In short
Naples costs half of Rome for a density of sites that owes it nothing. The historic centre is a World Heritage site in its entirety.
Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius sit on the same suburban railway line, less than an hour away. Few cities offer that from their main station.
What it really costs
It is the cheapest large city in western mainland Italy: housing, food and transport all cost distinctly less than in Rome or Florence.
Pizza here is everyday food, not a tourist product: the historic pizzerias in the centre serve a margherita at a price that has not followed the rest of Europe.
What nobody tells you
The archaeological museum of Naples holds most of what was lifted out of Pompeii — mosaics, frescoes, bronzes. Seeing the site without the museum means visiting empty walls.
The Circumvesuviana, the train serving Pompeii and Sorrento, is old, crowded and a working ground for pickpockets. A newer regional service covers part of the route and is worth the difference.
Traffic follows its own rules and pedestrians cross by committing, calmly, without running. Waiting for a gap in the flow means waiting a long time.
