2 Days in Naples / Capri / Amalfi area

Naples and Rome are two places in Italy at the top of most experienced travelers' list of places they don't want to drive into or out of.

If you're going places trains don't go, that's when you need a car in Italy.

But anything you can do to avoid driving in Naples and Rome--well, you'll thank yourself after you've seen driving conditions in those two places. Driving in Naples and Rome is way different than anywhere you've driven in the US. I notice your home is NJ, driving in Rome or Naples makes driving in Manhattan look easy (I suppose anyway: I've driven in Manhattan, once by accident, I got lost--but have never driven in Rome or Naples, except to pick up a rental car at FCO if going places in Tuscany where trains don't go.)

There have been several similar posts recently. Check them out for more info.

I don't know where you are coming from or what time of year you will be there so it is hard to recommend your best alternitive to get to this area.

Best way to spend 2 days in this area:
Stay in Sorrento for your base. Day 1:Arrival and explore Sorrento. ( If coming early enough in the day from Naples, consider taking the Circumvensuviana train and stop on the way to see Pompeii). Dinner in Marina Grande. Day 2: Tour the Amalfi Coast by bus, ferry, combination of the 2, or hire a private driver for the day. Dinner in Piazza Tasso followed by a stroll around town with gelato.

Most travelers posting here home base in Sorrento and see Naples/Pompeii from there. No one here has recommended driving in Naples, not necessary and a hassle.

For getting around the Amalfi area, to review what others have done, use the Search Instructions post to find recent discussions, here's search instructions

http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/32123/bhow-to-search-the-helpline-for-answers-to-your-questionb.html

Thanks for the info. I'll be flying in to Rome 2nd week of September and spending a few days there, renting a car and driving to a few towns my parents came from between Rome and Naples, then will return the car over in Naples. If we stay in Sorrento, it looks like there is a Hertz where I can drop off the car too.

I'll be going to a few towns that are 2-3 hours outside of Rome and definitely do not have any public transportation. That should be the only time I will need a car - I'll be leaving Rome with it and dropping it back off in Sorrento if that is what our itinerary turns out to be.

Dave, Driving to the small towns near Rome is doable but, I would strongly encourage you to consider Kent's advice about driving to Sorrento. We returned this week from a wonderful visit there (not our first) so the experience is fresh in my mind. Driving rules and signs are different there and are only a suggestion. They have their own sense of driving etiquette for passing, cutting in, driving on the opposite side of the road and on sidewalks, etc. and they all seem to understand it. But, like a foreign language that one has a basic comprehension of, living in the culture for awhile is the only way to understand all the local "idioms".

The other thing to consider is cost. Picking up and dropping off in 2 locations is usually much more costly in Europe than the states, also the extra bumper to bumper insurance.

You have 3 really good options, though. One is to take the train from Rome to Naples, switch to the Circumvensuviana, which deposits you smack in the center of Sorrento. Two is to take the twice daily bus from Rome to the train station in Sorrento. The other, which makes sense if you have 4 or more travelers, is to hire a private driver for door to door service. We have done the train and the private driver. Both worked well for different reasons.

Driving to the towns outside of Rome sounds like a wonderful adventure! Some friends of the family did something similar a couple of years ago and ended up returning to live with their rediscovered cousins for 3 months!

All in, a car large enough for 4 people plus luggage would cost about $160 for a day. Here's the route we would go on:

http://tinyurl.com/mdwly4

Is driving out of Rome (picking up a car at Termini), going to these destinations, and dropping the car off back in Sorrento really that bad? I'll have 2 native Italian speakers in the car plus a navigation system, so I think that might help navigate the street signs and roads. It looks like hiring a private driver for the whole day is very expensive though.

I know that is a lot of driving to do in one day (8 hours or so according to Google), so we might stay somewhere in Vallata one night and then drive to Sorrento the next morning. This will allow us to spend some more time in the small towns rather than rushing around all day.

Any other thoughts?

So do you guys think that will be okay?

Dave, we live in Naples and I don't think the driving is as bad as everyone says. It's worse in the city centers (downtown Naples is a free-for-all) but I think you'll be fine going from the car rental agency to the autostrada to Sorrento. Just don't be in a hurry, and try to keep a sense of adventure if you get lost. Good luck!

The highway driving from Rome to outside of Naples area won't be a problem, it's the drive between Naples and Sorrento that I would avoid. Have you considered dropping the car off near the train station in Naples and taking the Circumvensuviana train to Sorrento? Once there you can use bus, ferries, or private driver to see the Amalfi Coast. If you are determined to drive be sure to get the full "walk away" insurance. If you are interested in a driver, I highly recommend Ugo Vinacia: www.sorrentocars.com. He is very reasonable, has a nice sense of humor, and grew up outside of Sorrento so he can answer any questions you have. Divided by the # in your group it would not cost much more than the bus or ferry and gives you the most flexibility for a full day exploring the coast.