ItalyField Guide
Campania

Region

Campania

Naples and its bay — the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia, Pompeii, and Vesuvius — plus a green interior (Cilento) most travelers never reach. The pizza is the best in the world; the traffic is the worst.

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The verdict

Campania is the most intense region in Italy — the food, the driving, the archaeology, and the coast all turned up. Do Naples for the pizza and the chaos, the Amalfi Coast for the glamour, and Pompeii for the ruins. If you can, push south into the Cilento for a quieter, cheaper, genuinely Italian coast. Avoid the Amalfi Coast in peak August unless you love crowds and traffic.

Why go

Naples (and the world's best pizza), Pompeii, and the Amalfi Coast — Italy's most concentrated hit of ruins, coast, and street life.

Skip if

You want peace and quiet, or you're traveling in peak August and can't handle the Amalfi crowds.

Where to go in Campania

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Sorrento
01

Town · Campania

Sorrento

Sorrento is worth a night or two as a base, not as a destination. It is the logistical hub for the Amalfi Coast, Capri, and Pompeii. It is pleasant and touristy; stay here for the connections, not the charm.

Positano
02

Town · Campania

Positano

Positano is worth a night if you can afford it, or a day visit if you can't. It is the image of the Amalfi Coast. Stay elsewhere and ferry in if the prices are too steep.

Naples
03

Town · Campania

Naples

Naples is worth two nights and rewards the traveler who doesn't need things tidy. It is the gateway to Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, and Capri, and it has the best pizza in Italy. Skip it only if you need order and calm.

Things to do in Campania

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