Visas & entry
Italy is in the Schengen Area. EU/EEA/Swiss visitors enter freely with valid ID; many visitors including US, UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passport holders can normally visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day Schengen period. Check current Italian and Schengen entry rules before travel, especially ETIAS timing.
Getting in
- Naples International Airport / Capodichino: The region’s main air gateway and the right arrival point for Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento and the islands. It is close to central Naples, but has no rail station: use the Alibus, taxi or a pre-booked transfer.
- Rome Fiumicino Airport: Often the best-value long-haul gateway, especially when Naples flights are expensive. Take a rail connection into Rome and a high-speed train to Naples (roughly 1–1.5 hours from Roma Termini), then continue along the Campania rail-and-ferry spine.
- Naples Centrale / Piazza Garibaldi: The practical rail gateway from Rome, Florence, Milan and elsewhere in Italy. High-speed trains make Naples the natural hub; connect here for EAV/Circumvesuviana services to Herculaneum, Pompeii and Sorrento, or walk/transfer to the ports for islands.
- Salerno rail station: Use Salerno if you are sleeping on the eastern Amalfi Coast, visiting Paestum, or continuing south. It has strong mainline rail links; in ferry season it is also a much saner sea gateway to Amalfi than trying to drive the coast.
Getting around
Use trains and ferries for the Naples–Herculaneum–Pompeii–Sorrento–Salerno corridor; a car is more burden than help in Naples, Sorrento, Capri or on the Amalfi Coast. EAV/Circumvesuviana trains are cheap and useful but crowded and unglamorous—keep luggage light and valuables close. In roughly April–October, ferries are often the fastest and least stressful way between Sorrento, Salerno, Amalfi, Positano and the islands, but weather can disrupt them; outside that period, expect much thinner service. Rent a car only for Cilento, Paestum backroads, Irpinia or winery country, and avoid taking it into Naples or relying on it for the SS163 coast road.
Money
Italy uses the euro (€). Cards and contactless payments work widely in cities, hotels and established restaurants, but carry cash for small bars, market purchases, buses, beach lidos and occasional taxi situations. Service is commonly covered by a coperto at restaurants; rounding up or leaving a small extra tip for notably good service is optional, not obligatory.
Daily budget · EUR (€), per person per day, excluding international flights; assumes two people sharing a room.
- Value
- Naples/Salerno: €110–170; Sorrento/Amalfi Coast: €150–230; Capri/premium Ischia: €190–300.
- Mid-range
- Naples/Salerno: €210–340; Sorrento/Amalfi Coast: €300–500; Capri/premium Ischia: €450–750.
- High-end
- Naples/Salerno: €500+; Sorrento/Amalfi Coast: €800+; Capri/premium Ischia: €1,000+.
- Naples and Salerno are the region’s value bases; Positano, Capri and prime Amalfi Coast rooms are the budget breakers.
- These bands cover accommodation, food, local transport and ordinary paid sights. Boats, private transfers, guided excursions and destination dining push totals up quickly.
- For a sensible first trip, use Naples, Sorrento or Salerno as bases rather than paying every night for cliff-coast or Capri lodging.
- Value means a clean guesthouse/simple hotel, pizza or market lunches, one sit-down dinner and regional transport. Mid-range means a good 3–4-star hotel or polished B&B, strong dinners, and ferries or taxis when they save real time.
- Museum and archaeological tickets are usually not the main cost; lodging and sea transport are. Shoulder season can cut hotel rates sharply, while July–August, Easter and holiday weekends make coastal availability expensive.
- Paestum/Cilento can be good value, but a car becomes a real added cost once you leave the rail corridor. Do not rent one for Naples or peak-season Amalfi Coast driving.
Eating well
- Use Naples for the region’s strongest combination of quality and value; it is the place to prioritize pizza, pastry and coffee rather than treating it as a transit stop.
- Eat mozzarella di bufala around Paestum rather than assuming the version served in heavily touristed coast towns is the point of the trip.
- On Capri and the Amalfi Coast, sea-view location is often what you are paying for. Book sought-after restaurants in high season and be skeptical of menus designed around passing day-trippers.
- In summer, reserve premium restaurants well ahead, especially in Positano, Amalfi, Capri and Sorrento.
- For inland wine country, plan a car or a driver: public transport is not useful for casual winery hopping.
Book before you land
Pompeii Archaeological Park timed entry, especially from spring through autumn and on holiday weekends; daily entry is capped. · Vesuvius crater access, if the hike is a priority; reserve a timed slot rather than building a day around an on-the-day gamble. · Capri hydrofoil/ferry crossings in summer, on weekends and around holidays—particularly first departures from Naples or Sorrento and late returns. · Ravello Festival performances, if travelling during its summer programme. · Reggia di Caserta tickets on holidays and busy weekends; the palace is closed Tuesdays.
- Base yourself rather than changing hotels every night: Naples for city life, archaeology and island ferries; Sorrento for Capri/Pompeii; Salerno for the eastern Amalfi Coast and Paestum. The coast is slow even when distances look short.
- Do not plan an Amalfi Coast day around tight bus connections in summer. Use ferries when operating, allow slack for weather and queues, and do not drive the SS163 expecting a scenic, relaxed road trip.
- Naples rewards normal big-city habits: keep phones and wallets secure, do not leave bags unattended, and treat traffic and scooters as serious hazards when crossing streets.
- Validate or follow the ticket rules for regional trains and buses, and check the operator’s live timetable rather than relying on map apps. Ferry schedules are seasonal and can change with sea conditions.
- Pack shoes that handle cobbles, stairs and uneven archaeological ground. Amalfi, Positano, Ravello and Capri are vertical places; wheeled luggage quickly becomes a nuisance.
- For Cilento, Velia, buffalo farms, Irpinia and most inland wine country, public transport is sparse. Pick up a rental car after Naples or Salerno, not before.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this region.
Season by season
March–May
March can be unsettled, but April and especially May bring mild, green weather, good walking conditions and increasingly reliable ferry service without summer heat.
Naples and archaeologyAmalfi Coast walkingCapri and IschiaFood-focused trips
Easter brings fuller trains and ferries, holiday closures and high coastal demand; book early, particularly for Procida during Holy Week.
June–August
Long, hot days and the fullest ferry network make this the strongest period for swimming, boating and island stays.
Beaches and swimmingBoat tripsIsland holidaysLate-evening coastal life
Capri, Positano, Amalfi and Sorrento are expensive and packed; buses and roads can be unusable at busy times, especially around Ferragosto on 15 August.
September–November
September remains summery by the sea, while late September and October combine warm water, manageable heat and lighter post-school-holiday crowds; November is cooler and wetter.
ArchaeologySwimming in September and early OctoberFood and wineAdult-focused coast trips
Ferry weather becomes less dependable as autumn advances, and November is better for Naples, Caserta and museums than for cliff walks or island hopping.
December–February
Expect short days, rain spells and cooler inland temperatures; Naples remains lively, while many coast and island businesses operate reduced hours or close.
Naples museums and churchesPizza, pastry and marketsCasertaChristmas traditions
The Amalfi inter-town ferry network is largely absent, island connections are narrower, and a coast-first itinerary will feel subdued rather than scenic and effortless.
Events worth planning around
Holy Week and Easter, including Procida processions · Usually late March or April; dates vary with Easter · Procida and across Campania
Procida’s Good Thursday and Good Friday processions are a real reason to visit, but island rooms and ferries tighten sharply; Easter also fills trains and coastal accommodation region-wide.
Ravello Festival · Usually summer, with dates varying by year · Ravello, Amalfi Coast
A worthwhile reason to include Ravello for a specific concert, but check the annual programme before fixing the itinerary or booking coast accommodation.
Naples presepi season · Christmas through 6 January · Naples, especially San Gregorio Armeno
Nativity workshops and displays are at their most vivid; expect dense weekend crowds around San Gregorio Armeno and reserve central accommodation early if visiting over the holidays.
What to eat
Eat by geography rather than treating Campania as one menu: Naples for pizza, pastry and coffee; the coast and islands for seafood, lemons and pasta; the Paestum plain for mozzarella di bufala; and Irpinia for rural cooking and serious wine. Skip generic tourist menus on the Amalfi Coast and Capri when possible; the region’s best-value eating is usually in Naples, Salerno and inland towns.
Neapolitan pizzaMozzarella di bufalaTomato-based pasta and pizza dishesSeafood and citrus cookingCampanian lemons and lemon-led dishesNeapolitan pastriesCoffee in NaplesFiano di AvellinoGreco di TufoTaurasi
Naples: Neapolitan pizza · Pastry · Coffee culture · Rich city cooking
Sorrento and the Sorrentine Peninsula: Lemons · Seafood · Pasta
Amalfi Coast and islands: Seafood · Citrus-based cooking · Lemon terraces and local lemons
Paestum and the Cilento: Mozzarella di bufala, especially close to production · Buffalo-farm food stops · Lower-key coastal cooking
Irpinia and Benevento inland: Rural cooking · Fiano di Avellino · Greco di Tufo · Taurasi
Researched Oct 15, 2026