How should a first-time visitor plan a trip to Naples, Italy?

How Naples fits together

Central Naples works as a few walkable bands. The Centro Storico holds the old Greek-Roman grid, including the long lane called Spaccanapoli, plus the Duomo and Cappella Sansevero. Toledo and the Quartieri Spagnoli sit just west, dense and steep. Chiaia, on the seafront, is calmer and more upscale. Vomero sits on the hill above, reached by funicular, with views over the bay. Mergellina, further along the coast, has the ferries to the islands.

Airport in, metro around

Capodichino airport (NAP) is close to the center; the Alibus shuttle runs to Piazza Garibaldi (the main station) and on to Municipio near the port. Inside the city, two metro lines cover most sights. Line 1 is newer, and several stations, including Toledo, Municipio and Universita, are built as art installations worth seeing on their own. Line 2 is older, useful east-west. The funiculars linking the lower city to Vomero are part of the same network, covered by the same ticket.

What first-timers usually get wrong

• Treating Pompeii, Amalfi and Capri as easy add-ons: each is close, but getting there and back takes most of a day.
• Carrying bags loosely or phones in back pockets around Garibaldi station, on buses, and in the Centro Storico's narrow lanes; keep valuables zipped and in front.
• Trusting posted addresses alone; entrances are often set back or unmarked, so cross-check with a map.
• Renting a car for the city itself; the center has restricted traffic zones and is best done on foot and by metro.

A first-trip shape

Give a first day to the Centro Storico on foot: the Duomo, Cappella Sansevero, and Spaccanapoli, ending with pizza. Use a second day for Vomero by funicular and the Chiaia seafront for contrast. Save Pompeii or Herculaneum for a half-day trip once oriented. The Amalfi Coast and Capri are worth doing, but treat them as a separate full day with their own train, bus or ferry connections.