I spent the holidays between Naples and the Sorrento/Amalfi Coast.
My first time there. Before leaving, I was warned about everything:
Chaos, scams, micro-criminality, garbage and all other common clichés on southern Italy.
And the idea of going by train from Zurich genuinely scared colleagues and friends: âYouâll never make it.â they said.
What I found instead wasâŠ
No chaos.
Yes, there are lot of tourists. Yes, traffic is heavy.
But just one street away from the main roads and I found silence and calm. I had beautiful walks in romantic narrow lanes.
Clean streets.
Of course Naples is not cleaner than Zurich.
But is it dirtier than Milan or other Northern Italian cities? Absolutely not.
I was very positively surprised.
(Un)surprisingly, everything worked.
I used public transport, boats and taxis daily. Always on time, fair prices, zero issues.
People were elegant and polite.
Fur coats and fancy suits were a common sight.
I was warned of their tough dialect, but I've just heard clean and polite Italian.
The train journey was flawless.
Zurich â Milan â Parma â Naples.
Then boats to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast.
Every single connection was on time. Sometimes even early.
Ironically, the only delay was on the Swiss train back to Zurich.
Five minutes late. đ
All of this, paired with some of the most beautiful places Iâve ever seen.
And I say this as an Italian, used to beauty.
Some Naples neighbourhoods and the Amalfi Coast are easily among the most stunning places on earth.
This is a reminder for the next time you believe clichés.
