Royal Palace of Caserta – Our Guide and Tips to Visiting This Attraction

Our trip to the Amalfi Coast was a last-minute bargain to a place we were eager to see. Having been to Amalfi and Pompeii during a cruise excursion from Naples in 2022, we instantly fell in love and knew we wanted to go back. We had the opportunity in March 2024 to visit there for a week and stayed in a beautiful apartment in the mountains.

Of course, we had a long list of things to do and places to visit such as Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Sorrento and Positano. But surprisingly the Royal Palace of Caserta ended up being one of the favourite attractions we saw during our trip.

If you’re planning on visiting Pompeii during your trip, then our Pompeii Archaeological Park Guide should help you plan your day and answer any questions you may have.

On the final day of our vacation in the Amalfi Coast we had big decisions as to what we wanted to do. Should we head back to any of the places we have already been, or even hike up Mount Vesuvius. But the weather was cloudy and rainy on the coast, so it removed hiking as an option.

Although we had seen pictures of the palace, getting there was a bit of a distance which was slightly off putting. It was a 40-minute drive from Naples and nearly two hours from Amalfi. But the images we saw were so enticing that we decided the drive would be worth it and we’re glad that we did. The Royal Palace of Caserta is very reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles in France and having thoroughly enjoyed visiting the latter, it made sense to add Caserta to our bucket list.

Getting to the Royal Palace of Caserta

How you get to the palace is completely dependent on where you are staying and how you are travelling around the rest of the Amalfi area. We drove during our trip, so it made sense that we would travel there by car, but if you’re not keen on that idea then there are other options.

If you are considering driving, then we can help you with our guide on Renting and Driving a Hire Car in the Amalfi Coast and Naples Region.

Here are a few options, but again they will depend on the area of Amalfi you are staying. Places like Sorrento and Naples will have more direct routes, so this may be a consideration when you book your accommodation. If you don’t want to drive but you’d like to see attractions around the area, then Naples will provide easier access than for example Amalfi or Positano.

By Car

If you’re choosing to get to the Royal Palace of Caserta by car then we’d recommend that you check out their ‘Caserta Directions’ page or use a sat nav.

The drive was relatively easy, although we did have a little confusion with one of the toll roads. We would always recommend if you’re driving towards Naples or Sorrento, to use the toll roads because it cuts your travel time down and the actual roads are easier (more akin to a motorway or freeway). Normally we would simply pay when prompted using our card, but on the last toll we went through which was close to Caserta, we were given a ticket, the barrier was already up and there was no prompt to pay. Obviously, we were extremely confused but continued our journey, it was only as we left the main road, we saw another toll booth which asked us to insert the card we had been given and then pay.

We had researched the car park and saw that there is an underground one right next to the palace, so we went there. There are a few other options for car parks, some are free to use but they fill up quickly, whereas others are further away; but this one was ideal. Although we cannot remember how much we paid, it wasn’t an extortionate amount, especially when you consider how close it is to the actual palace. There is a toilet in the car park, but it wasn’t the cleanest we have seen on our trip, so maybe wait until you reach the palace. It’s also worth mentioning here that when you are leaving, you don’t pay for your parking via a machine, instead you will be directed to a booth where someone will take your payment. It was hard to find at first but look out for directions as you head towards your car.

During our research for parking, we read that you may see what looks like staff for the car park directing you and taking payment when you arrive. They do not work for the car park, and you should only pay when you leave. Another con that they will try on unsuspecting tourists is selling maps for the palace at 10 Euros. Thankfully when we arrived it was quiet, so we simply parked up and headed out.

By Train

If you’re not driving during your trip but you’re looking for a direct route to the palace, then the best option is by train from Naples. The central station at Naples known as Napoli Centrale provides regional trains which will take you into Caserta train station. Currently the average price of a one-way ticket is around 3.40 Euros, which is quite reasonable for the distance, because it will take between 40 to 50 minutes. From the station you will then have a 7-minute walk to the palace entrance.

For those of you who are staying on the Amalfi Coast, our advice would be to travel to Naples and then get a train from there. You will find there are ferries and buses available, but they may not be direct and could take time; depending on where you are starting from.

By Bus

As with trains, the best location to start from is Naples purely because it is the largest city in the area. If you’re staying somewhere else, then you may need to Google whether it is worth heading to Naples or simply use an alternate route from your location.

For those of you staying in Naples, there is a central bus station located at Piazza Garibaldi. From there, the bus to Caserta leaves every 15 minutes and the closest stop to the palace is Piazza Gramsci. Bus ticket prices can vary depending on the type of bus you catch.

Private Tour

This is probably the easiest of them all, because you simply sit on the bus and get driven to the palace, then follow the tour guide around and jump back on the bus home. No need to queue for tickets or grab audio guides, and you have an expert at hand to take you to all the best spots in the palace and on the grounds. Of course, the main problem with this option is it’s more expensive, but you pay for ease. There are lots of tour companies around Naples, but we’ve always been a fan of booking with Viator. They offer a range of tours and from taking a quick look the prices are pretty reasonable.

Buying Tickets and Opening Times

As we walked out of the underground car park, we were met with a huge, impressive building. We quickly realised that this was the front of the palace, and it was breathtaking. The entrance is right in the middle, and you’ll see the usual security and bag check section. But before that you will need to go to the ticket office which is to the left of the entrance.

The Royal Palace of Caserta ticket office is open between 8.30am and 6pm, and to avoid queues in the busier season it is recommended that you pre purchase your ticket online at reggiadicaserta.cultura.gov.it. If you’ve booked online, then you will receive a voucher via email which you need to show to the ticket office. There is a specific line for prebooked, and it tends to be far shorter. Just make sure that as well as having your ticket available on your mobile device, you also bring along a valid photo ID in the same name.

We hadn’t decided to visit the Royal Palace of Caserta until that day, so we bought our ticket upon arrival. Because we arrived early and it was low season, there wasn’t much of a queue, but we can imagine it’s hectic in the summer.

Before we go into the history of the palace, we’ll give you some basic information for your visit. The entry price will depend on the areas you want to visit, whether you simply prefer to wander in the gardens, or you want to see it all. The current cost for seeing both the Royal Palace and the Royal Park (or the gardens) is 18 Euros (March 2024), which for such a big place is an incredibly reasonable price.

If you’re interested in opening times then we’d recommend heading to the palace’s official website, because as you can imagine, this is dependent on the time of year you are visiting. But for the peak season of April to September these are the current opening times.

• The Royal Apartments – 8.30am to 7.30pm,
• Palatine Chapel – 8.30am to 6.15pm,
• The Royal Park, including the English Garden – 8.30am to 6pm.

If you’re trying to fit in a lot of activities during your Amalfi trip, then you’re probably wondering how long the Royal Palace of Caserta will take. In all honesty it is pretty big, especially the gardens, so we’d recommend at least 4 hours. This of course all depends on how you get around the gardens which we’ll delve into and whether you want to see everything; you could easily spend all day there.

History of the Royal Palace of Caserta

So, lets look into the history of the palace which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

The Royal Palace of Caserta is a former royal residence of the king of Naples and Sicily, which at the time was the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The palace is the largest former royal residence in the world, with 5 floors, 1,200 rooms including two dozen state departments, 34 staircases, a large library, and a theatre. It has a rectangular shape and four inner court yards which are connected by a pillared walkway which seems to direct you from the entrance through to the gardens.

The garden stretches for 120 hectares, which covers quite a hilly terrain, and was inspired by the Baroque styling of the park in the Palace of Versailles in France. As you walk through the long alley in the mid-section of the gardens you will see multiple artificial fountains and cascades, plus the ‘English Garden’ which was a botanical garden. The fountains and cascades were designed using mythological stories such as the Fountain of Diana and Actaeon, The Fountain of Venus and Adonis and the Fountain of Ceres.

Construction of the Royal Palace began in 1752 for Charles VII of Naples, but he never actually slept a night there because he abdicated in 1759 and became Charles III of Spain. It was envisaged to be a virtual city, which housed not just the king and court but also the main cultural and political elites of the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily. Because of this it would include a museum, university, library, cabinet bureaus and be home to the military high commands.

The project was only partially completed for Charles the thirds son who was his successor named Ferdinand IV of Naples. Initially the palace was designed by Luigi Vanvitelli, but due to his death, major sections were completed by his son Carlo Vanvitelli.

During Napoleons rule construction of the palace stopped and it was only under Joachim Murat’s dominion that some work was carried out. After Murat’s reign the Bourbons returned, but their kingdom weakened after King Ferdinand died. The kingdom fell when Guisseppe Garibali rose to power and took the Palace of Caserta as his throne. But it also became a shelter for the Nazis during World War II and was plundered for various artworks.

Visiting the Royal Palace of Caserta

Now you know a little of the history, we’ll share our experience of visiting the Royal Palace of Caserta. After we left the ticket office we headed to the entrance and went through a security area where our bags were checked. Once you are through then you will find a cloakroom check for bags and an audio guide booth. The guides are available to rent for both the Royal Palace and the Park, and they were 5 Euros during our visit which we found to be a reasonable price.

If you were not given a map when you bought your ticket, then head to the palace bookshop and get one. The property is vast, so you want to make sure you know where you are going and focus on the highlights.

It’s worth noting here that you are not allowed to take strollers, umbrellas, backpacks, or any other large items into the Royal Apartments. You will be stopped at the entrance of the apartments and sent back to the cloakroom area. Luggage storage is free, and you will be given a ticket which you will need to claim the item back.

Top Tip – Before you make your way into the grounds, make sure you have water to keep yourself hydrated, especially in the summer months. There is some shade, but if you’re walking to the end of the central avenue then you can get incredibly hot.

The Royal Park

Because it was a lovely day we decided to head to the gardens first, and we’re glad we did because the entire estate is huge and can take a while to get around. We found the best place to start was by heading down the central avenue which is directly in front of the palace.

If you struggle with mobility, then there are a number of options for getting around the Royal Park. You can hire bicycles for 4 Euros per hour or electric bicycles for 6 Euros per hour. There is also a bus which will take you down to the bottom of the park, and that is 2.50 Euros for a round trip. We have read about other options such as quad bikes and a horse-drawn carriage, but we didn’t see them when we visited. As you make your way down the avenue, you will see restrooms available along the right-hand side and some at the end by the English Garden.

The fountains and cascades within the grounds are impressive, with each getting more and more grand. We loved the mythological theme, and although we didn’t purchase the audio guides, there are information boards detailing important aspects about each. Most of the walk down is on a flat concrete path, but there are some cobblestones so comfy shoes is a must.

Once we reached the Fountain of Diana and Actaeon which is at the end, we headed to the right which is where you will find the English Garden. This area of the Royal Park is beautiful and a great place to wander, although there are members of staff dotted around making sure visitors don’t damage the plants or trees (we were surprised by the awful behaviour of some visitors in the gardens). The English Garden is about 25 hectares, and it provides an array of walking space in between some beautiful architectural spots including a pyramid, an Italic temple, the Tempietto or small temple, the gothic chapel, the ruined temple and the lake, plus the Bath of Venus which is the most secluded and idyllic spot. If you cannot walk far, then our advice would be to get the shuttle down to the end and walk around the English Garden, because it was our favourite part of the gardens.

We left the English Garden and found ourselves about halfway down the main avenue. As we made our way back towards the palace, we headed to the right where there is a large section of woodland. Because we had already walked a fair distance, we didn’t walk around this area as much as the English Garden. Within the woodland you will find the Peschiera which is a large artificial basin of water that was intended to be used for naval battle simulations. Not too far away from the basin is the Castelluccia and Old Wood, which is the oldest part of the park. Here you will find a miniature fortified castle with a moat and drawbridges, plus lots of beautiful statues.

There are wooded areas on the opposite side and a place called Flora Park, but we didn’t make it there because the rest of the gardens had already taken a few hours to walk around, and we were getting a little tired.

The Royal Apartments

At this point we headed back into the palace area, but before you enter the Royal Apartments remember to take any large items of luggage etc to the cloakroom near the front.

The entrance to the Royal Apartments is at the Grand Staircase which in all honesty is impossible to miss. You will need to show you ticket again, because some visitors may only have purchased entry to the Royal Park.

The Grand Staircase is the heart of the palace, and it is breathtaking, with a mixture of classicism and Baroque design. As you make your way up the stairs you are welcomed by two marble lions which immediately gives you an impression of grandeur, and on the back wall three large sculptures which are said to represent virtues that a good king would have. Once you have made your way to the top of the stairs, you’re in a domed area with rooms appearing in all directions. Our advice is to head counterclockwise because the first room is simply one exhibit with a small amount of furniture. Straight on from the staircase is the Palatine Chapel, which is absolutely beautiful. The chapel is a large rectangle with two rows of columns, a marble floor and gold ceiling. Interestingly the palace was hit in 1943 during an air raid and there was damage to the ceilings, columns, organs, and sculptures which you can still see today.

To the left of the staircase is the start of the Royal Apartments and the first room delves into the architecture of the palace and the architect who designed it. You will then join a one-way system throughout the apartments which will show you various rooms including bedrooms, the Throne Rooms, the library, the Rooms of the Four Seasons and Astrea’s Room. Each one is more impressive than the last, with intricate details in the floors, walls and even ceilings. We especially loved the chandeliers and lights throughout the different rooms, some had glass flowers all over in an array of colours.

One of the final rooms before you head back downstairs, has the largest nativity we have ever seen. The Bourbons loved the ancient tradition of a nativity scene, so every year they set up this extravagant display. From this room you will follow a staircase down and that will take you to the exit of the Royal Apartments.

Facilities at the Royal Palace of Caserta

If you’re tired and ready for a sit down, then you will find a café in one of the courtyards and a toilet nearby. They serve the usual hot and cold drinks and snacks, but we brought food with us and stopped in the English Gardens to enjoy our lunch with a view.

Royal Palace of Caserta Tips – Things to Know Before Visiting

The Palace is such an incredible experience, but it can be a tiring day, especially if you visit in the summer. So here are a few tips to make it more comfortable.

• Wearing comfortable shoes is a must – As we mentioned, the gardens alone are vast and then you have the Royal Apartments on top of it. This can really have you aching by the end of the day so make sure you have supportive, comfy footwear.
• Take a hat – Inside the palace this won’t be a problem, but if you’re like us, you will love wandering around the gardens. Some areas such as the woodland will have plenty of shade to enjoy, but in large areas of the English Garden and the central avenue itself, you’re exposed to a lot of sunshine. This isn’t a problem on cloudy days or in the low season, but you can easily get sunstroke during the summer months. We’d also add in here that you may want to throw on lots of sunscreen and keep reapplying, so you don’t get burnt.
• Take water with you – Because of the lack of shade, you will dehydrate quickly so it’s important that you keep your water levels topped up. We took water in with us, but you can always buy more when you’re in there at the Palace café. During our research we read that there is a drinking fountain halfway between the palace and English Garden, so maybe keep an eye out if you have a water container. We’ve had sun stroke before, and it can make you incredibly ill and really ruin your holiday.
• Give yourself the full day – We get it, there’s so much to do around the area of Amalfi and you want to see it all. But if you’ve gone all the way to Caserta from the coast then why not really make a day of it. The palace and gardens will take a few hours, especially if you have mobility issues or you prefer to take your time wandering through each room in the apartments. We can certainly imagine that you’d be there for four to five hours.
• Booking tickets – If you know that the palace is something you want to do during your trip, then our advice is to book online so that you know you will gain entry. This is even more important during peak season and busier days such as the weekend. We went in March 2024, and it was still busy, so we cannot imagine how packed it gets in the summer months.
• Grab a Map – As we have mentioned above, make sure you grab a map of the palace and grounds. They are huge and you want to limit wandering in areas where there isn’t much to see and focus on the highlights.
• Toilet facilities – Our advice if you need to use the toilet is to opt for the paid ones instead of the free options. As you can imagine the paid ones are much cleaner. Also wait until the palace to use the toilet, because the one in the car park was another level of disgusting.

Should I Visit the Royal Palace of Caserta?

Although the Royal Palace of Caserta was a distance from where we stayed on the Amalfi Coast, we’re still glad that we went. It really brought back memories of our trip to Paris and visiting the Palace of Versailles. The gardens are beautiful and our favourite part of the experience, but that doesn’t mean the palace isn’t equally as remarkable.

How you get there will completely depend on where you are staying and the mode of transport you are using for the rest of the trip. The drive wasn’t too bad, once we worked out the toll issue, but we would always recommend using toll roads. If all of this sounds like a pain then definitely consider a private tour guide, because they can bring history to life as well as transporting you too and from the palace safely.

The best part of our visit is that it was completely unexpected because we decided to go on the day; but it was probably one of the most memorable things we did on that trip. So, if you’re already in Amalfi and you have a spare day, then we’d certainly recommend the journey inland. It’s the perfect combination of history, architecture and nature, all rolled into one.

Hopefully this guide has helped answer any questions you may have about the Royal Palace of Caserta. Make sure you tag us on Instagram if you end up visiting beautiful Amalfi and more specifically the Palace and Apartments, we love to see what you’re up to as you tick off your bucket lists.

We also have our Guide to Travelling Around the Amalfi Coast and Campania Region, which provides you with an extensive list of the must visit towns and cities, plus the best things to do when you’re there.

 

If you’re interested in finding out more about visiting the Palace of Versailles, then check out our Guide to Visiting Paris.