Please sign in to post.

Amalfi Coast hotels May 1-5, 2025 and best place to drop rental car on way home, Naples or Rome?

Husband and I, both 65, first trip to Italy, will be flying into Florence on Apr 24, 2025, picking up a car, spending a week in Tuscany, then driving to Amalfi coast May 1 - 5, 2025 and looking for hotel recommendations up to $200 per night if that's possible. Most important to us is 1st: the view and 2nd: we like a quieter town, and distant 3rd: smaller place with engaging hosts (not a deal-breaker if not). I've read many forum posts and know we want to be ON the AC to save time for day trips. I've read a lot about Amalfi town or Atrani or Priano. We're not hikers, we aren't able to climb 100 steps to our room. We are adventurous and plan to drive ourselves around AC so would need a hotel with parking.

Also, instead of returning car all the way back to FLR, we could drop it at Naples or Rome airport and fly home from there. Any recommendations where to drop? I have researched Travel Europe rental cars and am willing to pay the one way drop fee. Would like it to be an easy transfer to catch our flight in either Naples or Rome. Would it be safe to drop car same day as flight or should we transfer night before? Thank you!

Posted by
7187 posts

Welcome!

Are you planning to drive on the AC?
Not recommended at all - jam packed crowded and nail biting. There are also restrictions at times- odd/even plate numbers allowed, etc. You would need ot research that. May 1 is very much in season.

Either way you will need to stay in Naples or Rome the night before your flight

Salerno is a good choice for drop off then fast train to Naples or Rome

Be sure all drivers have an IDP

We stayed in Amalfi at Hotel La Bussola-on water level, steps to bus, ferry and taxis. Easy no climb walk to town
https://www.labussolahotel.it/en/our-rooms/

We always book our cars thru AutoEurope.com

There are dozens of posts here on Amalfi Coast, driving, driving in Italy in general, etc. Please do some forum searches.

Posted by
704 posts

Expect big crowds. Buses, ferries were jam packed with people. We were visiting from my friend's home in Naples right before May 1st (long holiday for Italians) and every where we went there were big crowds. On another trip we rented a car in Salerno which was much easier than when we rented a car in Naples.

Posted by
2199 posts

Welcome Sarah! I know you're excited about your trip. On one of our trips to Italy, we spent a week in an agriturismo in Tuscany as our home base. It hit all the things you're after: It had a wonderful view, it was just outside the quiet village of Greve, it was affordable (less than $200/night including an amazing breakfast) and the staff, especially Marco and Isabella were wonderful.

Although we've never been to the Amalfi Coast, from everything I've read it will strike out on every item you're looking for. Although we found driving in Tuscany to be easy and a delight, I personally would not dream of driving the AC and I've driven in Paris! A quick Google search found plenty of articles like this.

Posted by
11893 posts

We are adventurous and plan to drive ourselves around AC so would need a hotel with parking.

If you find a hotel with parking the next problem will be to find parking at the destination of where ever it is you are going on your outings.

Driving the AC road is not really difficult as you can rarely go over 30mph, because of the traffic. The road is curvy but you will be going so slow it is no problem.

Parking ( or the lack of) and very slow moving traffic is the problem.

This advice from Christine -"Either way you will need to stay in Naples or Rome the night before your flight" , is worthy of being carved in stone.

Posted by
2143 posts

We stayed in Minori on the AC at the Antica Reghinna Luxury Rooms hotel. It did not have an ocean view but was extremely comfortable and quiet. We found several great restaurants and parking was possible. We’ve driven thee AC several times in the spring or fall. It is challenging but not terrible if you don’t mind windy roads. If the AC is your last destination I would fly out of Naples.