Naples is 1h10min from Rome on the Frecciarossa. That's close enough that adding it to a Rome trip is less a logistical challenge than a decision about pace. You don't need to treat it as a full equal of Rome — a focused 1-2 nights there is enough to understand why Neapolitans consider their city superior to everywhere else in Italy. They're not entirely wrong.

Why This Combination Works

Rome is polished, self-aware, and built for visitors. Naples is raw, loud, and completely unbothered by whether you're having a good time. That contrast is the whole point. Naples also gives you access to Pompeii (45 min by Circumvesuviana train), the Amalfi Coast, and the best pizza in the world by a margin that isn't close.

For a 7-night trip: 5 nights Rome, 2 nights Naples. Two nights in Naples is the minimum that makes the journey worthwhile — you need one full day in the city and ideally one for Pompeii or the Amalfi Coast.

For a 9-night trip: 6 nights Rome, 3 nights Naples. Three nights opens up both Pompeii and a coastal day without feeling rushed.

Getting Between the Cities

Take the Frecciarossa or Italo high-speed train from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale. Journey time is 1h10min-1h15min. This is the only sensible option — it's faster than driving, cheap booked in advance, and drops you in the centre of Naples. Tickets start from around €15-30 one-way. Book early; popular departure times sell out.

Driving or taking the slower Intercity train is not worth it on this route.

Which City to Visit First

Start in Rome. Spend the bulk of your time there, then travel south to Naples. Ending in Naples means you finish the trip in Italy's most intensely alive city — which is either exactly what you want or exactly what you don't. Know yourself.

What Each City Adds to the Trip

Rome

Rome brings the Vatican, the Colosseum, the Forum, the Pantheon, and neighbourhood life in Trastevere and Testaccio. It's the essential Italian capital — every visitor to Italy should see it at least once, and most want to return.

Naples

Naples rewards a short visit with the National Archaeological Museum (the best collection of Roman artefacts in the world, better than Rome's own), the Spaccanapoli street cutting through the old city, and pizza from places like Sorbillo or Di Matteo that will ruin every other pizza you eat for the rest of your life. The city is loud, chaotic, and completely magnetic.