Car Rental Naples

A quick guide to Naples

Don’t be put off by the bustle and pace of Naples. The city has a host of wonderful delights to savour, including its fantastic cuisine which is justly hailed as some of the best Italy has to offer.

Sample the best pizza in Naples

Start your tour of the city in the stylish surroundings of the Gran Caffè Gambrinus, complete with art nouveau flourishes and deliciously tempting pastries. Enjoy an espresso and local favourite, rum baba, as you gaze across the wide-open spaces of the Piazza del Plebiscito and watch the city get on with its day.

From Piazza del Plebiscito you can explore the city’s Centro Storico, a labyrinth of cobbled alleyways. Cutting right through the heart of the historic centre is Spaccanapoli (literally ‘Naples splitter’). This mainly pedestrianised street is fun to wander around, as it’s crammed with fascinating little artisan shops, buzzing cafés, churches and ancient, crumbling palazzi.

Naples is the birthplace of the pizza and wherever you are in the city, you’re never far from the mouth-watering aroma of freshly-baked thin crust pizza. Spaccanapoli is home to the city’s finest pizzerias and, according to many locals, the world’s best pizza is served at Di Matteo.

Those with a sweet tooth can indulge themselves on some truly scrumptious cakes and desserts. Stop in at Scaturchio for a waist-expanding sfogliatella, a flaky pastry parcel stuffed with sweet ricotta and dusted with icing sugar, perfect with your next espresso.

Miracles can happen

For something more cerebral, head to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples where you’ll find one of the most remarkable collections of ancient exhibits in the world. In addition to Greek and Roman mosaics, sculptures, gems, glass and silver, the museum also contains a secret room which holds a collection of erotic artefacts from nearby Pompeii.

A short walk away is the Duomo, a 13th-century Gothic cathedral dedicated to the city’s patron saint, San Gennaro. Here, at various points of the year, you can witness a famous miracle, when the dried blood of the patron saint, stored in a small flask, is supposed to liquefy in front of the eyes of the waiting crowd.

Climb Mount Vesuvius and see Pompeii

After a couple of days in Naples, you might fancy a trip to explore the surroundings. A short drive south are Pompeii and Herculaneum, the ancient Roman cities destroyed in 79 AD.

Here, you can wander among the ruins for a fascinating insight into life almost 2,000 years ago. Don’t miss the fantastic paintings in the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii.

From here you can burn off all those calories with a trek up Mount Vesuvius, responsible for the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum and still one of Europe’s most active volcanoes.

Drive along the Amalfi Coast

Less than an hour from the centre of Naples you can enjoy the spellbinding beauty of the Amalfi Coast, one of the world’s most scenic and romantic coastal drives. The road continues south past the ancient site of Pompeii and heads west to the stunning clifftop town of Sorrento, overlooking the Bay of Naples.

A maze of narrow streets and alleyways tumble down from the old centre to its busy marinas. From Sorrento, the road heads anti-clockwise, zig-zagging through a series of tight hairpin bends as its hugs the coastline, to the cliffside village of Positano, with its chic boutiques and cafés.

Car rental in Naples allows you to see the very best of the city and also discover the many must-see spots in the wider Campania region beyond.

Driving in and around Naples

Our car hire location at Naples International Airport is just off the A56 which bypasses the city along its western and northern edges, allowing easy access to the main E45/A1 autostrada. This motorway is the main route north to Rome, which is just over two hours away, while heading south takes you to Pompeii, Salerno and all the way down to the ‘heel’ and ‘toe’ of Italy’s ‘boot’.

As you would expect in Italy’s third biggest city, traffic in Naples can be busy, particularly during peak travel times, so it’s worth planning journeys accordingly if you can.

It’s also important to note that the very heart of the city – its historic centre, or Centro Storico – is restricted to traffic in order to preserve the treasures you’ll find within.

Known as a ZTL (Zona a Traffico Limitato), access is reserved for residents with a special permit. It’s better to use one of the car parks near the centre or the open-air parking lots around the outskirts.

A hire car offers a great way to get around the Amalfi Coast, especially in the low season, from October to May, when the roads are less congested and you can admire the spectacular scenery at a more leisurely pace.

The SS145 branches off the E45 near Pompeii and runs west to Sorrento, where the SS163 doubles back along the coastline towards Positano, Ravello and Amalfi.

In Italy you’ll be driving on the right-hand side of the road. Pay careful attention to speed limits on all roads, which range from 130km/h on the motorways – autostrade – to 110km/h on non-major highways, 90km/h on local roads and 50km/h in built-up areas.

Italian motorways are toll roads, indicated by green signs. If you’d like more information about these, just ask our local staff.