Quick summary
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Price from | ~€27–32 for the 3-day Naples card; ~€41–45 for the 3-day Campania card; youth editions cheaper (prices are revised — check the official Artecard site) |
| What's free | Your first 2–3 entries from the circuit, then ~10–50% off the rest |
| Transport | Included for the validity period: city network on the Naples card, regional lines too on the Campania card |
| Break-even | Roughly two big paid sites + normal transport use in 3 days |
| Buy ahead? | Yes — activation starts the clock, purchase doesn't |
The Naples city pass exists in more versions than most visitors have days in town, which is exactly why people buy the wrong one. The family is called Campania Artecard, run as the region's official pass, and the two editions that matter to a normal trip are the Naples 3-day card and the Campania 3-day card. There are also youth editions at friendlier prices and a 7-day Campania version without transport — but city-3-day versus Campania-3-day is the real decision, so that's where we'll spend the math. You can compare all Naples city card options here.
Naples card vs Campania card: the comparison
| Naples 3-day | Campania 3-day | |
|---|---|---|
| Indicative price | ~€27–32 | ~€41–45 |
| Free entries | First 3 sites from the Naples circuit | First 2 sites from the region-wide circuit |
| After that | Discounts (~10–50%) at further circuit sites | Discounts (~10–50%) at further circuit sites |
| Territory | Naples city: MANN, Capodimonte, Royal Palace, Castel Sant'Elmo, Certosa di San Martino and more | All of Campania: adds Pompeii, Herculaneum, Reggia di Caserta, Paestum, Campi Flegrei sites |
| Transport | Naples city network (metro, buses, funiculars) | Regional network too — including Circumvesuviana trains toward Pompeii and Sorrento |
| Book it | 3-day Naples Artecard | 3-day Campania Artecard |
All figures are indicative — the circuit list and prices get revised, so confirm on the official Artecard website before buying. The pattern, though, has been stable for years: the city card is a museums-plus-metro deal; the Campania card is a day-trip deal.
The honest math: three real itineraries
Itinerary A: three days in the city, museum-heavy — the pass wins
Say you visit the MANN (~€15–22), Capodimonte (~€12–15) and Castel Sant'Elmo (~€5–10), and ride the metro and funiculars twice a day (~€2.60+ daily at single-ticket rates, per the current ANM fares). Bought separately, that's roughly €40–55. The Naples 3-day card at ~€27–32 covers all three entries free plus every ride. Saving: €10–20, plus never queuing at a ticket machine. This is the pass's home turf — the plan our Naples museums guide maps out is almost exactly this card.
Itinerary B: city sights + a Pompeii day — Campania card territory
Pompeii's entry alone has run around €18–22 (check the official Pompeii site). Make Pompeii and the MANN your two free Campania-card entries and you've consumed roughly €35–45 of value against a ~€41–45 card — then the included Circumvesuviana ride to the ruins and three days of city transport push you clearly past break-even. Add a discounted Herculaneum or Royal Palace and it's no contest. Planning that day? Our Pompeii & Vesuvius guide covers the logistics the card doesn't (guides, Vesuvius crater buses).
Itinerary C: churches, streets and pizza — skip the pass
Here's the case nobody selling passes mentions. If your Naples is Spaccanapoli, the Veiled Christ, Napoli Sotterranea, the Duomo and a lot of eating — you're mostly visiting private sites the Artecard doesn't cover for free. The Cappella Sansevero and the underground sites have typically offered pass holders a discount at best, and the city's greatest sights — the streets, Piazza del Plebiscito, the Lungomare — are free anyway. Walk, buy single transport tickets, and spend the €30 on a food tour instead.
What the transport inclusion really covers
The timed cards double as a transit pass for their validity: metro Line 1, buses and the four funiculars in Naples on both versions, with the Campania card extending to regional lines — the Circumvesuviana toward Pompeii, Ercolano and Sorrento being the one that matters to visitors. Two caveats from the fine print worth checking each season: the airport Alibus has typically not been included, and premium or private services (tourist boats, some express trains) sit outside the scheme. If transport is your main concern and museums aren't, don't buy an Artecard for the rides — plain ANM day tickets are cheaper, as we break down in the getting around Naples guide.
Timing is everything
- Activate on a museum morning, not on arrival night. The 72 hours run from first use. Landing at 21:00 and activating at the airport wastes an evening of validity on one bus ride.
- Mind the free first Sunday. State museums are free on the first Sunday of each month — an Artecard free entry "spent" that day is value thrown away. Shift the card's window to start Monday.
- Check closing days before locking your three days: the MANN has traditionally closed Tuesdays, Capodimonte Wednesdays. A pass window that overlaps the wrong weekday costs you a headline site.
- Use the free entries on the priciest sites first. The card counts entries, not value — burn the free slots on Pompeii or the MANN, take the percentage discounts on the €6 castles.
- Buy before peak weekends. The card itself rarely "sells out," but airport and station desks queue badly on Friday evenings; buying online or via the app skips that entirely.
How to save beyond the pass
- Under 18? State museums are already free — a full-price Artecard makes little sense; check the youth edition or skip.
- 18–25 and EU-resident? You pay a token fee at state museums anyway; the youth Artecard (sold at a reduced price for this bracket) is the only version worth a look.
- First Sunday of the month makes the state museums free for everyone — a zero-cost alternative if your dates happen to align. Details in our museums guide.
- Don't double-pay for transport: if you hold a timed Artecard, skip single tickets and day passes entirely for its duration.
- Compare the GetYourGuide listing with the official site before buying — bundled extras and mobile delivery sometimes differ, and free cancellation on the listing gives you an out if plans change.
Where to buy, collect and start using it
Buy the Artecard online (official website or via GetYourGuide), in the official app, or at physical points of sale — Naples International Airport, Napoli Centrale and major museums have carried it. App and digital versions activate on first use; physical cards validate like a transit ticket on your first ride or museum entry. From the airport, the Alibus (usually not included — buy that ticket separately) drops you at Piazza Garibaldi and the port; from Napoli Centrale, metro Line 1 puts every card-circuit museum within a few stops, as mapped in our metro guide. Arriving by sea instead? The cruise port guide covers whether a pass makes sense on a single port day (short version: usually not — a day is too short to break even).
FAQ: Naples city pass & Artecard
What is the Naples Artecard?
The Artecard is the official city pass for Naples and the Campania region. Depending on the version, it bundles free entry to your first few museums or archaeological sites, discounts of roughly 10–50% at further sites, and public transport for the pass's validity period. It comes as a physical card or an app.
How much does the Naples Artecard cost?
Indicatively, the 3-day Naples city version has sold for around €27–32 and the 3-day Campania version for around €41–45, with cheaper youth editions — prices are revised periodically, so check the official Artecard website or the current GetYourGuide listing before buying.
What is the difference between the Naples and Campania Artecard?
The Naples 3-day card covers sites and public transport within the city only. The Campania 3-day card costs more but extends to the whole region — Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Royal Palace of Caserta, Paestum — and includes regional transport such as the Circumvesuviana toward Pompeii. Day-trippers should look at Campania; city-only visitors at the Naples version.
Does the Artecard include Naples public transport?
Yes — the timed city and Campania versions include public transport for their validity: metro, buses and funiculars in Naples, plus regional lines on the Campania card. Airport bus and some premium services may be excluded, so read the current conditions on the official site.
Is Pompeii included in the Naples Artecard?
Pompeii is part of the Campania Artecard circuit, not the city-only card. With the 3-day Campania version, Pompeii can be one of your free entries — using it plus one other big site typically covers most of the card's price. Check the current site list before relying on it.
When is the Artecard NOT worth buying?
Skip it if you'll visit fewer than two paid sites, if your must-sees are private attractions like the Cappella Sansevero or Napoli Sotterranea (discounted at best, never free), if you're in town on a free first Sunday doing state museums anyway, or if you qualify for under-18 free entry at state museums already.
Where do you buy and activate the Artecard?
Buy online (official site or resellers like GetYourGuide), via the app, or at points of sale such as the airport and main stations. The clock starts when you activate it or use it the first time, not when you buy — so purchase ahead and activate on your first museum morning.
So — is the Naples city pass worth it? For a museum-forward three days, yes, comfortably; with a Pompeii day attached, the Campania version is close to a no-brainer; for a trip built on churches, alleys and pizza, keep your €30. Count your paid entries, match them against the card that covers them, and decide in five minutes. Then get back to the fun part: everything the pass does and doesn't cover is waiting in our things to do in Naples hub.