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Ciao! Here’s part two of our epic summer trip to Europe. We left off after flying from Los Angeles (LAX) to Naples (NAP) via Chicago on American Airlines. From there, we took a 17-minute taxi to the port so we could catch a ferry to the island my grandparents emigrated from — Ischia!
If you’re not familiar with Ischia, it’s a volcanic island 18 miles (30 km) off the coast of Napoli (Naples), located in the Tyrrhenian Sea between the Gulf of Gaeta and the Bay of Naples. The island is six miles (10 km) wide and four miles (7 km) long. The population in Ischia is 70,000 but in the summer, that number rises considerably. Most hotels are seasonal and open in early April and close at the end of October.
The island gets around six million visitors a year but most make the mistake of visiting just for the day. Up until a decade ago, few Americans had ever heard of Ischia, though many know of its much smaller and more expensive neighbor, Capri. FYI: Ischia has 25,000 total hotel beds while Capri only has 5,450.
Depending on which ferry you take, it either takes 55 minutes or 90 minutes to get to Ischia from Naples. I have learned not to pre-book my ferries in advance because supposedly, if you miss your scheduled time, you have to buy another ticket. I also like the freedom of taking an earlier ferry in the event that plans change. And in our case, they did; our flight arrived early and the NAP experience was pleasant and quick. A few local friends told me that I didn’t need a reservation unless I was traveling during peak hours and days. We were traveling in mid-June, which is when the island starts to get busy but it’s not packed like in July and August.
We went to Calata Porta di Massa, which is the port for the slow ferries. Next door (approximately 1 kilometer or 0.6 miles) is Molo Beverello, which has the hydrofoils. We prefer the slow ferry since there’s more space and it’s a lot cheaper. Here’s my review of both options.
Once inside Calata Porta di Massa, I looked up at the small departures screen to see when the next ferry was. I was originally going to take the 3:35pm to Casamicciola, which was just a kilometer from our Airbnb. But because we’d arrived much earlier than expected, I decided to take the 2:20pm to Ischia Port, which is just four miles further. Here’s a good website to check ferry schedules.
I hopped in line and bought tickets with no problem. The people in line were very friendly and told me that on the slow ferry, you don’t need to pay for luggage (we had two large suitcases). It cost me 42 euros ($49) for the four of us (each way). Kids are cheaper.
A local on the ferry told me a taxi to Lacco Ameno, the town we were staying in, should cost 15–20 euros but the driver said it’s according to the meter and it was 30 euros (my credit card was charged $38.90) for the 14-minute ride.
While in Ischia two years ago, we stayed at the island’s most famed hotel — the Regina Isabella (here’s our review). It’s where the movie stars stay and it’s not hard to see why. The property is stunning and the location just beautiful. While we didn’t stay there on this visit, we were invited to visit the beach and restaurant (more details below).
Our Airbnb in Ischia
Hotels are expensive and in Italy and many other countries, you can’t have four people in a room unless it’s a suite. And getting two rooms everywhere you go can get expensive. Instead, we rented an Airbnb, which gave us a lot of room and didn’t break the bank; it was around $150 a night.
Our host was awesome, though her directions weren’t clear, and she made me sweat a couple of days before the trip since I hadn’t heard back from her (it was the weekend). I just wanted to make sure after traveling 22 hours door to door, we had a place to stay and we wouldn’t be scrambling. I did put Airbnb’s helpline in my phone and researched other places as a back-up. But fortunately, everything went smoothly.
The Airbnb was clean, spacious and comfortable. Our host left breakfast goodies like yogurt, panini, melba toast, jelly and coffee on the kitchen table and in the fridge. There was no microwave, but there was a stove, kettle and coffee machine.
We also had access to two stand-up paddle boards and a kayak, but didn’t have a chance to use them. Thanks to Airbnb alerting me that our rental did not have a carbon monoxide detector, I brought a portable travel one as well as a voltage converter.
My only problem was trying to figure out the 2-in-1 washing machine and dryer, especially the dryer part. The directions were under the TV but the font was so small my kids couldn’t even read them. I took a photo and enlarged it and also asked ChatGPT to give me easier directions. It took six hours for a wash and dry cycle to complete! There is a place to hang clothes outside to air dry but a bird pooped on one of our shirts when I did that.
The first thing we did when we arrived at 4:30pm was go to a grocery store and stock up on food and drink. Barilla pasta only costs €0.83, which is a third of what it costs at home. Bottled water is also crazy cheap since not many people drink it. Six large bottles cost just two euros.
Regina Isabella Hotel
As I mentioned above, we were kindly invited by the team at the Regina Isabella Hotel to visit for dinner. After settling into our Airbnb, we took showers and got ready for dinner at DolceVita, the hotel restaurant overlooking Ischia’s incredible views.
The restaurant doesn’t open for dinner until 7:45pm so we were the first in the dining room. It was almost full by the time we left.The experience from beginning to end was amazing.
The service was impeccable. Same goes for the food. We indulged in the most delicious Caprese salad, pasta and gelato.
Our waiter, Michaelangelo, was a real professional. He anticipated every move, like when my son wanted more bread and helping to make him a small plate from my order.
But perhaps best of all is the views. Above is our view from dinner as night fell …
… and this is the daytime view, one that has become one of my favorites in the world. It is stunning.
As it turns out, the maître d’ and I share a last name and he invited us back to the hotel’s new and improved beach. Of course we accepted this generous offer. The private beach offers guests a pretty, secluded spot to relax and take in those views.
There’s another beach on the other side of the hotel, more of a cove, where our kids also loved to swim.
If you prefer to swim in a pool, you’ll get stunning views there, too.
I interviewed both the maître d’and the hotel manager (pictured above) later, who gave me their best tips for visiting Ischia. Watch below:
The Regina Isabella’s General Manager shares his top travel tip for visiting Ischia.
The Regina Isabella’s Restaurant Manager shares his top travel tip for visiting Ischia.
We also had breakfast at the Regina Isabella, which isn’t too expensive if you’re paying 35 euros per adult and half the price for kids. The breakfast is one of my favorites of anywhere in the world; it has incredible pastries and fresh squeezed orange juice and just an overall amazing selection of options.
San Montano Resort & Spa
The following day, we visited another five-star hotel in Ischia, the San Montano Resort & Spa, which is situated on a hill directly above the Regina Isabella and overlooks the sea. I stayed here in 2014 with my late father.
As soon as you step foot inside, you’ll appreciate the hotel’s aesthetic and attention to detail. The hotel is beautiful and thoughtful design is evident from the moment you enter, from the decorative Vietri tiles that line the floors and the decadently wallpapered walls …
… to the Lambretta scooter in the foyer. You’ll find lots of pretty moments and vignettes all throughout.
After a quick tour of the property, we had lunch at Franco’s, the hotel’s panoramic sea view terrace restaurant and the views were spectacular.
The only thing better than the views was the food. Fresh and absolutely delicious!
The resort has five thermal pools that all help guests relax in the island’s thermal waters, and we took a quick dip in two of them. The saltwater pool pictured above offers incredible views, like most of the resort, as well as a sauna inside a natural grotto …
… and a thermal hot tub.
The other pool we swam in, the Main Thermal Pool, has sun loungers, a waterfall and whirlpools but those sweeping panoramic views of the Lacco Ameno Harbor, Procida and the Bay of Naples, really do steal the show.
We had hoped to check out the hotel’s private beach, which is accessible via the hotel’s free shuttle but didn’t get to on this trip but hopefully next time we visit, we’ll be able to stay at the hotel and do a full review of the property and its accommodations.
Ischia Back to Naples
Our stay on the island was short but sweet. When it was time to leave, we took a taxi back to the port. When it was time to leave, we took a taxi back to the port. Our host recommended a company and they were great — on time and quoted the same price.
We purchased tickets from the ferry office about a 100-yard walk from the tented waiting area, which was crazy hot. We were happy to have our portable fans.
We took the ferry back to Naples and then walked 20 minutes to our cruise ship.
We could see it when we sailed in. I also use VesselFinder.com to see where the ship is located. Stay tuned for our story about our cruise aboard Sun Princess.
KEEP READING
–Hotel Review: The Regina Isabella Resort in Ischia, Italy
–48 Hours in Rome and Our Stay at the Rose Garden Palace Hotel
–Fast or Slow Ferry to Ischia, Italy? You Might Be Surprised
–10 Things You Never Knew About Italy
–What It’s Like To Take the Fast Train From Rome to Naples, Italy
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