If you’re planning a trip to Naples and wondering how much you can realistically fit in, this is exactly what we did as a family of six, and more importantly, what we changed once we got there.
We originally had plans to visit the Amalfi Coast as well, but after arriving late, seeing how much there was to do and just getting a feel for the city, we quickly realised we didn’t want to rush it. Instead, we slowed things down, swapped a few plans around, and ended up with a trip that felt much more enjoyable (and far less exhausting).
This is our honest, real itinerary, including what worked, what didn’t, and everything in between.
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Before we get into the day-by-day plans, if you’re wondering how to actually get around Naples, I’ve put together a full guide covering trains, metro, the funicular and airport transfers. We found it much easier than expected once we got our heads around it, and it made a huge difference to how smoothly the trip ran.
👉 Read: How to Get Around Naples (Metro, Trains, Buses & Airport Transfers Explained)
If you’re deciding where to stay, I’ve broken down the best areas in Naples here.
We travelled as a family of 6 and kept this trip as budget-friendly as possible, including flying hand luggage only.
Our flights from Manchester to Naples came in at £527.88 total, which worked out at just £87.98 per person. These were booked with Ryanair.
We didn’t add any extras like seats or hold luggage. Instead, we packed everything into backpacks using vacuum bags. It made travelling between trains and stations so much easier too (I've linked the exact same ones we use).
For accommodation, we stayed in the Chiaia area of Naples, which turned out to be a really good base for everything we wanted to do. Accommodation name Amedeo Suites.
We paid:
€701 upfront via Booking.com (£600)
Plus €100 city tax in cash (£85)
Total accommodation: £685 for 4 nights
That’s £114 per person
Because we landed late (10:15pm), we decided to pre-book a private transfer rather than figure out public transport in the dark.
This cost us £48 total for 6 people, which worked out at around £8 each. We booked via Holiday Extras where our readers get a discount on transfers, airport parking & airport lounges here (discount automatically applied)
The airport bus (Alibus) is €5 per person, so for a family of 6 you’re already at around €30 (approx £25), and that’s before you then need to get from the station to your accommodation.
For the small difference, the private transfer was far easier, especially arriving at night.
On the way back we took the Alibus (explained later) and paid around £26 in total with train to the main station too.
In total transfers cost us £74 (£12pp).
So overall, flights, 4 nights accommodation and transfers came in at £214pp.
This was already a budget trip, but would have probably been cheaper, had we not been travelling over Easter school holidays.
If you’re wondering what Naples is actually like as a destination, including where to stay and whether it feels safe, I’ve shared our honest thoughts here:
👉 Is Naples Safe for Tourists? Where to Stay, Areas to Avoid & Honest Advice
We landed in Naples at 10:15pm, so this was very much a practical arrival evening.
By the time we got through the airport and into our transfer, it was late. We headed straight to the apartment, unpacked the essentials, had quick showers and went straight to bed.
The following morning, we kept things slow after the late arrival. We visited the local shop for some essential bits and breakfast, then headed out around 11am.
From our apartment on Via del Parco Margherita, one of the biggest advantages was how easy it was to get around. Just a two-minute walk (literally 50m) brought us to Napoli Piazza Amedeo Station, which meant no metro or taxis needed.
We took the local train to Napoli Garibaldi Station, which took around 15 minutes and cost €1.50 per person. Tickets were easy to buy at the station using card, just remember to validate them before boarding.
At Garibaldi, we followed signs to the Circumvesuviana train (also labelled Linee Vesuviane / EAV). This is where Naples starts to feel very different to northern Italy and definitely a bit chaotic, very busy, but it works.
We bought tickets at the machines for €3.30 each way and took the train towards Sorrento, getting off at Pompei Scavi Villa dei Misteri, which is just a couple of minutes from the entrance.
The journey took around 35 minutes, but it wasn’t the most comfortable. The train was packed, we stood both ways, and it’s very much a commuter train rather than anything tourist-focused.
Pompeii itself is something you really can’t underestimate. It’s huge. Much bigger than you expect, and far more tiring to walk than it looks on paper.
Entry is €20 for adults, while under 18s are free (you may need ID for older teens). We opted for the express ticket, which was more than enough for us, and we still didn’t get close to seeing everything.
Definitely wear comfortable shoes, bring water and snacks, and use the toilets at the entrance before going in as the queues inside were long.
By the time we got back to Naples around 7pm, we were completely exhausted. Any plans for going out in the evening disappeared instantly, and we ended up having tea in the apartment instead.
Overall, we paid €88.80 (£77.50) for return transport and entry tickets.
See our guide on Pompeii for more details on getting there and entrance tickets
After how full-on Pompeii was, this day felt like a complete reset. We should have headed to Procida on Day 3, but poor weather and our desire to experience Naples instead, meant we decided to drop it and spend the whole day exploring the city.
We started the morning with the funicular, which was just a one-minute walk from our apartment at Parco Margherita Funicular station (40m walk). It cost €1.30pp and only takes about five minutes, but the views at the top are incredible.
We got off at Piazza Vanvitelli and walked around 10–15 minutes to Castel Sant’Elmo, which easily had some of the best views over Naples.
From there, we took Metro Line 1 down to Toledo Metro Station and just started exploring on foot (€1.50pp)
Instead of trying to tick off landmarks, we wandered between the Spanish Quarter Naples and Spaccanapoli, stopping wherever looked good.
We found the Busto di Pulcinella (where you rub its nose for luck), came across the street filled with books stalls and shops, dipped in and out of a few churches, and just explored at our own pace.
There were coffee stops, desserts, and loads of street food along the way, it basically turned into our own food tour without even trying.
We finished at a small local spot near the Pulcinella statue where you can get a whole pizza and a drink for €2.50, which still feels unreal writing it down.
At one point, €39 got us three large Aperol spritz, four huge snacks, two pizzas and four soft drinks, incredible value. This is where Naples really stands out. I'm sure this is the cheapest Italian city we've visited so far.
This ended up being our favourite day of the trip.
Total spend on transport €5.80 (£5.06)
Food and drinks, I lost count, but it can't have been more than £20pp and we came back to the apartment absolutely stuffed.
Originally, this day was meant to be Amalfi Coast, but the weather wasn’t great (again!) and the thought of a choppy ferry with tired kids didn’t feel worth it. We would rather see it in all it's glory, in the sunshine.
Luckily, we hadn't booked any ferries, so we swapped to Sorrento, and it was absolutely the right decision.
We headed back to Napoli Garibaldi Station (€3pp return) and took the Circumvesuviana Railway towards Sorrento. This is the same train you take to Pompeii, you just stay on it until the final stop.
We caught the 11:08 train and arrived at Sorrento Train Station at 12:20. Return tickets cost €46 total for five of us (around £40) - our eldest daughter decided to sit this day out.
The train was even busier than the day before, probably as it was Good Friday. But it’s cheap, frequent and flexible, which suited us perfectly.
Sorrento itself felt completely different to Naples. Cleaner, calmer and much more relaxed.
We spent the day wandering, stopping for coffee and gelato, and eventually made our way down to Marina Grande Sorrento.
This was the highlight with its colourful houses, sea views and a much slower pace.
We stopped for a few hours by the sea to enjoy a meal at a restaurant down there. This was probably our most expensive day with the meal and tip coming in at €160.
We also cheated and got a taxi back up the hill to the train station which cost €25.
Even so, if we had gone to Amalfi, we would have spent around €120 on the ferry alone, so it didn't feel too expensive.
The total spend to our day to Sorrento was around £215, but this could have been much cheaper if we hadn't splashed out on the meal we had.
If you’re planning a trip to Sorrento, I’ve broken down exactly how to get there from Naples (including train vs ferry, costs and what we did) here: Naples to Sorrento: Train vs Ferry (Costs, Times and Tips)
On our final morning, we checked out and took the local train back to Napoli Garibaldi Station (€1.50 per person) around lunchtime.
From there, we walked straight outside to catch the Alibus from Napoli Centrale to Naples International Airport.
Tickets are €5 per person, although interestingly the driver told us to only pay for four of us, something we found happened quite a lot in Italy with larger families.
The journey took around 20 minutes and was really straightforward.
We LOVED it! I was afraid I wouldn't after reading lots of reviews online and also as we've visited most cities in Italy now. But it's definitely up there in my top 3.
Naples isn’t polished, and it’s definitely not the easiest city at times. The transport can feel chaotic, things don’t always run smoothly, and it’s very different to northern Italy.
But that’s exactly what makes it so good. If you love places like Palermo and Catania, Naples has a similar feel.
Slowing things down, not overplanning, and being willing to change things last minute made this trip what it was.
And while we didn’t make it to the Amalfi Coast this time, it just gives us a reason to come back, and we absolutely will.
If Italy is on your list (or you’re already planning your next trip), you can find all of our Italy itineraries and guides here:
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