We plan to spend 3-4 days on the Amalfi coast, traveling from Naples by car. Two questions:
1. Is the road as harrowing as some seem to indicate? Is it at least safe?
2. Everyone seems to have their favorite Amalfi coast towns. My husband and I are not interested in sunbathing. We are traveling in October. We DO NOT like tourist traps, tending toward the colorful and quaint. What suggestions do you have for the best towns to see and any we should skip?
Thanks for any suggestions.
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It's not difficult to drive if you are able to keep your eyes on the road. Traffic can back up sometimes, so you need some patience, too. Thousands of people drive it every day (an endorsement and also a problem). Safe.
October should be less hectic than summer, but the Amalfi Coast had been saturated with visitors for centuries. I like Praiano and Ravello, as well as the towns down the coast from Amalfi.
I concur with Zoe. The drive is safe and you should pay attention as you would any 2 lane busy road with eye-popping scenery. No less safe than, for instance, Acadia Nat'l Park, Glacier Nat'l Park, etc. Also, we too liked Proiano, especially the walkway down to the spiaggia/beach and Ravello. As Zoe said the area has been a tourist attraction for centuries. That said Don't pass up Positano, despite the walk down and back, and Amalfi itself because it is charming and well worth a visit.
If you are in Amalfi town, make sure to head around the corner (about a 10 min walk from the main harbor area) to Atrani. You could poke around for an hour or so. We stayed in Atrani last year.
By far my favorite was Ravello. We did the hike down from Ravello to Atrani (we took the bus from Amalfi to Ravello) - gorgeous views...but if you decide to do it, take water for sure, and it can be quite hard on your legs - lots of stairs - my lower legs were trembling at the bottom...which was a first for me! And Villa Rufolo and the gardens were glorious!
As for the road...I guess it would be easier in a car than on a bus, but you really have to watch corners and blind spots. The driver will have to be watching the road and will most likely miss the views. I wouldn't want to do it in a car in high season...but Oct may be a better time (we were there early Sept). The bus would pass within inches of the cars and other buses due to either people walking alongside the road or cars parked. Make sure you pull the mirrors in when parking (if parking on the road) so you don't lose them - we did a private tour and the driver told us that you could tell who the tourists were as they didn't fold in the mirrors - that precious few inches really helps people squeeze by! You may even have to pull the mirrors in if you get into a tight passing spot (our driver had one that was electric and more than once he'd use the button and fold them in).
Do you like walking? If so you can walk the Pathway of the Gods from Bomerano to Nocelle (or continue on to Positano).
My family and I are making plans to visit the Amalfi Coast next year, so I am scouting out hotel/B&B locations as of right now.
If you are not oppose to the off-the-beaten path recommandations , I have read that a great alternative to seeing the Amalfi Coast is to take a train from Rome (less than 2 hours) directly into Salerno. Now, honestly I have not found any great hotels directly in Salerno (maybe I just haven't pinpointed the correct one), but to the right of Salerno is the small village of Vietri Sul Mare. Upon my investigation, I found out that this beach town is the origins of Italian ceramics. The town looks charming and, has been noted, not invaded by tourists. I'll go one step further and let you in on the B&B I have found that seems to be in a great location. The accommodations, the hosts/owners, etc. have received raving review on Trip Advisor. If you look on their website, their pictures don't come up correctly, so go to Google images to look at the inside of the building. In addition, if you want to see the town area go to Youtube and you can get a visual of what the town looks like; also type in driving on the Amalfi Coast. Rick Steves has a posting.
If you chose to go this route, the train station is only 20 mins from the B&B. You could take a ferry to Capri, Positano, Amalfi from this area, or you could hire a driver, or take a bus. The train can be easily taken to Pompei and Paestum. I add these suggestions because the roads on the Amalfi Coast are nerve racking for novices; plus think about parking. As a matter of fact, I experienced the Amalfi Coast ride about 12 years ago during the month of August, and I thought I was on an E-ride at Disneyland. (Oh, I've just dated myself.)
Anyway, have a great trip. Please post some of your findings when you return.
