The Popular City In Italy Rick Steves Doesn't Recommend For Everyone

Italy has long fascinated travel expert Rick Steves. Despite the country's association with romance and beauty, Steves admires the realness of the place — the primary reason why he warns some travelers against visiting the city of Naples. Italy, especially this part, has a frankness in the air Steves wrote about on his blog in one of the many pieces dedicated to the country he has produced through the years.

"I'm struck by how Italy gets intimate with its visitors," Steves expressed. "Nowhere else in Europe does a country share its quirky secrets like here. And, even though I don't speak the language, I make more friends here per visit than in any other country. Anyone can do it." Steves explained that these connections stem from the genuine interactions he shares even as a tourist in Italy. Considering that he has over 550 blog posts about the country, including one dedicated to the best time to visit Italy for the ultimate Italian getaway, it's safe to say he adores it.

Despite his clear affection for the European nation, Steves has not hesitated to acknowledge the ways in which it might fail to connect with others. In fact, cities like Naples could turn off tourists altogether. While Steves doesn't tell visitors to turn away from the destination completely, he has provided important context so travelers don't face an unpleasant surprise on arrival.

No matter how you imagine Italy, you may want to set these visions aside if you plan to visit Naples. The city, though beloved by Rick Steves, stands out from many other major European destinations. On his blog, Steves identified Naples as his go-to "reality travel" for Western Europe due to its gritty nature. He has observed friends walk into the city and right back out after seeing the plucky persona of Naples firsthand.

Steves shared that he also felt put off the first time he visited Naples. He only gained an appreciation for the city after he got to know it. "It's Italy's third largest city, along with being its most polluted, crime-ridden, and densely populated, with almost no parks or open spaces," he wrote. "But this tangled mess still somehow manages to breathe, laugh, and sing with a joyful Italian accent." According to him, if you keep walking through Naples and away from the touristy part, you'll find yourself immersed "in a classic southern Italian world."

Yet, Steves suggests that only travelers who know how to handle the city venture to Naples. The ability to walk on pace with locals will keep you safer, especially since traffic lights seem more like a suggestion than a law, he noted. Steves acknowledged pickpocketing as a real concern, but asserted that travelers with "good common sense" will enjoy their time in Naples.

For all the ways Naples could (and has!) intimidated travelers, Rick Steves still encourages those prepared to handle its streets to pay it a visit. Steves himself has admitted that decades after his first visit, he remains a little overtaken by the brashness of Naples. In a Facebook post, he compared the streets and markets to those of Morocco and Cairo. He also warned travelers that gentrification has swept up even the grittiest parts of the city, like the Sanitá Quarter.

Steves stressed that anyone who wants to see the Sanitá neighborhood should do so before it changes. In a blog post dated years before the Facebook update, he identified Sanitá as the ideal way to experience Naples. "A walk like this, with joy filling the streets, is why I go to Naples," he wrote of the neighborhood. "Don't be too hung up on the broken stucco, the graffiti, and the rough edges...it's the patina of a vibrant urban life."

Steves' decision to advocate for a city like Naples should not come as a surprise. He often suggests hidden gem spots over tourist-infected ones. Yet, the travel expert also understands that not all travelers want to experience these types of destinations. Vacationers who prefer the more popularized Italian aesthetic have plenty of other options. Perhaps you could visit these beautiful Italian islands that don't get enough attention instead?