In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The governments that publish advice for Italy name petty crime as the main risk: pickpocketing and bag snatching in city centres and at tourist sites, and on public transport, especially main train and metro stations. Smartraveller says drink-spiking attacks in Naples happen mainly near train stations and in bars and cafes in the city centre. OSAC, the US State Department’s security body, is the one official source that names places: Piazza del Gesù late in the evening, and the Centro Storico, including the Quartieri Spagnoli, where it advises daylight and the main avenues and piazzas. No official source ranks Naples’ neighbourhoods, and neither does this page. Or book a guide: the Old Town walking tourad is from €27.55.
What each government says
| Source | What it says about Italy and Naples | Date on the page |
|---|---|---|
| UK Foreign Office, Italy: safety and security | Crime levels are generally low, but petty crime, particularly bag-snatching and pickpocketing, is higher in city centres and at major tourist attractions. Take care on public transport, in crowded areas and in city centres, including main train and metro stations. Do not take drinks from strangers or leave them unattended; victims of spiked drinks have been robbed. Carry photo ID. The Phlegraean fields are active | Updated 2 October 2026 |
| US State Department, Italy travel advisory | Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of terrorism. Petty crime is common, especially in popular tourist locations and on public transportation, including trains; most crimes against foreigners are crimes of opportunity, such as purse snatching, pickpocketing and car break-ins | 10 September 2026 |
| OSAC, Italy 2026 Crime and Safety Report | Naples is assessed as medium threat for crime directed at US government interests. Names Piazza del Gesù and the Centro Storico; see below | Published 17 August 2026 |
| Smartraveller, Italy | Exercise normal safety precautions. Petty crime is common, with pickpockets and bag snatchers at tourist spots and on transport, particularly at central train stations, often working in groups and using distraction such as staged street performances. Drink-spiking robberies and assaults have happened in cities including Naples, mainly near train stations and in bars and cafes in the city centre | Updated 12 October 2026 |
| Government of Canada, Italy | Exercise a high degree of caution because of the threat of terrorism. Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and bag snatching, occurs frequently, and thieves often target tourists. Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields are active volcanoes | Last updated 29 September 2026 |
None of the five publishes a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood list of safe and unsafe areas.
The places OSAC names
OSAC is the Overseas Security Advisory Council of the US State Department. Its Italy 2026 report names three things for Naples:
- Piazza del Gesù has the most altercations, late in the evening and early in the morning.
- The Centro Storico, including the Quartieri Spagnoli, has had stabbings and shootings. OSAC says tourists are not the targets, and that bystanders can be hit by drive-by shootings from scooters.
- Its advice is to stick to the main avenues and piazzas and to enjoy the historic centre in daylight.
It also advises care with belongings on the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento and on trains to and from airports and cruise ports. Piazza del Gesù Nuovo is the square by the Gesù Nuovo and Santa Chiara: see the Spaccanapoli walk and the Quartieri Spagnoli and the Maradona mural.
The diamond-point stone façade of the Gesù Nuovo, on Piazza del Gesù Nuovo. Photo: mweav31, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
What the advice comes to
- Bags and phones. Keep sight of them, do not carry all your valuables together, and leave spare cash and valuables in the hotel safe (UK Foreign Office). Thieves use distraction: spilled drinks, long conversations, staged performances (Canada, Smartraveller).
- Stations and trains. Take most care at Napoli Centrale and the Garibaldi station, in metro stations and on the Circumvesuviana. The hotels beside the station are in hotels near Napoli Centrale, and the trains in Naples public transport.
- Drinks. Do not take drinks from strangers or leave yours unattended, and keep an eye on friends’ drinks. Drinks in Italian bars are often stronger than in the UK (UK Foreign Office).
- Night. Use the main avenues and piazzas, and see the old centre by day (OSAC).
- Papers. Carry photo ID: Italian police can stop you at any time for an identity check (UK Foreign Office).
- Street sellers. It is illegal to buy from unlicensed street traders, and you could be fined (UK Foreign Office).
- Transport tickets. Validate a ticket before you start the journey; officials fine passengers on the spot (UK Foreign Office). The fares and fines are in Naples public transport.
- Emergencies. Dial 112 anywhere in Italy (Government of Canada).
The volcanic areas
Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields are active volcanoes (Government of Canada), and the UK Foreign Office says national emergency planning is in place for the Phlegraean fields, an area that remains active and has regular tremors. A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck the Campi Flegrei on 31 July 2026 (INGV); Pozzuoli and the Campi Flegrei are west of the city. The day trips are in Vesuvius and day trips from Naples.
Where to stay
The official sources give no ranking of areas, so where to stay in Naples describes each area by what is in it and by the official wording, not by a safety rating. Ask your hotel about the evening noise round Piazza del Gesù Nuovo and Via Cisterna dell’Olio.
Plan the rest
Naples public transport gives the fares and the validation rules, Naples airport to the city the taxi fares and the Alibus, and 3 days in Naples builds a plan with the old town in daylight. What to book in Naples lists the closed days. The official travel advice pages are linked in the table above and in the hub’s entry rules.
Common questions
Is Naples safe for tourists?
The governments that publish advice for Italy say petty crime is the risk: pickpocketing and bag snatching in city centres, at tourist attractions and on public transport, particularly at main train and metro stations. Australia's Smartraveller advises normal safety precautions for Italy, and the US State Department gives Italy Level 2, increased caution, because of terrorism.
Which parts of Naples do the official sources name?
Only OSAC, the US State Department's security body, names places. Its 2026 report names Piazza del Gesù, for fights late in the evening and early in the morning, and the Centro Storico, including the Quartieri Spagnoli, for violent episodes that tourists are not the targets of. It advises sticking to main avenues and piazzas and visiting the historic centre in daylight. No official source ranks neighbourhoods as safe or unsafe.
Is it safe to walk in Naples at night?
OSAC advises the main avenues and piazzas at night and the historic centre in daylight. Smartraveller says drink-spiking attacks in Naples happen mainly near train stations and in bars and cafes in the city centre, and the UK Foreign Office says not to take drinks from strangers or leave them unattended.
How do I avoid pickpockets in Naples?
Keep sight of your belongings, and do not carry all your valuables together in handbags or pockets. The UK Foreign Office says thieves use distraction techniques, Smartraveller says they work in groups and stage street performances, and the Canadian government lists spilled drinks and long conversations. Leave spare cash and valuables in the hotel safe.
Is the Circumvesuviana safe?
OSAC advises care with belongings on the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento and on trains to and from airports and cruise ports. The US State Department says petty crime is common on public transportation, including trains.
Is it safe to visit Pozzuoli and the Campi Flegrei?
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck the Campi Flegrei on 31 July 2026, according to INGV, Italy's geophysics institute. The UK Foreign Office says national emergency planning is in place for the Phlegraean fields, an area that remains active, with regular tremors.
