How to Reach the Historic Centre of Naples
A simple guide for your first arrival in Naples: how to reach the Historic Centre from the airport or Piazza Garibaldi, how much Alibus and taxis cost, and how to avoid unfair requests for money.
At a glance
Arriving by plane
Alibus · 5 €
It is the easiest way to reach the city from Naples Capodichino Airport.
Arriving by train or bus
Piazza Garibaldi
You are already at the city’s main transport hub. From here, you can continue to the Historic Centre or the area where you live.
The key idea
The Historic Centre is the main destination. Piazza Garibaldi is the most useful interchange: from here, metro services, trains and other connections can take you to almost any area of Naples.
Before you leave, save the full address of your accommodation.
The Historic Centre is large and does not correspond to just one stop. Ask your host which arrival point is most convenient and check the last part of the journey on a map. Do not choose a stop only because its name sounds close.
If you arrive by plane: take Alibus
Alibus connects Naples Capodichino Airport with Piazza Garibaldi and the Port. For your first arrival with luggage, it is normally the easiest public transport option.
Price
5 €
The ticket is for one person. You do not need to book a seat: take the first available bus.
Where to get off
To reach the Historic Centre, Piazza Garibaldi is normally the most useful interchange. If your accommodation is in the part of the centre closest to the Port, it may be more convenient to stay on the bus until the final stop. The right choice always depends on the exact address.
Useful times for your return journey
- Piazza Garibaldi → Airport: 05:10–23:50
- Port → Airport: 05:30–23:35
Check the official Alibus timetable
How to buy a ticket
Buy online
Buy an Alibus ticket online
You can buy it before your journey through the service indicated by ANM.
You can also buy a ticket from the machines in the Arrivals area, from the driver on board at no extra cost, or pay contactless with a card, phone or smartwatch using Tap&Go.
Remember to validate or activate your ticket.
Activate a digital ticket before boarding and validate a paper ticket as soon as you get on. With Tap&Go, only TAP IN when you board. Each passenger must use a different card or device.
Do you need to continue on another form of public transport?
Choose the integrated UNICO Alibus ticket – 90 minutes. It still costs 5 € and lets you continue on compatible city transport within its validity period.
Official information about the integrated ticket
For your first arrival, we do not recommend ordinary city buses from the airport.
They can be harder to find and use with luggage. Alibus is more direct and easier to recognise.
Shared taxi from the airport
When available, the shared taxi connects the Airport, Central Station and Molo Beverello. It costs 6 € per person, including luggage. It may not leave immediately: you may have to wait for other passengers, and it will not take you directly to your accommodation.
How to recognise it: take it from the official taxi pick-up area. The vehicle displays a “TAXI Collettivo” sign. The fare is per person, not per vehicle.
Check the information from Naples Airport
If you arrive by train or coach: Piazza Garibaldi
Napoli Centrale railway station, Garibaldi metro station and the arrival area for many coaches are all in the same large area. If you arrive here, you are already at Naples’ main transport hub.
Your accommodation is in the Historic Centre
Check the real distance. You can continue by metro, take an official taxi, or walk only if the route is short and manageable with your luggage.
Do not judge the distance only from the map.
With luggage, uneven paving, stairs and hills can make even a route that looks short uncomfortable. If this is your first arrival, choose the easiest connection.
If you live outside the Historic Centre
You do not need to understand the whole Naples transport network immediately. The easiest plan is to reach the Historic Centre or Piazza Garibaldi first and then continue to your area. From these locations, you can use the main metro and train connections to travel around the rest of the city.
Always check the last part of your journey before you travel.
Save the name of your final stop, the full address and a contact person for your accommodation on your phone. Evening and public holiday timetables may be different.
If you arrive in the evening or at night
On the day you travel, check the last Alibus and the timetables for any transport you will use afterwards. If you arrive after the service ends, are travelling alone, have a lot of luggage or do not know the city yet, use an official taxi.
A simple journey is more important than saving a small amount of money.
On your first arrival, avoid complicated changes at night. Tell the person waiting for you when you will arrive and ask in advance where to meet them.
Taxis: official fares and simple rules
In Naples, a taxi may use a fixed fare or the taximeter. These are two different options: clarify which one applies before the journey starts.
Fixed fare
- You must ask for it before the journey starts.
- The price is for the whole vehicle, not per person.
- The taximeter remains off.
- It includes the normal supplements for the airport, nights, public holidays, luggage and radio taxi bookings.
Any tolls and the 5 € minivan supplement are not included.
When you get into the taxi, ask before the journey starts
Show the driver the full address of your accommodation. If you do not know which fare applies, you can say or show this question before the journey starts:
Is there a fixed fare for this address? Is this the total price for the whole vehicle?
The most useful fixed fares
From the airport · price per vehicle
- ZTL Centro Storico: 21 €
- Piazza Garibaldi / Central Station: 21 €
- Molo Beverello / Piazza Municipio: 24 €
- National Archaeological Museum: 24 €
- Teatro San Carlo: 24 €
“Historic Centre” does not automatically mean “ZTL Centro Storico” in the official fare list.
Always show the driver the full address and ask whether that street is covered by the fixed fare. If 3 or 4 people are travelling together, the price per vehicle can be good value because you can divide it between everyone.
Official taxi fare list in Italian and English
Open or download the official fare list from the Municipality of Naples
Save it on your phone before travelling and check that it is still the version published by the Municipality.
If the taximeter is used
In the fare list currently published, the standard starting fare is 4 € on weekdays between 06:00 and 22:00 and 7,50 € at night or on public holidays. The minimum fare is 5 €. Additional charges may include 5 € from the airport, 0,50 € for luggage larger than 40 × 30 × 20 cm, 1,70 € for a radio taxi booking and 5 € for a minivan.
These supplements apply to taximeter journeys. Normal supplements are already included in fixed fares, apart from the exceptions shown in the fare list.
How to avoid illegal taxis and overcharging
Before you get in
- Use only the official taxi rank.
- Do not accept rides from people who approach you inside the terminal or outside the queue.
- Show the full address of your accommodation.
Before the journey starts
- Ask whether there is a fixed fare.
- Ask the driver to confirm the total price for the whole vehicle.
- If it is not a fixed fare, check that the taximeter is switched on when the journey starts.
Warning signs: someone without a recognisable taxi offers you a ride inside or outside the terminal; a made-up price with no taximeter or official fare; a request to pay before the journey; pressure to decide immediately without showing you the fare being applied.
Uber in Naples: how it really works
In Naples, you will not find the standard UberX service with private drivers that exists in many other countries.
The Uber app is available, but with Uber Taxi your request is assigned to a licensed local taxi driver. Uber therefore works as a booking and payment platform: it is not a separate fleet and is not automatically cheaper than a taxi from an official taxi rank.
Always check which service you are selecting in the app and the price shown before confirming.
Official information about Uber Taxi in Naples
Safety during your first arrival
- Keep your phone, documents and wallet in a closed bag or pocket, especially around Garibaldi and on crowded public transport.
- Buy tickets only through official apps, websites, ticket machines, drivers or authorised retailers.
- Do not show money or documents to people who offer help when you did not ask for it.
- In pedestrian alleys or very narrow streets, a taxi may have to stop at the nearest accessible point rather than directly outside your building.
Frequently asked questions
Alibus stops at Piazza Garibaldi and the Port. From there, you need to continue based on the exact address of your accommodation. For many destinations, Piazza Garibaldi is the easiest interchange.
No. You need to buy a ticket, but you do not book a seat. Take the first available bus.
Yes. You can use Tap&Go with a compatible card, phone or smartwatch. TAP IN when you board and use a different payment method for each passenger.
Reach the Historic Centre or Piazza Garibaldi first and continue from there. These areas have the most useful connections to the rest of Naples. You should still check the route for your address.
No. It is the total price for the whole vehicle. Only the shared taxi charges 6 € for each passenger.
No. The 21 € fare applies to the official destination “ZTL Centro Storico”. Show the driver the full address and ask before the journey starts whether the street is covered by that fare.
The app is available, but Uber Taxi uses licensed local taxi drivers. It is not the standard UberX service with private drivers and is not automatically cheaper.
Not always. Some streets in the Historic Centre are pedestrianised, very narrow or have restricted access. The driver may have to stop at the nearest accessible point.
Use the official taxi rank at the airport. Show the full address and ask first whether there is a fixed fare.
Timetables and fares may change. Always check the official pages on the day you travel.