3.5/5 stars Naples…read morereminds me a lot of NYC or Paris, minus things to do and green spaces or charm. TBH I was only here for a few days for pizza and Pompeii. Loved my Airbnb. Loved a couple cafes. The city is fun to walk around for a day, but I can't imagine spending more than a few days max. I don't believe Naples is a fair representation of Italy; it's just a dirty big city that gets incredibly crowded from huge cruise ship tourists pouring in daily.

Napoli is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city in Italy, after Rome and…read moreMilan. As of 2022 population was 909,048 within the city's administrative limits. Now it has been a while since I visited but since my maternal grandfather was born in Napoli I have to review. When I was there I saw why my grandfather loved spending the second half of his life in South Florida. I felt like I was at home. To me the food was a memorable experience. Delicious fresh pasta and seafood combination at a family owned restaurant. I have old photos that are precious to me. I'm recommending you visit and take your own!

One of the best experiences I've ever had. We had an archaeologist-led private tour and couldn't…read morehave asked for more. Amazing history, absolutely huge - I didn't understand the scale of Pompeii until we were there. Worth the trip to Napoli to visit Pompeii alone! Spectacular 10/10 highly recommend!!

The Scavi di Pompei is the English name for the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, which is an ancient…read morecity once buried by ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It's one of the most remarkable sites in Italy for visiting, and I would suggest at least make it a half day trip or a minimum three hours visit here.

Is this a tourist trap? Yes, absolutely, they know it and at every turn you are paying or tipping…read moresomeone. But, is this a must do experience? Yes, absolutely. I had to see that blue water for myself and I'm so happy I did it. Having been to Capri once before and not seeing the Blue Grotto, this trip we made sure to schedule this first thing in the morning and went with a private tour to simplify the process. Since it's popular and the grotto itself is small, there is often a long wait for your small boat to enter the cave. Especially in high season. Best advice, get there early, before it even opens at 9am otherwise you can wait 1-2 hours. That's waiting in a small boat in choppy waters! Also be aware that if the weather is bad and the water is too rough, the boats can't access the cave. We took a ferry from Sorrento to Capri then hopped on a boat that took the 25 of us over to the Blue Grotto. The ride there was about 15 minutes with beautiful views everywhere. We got there early before the cruise ship passengers and other tourists so the small boats and rowers immediately came over to us and explained the process which I will share, because if you are like me, the details matter. We sat on the edge of the larger boat and stepped down into the small boat with the help of the skipper and then immediately sat flat on the floor, legs stretched out. Each boat can hold 3 or 4 passengers based on weight,, 2 per side, and the second person sits within the legs of the first. Since we were the first boats this day, we didn't get wet but later in the day, I can imagine you will definitely be laying in water. The skipper took us over to a larger boat where you pay an entrance fee. After some discussion and showing proof that we already paid, they let us pass. Be prepared because they will try to get more money from you! The skipper then rowed us over to the cave entrance where we all had to lay flat as he grabs a metal chain attached to the inside wall of the cave and pulls the boat into the cave. It takes just a few seconds and then you can lift your head and marvel over the iridescent blue water inside. The water is as blue as the pictures, a result of the sunlight passing through an underwater cavity that shines upward creating a spellbinding blue color. It's truly one of natures miracles and wonders. The cave is small, much smaller than I envisioned. I assumed once we went through the opening it would be a large pool of water. It's not. It's a small area and there are 10 or 15 other boats and they row around in a circle. All of the skippers serenade their passengers but not in unison! It's quite an experience. It was challenging to get good pics inside. I recommend taking a video as that provided the best capture. After just a few minutes, the ride is done and you exit the cave, once again laying down. The skipper takes you back to the larger boat. This is when I got nervous wondering if I could get out without falling or tipping the boat! You step onto a wooden board that goes across the small boat, then sit on the edge of the larger and turn to bring your legs inside. Phew! Made it. The skippers are aggressive about tips but mine didn't have to be. I happily gave him $5 euros for the experience and for getting me out of the darn boat safely! So yes, it's touristy, but for me, it was a bucket list item and I'm happy I experienced it. Others in my group had been to Capri before and did the Blue Grotto so they passed and just spent more time exploring the shops and cafes. When I go back to Capri, I'll do the same as this is not something I have to experience twice.

How can you rate this other that 5 Stars? What an experience my wife and I enjoyed. The history…read morestory our boatman told and the little singing he did was icing on the cake. Make the best of you trip to Capri and see the Blue Grotto. Also enjoy the shopping on the island. My wife bought several pairs of sandals while the cobbler made them. Great experience overall.

Castel Nuovo was one giant construction site when we were here…read more Of course, it's been under construction for nearly nine hundred years. From Charles I House of Anjou, to the Kingdom of the two Sicily's (1266), to the Kingdom of Naples. It was also used by Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, who lived there for a short time in 1535. But no Italian history would've complete, without the involvement of de' Medici family of Florence. Seemed Alfonso V of Aragon (1443), had established a royal court here after conquered the throne of Naples and as with most little boys, he needed his to be, er um...grander. He intended for the Castel Nuovo to compete with the one in Florence by Lorenzo de' Medici. Ultimately he ended up completely rebuilding the entire fortress. A famous architect friend once observed to me, that it's important to be able to distinguish between "good" and "better." LOL The castle is very imposing. It has five huge turret like towers, that can be seen throughout Naples. Our driver couldn't figure out how to drop us off because of all traffic on Via Nuova Marina, so we settled for the nearby Galleria Umberto mall (see review) instead. LOL. See photos.

The Nuovo castle looks better from the outside and going inside, other than the second floor open…read moreview facing the harbor. The museum exhibits are lack of maintenance and all presenting in almost darkness. It's still worth the €6 entrance fee to explore.

Thanks to social media, we found this shop. We put this on the itinerary to try the Sorbetto di…read moreLimone. When we arrived, we discovered that they sold all things inspired by lemon from lemon-flavored oils to lemon-infused pasta and many lemon-centered items in between. The overall ambiance was fresh, bright and surprisingly quite interesting. When we arrived, one of the staff members offered samples of Limoncello in two flavors. Since it was all about the experience, we tried both; however, we were eager to get to the main attraction. We also sampled the lemon-flavored chocolate covered almonds. To be such a small store, it was quite crowded. After finally reaching the counter, we observed a variety of lemon-flavored sorbet and gelato options. I selected the lemon basil and lemon cheesecake. The Amalfi lemon was filled with a scoop of each and served with the lemon top for presentation. The lemon basil was my favorite. It was so lemony and refreshing with basil for a little kick. The cheesecake flavor was underwhelming in my opinion. I would have preferred two scoops of the lemon basil. Once I got to the bottom of the lemon, I observed that they had not fully removed the interior of the lemon. By leaving the pulp in the inside, it took up space for the sorbet, which gave the illusion that you were getting more than was actually inside the lemon shell. Additionally, a lot of the sorbet was trapped at the bottom. At first we thought that there was only one location, but as we navigated throughout Rome, we discovered quite a few locations along with other shops selling the same item. On other visits during our trip, we purchased the lemon granita, Limoncello to take home, a variety of oils and pasta and some of the best lemon-flavored chocolate covered almonds. Overall, it was a great experience.

Woo hoo! Limoncello is made here. We got to meet the (distiller? brewer?) and taste this amazing…read morestuff. A fantastic stop on our food tour and I returned later to purchase a 100ml bottle to bring home, since that's the limit for carry-on. They have other lemon stuff, even pasta! [Review 19210 overall - 361 in Italy - 180 of 2023.]

A must if you are visiting Capri! Though if you are afraid of heights, this one may not be for you…read more It's a chairlift that is continuously moving, and it slows down a bit for you to hop on, where a moveable metal bar acts as your protection from falling out of the chair. Though I made that sound pretty terrifying, it seems relatively safe. As long as you're not shifting about while you're up there, which you probably wouldn't want to anyway. Seats are for single riders, unless you have a small child, in which case, they'll have to sit on your lap. Tickets are €11 one way or €14 round trip. But I can't imagine why you would buy a one way. Perhaps you can hike up/down? But I didn't see anyone doing that. It takes about 7 minutes each way, and we spent maybe 30 minutes at the top taking pictures/walking around. There is a little cafe at the top, and a toilet but it costs €1. If you want to see Capri from way up above, this is the thing to do!

The attitude of the very rude chair lift gate attendant totally ruined my vacation on the day. He…read morewas highly hostile. I was a 68 year old tourist quietly enjoying my trip to Italy. I was not saying or doing anything to offend anybody. Out of nowhere, with an intense hateful look he was yelling in my face in the language I do not understand. His manner was in a way as if I had violated his family . I would have given lower star rating for the experience but unfortunately one star is the lowest available.