4 Hours in Naples: Italy Solo Travel

The city that had me praying for my life…

Naples, Italy. Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.

I visited Naples as a solo traveller on October 20, 2023.

I’m not a religious person, but every time I crossed the street in Naples, I prayed to Whoever Above to let me come out of this alive. Whether or not I survived was out of my hands.

Chaotic traffic seems to be a recurring motif in Italy. The roads are winding and twisting (a stark contrast to the literal grid of Toronto), and pedestrian walkways never seem to be where they’re most needed. I only crossed when someone else did; if I didn’t, I feared my petite figure with a 29” suitcase would be the newest addition to sunbaked asphalt.

Traffic aside, the rest of my time in Naples was much more chill. I had 4 hours before my Daytrip carpool to Positano on the Amalfi Coast, so I picked what I thought were niche places from Google Maps to see … and ended up in the most touristy sites I could be. So much for taking the back road. Well, if I’m going to be a tourist, I might as well be a good one. Here are the highlights from my 4 hours in Naples, Italy.

*All photos by Lonely Girl, Lonely World unless otherwise stated.

General Impressions

Naples reminds me a lot of China, at least in the older districts. The squat, dingy buildings; the laundry hung up to dry outside; the independent household goods stores… The numerous Chinese storefronts probably helped the reminiscence.

With its narrow, arching rooftops and flag lines, you get a strange sense of solitude and quiet in the alleyways between buildings. I would say it’s almost cozy, the limited amount of space you have.

A girl I met at the hostel in Positano later told me they saw James Franco here! She showed me the photo to prove it. So keep an eye out, friends. You never know where you’ll meet a celebrity movie star.

Naples ended up being the location of a LOT of departure-day conflict for me, but I’ll write about that another time.

Tip: If you’re staying longer, Hospetel Secret Garden has a very high rating on Hostelworld and other sites. I’ll definitely be checking it out next time I visit.

Napoli Centrale Train Station

Napoli Centrale is a huge station with links to the subway (metro), retail shopping, a food court, luggage storage, and a mermaid statue on one end. You can find some familiar international stores like Mango. I spent a while browsing the area and grabbing a bite. There’s also a large bookstore that offers material in both English and Italian. There’s a very appetizing gelato shop in the food court that I didn’t try this time, so you know where I’ll be when I go back.

I arrived around 12 PM from Genoa, with a brief stop in Milan. Looking back, I chose a really convoluted route, but I think a) I wanted to see as many cities as possible, and b) I had to consider price.

Tip: Rail Europe and Trainline are both English-accessible platforms to book European train tickets from. Rail Europe has a cleaner interface, but Trainline is spot on for discount fares.

Bounce Luggage Storage

Instead of the in-station luggage storage, I opted for Bounce for their cheaper rates (but for 4 hours, I realized later it would’ve been the same either way). Bounce is an international chain of local storage options for discount prices, to the point where some of these locations are honestly a bit sketchy.

Each participating merchant is supposed to stick a sign outside, like Uber. The place I booked was a simple vendor-like convenience store for household slippers, cheap clothing, and accessories. If you’ve ever been to old-timey markets in China, you know the vibe. It was located about 10 minutes away from the train station but felt infinitely longer thanks to my luggage.

The luggage is just stored in the back room, probably not under lock and key. Thankfully, it was still there by the time I went back, but for the effort it took to drag it across the streets outside, I’ll just invest in the train station storage next time.

Christmas Alley

Christmas Alley is a long strip of vendors and stores that sell anything and everything Christmas plus everything not! From nativity scenes to Turkish lamps to Oriental fans, this alley’s got it all. I did notice a large emphasis on chili peppers in designs, and now that I’m writing this, I’ve dug up why:

“According to Dr. Paul Bosland, a premier pepper expert, the fruits (reminder: peppers are not vegetables!) have a long history as dazzling decor. In the 16th century, Europeans were delighted by colored peppers, and used them ornamentally long before they thought about eating them. In the early 20th century, Christmas peppers stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a handful of other holiday plants: Jerusalem cherries, cyclamens, and, of course, the poinsettia” (When the Christmas Plant Was a Pepper, Not a Poinsettia - Gastro Obscura (atlasobscura.com).

The more you know!

The alley was incredibly crowded and definitely a tourist hotspot. If you want the action but less of the people, just walk along the streets near it, and you’ll find churches, eateries, and independent boutiques for the taking.

Complesso Monumentale San Lorenzo Maggiore

There’s an ancient Roman underground city from the 1200s located underneath this church. The staff offer tours in English, but you have to wait by the hour for that. Otherwise, you can explore the place by yourself. The entrance fee was surprisingly cheap (9 EUR), and I’ve heard Naples in general is one of the most affordable cities in Italy to visit.

While the underground city was interesting, it is also a lot of rock and vague structures that require you to read the plaques to know what you’re looking at. Personally, I think it’s worth it one time, but you might find more value in it with a guide.

Giulia: Moda e Accessori

This was a small fashion boutique I passed that caught my eye. They offer more unique statement pieces than the mainstream market, in my opinion. I tried on some items and was very tempted to buy a pair of shorts, but, as budget travellers will know, shopping is lower on the list of priorities when you’re trying to make each dollar last. Still, the price of 20 EUR for the shorts was very cheap compared to what I saw in Positano, where I did end up buying something… I consoled myself that I would get a chance to visit again.

After my quick spree in Naples, I headed back to Napoli Centrale to meet my Daytrip ride. Daytrip is an Uber-like company providing direct-route carpool service in various locations around the world. I had a difficult time with this ride near our destination, but I’ll go into that another time.

Next stop: Positano, Amalfi Coast.