Naples, you either love it or hate it. For many people visiting Italy, Naples is a place you pass through on your way to Pompeii or Capri. For others, especially Americans, it is the city of their ancestors or at least the city their ancestors passed through on their way to America, so they have a connection with the city no matter how tenuous.

Chaotic and stressful, beautiful and lively, polluted and gritty all describe Naples. Naples is a city, there is nothing quaint about it. Look one way and you are looking out over the beautiful Bay of Naples, turn around and you are looking at urban sprawl.

Whether Naples is a destination or you are just passing through on your way to Amalfi, there are a few things you need to know about Naples:

The Amalfi Coast (Costiera Amalfitana) is a stretch of coastline that goes from Sorrento to Salerno. Packed with wealthy tourists in the summer it becomes an affordable and relaxing retreat in the spring and fall. Blessed with the natural beauty of mountains, cliffs and the sea, the Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful places in Europe. The Amalfi Coast is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

The Towns of the Amalfi Coast:

Sorrento – Sorrento sits high on the cliffs overlooking the bays of Naples and Salerno. Walking the streets in the summer you will feel like you have walked in the summer version of carnevale. Don’t even think about driving here in the summer, traffic is horrendous. Making matters worse there are no traffic lights in the center of the city.

Positano – Positano is considered the most picturesque of all the towns and is the one most of us are familiar with from pictures and posters. The brightly colored houses of Positano cling to cliffs looking like they are going to tumble into the brilliant turquoise sea at any moment. Positano is known for its beautiful beaches (composed of both sand and pebbles), expensive shops, chic tourists and the number of steps you are likely to have to climb to get anywhere.