Weekend in Naples Italy.
Go for a weekend in Naples Italy? That’s just crazy. Yes, it is, in a beautiful way.
Two + days in Naples beats never visiting Naples at all.
Why would I even consider this?
- Maybe you can not afford seven days financially.
- Perhaps your schedule does not allow a full week.
- You will be passing by on your way to or from somewhere else?
- You deserve it.
So why spend the weekend in Naples? It’s a fascinating city that most people miss or rush through on the way to somewhere else.
If you can’t do a weekend in Naples, weekdays can have smaller crowds and better hotel prices. But get to Naples, for at least two days.
People go on a cruise and if they are lucky, get 8 hours in a port. Much of this time getting on and off a bus or the ship. So now two days doesn’t seem as crazy. of course, more days is better.
So When do you Weekend in Naples?
January / February.
Daytime: Mid 40s (°F). Night time: Mid 30s (°F).
Average Precipitation. (in)
Avg. 2.” with January usually fewer days of rain.
Average 3-star hotel room city center. (inc taxes).
$80 – $100/nt for 2 people.
Upside.
- Most of Italy is having winter sales on clothing.
- The sites will have smaller crowds. However, check their times. They may have shorter (winter) opening hours.
- Wineries also have fewer visitors. Staff is out of the fields and may be able to talk more.
Downside.
- Much of the Amalfi Coast closes for a deserving rest. With only two days you should be concentrating on Naples proper.
- Capri is similar. The funicular and many shops and cafes close. There is still a bus service. Capri is just not Capri without warm sunshine.
Festivals.
- Jan 6 – Epiphany. La Befana arrives with toys for the children. This day is a national holiday. Banks and most shops will close. Check individual sites if they will be open.
- Jan 17 – O Cippo di Sant’Antonio. St Anthony is the saint of fire. Bonfires of different sizes burn in the streets this evening in his honor. Sant’Antonio abate, near Pompeii, really celebrates their namesake.
- February – Carnevale (Carne vale – farewell to meat) – is an opportunity to indulge in beef and other treats before the start of Lent. It begins 40 days before Easter. Parties, parades, and festivals start two weeks earlier. Hotel rates will spike the closer you get to the weekend before Fat Tuesday.
March / May.
Daytime: Upper 60s (°F). Night time: Low 60s (°F).
Average Precipitation. (in)
Avg. 6.” April being the wettest of the three months.
Average 3-star hotel room city center. (inc taxes).
$100 – $120/nt for 2 people. (lower rates in March, climbing to May).
Upside.
Kids are still in school. Temperatures are near perfect for touring, although you should expect some spring showers.
Sites will have smaller crowds. However, check their times. They may still have shorter (winter) opening hours in March / April.
Wineries also have fewer visitors. Staff is around, and activity picks up adding some excitement.
Downside.
By the end of April, the Amalfi Coast will be starting to open again. And the same with Capri. Still a little windy and cooler March/April.
Festivals.
- April 25 – Festa della Liberazione which marks the Italian liberation from the Nazi-fascist oppression in 1943. The festival includes concerts, cultural events, historic building tours, and street food.
- May – Festa di San Gennaro takes place the Saturday before the first Sunday in May. It is a one-day reenactment of the 8-day long festival in September. Most of the action takes place in and around the Naples Cathedral and Piazza del Duomo.
June / August.
Daytime: Upper 80s (°F). Night time: Mid 70s (°F).
Average Precipitation. (in)
Avg. 2.” July is the dryest of the three months.
Average 3-star hotel room city center. (inc taxes).
$90 – $120/nt for 2 people. (Rates drop a little in the summer. This drop is due to competition from Amalfi and Capri, where it is cooler). Make sure your hotel has air conditioning.
Upside.
- Summer weather with little rain.
- Everything is open.
- July and beginning of August is another “sale” period for many stores.
Downside.
- Crowds are forming and its getting hotter. Daytime temperatures in July -August are the high 80s. Keep in mind new hotels have air conditioning. Ancient sites and old buildings probably do not.
- August is when most of Europe takes the month for vacation.
Festivals.
- June – The Pizza Village Festival runs for approximately a week towards the end of the month. Concerts, activities, and lots of pizza eating.
- June and July – the Napoli Teatro Festival Italia (Most of website is in Italian) takes place. Highlighting plays by Italian authors, there are often plays from other countries as well. Concerts, book readings, and dance performances also take place.
- August 15 – Ferragosto (Assumption of Mary) is a national holiday. In small towns, the celebration is a family lunch. Bigger cities use it as an excuse for street parties late into the night. Naples comes to a standstill as just about everything will close that day.
September / November.
Daytime: Mid 70s (°F). Night time: Mid 60s (°F). Dropping another 10 degrees by November.
Average Precipitation. (in)
Avg. 8.” You are in Naples “rainy” season.
Average 3-star hotel room city center. (inc taxes).
$90 – $110/nt for 2 people.
Upside.
- Most of Italy goes back to school/work.
- Sites will have smaller crowds. However, check their times. By the end of October, many are switching to winter hours.
- Wineries are rocking with harvesting and bottling activities. If they offer tours/tastings, some may be limiting visits during peak work periods. Call ahead.
- With cooler weather comes festivals. Naples is no different.
Downside.
- There’s a chance of rain. Of course, as a traveler, you prepare for this so you can go places many may not.
- The Amalfi Coast and Capri will close by November. With only two days, that doesn’t matter as Naples has enough to keep you busy.
Festivals.
- September – The Festa di Piedigrotta has something for everyone. There is a greeting to the Madonna of Piedigrotta, and a mass for the fishermen on the beach. There are processions by land and sea, free concerts and always food.
- September 19 – is the celebration of San Gennaro, the citie’s patron saint. The Festa di San Gennaro celebrates the miracle of San Gennaro’s blood re-liquifying after his death. Events at the Duomo are on T.V. and streaming so that all can see. If the miracle does not happen, Naples might have bad luck. Needless to say, after the miracle, there is much celebrating.
- September – for two weeks the Napoli Film Festival takes over the city
December
Daytime: Low 40s (°F). Night time: Mid 30s (°F).
Average Precipitation. (in)
Avg. 2.”
Average 3-star hotel room city center. (inc taxes).
$80 – $150/nt for 2 people. (Rates start low the beginning of December. They go up every week until Christmas – New Years week, one of the highest.)
Upside.
- The city is decorating for Christmas.
- Cold, but not extremely cold weather.
- The aroma of roasting chestnuts fills the streets.
- You can warm up next to a pizza oven.
- In the narrow alleys of San Gregorio Armeno and San Biagio dei Librai, are shops that make nativity scenes. You can visit them any month. If you want to take time to stop and see the craftsmen making them, you go outside November or December. In December, they are not making them, they are just selling them. It’s just madness. But it’s a fun madness if you let it be. It is the town of nativities. The church of San Lorenzo Maggiore has tiny nativity scenes inside walnut shells. See the living nativity scene at Piazza San Gaetano. The Museo di San Martino has the largest collection of nativity scenes and statuettes. They range from big to small, made out of wood, terracotta, precious silver and coral.
Downside.
- There will be crowds. They will grow the closer to December 25 you get. Winds off the water can drop the temperature quickly.
Festivals.
- December 16 – the smaller version of Festa di San Gennaro takes place. Similar to the one in May, most of the action takes place in and around the Naples Cathedral and Piazza del Duomo.
Weekend in Naples roundup.
So why do a weekend in Naples Italy?
Naples is just over an hour train ride south of Rome. It’s accessible.
The city has more than enough to fill two days with unforgettable memories.
It’s the home of pizza and buffalo mozzarella. That alone should be reason enough.
The city has a great buzz about it. You need at least two days to feel it.
Is there a “best” time to visit? That depends on what you want to get out of it.
But you owe it to yourself to go and see just how much fun the city is, anytime. A weekday or weekend in Naples is waiting for you.
Read more on Naples.
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