Weekend in Naples from Eindhoven

A weekend in Naples from Eindhoven is surprisingly direct with Ryanair: multiple flights per week to Naples Capodichino (NAP) in 2 hours 25 minutes. From Capodichino you reach the city centre by Shuttle eXpress bus in 25 minutes for approximately 4 euros, or by taxi for a fixed fare of 19 euros. Return tickets can regularly be found for under 120 euros. See our full Naples travel guide for more information on neighbourhoods and sights.

Your weekend plan, day by day

• Friday: arrival and Spaccanapoli by night Fly Friday evening from Eindhoven Airport to Naples Capodichino in 2 hours 25 minutes. Shuttle eXpress bus to the centre for approximately 4 euros (25 min), or taxi for a fixed fare of 19 euros. First evening on Spaccanapoli: the straight main street that cuts through the old city, full of people, scooters and the smell of frying pizza. Pizza at L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele (the oldest in Naples, only Margherita and Marinara, approximately 6 euros) or at Sorbillo (queue but worth it, approximately 7 euros). Then walk through the Quartieri Spagnoli: the working-class neighbourhood behind Via Toledo, more lively than any tourist quarter in Rome.
• Saturday: Pompeii Early start to Pompeii. Circumvesuviana train from Napoli Centrale or Napoli Piazza Garibaldi (direction Sorrento, station Pompei Scavi): 40 minutes, return approximately 3.40 euros. Entry to the excavations is 18 euros (or 22 euros including Herculaneum). The city froze on 24 August 79 AD when Vesuvius erupted: 2,000 inhabitants petrified in ash, complete bakeries, brothels and baths preserved. Always book tickets in advance at pompeiitickets.com to skip the queue. After Pompeii back to Naples for a late lunch by the harbour: frittura di paranza (mixed fried fish) for approximately 12 euros. Want to climb Vesuvius too? Take the bus from Pompei station to the crater (approximately 2 euros + entry 15 euros, 30 min walk to the top).
• Sunday: the Veiled Christ and the harbour Morning: sfogliatelle (crispy pastry shells with ricotta) or zeppole at a traditional pasticceria for under 2 euros. Then to the Cappella Sansevero for the famous Veiled Christ (Cristo Velato), an 18th-century marble sculpture so fine it looks as if the veil is real. Ticket 10 euros, always book in advance (maximum visitor capacity, sells out fast). End at Castel dell'Ovo by the harbour (free entry) for the best panorama of the Bay of Naples with Vesuvius in the background.

Insider tip: Friggitoria in Montesanto

Almost every weekend tourist in Naples goes to the same pizzeria. But the real Neapolitan street food culture happens at the friggitorie: small fry stands in working-class neighbourhoods. The best one is in Montesanto (metro station Montesanto, a few minutes from Spaccanapoli). Here locals eat their pranzo: pizza fritta (fried stuffed pizza for approximately 2 euros), sciurilli (crispy courgette flowers), pastacresciuta (dough fritters) and cuoppo di pesce (cone of mixed fish) for 3 to 4 euros. No English menu, no decoration: a metal tub of boiling oil, a newspaper as a plate and the crispiest bite of your trip.

What does a weekend in Naples cost?

Naples is one of the cheapest weekend cities in Italy. An authentic Neapolitan pizza costs 4 to 8 euros, street food under 3 euros, espresso at the bar 1 euro. The tourist tax is 1.50 to 3 euros per person per night. Always buy Pompeii tickets in advance at pompeiitickets.com to avoid the queue. Note: Naples has exceptionally lively traffic; use the metro (lines 1 and 2, single ticket 1.10 euros) or walk as much as possible.