Palace of Caserta which reminds me of Versailles. Any thoughts on one verses the other? 

 

@marazul Thank you for your reply. It sounds like an hour or so in the Palace and a couple hours in the Gardens will be adequate. We did not have time for pizza the last time in Naples and really must try it on this trip 🙂

Do you have any thoughts on doing a full day tour with Italy.Tours.eu to Positano and Sorrento with a group verses the Palace of Caserta on our own? It's that view looking toward the Palace that reminds me of Versailles and makes me want to go there.

 

 

[euro cruiser]

If you've already been to Sorrento and Positano and you're not feeling compelled to go back ... doesn't that answer your question?   I personally find the crowding and the hours in the car getting there and back not worth the pleasures of being there, but that's me.  

 

Caserta is beautiful and but whether or not it's worth the time is entirely personal.  There's also a tremendous amount to see and do in Naples that a lot of cruisers breeze right past in their rush to get to other places.  One of the unexpected pleasures at Caserta (for me) is the collection of presepe on display toward the end of the rooms open to the public.  

 

The Reggia's web site isn't working at the moment but benicultural sites tend to operate better during Italian working hours, so try it during the week and maybe it will be up and running:  reggiadicaserta.cultura.gov.it

[llarsen]

@euro cruiser When we visited Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi Coast we were on Oceania cruise line and were tendered in. I dread the drive from Naples...that's my hesitation. We've had some wonderful small group tours in the past with cruise mates, but we had longer hours in port and there was no rush. I'm feeling maybe it's best to keep those memories as they are, instead of risking a rushed day which could be unpleasant. 

Thanks for your input, it really helped! 🙂

 

[marazul]

@llarsen

I second @euro cruiser. Go to Caserta and spend more time in Naples.  Go to the museum and have pizza.  Always try something new unless you have no other options.  This area has an abundance of riches. Have you been to Pompeii and Herculaneum? You could also look for a tour that combines Caserta and Pompeii which could be hard to do by public transportation.

[llarsen]

@marazul Thank you, my husband agrees that we should always try something new. We have been to Pompeii, but not Herculaneum.

I will look into it, thanks again! 🙂