Where to stay
in Rione Sanità, Naples.

For April through June and September through October, when cruise traffic and weekend visitors from Rome fill central hotels, two to three weeks is plenty. For July, August, and the Christmas-Epiphany stretch, one to two weeks covers it. Easter week and the San Gennaro feast in mid-September tighten the historic center, so give those three to four weeks.

Yes, with normal city awareness. The neighborhood has shifted considerably over the past decade thanks to local cooperatives running tours and cultural projects. Streets are busy and watched until late. Stick to main thoroughfares after midnight, keep phones out of back pockets on scooters' paths, and use the well-lit routes back from the historic center rather than cutting through quiet alleys.

Small guesthouses and B&Bs in Sanità typically include a simple breakfast - cornetto, espresso, fruit, sometimes local pastries from a nearby bakery. Larger hotels closer to the center often charge 10-15 euros extra. Skipping the hotel breakfast and walking to a neighborhood bar for a 1.50-euro espresso and sfogliatella is usually the better Naples move.

Neapolitans don't stay in Naples, but when relatives visit they're put up in Vomero for quiet residential streets, Chiaia for the seafront and shopping, or increasingly Sanità and the Vergini area for the cultural-revival energy. Spanish Quarter rentals are popular with younger visitors. Avoid the immediate streets around the central station for sleep quality.

Sanità leans toward small B&Bs, restored palazzo apartments, and a handful of design-minded guesthouses rather than full boutique hotels. Many are run by local families or social cooperatives reinvesting in the neighborhood. Expect 80-150 euros a night for a double, frescoed ceilings in some rooms, and hosts who'll walk you to the catacombs entrance personally.

Light. Leave 1-2 euros for housekeeping per night if you'd like, 1 euro per bag for porters, and round up taxi fares. Concierges who book something specific for you get 5-10 euros. There's no expectation of US-style tipping, and staff won't chase you for it. The coperto on restaurant bills is a cover charge, not a tip.

Standard check-in is 14:00 or 15:00. Smaller B&Bs in Sanità often run on the owner's schedule, so message ahead with your arrival time - many will meet you earlier if the room is ready. Most properties will hold luggage from morning. If you land at Capodichino before noon, plan a long lunch in the historic center first.