Do you need car in Italy

I've been to Italy several times including Sorrento. Some of the trains go faster than cars, You don't need a car to get to Sorrento and it would be hassle to have one in Rome. There have been a lot of people on the forum who rented cars and complained about receiving exorbitant traffic fines after driving in Italy. You have familiarize yourself with the laws there

Most take trains to get down to Sorrento. The Amalfi Coast is pretty congested, roads are tight and parking is very difficult. Most use buses and even ferries down on the coast. There are also car services and private drivers that can get you around.

There are several potentially expensive "issues" when using rental cars in Italy, so well planned trips using public transit are a much better option. if you wanted to see small towns in Tuscany, a car might be useful but for a short trip and given the cities you'll be visiting, trains are a much better option.

As you're landing in Rome, you'll need to travel from the airport to Roma Termini and then from there to Napoli Centrale using either Freccia or Italo high speed trains. Once you reach Naples you can either use the Circumvesuviana or Campania Express (trains) to get to Sorrento. You can also arrange for a private transfer service from Naples to Sorrento. After a long international flight and in a jet lagged state, that would be something to consider.

If you haven't travelled by train in Italy before, there are some potentially expensive caveats to be aware of. If you need further information, post another note.

Trains and busses for Rome/Sorrento. There are parts of Italy where a car is useful, and other parts where it’s a useless, expensive hassle. Rome, Naples, and Amalfi/Sorrento falls firmly in the latter category. A day with a driver (who knows the local driving customs, can drop you off while he finds parking, and takes the car with him at the end of the day) could be useful. Or simple taxis sometimes. But it all can easily be done by train/bus/boat.

Getting from Rome to Naples is a fast train - much faster than a car. Then a normal train, or bus, or whatever to Sorrento. Busses or ferries run along the Amalfi coast, and the train goes to Naples and Pompeii and Herculaneum. Boats to Capri, obviously.

For your itinerary, you don’t want a car. Use trains , buses, or private drivers.

In Italy, a good rule of thumb is: If trains go there (I mean regular train service), do what the locals do, take the train. They're cheap and fast.