Naples

Naples is loud, a little rough, and impossible to ignore. The port drops you within a 10-minute walk of the historic centre, where Castel Nuovo guards the entrance to Piazza del Municipio. The city's energy hits you immediately: scooters weave through traffic, laundry hangs across narrow alleys, and street vendors sell everything from fried pizza to contraband cigarettes. Keep your phone in a zipped pocket, particularly on crowded buses. Via Chiaia and the Galleria Umberto I offer shopping and cafés under an ornate glass-and-iron ceiling. The city is the birthplace of pizza, and even a cheap corner pizzeria here will likely be better than most you've tried elsewhere. Day trips to Pompeii (about 40 minutes by train) or Capri (by ferry from the terminal, just 100 metres from the cruise dock) are easy to manage independently. The funicular up to Vomero gives you a panoramic view of the bay.