[kipperfan]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Damn. I spent a year in Italy and never bothered to go to Venice. But I did go to Milan and there's nothing there. For a first timer in Italy, the most important places to go are Florence and Rome and if you can make it, take a day trip down to Pompeii (Vesuvius). The very second you arrive in Naples, you'll want to leave. It is, by far, the dirtiest and sketchyist city I saw in Europe. There is nothing there that isn't in other, cleaner, better cities. Once you see St. Peter's Basilica and the Duomo in Florence, all other Italian churches will warrant a 'meh'.

If you consolidate your time in Italy into Florence and Rome, you'll see an assload more and you'll be glad. There are tons of museums and sites between the two cities that will give you the real feel of urban and ancient Italy without having to waste time in places like Milan and Naples.
Milan is fashion-ey and kinda modern. Not really "Italy". Naples is just a hole. Dilapidated, dirty, dog sh1t on the sidewalks, trash everywhere, laundry hanging off all the windows, nothing to see, people that like to rob.
Seriously, do Pompeii as a day trip from Rome and skip Naples.
And go to Florence. Probably the most beautiful city in Italy.

Thanks 4x4, thats really good stuff. I have a good buddy who has been through Italy and he has similar things to say about Naples but advised me i had to go to the area simply to see Vesuvuis and Pompei. The thing for me is Naples is way out of the way, it would be alot easier and faster for me to go right from Zermatt to Rome or even Florence....but I would miss Pompei.

What is your take on this 4x4, should I make the trip down to the Naples region simply for Vesuvuis?