When to come, how to get here and how to move around a city that rewards a little planning - the best tables, the best ruins and the best views all need to be booked ahead.
Naples has a classic Mediterranean climate: hot, humid summers, mild and rainy winters, and two golden windows in between. April through June and September through October bring pleasant temperatures and lighter crowds - the sweet spot for walking the historic center. July and August are sultry and busy, though evenings by the sea are lovely, and December has its own magic with the nativity-crib workshops of San Gregorio Armeno. Winter days are mild but wet, and a hot scirocco wind from Africa can briefly push temperatures up in any season.
Most visitors arrive by air: Naples International Airport (NAP, Capodichino) sits a short ride from the center - the Alibus express bus runs to Piazza Garibaldi and the Molo Beverello ferry port, and taxis take about 20 minutes. By train, high-speed Trenitalia services link Napoli Centrale with Rome in about 70 minutes and Milan in under 4 hours.
The historic core is compact and best explored on foot. For longer hops, the ANM network covers the city: Metro Linea 1 (the celebrated art-station line) and Linea 2, the funiculars that climb to the Vomero hill, plus buses and trams. The Circumvesuviana and Campania Express trains leave from Piazza Garibaldi for Pompeii, Herculaneum and Sorrento, and ferries for Capri, Ischia and the Amalfi coast depart from Molo Beverello.