I hate to admit it, but Naples is a difficult place for the casual tourist to like.  Unfortunately it is still just a photo-op on most of the orientation tours I've taken.  Everything about it is intense, especially the people and the traffic.  In fact, you need a good sense of humor and firm grip on your purse and camera.  DO leave your valuables in the hotel safe.  Having said that, if you're planning on visiting any of the islands or Pompeii, Vesuvius or Sorrento you must at least give Naples a try. 

On my last trip with mom, we decided to take the train from Naples back up to Rome.  I'm not a big fan of buses and trains, but when in Rome...  Anyway, Mom and I get to the train station and a guy comes up to us wearing (I assume) a porter's jacket.  He asks to see our tickets, puts our bags on a luggage carrier and takes off running down to the first class end of the train, about a half block away from where we were.  Or so we thought.  It turns out that we were already standing on the first class platform, and the "porter" deposited our stuff at the far end of the train (third class) in order to weasel some extra lira out of us.  And maybe he wasn't a porter after all.  We never found out.

Another time I was traveling alone and wanted to spend a couple of nights in Naples.  As I checked into my hotel I got a ten minute safety lecture from the desk manager.  Wear your purse under your coat.  (People on motorcycles can snatch them and ride off.)  Don't talk to anybody.  Don't look lost (lest you be lured off the beaten path and robbed), watch where you shop.  Although I'm a pretty savvy traveler I found myself being just a little bit jumpy when I was out and about.

To add insult to injury, I arranged for an early morning cab ride to the airport "negotiated" by the desk manager for $50 American, tip included.  5 a.m., cabbie arrives on time, drives around for a good 20 minutes, drops me off and wants a tip.  In fact, he tried to hold my bags hostage until he got one.  If the police hadn't intervened I'd still be holding my ground.  I found out later that the airport was only about 5 minutes away from my hotel and I should have paid about $20.  So the hotel was in cahoots with the cab company.

No offense to porters and cab drivers -- that has happened to me right here in the States.  But it's too bad that something like that has to put a damper on an otherwise great holiday.

A note about tipping:  In most countries I've visited tips are included on menus or added to the final bill.  In the heat of the moment it's easy to forget that and leave a tip on top of that.  I've done it many times without thinking, and I think restaurants count on it.  If you're eating out a couple of times a day those tips really add up.

For first time travelers:  I think it's nice to get the lay of the land when traveling to new places.  If you're based in Rome, spend about $150 and take a guided tour down South.  You can get a safe overview of major points of interest and find out places you want to revisit at length. 

Below are my recommended day trips.  Remember that everything is super crowded during high season, and traffic is brutal going up the coast.

Tour #2 -- Herculaneum, Vesuvius and Pompeii.  Nothing like visiting a 2000 year old Pompeian brothel to know there's nothing new under the sun.  Visit a real cameo factory in Herculaneum, but purchase wisely.

Tour #4 -- Ischia and Capri.  Romantic, elegant, expensive.  If you have time, take the bus from Capri Village to Anacapri, the only other town on the island.  See why Augustus called Capri dolce far niente (pleasant idleness).  Purchase coral jewelry, sample the best gelato in Italy, and buy a bottle of Limoncello.  Or just hang out and look beautiful.

Tour #5 -- Sorrento/Salerno.  A perilous but beautiful coastal drive that I consider the Carmel (California) of Southern Italy.  Buy beautiful inlaid music boxes or furniture in Sorrento.  Pretty good night life.