If you’re planning a trip to Naples, the Campania Artecard could be a great way to save money while seeing Naples and the Campania region’s amazing sights – but is it right for you?
This Naples tourist card gives you free entry to a range of Naples attractions, plus, depending on which version of the card you choose, free access to some of the top sights in the area, including Pompeii and Herculaneum.
In this post I’ll describe each version of the Artecard, tell you what it includes and give my verdict on whether this Naples tourist card is worth it. I’ll also cover some of the other passes that are available for the Naples area.
Contents
I bought my 365 Lite Artecard with my own money, and no part of this post is sponsored. I have included some affiliate links to Get Your Guide, who sell the Artecard passes – all that means is that if you do decide that one of the Artecards is right for your trip, then I’ll receive a small commission that helps me with the costs of running this site. Thanks!
Based on my experience, the best value Campania Artecard to buy is the 365 Lite. It’s the cheapest version of the card but packs in an impressive 10 attractions in Naples, plus Pompeii, Herculaneum and more. The rules for using it are simpler than the 3 or 7 day cards, and it’s half the price of the more comprehensive 365 Gold pass.
How does the Artecard work?
There are five versions of the Artecard:
- Napoli Artecard 3 days
- Campania Artecard 3 days
- Campania Artecard 7 days
- 365 Lite
- 365 Gold
Almost everyone who buys a Napoli Artecard or Campania Artecard will use them as digital cards which can be activated through a mobile app. There are a few places in Naples where you can buy the pass in person.
The 3 and 7 day versions of the cards allow a small number of free visits to places on the list of included attractions, then a discount on the subsequent visits.
So for example, the Napoli Artecard has a list of 19 sights that you can visit. You’ll get in free to the first 3 attractions, then you’ll get a discount on any museums or attractions that you visit after that. To make the most of your card, you’ll want to make sure that you visit the most expensive sights first.
The 365 Lite and 365 Gold cards work slightly differently. With these cards, each site on the list can be visited once with the 365 Lite card and twice with the Gold card.
Whichever card you choose, you’ll need to activate it at the first attraction you visit. The card will expire either 3 days, 5 days or 1 year after the first activation, depending on which version you’ve bought.
At many attractions you’ll be able to skip the line, regardless of whether you’re planning to use one of your free entries or if you’re claiming a discount.
What’s included in the Naples and Campania Artecards?
The full list of attractions included in each version of the Artecard can be seen on the official website, but it’s really difficult to make a comparison between them, especially as the attraction names aren’t consistent or in the same order on each list. I love a spreadsheet so I’ve put together a Google Sheet where you can compare what’s included in each one.
There are a few Naples attractions which are included in every version of the card. The National Archaeological Museum of Naples (regular ticket price €22 per person), Royal Palace of Naples (regular ticket price €10) and Castel Sant’Elmo (regular ticket price €5) are all included.
Public transport
The Napoli Artecard and the Campania 3 Day Artecard include public transport, which can seem like an attractive option. In reality, there are many reports of the mobile app which contains your Artecard being difficult to use on public transport, particularly on the Naples Metro where there’s no mobile signal underground.
Public transport in and around Naples is relatively cheap, so I’m not convinced that the extra hassle of trying to use the app is worth it. Tapping in with your bank card is increasingly common, and many of the sights you’ll want to see on your trip to Naples are close together anyway.
Circuits
The Campania and 365 Artecards include “circuits”, which are sets of attractions located close to each other. If you want to visit more than one site in the circuit then they can count as a single use of the free entry, as long as you visit both in a single day.
It’s a nice idea, but the circuits tend to be smaller, less-visited sites that probably wouldn’t be a priority for a short visit, for example the Roman ruins around Campi Flegrei.
What’s not included in the Artecards?
There are some big attractions in and around Naples which aren’t included for free in any versions of the Artecard.
None of the underground Naples attractions are included, so you’ll need to buy separate tickets if you want to visit the Bourbon Tunnels or Underground Naples (although the Catacombs of San Gennaro and San Gaudioso do offer a discount for Artecard holders).
The Sansevero Chapel (home of the Veiled Christ statue) is also not included in any version of the Artecard.
While visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum is included in everything apart from the Napoli Artecard, none of the cards include entry to the peak of Mount Vesuvius.
At Pompeii, only the ancient city is included, not the suburban villas.
Napoli Artecard
Cost: €27
Valid for: 3 days
Includes: Public transport, free access to 3 sites from a list of 19 museums and other attractions in and around Naples city centre. Discounts of up to 50% on the others.
Does not include: Access to attractions outside Naples, for example Pompeii
Verdict
The Napoli Artecard is the cheapest Artecard to include public transport and includes access to a long list of attractions in Naples, including the National Archaeological Museum, Castel Sant’Elmo and the Royal Palace of Naples.
It doesn’t include free access to any of Naples’ underground attractions, but you can get a discount on tickets to the Catacombs of Naples (San Gennaro and San Gaudioso) and the Bourbon Gallery. It also doesn’t include access to the archaeological parks outside the city, so it’s not the right pass for you if you want to visit Pompeii or Herculaneum.
Campania Artecard 3 Days
Cost: €41
Valid for: 3 days
Includes: Public transport and free visits to 2 sites, from a list of 46 attractions. Discounts of up to 50% on the others. Some visits can be combined on the same day to get the maximum value out of the card when they’re part of the same “circuit” and you visit them on the same day.
Verdict
The Campania Artecard 3 days includes a lot of attractions, but the limit of 2 free visits really reduces the value for money that you’ll get from its €41 price tag. For a little over half the price of this card you could get far more free visits to the most popular attractions with a 365 Lite Artecard.
It’s nice that public transport is included but on a 3 day visit you’re unlikely to get the full value out of that aspect of the card.
Campania Artecard 7 Days
Cost: €43
Valid for: 7 days
Includes: 5 free visits from a list of 59 attractions, with a discount of up to 50% on others. Some visits can be combined on the same day to get the maximum value out of the card when they’re part of the same “circuit” and you visit them on the same day.
Does not include: Public transport
Verdict
As well as the extra 4 days and a few extra attractions, the biggest difference between the 3 Day and 7 Day versions of the Campania Artecard is that the 7 Day version does not include public transport.
With the 7 Day Campania Artecard priced at €43, it’s worth considering either the 365 Gold Pass or the 365 Lite Pass as alternatives. My view is that the 7 Day Campania Artecard is only really worth it over the 365 passes if you intend to make the most of the extra attractions in Naples.
365 Gold pass
Cost: €50
Valid for: 1 year
Includes: Free access to 39 sites, with 2 visits to each site per year, discounts of up to 50% on others
Does not include: Public transport, access to some sites that are on the Campania Artecard 3 and 7 day or Napoli Artecard lists
Verdict
If you’re planning an extended stay in Naples, then the 365 Gold Pass is an absolute bargain. The €50 fee could easily pay for itself with just a visit to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (usually €22 per person), the ancient city of Pompeii (€18 per person) and the Royal Palace of Caserta (€18 per person) – and you can go to each one twice!
The list of sites that you can access for free is shorter than for the full Campania Artecard, and there’s no public transport included, but for dedicated sightseers, it’s hard to beat the 365 Gold Pass.
365 Lite
Cost: €26
Valid for: 1 year
Includes: Free access to 23 sites, discounts of up to 50% on others
Does not include: Public transport, access to some sites that are on the 365 Gold pass list, Campania Artecard 3 and 7 day or Napoli Artecard lists
Verdict
If the 365 Gold pass is a bargain, then the 365 Lite pass is practically a steal. You can get free access to 23 sites including the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, the Royal Palace of Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Royal Palace of Caserta, Castel Sant’Elmo and even the magnificent temples at Paestum, south of Salerno, and it’ll pay for itself within a couple of visits.
Alternatives to the Artecard
There are a few alternatives to the Artecard.
The Naples Pass
The Naples Pass comes in 4 versions for different lengths of stay:
- 2 days – €74.90
- 3 days – €94.90
- 4 days – €114.90
- 5 days – €134.90
The Naples Pass includes Pompeii, Herculaneum, Napoli Sotteranea and the National Archaeological Museum, along with a 24 hour hop on hop off bus ticket.
Public transport is not included in any version of The Naples Pass, but you can buy it as an add-on.
oKNapoli bundles
There are two oKNapoli bundles, one which includes 4 attractions and another which includes 8. I don’t think either are particularly great value for money but if they cover the attractions you want to see then it could work for you.
oKNapoli 4 costs €37 and includes:
- Galleria Borbonica – Morelli
- Acquario di Napoli
- Museo del Tesoro di Sa Gennaro
- Pio Monte Della Misericordia
oKNapoli 8 costs €64 and includes the 4 attractions included in the oKNapoli card, plus:
- Museo Civico Gaetano Filangieri
- DOMA – San Domenico Maggiore Onlus
- Vanvitelli Palace in Portici
- Sea Turtle Center
My Pompeii card
If you expect to spend more than one day at Pompeii, and you don’t plan to visit many other attractions in the area, then the My Pompeii card could work for you.
For €35, you’ll get entry to the ancient city, the suburban villas, Oplontis, Villa Arianna, Villa San Marco, Libero D’Orsi Museum, Boscoreale and the Pompeii shuttle bus for a whole year.
It’s worth noting that this card doesn’t include Herculaneum or the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. If you’d be happy with just one or two entries to Pompeii, and you don’t mind paying a small extra fee for the suburban villas, then either the 365 Lite or 365 Gold Artecard passes are likely to be better value for money.
In summary
The 365 Lite pass is my favourite Naples tourist pass because you’re not paying for a long list of sites that you’re unlikely to have time to visit, and even if there’s a site missing from the list, you’re likely to have saved enough already that you’re not out of pocket.
There are a couple of other benefits to the 365 Gold and 365 Lite passes. Because everything’s either free or discounted, it doesn’t matter what order you visit them in. With the Napoli and Campania Artecards, you have to prioritise visiting the most expensive attractions at the beginning of your trip, and that might not be the most logical itinerary.
Another benefit to the 365 passes is that they probably won’t expire during your trip to Naples. The clock starts ticking on the 3 and 7 day passes as soon as you activate them, so if you arrive in Naples at lunchtime and want to go to the Royal Palace that afternoon, you’ll have “wasted” half a day of your card’s validity.
I hope you’ve found this post helpful for planning your trip to Naples. Which Artecard pass for Naples would you choose?
About Helen
Hi! I’m Helen, and Italy is one of my favourite destinations. I’ve been fascinated by ancient Roman and Greek history since I was a kid and I love nothing more than combining a visit to a Roman site with experiencing Italy’s beautiful landscapes and cities.
I live near Manchester, UK and work full time, so I’m all about making the most of my annual leave with day trips, weekend getaways and short breaks.
