We live in Northern Italy and we are accustomed to driving in this region. However, we know from a tense 15 minutes in Rome that it can be a different experience in the South. We travel comfortably as a family in our car, and would prefer to make our visit to Southern Italy as a roadtrip. (To Sorrento, Positano, Pompei, Paestum, and Capri). Is it super stressful to drive in this region? (Note that we don't plan to visit Naples). Also, we plan to visit in March - during that time will parking be possible enough? I welcome your recommendations...
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
Too much stereotyping going on. Big cities have more traffic and you can't draw a conclusion based in one experience only. There is no general substantial difference in driving just because you crosses the borders of Lazio and Campania. The places you want to drive to are doable. Paestum, Pompeii and Sorrento have less parking problems. The roar around the Amalfi coast is like a road through the pre-Alps or alongside the Cinque Terre: rugged, with many curves, sometimes clogged in high season (not your case).
Posted by
OP
Vicenza
11 posts
Thank you for your reply. I just wanted to clarify that I was not basing my assumptions from one experience - what I should have said is that we had heard that driving in Rome could be intense, and for us, it was. We have heard similar things about Southern Italy also, but not specifically where. But we wanted to ask people who have actually experienced the places we listed, rather than make a judgement on a generality. So I agree with your comments, not to stereotype, which is the reason I posted the question in the first place.
Posted by
Cesena, Italy
791 posts
The region as a whole is no worse than here in the north. I've driven in the south several times. However the bigger cities can be nerve wracking. We drove through Naples on the autostrada on the way to Sorrento. Not bad. But took a wrong turn on the way back and drove through some outlying areas around Naples and it was a hassle. Drove through Palermo once and still avoid doing it again. Sorrento was a bit of a pain as the alot of the streets are really narrow and a lot of pedestrian traffic but nothing too bad. Keep in mind that parking there is expensive. I just left the car parked and took a bus/train to Positano and Pompeii.