Drive or Not Drive on Amalfi Coast

In early May, traffic should not be too terrible, so I would consider it IF (1) you feel comfortable driving on those roads and with large buses (do a youtube search to see what it's like) (2) no one will feel shafted by having to watch the road instead of the view, and (3) you can afford the exorbitant parking fees. Whether public transport is a hassle ultimately depends on your overall itinerary and plans.
Getting to the airport will be the least of your worries, as if not a private transfer, there are some direct buses and other options. If your flight is very early, I would definitely spend the last night in Naples.

Read this post if you haven't already: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/i-drove-the-amalfi-coast-and-survived

My husband and I spent 4 nights in Sorrento and took the SITA bus to explore the Amalfi Coast. Using the bus, we stopped off at many towns and never had to wait very long for another bus to continue on our journeys (I think our longest wait was 10-15 minutes). I have to say it was much more fun to watch the view out of the bus window (which puts you up above most cars) than to worry about the road, parking, traffic, hairpin turns, etc. Plus, environmentally speaking, I'd much rather use public transportation when it's available and efficient than to add another car to the roads.

Except for non-compliant guardrails, I suppose the SINGLE 2-LANE ROAD through Positano isn't that much harder than American roads in the mountains of Vermont , Utah, and so on. The issue isn't your fine, European coachworks steering gear, or your brilliant driving skills. It's the busses that have to STOP and back up to get around an oncoming bus at a curve. It's the tourists who stop half-in the SINGLE travel lane in their direction to take a picture out over the water. It's the construction sites that have alternating traffic in a single lane. It's the staggering lack of on-street parking spaces.

If you feel (as the Firesign Theater used to say ... ) "high on gasoline and a clean windshield", go ahead and rent a car. Being (or, under the illusion of being) in control of your own destiny is more important than the actual time you spend with the vehicle. Go for it.

Your OP does not say where you are going to sleep. That makes a big difference. Because we chose to stay in Sorrento (I'm not saying that's the best choice for you) as a transit hub, we didn't mind paying for a car and driver to show us three towns on the A.C. in an eight-hour day. It was expensive, but worth it. Every night, we saw cars lined up waiting to enter the few underground garages in Sorrento. Have at it.

First, it is an experience that you can talk about for the rest of your life.

Second, if you want to relax and enjoy the coast and its towns, use public transport (bus, boat) or hire a driver if you can afford it.

Third, regardless, enjoy

Pros:
The car offers more flexibility than the bus, because you are not bound by schedules and timetables. You stop along the way where you like, when you like.
The buses are infrequent at night, in case you want to go to another town for dinner.

Cons:
The road is curvy and often narrow (primarily because of people parking illegally on the side).
Parking is scarce and/or at a premium.
Renting a car is more expensive than the bus.

A private car service with a professional driver at your disposal for the day would give you the best of both worlds, but it will cost you dearly.

You decide my friend.

Roberto summarized the pluses and minuses perfectly.

I would just add to rent a car and drive you need to be a person that does not stress easily.
As mentioned the road really is not worse than mountain pass type roads we have in the US or roads that come off of the Pacific Coast Highway (not the PCH itself which is very wide and different but the side roads that go up and down the mountains behind it)
A few differences though:
It is fairly common to be approaching a corner and a bus is coming head on and the 2 of you won't fit.

In this case it is usually the passenger car's duty to back up and let the bus pass. Reversing in such situations can be very stressful, add to add impatient drivers behind you and it magnifies the stress level.

The other common occurrence is consistently being passed by scooters/small motorcycles. They drive quit aggressive and it can be stressfully having them pass you as you are driving.

Don't want to over exaggerate too much, if you have seen various roads in Central America and Asia that hug mountains, it is not life threatening like those are. It is unlikely the driver will be able to enjoy the scenery though and don't under estimate how much extra time it will take you to find places to park and walk to and from said parking every where you go.

It's not as bad as the El Cajon Pass, which I drove exactly twice. Roads on the coast are more winding than steeply graded.

As for backing up, I could be wrong but I think the downhill driver has the right of way. Roberto? Dario?

Not.........

I think the downhill driver has the right of way. Roberto? Dario?

Actually generally it's the driver going downhill who has to yield to the one going uphill. However art. 150 of the Vehicle Code is more complex.
Let's not forget that Laws and Codes of regulation were a Roman specialty.

Art. 150. Crossing between vehicles in congested passages or on mountain roads.

1. When the intersection is not possible due to work, stopped vehicles or other obstacles, the driver, whose direction of travel is hindered and can not be held near the right edge of the roadway, must stop to let the vehicles coming in the reverse direction.
2. On mountain roads or otherwise steep, if the passing oncoming traffic is arduous or impossible, where a driver goes downhill should stop and approach as much as possible to the right edge of the roadway or drive to a turnout or available parking space, if any. However, if the driver who proceeds uphill has a turnout or available parking space, he must stop on it, if the road is so narrow as to make the backing up maneuver otherwise necessary.
3. When backing up is required, vehicles with trailers have priority over other vehicles; vehicles of overall fully loaded mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes have precedence over those with mass below 3.5 t; buses have precedence over trucks. If it comes to vehicles both belonging to the same category group among those mentioned above, the reverse maneuver must be carried out by the driver of the vehicle going downhill, unless it is manifestly easier and safer for the driver of the vehicle going uphill, in particular if the latter is in the vicinity of a turnout.
4. Anyone who violates the provisions of this Article shall be subject to administrative sanction for payment of a sum of EUR 41 to EUR 168.
5. Infringements of the provisions of this Article shall apply Article. 149, paragraphs 5 and 6.

Not, parking extremely limited, can be a major headache. In Positano cars are parked along the road well outside of town. The ferry from Positano to Amalfi €8 is a great way to enjoy the coastline.

Don't drive, we hired a driver (we were a group of 6 staying in Sorrento) who took us where we wanted to go but the road is not for enjoyment even when sitting as a passenger. I say take a bus, ferries or hire a driver/take a tour out of Sorrento, much more enjoyable.

I hope you read my thread that Nancy linked to. I was there a couple weeks ago, so in low season. Most hotels and B&Bs were closed for the winter. Ferries were not running. I drove on Saturday from Salerno to Sorrento (then inland back to Salerno) and Monday from Salerno to Praiano and back. On Saturday I didn't stop in Positano partly because it was getting late in the day but mostly because I didn't see a convenient parking place. On Monday, I decided to drive up to Ravello and about half-way, I gave up, managed a tricky 3-point u-turn and went back. The road was too narrow and generally difficult for me. On Monday, it was hard to find a parking place in Amalfi. There were lots of places I could stop along the road to take photos mainly because there was very little traffic. Yes, I was sometimes one of those who parked half on the road, but it was only for a couple minutes at a time, unlike many cars I saw that were parked for what looked like a long time.

I like driving, I have no problem with a manual transmission (well, I briefly forgot the clutch but only when reversing and only twice) and did a lot of downshifting. I also get motion sickness on buses. And it was low season (probably fewer buses and no ferries at all). So a car was a good choice for me. I believe May isn't so busy that there will be long lines for the buses.

Google "youtube, driving the Amalfi Coast" for a good number of videos people have taken from cars or buses.

Only on Chani's bus line comment: In LATE May, when going to the CV train station in Sorrento, we saw a line for the Positano/Amalfi bus that was more people than would fit on the next bus. (I counted them) every single morning. Our host, Rick has mentioned (in his published Italy guides) that bus travelers might visit Positano first and Amalfi second in a single day, because the bus home in Positano originates in Amalfi, and it is often already full - so it doesn't always even stop in Positano.

The only excuse I can think of for renting a car in another country would be if you have some reason to visit a location which is served by roads but which is not served by public (or private) transportation. I would feel like a snob or worse if I rented a car on my trip to Italy - I am not visiting the Amalfi coast - and it would be a waste of money too. Ride the bus.

Thanks for correcting me, Roberto. Loved reading the statute, too!

I don't drive in Itsly when I travel solo, because I feel it's too expensive for me. But for two weeks each summer, I travel with friends and we rent a car. We often see something at the top of a hill and decide to go there. When I see something from a train or bus window, it goes on my "next time" or "daytrip" list.

Hello Nina.
I have personally driven the entire coast on two separate trips to the Amalfi coast and on one trip used the SITA buses.
I drove the coast once in November and though the traffic was not heavy it is a difficult drive. I had rented a standard transmission and never shifted past second gear. The driver can never really appreciate the beauty and keep his eyes on the road.
Take the bus and enjoy the view. Ciao