Naples with children, what actually works

Naples works well with children, provided you drop the idea of seeing everything. The city is chaotic, hot in summer and full of climbs, so the rhythm has to be built around breaks rather than sights.

Choosing the area is the main decision

The historic centre is captivating and wrong for small children. Evening noise, narrow or missing pavements, scooter traffic, pushchairs that fight the paving.

Chiaia works better for three reasons: wider streets, quiet evenings, and proximity to the Villa Comunale and the seafront, the only flat open spaces in the central city.

What works with children

Lungomare Caracciolo. Flat, open, traffic-free along the pedestrian stretch. The place to let children run at the end of the day.

Castel dell’Ovo. One kilometre from Chiaia, quick to visit, and the view repays the walk.

The Villa Comunale. The park along the sea, with trees and space to play.

The Archaeological Museum. Holds up better than expected, particularly the Egyptian section and the mosaics.

The funiculars and metro. For a child these are an attraction in themselves, and they solve the hills.

What to ration or avoid

Pompeii with small children is long, exposed and short on shade. Above eight it works well, below it becomes hard going.

Long visits to churches and cloisters burn patience quickly. Fewer things and more time outdoors works better.

One practical note

Neapolitans are famously welcoming to children, in restaurants and everywhere else. It is one of the things that makes the city easier than its reputation suggests.