FESTIVALS, HOLIDAYS AND OTHER ANNUAL EVENTS IN Naples

There are a number of festivals, holidays and other events celebrated in Naples each year.
The main ones are listed below.

For all Italians, the 6th of January is the day when the benevolent white witch Befana, who predates Santa Claus in Italy, arrives on her broomstick with presents and candy for all children who have been good during the year, or a lump of coal if they have been bad!

Solemn processions and passion plays in the streets mark the week leading up to Easter in Naples.

Every year during the month of May, Naples celebrates its cultural heritage with a wide range of events, including guided tours, exhibitions, workshops for children, concerts, film screenings and theatrical productions. A number of museums and monuments offer free admission and some of the city's treasures are open to the public uniquely for the duration of this festival.

Commemorates the national referendum voted on this day in 1946, when the Italian people chose a republic instead of a monarchy. In Naples, as in the rest of Italy, celebrations include official ceremonies, a military parade, fireworks, concerts and street parties.

The feast day of Naples' patron saint is the most important religious festival of the year. The faithful flock to the Duomo to see whether San Gennaro's blood, stored in vials at the cathedral, will liquefy, a recurring miracle that is believed to indicate the saint's intervention, thus saving Naples from wars, epidemics and natural disasters over the centuries. Misfortunes having struck the city in years when the blood failed to liquefy include the bubonic plague in 1527 and the major earthquake in 1980. A mass is held at the cathedral, followed by an elaborate procession through the streets of Naples.

During this period, Via San Gregorio and the adjoining streets are taken over by stalls of craftspeople who make and sell figurines of the Holy Family, the Three Kings as well as all other accessories required for creating manger scenes, a vibrant local tradition.

At this time of year, Piazza del Plebiscito in central Naples is the venue for many end-of-year festivities: concerts, shows for children and dance performances.

CLIMATE AND WEATHER IN Naples

Month	Min. Average Temperature (°C/F°)	Max. Average Temperature (°C/F°)	Average Rains (MM)	Best Time to Travel
January	3/37	12/54	104/4.1	Not the best period to go
February	4/39	13/55	99/3.9	Not the best period to go
March	6/43	14/57	86/3.4	Not the best period to go
April	8/46	18/64	76/3.0	Not the best period to go
May	12/54	22/72	50/2.0	Good period to go
June	16/61	26/79	33/1.3	Good period to go
July	18/64	29/84	25/1.0	Good period to go
August	18/64	29/84	40/1.6	Not the best period to go
September	15/59	26/79	81/3.2	Not the best period to go
October	11/52	22/72	129/5.1	Not the best period to go
November	7/45	17/63	162/6.4	Not the best period to go
December	5/41	13/55	121/4.8	Not the best period to go

Naples Capodichino International Airport

Naples' Capodichino Airport is located about 6 kilometres (4 miles) north-east of the city centre.

• Two terminals:
  • Terminal 1 (Air France)
  • Terminal 2

• By car
  • Accessible via the highway that runs through Naples (A56 – Tangenziale).
  • There are three short-term parking facilities – P3, P4 and P5 – charging EUR 3.50 for the first hour or fraction thereof, and two long-term facilities, P1 Long-Term Low Cost and P Multipiano Long-Term Comfort, offering rates of EUR 18 and EUR 25 for 1 day, respectively.
  • Several car rental companies have counters at the car rental centre on the airport property, with a free shuttle bus stopping at both terminals.
• By bus
  • Alibus operates shuttle bus services connecting the airport with Napoli Centrale train station and Moro Beverello ferry port, making no intermediate stops, every 15 to 20 minutes from 6:30 a.m. to midnight. The UnicoAlibus, a single ticket valid for 90 minutes on all means of public transport, may be purchased for EUR 3 from an authorized agent before boarding the bus.
• By taxi
  • Taxis are available at the ranks just outside the terminals. The fixed fare to Piazza Municipio is EUR 19 (for a maximum of four passengers with luggage).

• Services: shops, bars and restaurants, Internet access (Wi-Fi) available in the airport.
• Telephone: +39 (0)81 789 6111
• Website: http://www.aeroportodinapoli.it

GETTING AROUND Naples

Naples is a city that demands to be explored on foot. But it also offers an efficient public transport system serving all districts, despite its famously chaotic and congested streets.

By rail

There are three main rapid transit lines:

• MetroNapoli operates Line 1, also known as Collinare (the hill metro), which goes from Piazza Dante through the main areas of central Naples before heading to the northern districts and runs from 6:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m., with departures every 7–15 minutes.
• MetroNapoli also operates Line 6, linking the Fuorigrotta area with Mergellina.
• Trenitalia operates Line 2, which goes from Gianturco to Pozzuoli, with stops at Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza Cavour (where it intersects with Line 1) and runs from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., with departures every 10–20 minutes.

By bus

Naples has an extensive network of bus routes offering excellent coverage of the city. Buses R1, R2, R3 and R4 are particularly useful for travelling between the city's main tourist attractions. As mentioned above, the TIC is also valid for all bus lines in Naples.

By funicular

Taking the funicular is a must for all those eager to enjoy superb views overlooking Naples and its bay. The Centrale, Montesanto and Chiaia funiculars link the city centre to Vomero, the museum district, while the Mergellina links the Via Manzoni to the coast. All four funiculars run about every 10 minutes from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. As mentioned above, the TIC is also valid for all funiculars in Naples.

By tram

Naples has several tram lines, some of which offer a convenient way to travel between the city centre and the seaside:

• Line 1 departs from Milano Centrale train station and crosses Piazza Garibaldi and other points in the city centre before heading along the waterfront to Piazza Vittoria.
• Line 4 serves the entire waterfront.
• Line 29 covers segments of the other two lines.

Visitor information

Upon your arrival in Naples, you can get in touch with local tourism professionals for further information and to help organize your stay.

Offers practical information and many useful recommendations (accommodation, restaurants, public transport, festivals, cultural events, etc.).

• Address: Via San Carlo, 9 / Via Marino Turchi, 16 / Piazza del Gesù Nuovo
• Telephone: +39 (0)81 402 394 / +39 (0)81 240 0911 / +39 (0)81 551 2701
• Website: http://www.inaples.it

The official website of Italy's national tourist board (Agenzia Nazionale del Turismo, ENIT) provides a wealth of information on Naples.

• Website: http://www.italia.it

Currency and Exchange Rates

The currency used in Italy is the euro (€).

INR 1 = EUR 0.01

EUR 1 = INR 100

The above exchange rate is given for information because is variable.

Medical information

See your doctor before you travel.

There are no vaccination requirements for visitors to Italy.

For more information, contact Air France's international vaccination centre:

• Address: 38 Quai de Jemmapes 75010 Paris
• Website: http://www.vaccinations-airfrance.fr
• Telephone: +33 (0)1 43 17 22 00
• To make a vaccination appointment:
  • online (click here)
  • call the centre at +33 (0)1 43 17 22 00

Tap water is safe to drink in Naples.

Administrative formalities

For a stay of less than three months, travellers from the Schengen area, as well as those from the countries of the European Union not included in the area, need only be in possession of a national identity card or a passport valid for the duration of their stay in order to enter Italy.

As a general rule, all other travellers are subject to visa requirements, although citizens of some countries may enter Italy for a short stay of up to 90 days without a visa.

For further information, visit the website of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://vistoperitalia.esteri.it/home/en

Essential phrases

Good to know

intl. access code + 39

+ phone number without the 0 (calls to Naples)

-4 : 30
of time difference with
Delhi

Start of daylight saving time: last Sunday in March
End of daylight saving time: last Sunday in October

Banks

Usually open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Government offices

Usually open Monday to Friday in the morning only

230 V / 50 Hz

And what about tipping?
At restaurants that have waiting staff, a 10 to 15 percent service charge (servizio) is usually included in the bill. If the service is exceptional, you can certainly leave a few euros more. Some restaurants also apply a cover charge (pane e coperto, literally “bread and cutlery”), which is not considered as a gratuity, but is instead a set, nominal fee you will need to pay regardless of what you eat. You should therefore be wary of the very attractive prices posted in the windows of certain restaurants, because they may not include either the servizio or the pane e coperto!