Naples on mobile data: tap-in metro, Vesuvius and the boats to the islands
Naples is a base as much as a destination: Pompeii, Vesuvius, Capri and the Amalfi Coast are all day trips from it. Several of those trips need something bought or checked on the phone before you leave, and one of them cannot be bought at the gate at all.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Italy?
- Yes. It connects to TIM, Iliad, Wind (5G).
- Price
- From 4,49 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 6,49 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- Yes: Italy is in EU roaming, so a plan from an EU country usually works at no extra cost, within your operator's fair-use limit. If your plan is from outside the EU, it charges international roaming.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in Italy. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
Capodichino: the Alibus or a taxi at a set price
The Alibus shuttle runs from the airport to Piazza Garibaldi, outside the central station, and on to the port at Molo Beverello, where the boats to the islands leave. It is part of the Tap&Go system, so a contactless card or phone works as the ticket.
Taxis in Naples have predetermined fares set by the city for fixed routes, airport to centre and airport to port among them, with the supplements already included. Ask for the fixed fare when you get in; the driver cannot refuse it. Arriving by train from Rome, you get off at Napoli Centrale, on the same Piazza Garibaldi.
eSIM for Italy
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For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
Tap in, tap out: metro and funiculars
- Metro line 1, line 6 and the funiculars take contactless cards and phones at the gates.
- Tap in and tap out with the same card or phone: two different cards count as two separate trips.
- Several trips in one day are capped at the price of a daily ticket.
- Paper tickets are still sold at machines and at resellers.
Line 1 is the one visitors use most: it links the central station with the historic centre, Toledo and the Vomero hill, and several of its stations are designed by artists and architects, which is why they are called the art stations. The funiculars climb from the centre up to Vomero. Load the route before you go through the gates, and keep the phone you pay with at hand for the exit.
Pompeii and Vesuvius: buy before you go
The Circumvesuviana trains to Pompeii and Sorrento are run by EAV and leave from Napoli Garibaldi, under the central station. For the ruins, get off at Pompei Scavi–Villa dei Misteri, not at Pompei Santuario. Interrail and Eurail passes are not valid on these trains, so buy a separate ticket.
Vesuvius is the trap. The national park sells tickets for the path to the crater only online, paid by card and for a time slot, and there is no ticket office on the mountain. Buy it the day before, on Wi-Fi or with data, and save the ticket on the phone: the car park at the top of the road is not where you want to be looking for signal and a payment page.
Capri, Ischia, Procida and the Amalfi Coast
Hydrofoils to Capri, Ischia and Procida leave from Molo Beverello, run by several companies that do not accept each other's tickets; the slower ferries leave from Calata Porta di Massa, close by. Buy the return with the same company and keep its departure times on the phone, because the last boat back is the one that matters.
The Amalfi Coast is reached by SITA buses on two routes, Sorrento–Positano–Amalfi and Amalfi–Salerno, changing in Amalfi, or by boat in season. All of it is Italy, so the Italy pack works on the islands and along the coast as it does in the city; out on the water between ports, the signal can come and go.
How much data for Naples
Italy packs come in 3, 5, 10 and 20 GB. Three or four days in Naples with a morning in Pompeii fit in 3 GB, valid for 15 days. A week based in Naples or Sorrento, with Capri, Vesuvius and the Amalfi Coast, is a 5 GB trip: maps on winding roads, boat times and a lot of photos. If you carry on to Rome or Florence, the same pack covers it. The plan starts when the phone first connects in Italy, the hotspot is included, and you can top up without reinstalling. It is data only: your own line keeps your number, and WhatsApp stays on it.
Can I pay for the Naples metro with my phone?
Yes. Line 1, line 6, the funiculars and the Alibus take contactless cards and phones. Tap in and out with the same one, and the day is capped at the price of a daily ticket.
Can I buy a Vesuvius ticket at the entrance?
No. The national park sells crater tickets only online, by card and with a time slot. Buy it and save it on the phone before you go up.
Which Circumvesuviana station is for Pompeii?
Pompei Scavi–Villa dei Misteri, next to the archaeological site. Pompei Santuario is the stop for the modern town.
Does the Italy eSIM work on Capri and the Amalfi Coast?
Yes, both are in Italy. Expect gaps on the boat between ports, and save the ferry and bus times before you set off.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for Italy