is naples safe for a lone female traveller??

[annisha]

Hey there, finally my dream is coming true...ever since i was 16 ive always wanted to travel europe and now i have the airline ticket, eurail tix , brit rail and insurance....i feel so sick and excited at the same time!!!.....anyway i have a question for all you experienced backpackers Im a lone female travelling thru europe, i shall be making a short stay in naples, italy because im dying to see Pompei and the isle of capri...however i have been told that naples is not a safe place for women that are travelling by themselves. Should i change my plans or still go anyway?? If naples isnt safe are there any other places nearby that i can stay as a base for when i want to visit the above mentioned places?? Im doing hostels so hopefully they are cities with cheap accom Thanks in advance for your answers

[Jules80]

While I haven't been to naples, i've heard the same things. Other people on the board have recommended doing pompeii as a day trip from rome. this is a long day trip to. i believe you can stay in sorrento (someone please correct me if i'm wrong) and looking at maps, there appears to be a ferry to capri from there too.

Jules

[annisha]

Hey thanks for that jules...so sorrento could be a possibility then...ill check out some hostel pages and see what the go is Anyone else been to naples by themselves?

[Eagle]

annisha, welcome to the Boards! A few comments to add to the others.....

IMHO, single female travelers should be a bit cautious in any city, but especially in Naples. There was a post somewhere on the Boards here (can't find the link for some reason?) a few months ago about a young American girl being raped in the station there by two "security guards" while traveling late at night. Also, there was another item a few months ago about the crime getting seriously out of control in Naples, to the point that the government was considering calling in the Army to assist the overworked Police. I don't know if the Army was ever deployed though?

However, I wouldn't let this deter you from traveling through the area as the culture there is somewhat "unique". if you want to see Pompeii you'll probably have to travel through the station in Naples. It can be done as a day trip from Rome, athough it's a LONG day. Your best bet might be to find at least one other person from the Hostel that wants to make the trip, and travel as a group. There are no guarantees, but the "safety in numbers" approach will hopefully keep you out of any difficulties.

There are also Bus tours available from Rome to Pompeii, although they tend to be a bit on the expensive side. Whether that's an option for you will depend on your travel budget. One tour you might consider is www.enjoyrome.com/vastours/naples.html. I haven't tried this particular tour, so can't comment too much, however it looks good.

Good luck and happy travels!!!

[pointofnoreturn]

When my godmother (who was born in Italy and has loads of relatives still living there) heard that I had planned to go see Naples for my trip (well actually, just pass through), she warned me of the dangers for female travellers. She basically said:

• Travel only in the daytime
  
• Wear a band on your wedding finger
  
• Since you're travelling alone, try to go with a reputable tour company. You're prone to be more safer than just on your own.
  
• Always wear a money belt, no matter how tacky it may be
  
• Try to wear a purse that crosses your body rather than swing to the side because it's easier for thieves to snatch the bag when worn on the side. It would help if your purse had a zippered closure (strengthened further with a lock, if possible)
  
• Wear dark sunglasses - it helps you avoid eye contact with the men
  
• Carry a whistle with you and wear it as part of a necklace
  
• No shorts whatsoever. Shorts aren't common in Europe and anyone can tell you're a tourist if you wear shorts. (Believe me, I wore them in the UK before and people constantly stared at me like I had a disease!)
  
• If you need help or advice on directions, ask older women rather than people your age. They're more likely to help you get where you want to be.

I hope these tips help you. Either way, anywhere you go, there's always danger around. It's just having good common sense and being aware of your surroundings and knowing how to react in these situations.

[madamtrashheap]

Here's the link that Eagle mentioned:
pretravel.proboards1.com/index.cgi?board=CCadvice&action=display&n=1&thread=3755&page=1

As everyone has stated, you need to be careful no matter what city you're in, but a little extra is needed for Naples. I've enjoyed my visits there (both in groups and alone), but have always been aware of my surroundings, possessions and people. Theft is on the rise again (friends who travel there regularly advised me just recently) and theives are getting even more blatant about it. You could simply arrive at the train station and either take the Circumsuviana to Sorrento (gorgeous town) and use it (or Positano, a little further south) as a base, or take the ferry from Naples to Capri, then across to Sorrento/Positano. Otherwise, Eagle's suggestion of a day trip from Rome to Pompeii is also a very good one.

PONR's comment on shorts is completely true - Europeans only wear shorts when going to the beach, regardless of how hot it is.

[pointofnoreturn]

^ I learned it the hard way definitely. I was in Bedforshire for a few days and it was abnormally hot like 26 C in April, no lie!) so I was like "Hell, I'll just put on my shorts" when we went out for a walk. The winter in Canada had been really cold and I was missing my shorts so I wasn't passing up the chance to wear them because I find shorts to be more comfty than pants! Of course when my British friends saw me coming down the stairs, they immediately went silent and looked at me like I had commited the world's worst fashion faux-pas.

Anyway, we went out for a stroll and I cannot count the number of times people stared and pointed at me - from all directions. It was only when we got home that my friend told me that shorts weren't really common and they had a good laugh about that - at my expense LOL.

Wear capris on hot/warm days and pants on cool days and you should be fine

[annisha]

Hey thanks for all the replies!! i dont know whether to freak our or not now! I most probably wont stay in naples now, i will look into the other places that were mentioned...also the shorts thing....i just brought some shorts for europe the other day lol...there not short shorts, there long shorts, if that make sence, they go below the knee...are they acceptable??

[pointofnoreturn]

^ Yep, they're known as "capris". Bermuda shorts may be okay but capris are better. Besides, there's lots of capris that are made of thin breathable fabric for comfort on hot days. I think I must have like 30 of these. I can't live without them!

[Jules80]

just as a point about asking for directions, in italy like many european countries, it is the younger people that have learnt english more. if you don't speak italian, asking older women for directions may not work very well, particularly in smaller towns.

[pointofnoreturn]

I think I'd be more comfortable asking older women. You could just point to a location on a map and I'm sure they'd understand what you are asking them.

Of course, going to the nearest tourist's office or any reputable company/store and showing them the map or whatever could work as well.

[WillTravel]

I've also read you should definitely not wear tank tops in Naples. I wouldn't in Rome either, I don't think.

[annisha]

Hey there, thank you so much for all of your replies You have really helped me so much I have decided not to stay in naples now, the only time i will go to naples is when i catch a flight from there to athens. Ive decided to make sorrento or salerno my base, i have done abit of research and i can go to both capri and pompei from these places YAY....so no more worries now ...btw im going to have to research some more about the shorts problem in europe, i so love to wear shorts!!!! Im not a dress girl at all Ill also have to look up what capri's look like exactly! Maybe i have them and i dont know lol...well thank you to everyone once again for all ur help...planning my trip has been fun but exasperating..thank god ive still got 5mths to go before i leave!!

[Jules80]

capris are short pants and vary in style from being just below your knee to a few inches above your ankle. i wore them all over europe. they're greaT!

Julie

[madamtrashheap]

The other bonus about capri pants/longer shorts is that as they go over your knee, they usually qualify for Church Dress so you only have to make sure your sholders are covered (ie tank tops must be covered up - a light cotton shirt would be fine).