La Tolda - La Vista Clara

We stayed here for three nights while re-visiting Naples, having lived nearby in the early 90s. We arrived from Sorrento and communication with the owner Daniela was excellent; she does not stay on site but she arrived as agreed, within minutes of me texting her. There is free, secure parking for around 4 cars and this was extremely useful and welcome (one of the reasons I chose this property). I speak decent Italian and Daniela speaks very decent English so we had no problems between us! The house is immaculate and our room (The orange room) was a good size and well appointed. We were the only two staying there during our visit so we had the house to ourselves except in the mornings when Daniela and her daughter Chiara came to prepare and serve the excellent breakfasts, which were a feast of local produce and beautifully presented. Daniela and Chiara chatted happily with us and provided a host of local information, particularly for non-touristy restaurants. The views from the house across the Bay of Naples to Vesuvius and the Amalfi Coast are wonderful and the house is big, bright and airy. The only slight downside is that it is a steep 10-minute walk uphill from Mergellina but if you get a day metro ticket at only €3.50 you can get the funicular from Mergellina up to S. Antonio and then walk downhill around 5 mins to the house (a single costs €1.20) but be aware that the funicular stops at 10 p.m. and after that you have to walk or get a taxi up the hill at a cost of €8.50. We just left the car in the secure garden and used the metro from Mergellina (around a 7-min walk downhill) to get to Naples, having walked in the first day but it took around 45 minutes and we are pretty fast walkers. The ticket is good for buses, metro, some local trains and the 4 x funicular lines that get you up and down the hilly slopes of Naples. We had an excellent stay and would happily return if in Naples again.