Naples - You either love it or hate it

Naples claims to be the birthplace of the Italian pizza as we know it, and as such, still creates some of the best pizzas in the world. Naples is just a 30-minute train ride from the ancient Roman ruins of Pompei and Herculanium.

Quick Tips:

Keep any money, passports, or valuables securely in a money belt, as pickpockets are rife.

Best Way To Get Around:

Buy a Naples Artecard, offering unlimited local train and bus transport.

Situated just off the Piazza Dante, this lovely Ristorante Pizzeria serves some of the best pizza in Italy, and at a very reasonable price. The basic margerita costs 3.50€, and a litre of the house red (fizzy, but not unpleasant) costs 6€. Two pizzas, water, coffee, and wine cost us 25€. Eating out on the quiet street in a screened-off section with several buskers playing while we ate was lovely.

It is open from 9am to 7:30pm (except Tuesdays). A slightly cheaper way to see the museum if you also want to use local transport and see other sights, such as Pompei and the Herculanium, is the Naples Artecard (8€ to 25€, depending on the type).

The museum contains many of the best archeological finds from Pompei and Herculanium, including some impressive mosaics. The Egyptian section is not a must-see, though the open sarcophagi, complete with withered bodies, promise some grizzly viewing. The main attraction here is the Gabinetto Segreto, which is definitely well worth a look. It has hundreds of ancient '"curiosities" collected by Neapolitan collectors over the years. Artifacts range from the hardly noticeable at first glance to the somewhat more noticeable statue of Pan seducing a goat! Entrance to the exhibit is included with your ticket, but sometimes you must ask at the front desk for an allocated viewing time.