Car Rental Naples, Italy

Some areas of Naples are closed to non-resident traffic, so a rental car is the perfect way to get out of the city and explore the rest of Campania – or the rest of Italy if you’re planning a road trip.

Italian speed limits are clearly signposted, and in built-up areas are generally 50kph (31mph). On freeways, the limit is typically 130kph (80mph) and 110kph (68mph) on divided highways, but always check signs for the route that you are on. 

Seat belts are required for the driver and all passengers, while dipped headlights should be used during the day when you’re not driving in towns or cities. If you have any questions about driving in Naples or Italy, just ask the staff at your pick-up branch.

Parking spaces can be hard to find in Naples city center, although your hotel may well have its own underground parking or supervised parking lot. If you want to drive through or past Naples, it’s a good idea to get onto the A56, known as the Tangenziale.

You’ll pass through tunnels and over on/off ramps to access different parts of Naples. Like many highways in Italy, it’s a toll road and there are several methods of paying, including cash. To the east of the city, the ‘Tange’, as the locals call it, connects with the A1 – the major Italian autostrada running north to south.

A popular drive is from Naples along the Amalfi coast, brimming with rustic towns and villages. Take the A3 toll road for ‘Salerno-Reggio Calabria’ followed by the exit for ‘Castellamare di Stabia’ for Sorrento. You’ll spend part of the drive on ‘La Sorrentina’, the Statale 145 road, which is narrow and busy, but delivers stunning views out to sea.

Fringed by the sea and surrounded on all sides by serene coastal resorts, Naples itself is a hive of urban energy befitting of Italy’s third largest city.

With a long and deep history, some of its areas seem untouched by time. It’s also rough and ready, with run-down areas nestled alongside middle-class neighborhoods. A stroll through the center illuminates a wealth of contrasts, which gives Naples’ sprawl much of its charm.

The old city

Naples was founded as Neapolis by the Greeks in 470 B.C., and bears the imprint of classical culture. The historic center of the city – or ‘centro storico’ – is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and packed full of medieval sights that will have you gasping in awe.

Visit the 13^th century Duomo where you’ll find mosaics that are even older – dating back to the 4^th century. Inside is the Chapel of the Treasury (Cappella di San Gennaro – named after the protector of Naples) that was built in the 17^th century and contains the most magnificent baroque artwork.

There’s also a 4^th century basilica that was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1688. Take a tour of the sensitively restored catacombs to see the saint’s tomb and portrait, as well as 2^nd century frescoes.

Back on the street you’ll spy ornate spires such as the Obelisco di San Gennaro on Piazza Riario Sforza, with ancient churches and cloisters nearby. Finish your mini-tour with a visit to the church of San Lorenzo Maggiore. Beneath it lies a warren of Greco-Roman streets to wander past, including the remnants of a bakery.

Pizza pride

Many parts of Italy stake a claim to having invented certain world-famous dishes, but Naples is most certainly the home of pizza. It’s no surprise that it’s also the best place in the world to eat it.

Neapolitans turn their noses up at deep-pan pizza, and once you’ve tasted one of their fresh pizzas – thin, hand-rolled dough coated with fresh tomatoes and cheese and blistered in a wood-fired oven – you’ll see why.

True Neapolitan pizza makes a virtue of simplicity. At the famous L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele – renowned for the lines that form outside – there are only a couple of options, the Margherita and the Marinara. They’re no frills, but they’re fantastic. An insider tip: there’s a third pizza that’s not on the menu – the ‘Doppio Mozzarrella’ with double cheese, but you’ll need to ask.

At lunch and dinner times you’ll see huge crowds forming outside of some hole-in-the-wall pizza spots – a sure sign they’re worth a visit. Make your way to the front of the line at Pizzeria di Matteo on Via dei Tribunali for pizza fritta – fried pizza with the fillings sealed inside. A taste of heaven. Yes, Naples is good at other food too, but it’s hard to get past the pizza.

Castle on the sea

Head for the upscale district of Chiaia for shopping and people watching, before making for the sea where, on a small peninsula, sits the Castel dell’Ovo – or Egg Castle. While its modern construction dates back to the 15^th century, there have been fortifications on the site since the 1^st century BC.

We’ve barely scratched the surface of a city that’s wild and wonderful. Naples will live long in the memory of visitors. Experience the very best of it, along with the rest of Campania, with car rental in Naples.