How to get to Naples: Capodichino airport, high-speed trains and ferries

As the primary transport gateway for southern Italy, Naples connects directly with European airports, Italy's high-speed north-to-south rail corridor, and the maritime passenger network serving the islands of the Bay of Naples and the Sorrentine Peninsula. Because the airport lies close to the urban core and the main railway station connects directly to the underground metro, transferring to your hotel rarely takes long.

Arriving by air at Naples International Airport (NAP)

Located in the Capodichino district about 5.9 kilometres (3.7 miles) northeast of central Naples, Naples International Airport (Aeroporto Internazionale di Napoli, officially named Ugo Niutta Airport, IATA code NAP) operates a single passenger terminal across two levels. Originally opened as a military airfield on the Campo di Marte plain in the 1910s and opened to commercial flights in 1950, it is the busiest airport in southern Italy.

• Alibus Airport Shuttle: Operated by the municipal transport company ANM, the express Alibus coach departs directly outside the terminal arrivals hall and makes two main stops in the city: Piazza Garibaldi (outside Napoli Centrale railway station, for Metro Line 1 and the Circumvesuviana) and the Port of Naples (stopping at Immacolatella/Porta di Massa and Molo Beverello for island ferries and Santa Lucia or Piazza del Plebiscito hotels). Check current fares and frequencies on the official ANM website.
• Official fixed-fare taxis: Licensed white municipal taxis queue outside the arrivals exit. The Municipality of Naples sets official predetermined fixed fares (tariffe predeterminate) for journeys between Capodichino Airport and Napoli Centrale, the historic centre, Molo Beverello port, and Mergellina. Always ask the driver for the official fixed-rate tariff sheet printed in Italian and English before boarding and state that you want the predetermined fare prior to departure.

Arriving by high-speed train at Napoli Centrale and Napoli Afragola

For travellers already in Italy, high-speed rail is the fastest way to reach Naples. Trenitalia's Frecciarossa and private operator Italo run frequent daily trains along the Rome-to-Naples high-speed line:

• Napoli Centrale and Napoli Piazza Garibaldi: Located on the eastern edge of the historic centre at Piazza Garibaldi, Napoli Centrale is the primary terminus with twenty-five ground-level platforms. First inaugurated in 1866 and rebuilt between 1954 and 1960 to a modern concrete-roof design led by Pier Luigi Nervi, the station sits directly above the subterranean platforms of Napoli Piazza Garibaldi. Without leaving the station complex, you can descend by escalator to Metro Line 1 (Garibaldi station), Metro Line 2, or the Circumvesuviana commuter railway toward Ercolano Scavi, Pompei Scavi, and Sorrento.
• Napoli Afragola: Designed by architect Zaha Hadid and inaugurated in June 2017 twelve kilometres north of the city, Napoli Afragola serves high-speed trains that continue directly toward Salerno and Reggio Calabria without reversing at Napoli Centrale. Unless you are connecting onward to Calabria or picking up a rental car outside the city, always book your ticket specifically to Napoli Centrale.

Arriving by ferry and hydrofoil at the Port of Naples

If you are arriving from Capri, Ischia, Procida, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, or Sicily, passenger vessels dock at two main piers along the central waterfront near Castel Nuovo and Municipio Metro station:

• Molo Beverello: Reserved for foot-passenger high-speed hydrofoils (aliscafi) and catamarans from Capri, Sorrento, Ischia, and Procida. It lies directly below the gardens of the Royal Palace and Castel Nuovo, a five-minute walk from Municipio station on Metro Line 1.
• Calata Porta di Massa: Located roughly one kilometre east along the port, this terminal handles larger roll-on/roll-off car and passenger ferries (traghetti) as well as overnight crossings from Palermo and Cagliari. A free port shuttle bus links Calata Porta di Massa with Molo Beverello.