On my recent road trip from Naples to Tuscany, I came across a few experiences that were absolutely unexpected. I booked a one way ticket to Naples because they were cheaper in comparison to Rome or Florence and a return ticket from Pisa which was the last stop of my road trip. I had read a lot about Naples being an unsafe area, especially for solo girl traveler. But then I thought which place isn’t? And why would that stop me from traveling anyway? From my experiences here are some insights into how to stay safe and avoid disasters in Naples!
I had booked a B&B after researching tons of places close to the airport and decided on Buono B&B after reading their reviews, which gave me enough confidence of it being safe for me. They had a parking space and waited for their customers incase of a flight delay! Reviews were my saviour in making a decision on finding a place to stay to be sure about safety!
I had booked the cheapest car rental Autoviva as they were the only ones charging me less for a different drop off location. I hadn’t checked their pick-up instructions which was the biggest mistake I made and here’s why!
A Rocky Start from Dublin to Naples
The excitement of not knowing what to expect got the best of me and I was all dandy at the airport waiting for my flight just to realise that it was delayed. At first I was unaware that the delay was going to be a cause of panic later after landing in Naples. I slept through the flight thinking that it would all be fine. After landing in Naples, I found out my car rental had already shut and didn’t wait for me.
Car rental in Napoli shuts after midnight, unless you inform them about the delay prior to flying and they might wait for you. Our flight landed around 11:45 PM after which the immigration line and baggage claim took about 40 minutes. I overheard people saying that the rental companies would be shut now, I still decided to try and walked for 10 minutes away from the airport to the car rental. I couldn’t find my car rental company Autoviva in the car rental area. I asked an Avis agent nearby about it and she told me they close early and I was supposed to call them to pick me up from the airport police station stop. The only option I had was to book with another company as now I wouldn’t get the car next day after my rental period had expired. Avis hooked me up with a good, sturdy, automatic Insignia for much more than what I was suppose to pay.
Driving in Naples
Driving in Naples was an adventure! It felt pretty much like driving in India. Just when I stepped outside the rental area, few drunk kids started messing with me, I sped after watching them, however the stop sign got me and I had to wait. The Kids ran after my car which was funny at first but when they opened my trunk it got scary and I fled from there. Luckily my luggage was in the backseat and not in the trunk!
Warning: Driving is insane in Napoli. Hence I decided to take the toll road to Tuscany which shortens the drive to 4 hours instead of 6 hours. The toll cost me around 19 euros and was totally worth it to save time. You collect the ticket at the entrance of the toll road and pay after entering in Tuscany.
Booking a Hotel in Naples
I wasn’t sure if my B&B was open either! I had called them prior to boarding the flight that I was going to be late. They promised to wait until I got in even though their reception closes at 10:30 PM. I was constantly in touch with them before and after the flight, keeping them updated. However, it was too late and the receptionist had left from the B&B and gave me a code to enter!
After getting the rental it took me 15 minutes to get to the B&B. The receptionist was very sweet to make sure I was safe and came back to receive me. He helped me park my car safely into the parking space. Buono B&B would be my absolute recommendation in Naples as it is located in a very safe community. The parking space is convenient and costs around 12 euros per night.
Lesson Learnt: Don’t arrive at night!
Frankly speaking it did have dodgy areas but which city doesn’t? Mumbai, New York or Paris? I wasn’t planning on staying in Naples, but if I did I am sure I would have not required a rental car to go around as it is a big city with decent public transportation.
In my experience arriving at night in any new country could be stressful as you might not find people to help you out in finding addresses or accommodation, especially if you are a last minute planner like me! At the airport we had no one around to tell us where the car rental area exactly was nor were there sign boards pointing towards it. I would definitely recommend arriving during the day to avoid any of the hassles I faced. The disasters were small and luckily I met good people who helped me out of it.
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