Naples Naples Naples. I wanted to love you and that delicious melt-in-your-mouth pizza but I just couldnt. After so much beauty in Florence, you just felt like the ugly cousin of the family Im afraid. The up side of this is I didnt explore as much as I should have so saved a little coin just relaxing and doing a little people watching along the shoreline.

Transport

This was the end of the line for my Eurail pass as I paid the last reservation fee to use it. My whole trip I resented paying reservation fees for a pass that cost a considerable about of money to begin with so expect a post about that soon now that Ive covered off on all of its costs.

My second day in Naples saw me head out to Herculaneum and Pompeii on a day ticket (4.70 Euro). Getting the ticket from the small box of a building near my hostel was more difficult that finding the train but hey, by now I was used to the I dont speak your language you dont speak mine dance.

Hostel

I wish my hostel in Naples wasnt in Naples, it was so chill and the owners so much fun I really want to return. Hows this for just 15 Euro a night. Free breakfast, free wifi, free pasta Tuesday and thursday nights oh and lets not forget some of the coolest hostel owners Id met so far. An older Italian couple where the husband is a joker and takes any chance to pay out on his wife (all in humor) and a wife who gives just as good as she gets. If I wasnt laughing, I was relaxing in the common room watching some TV and talking to other backpackers.

Attractions

My main reason for staying in Naples apart from the pizza of course, was Pompeii. On my first full day in Naples I stopping off at Herculaneum (entry fee 9 Euro) on my way to Pompeii which is 11 Euro. Herculaneum is great but Pompeii is just crazy huge. Just remember to take a hat, sunscreen and lots of water with you because you cant escape the sun and the food vendors outside the site charge like a wounded bull. You have to make a day of it and unlike me try and get some sort of map or tour guide to point out the interesting spots. I just wandered around like a lost little boy for hours amusing myself

In Naples I also caught an underground tour of the old aqueducts which was rather interesting if a little expensive at 9.30 Euro before rounding out my sightseeing by handing over 7 Euro to enter Castle Nuovo. My tip skip the castle its got some old artwork and thats pretty much it. You would only go if you wanted catch a view out over the gulf of Naples from the 3rd story balcony.

Food

With free breakfast and free pasta for one of me nights in Naples I pretty much just feasted on pizza every other chance I got. You cant really blame me either when you are paying 3 Euro plus 1.5 Euro for a beer and are getting served up something the size of a monster pizza back home, my tip order a basic like a margherita because good pizza doesnt need extra toppings. Sadly the gelato in Naples did not live up to my expectations from Florence (it was hard to find too) so I had to go without.

Miscellaneous

I wouldnt be a backpacker if I didnt party just a little so thats just what I did. My second night saw me hit a local establishment as we followed a staff member from the hostel out on the town. Beer was consumed, shots inhaled and I woke the next day with no money in my wallet, job done.

The third night was less than fun. Our once praised hostel staff member drove us out to some makeshift club by the coast and well it was what most guys would call a sausage fest. It was later revealed said hostel staffer was just trying to impress one of the hostel girls so we were glad the night ended early after we forced him to drive us all home.

Total Cost for Naples

As Ive written before Naples failed to capture me. I know it wasnt because my trip was about to end as my last few days on the Amalfi Coast were nothing short of crazy. I just wish I had that feeling of wanting to return like I do for so many other cities throughout Europe.

A total cost of 219.7 Euro or $323.06 AUD (at an exchange rate of 0.68 Euro = 1 AUD) over four days kept my average spend to $80.76 AUD a day. Not bad in my opinion and had I skipped out on the boozing it would have been well under that figure. But really like Id miss out on the chance for a beer.

Had I travelled to Naples now (June 2011) the total cost for the four days would have been $293.63 AUD. There is no arguing with the strength of the australian dollar at the moment so if you are planning to escape winter and seek out summer on the other side of the world there is no better time than now. The good times wont last forever and you dont want to be travelling when the dollar returns to its old 80 cents for every one US dollar now do you?

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