Driving from Sorrento to Positano 0

If you get car sick, I don't see how you will handle this drive. It is super high, very narrow, curvy, and scary when you have to pass a car. Plus, if you are driving, you can't take your eyes off the road to enjoy the amazing views. It is gorgeous, but I'd only do with a driver who knows and drives it often. Have you thought of getting a RX for something from your doctor? We used the Rick Steves co-owned and recommended company sharedtours.com

It gives me pause to hear
that I NEED to fold in my side mirror to get thru

Do not recall folding in the side mirror, but did have to back up when the oncoming semi needed both sides of the road to make a curve

Suggest you 'drive the route' on google maps. The water is definitely DOWN there and some places there is only a 2 ft high 12 inch wide rock wall at the edge of the road between you and the open space to the water.

(https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6166854,14.4374222,3a,75y,270h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1snH6m9zqOJ6vAx6msqQ1wIQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DnH6m9zqOJ6vAx6msqQ1wIQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D73.09204%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192)

The height may not be an issue because as the driver you will have limited opportunity to gaze at the view. The curvy road will keep your attention

I am also really really afraid of heights. When I drive curvy mountain roads (similar to curvy Amalfi Coast roads) especially if I'm driving in the downhill lane, I simply can't take my eyes off the road to enjoy the views. And I'm so intent on not driving off the side of the mountain that I wouldn't enjoy the views anyway. So I make lots of use of pull-offs.

I didn't drive the Amalfi Coast; I took a bus in both directions. So I don't recall whether there are plenty of pull-offs and how full those might be in October. But if I had no other option but to drive, my strategy would be to use pull-offs for my sightseeing.

do I need to drive the ENTIRE route

I will also say that my most recent hillside driving was mentally exhausting. I had planned to drive much further than I did. After the first 30 minutes of mentally managing driving along the hillsides, I was thrilled to adjust my plan and stop much sooner than I had intended. I encourage you to think about how long you can overcome your fear of heights in other activities, and then try to imagine doing that for 30 minutes, or an hour or two. It was exhausting for me.

I agree that this drive can be mentally exhausting unless you are very accustomed to narrow mountain roads which can be high traffic and with wide vehicles travelling in both directions. Given the absolute necessity of keeping your eyes glued to the road (and traffic) ahead, enjoying a view of anything else will be limited to any lay bys you come upon.

I'd suggest the alternative of taking a good motion sickness pill and a bus, or the ferry.

I can't imagine driving this if you are afraid of heights. Also parking in Positano is extremely limited. I honestly don't see this as being an enjoyable trip as you really have to keep your eyes totally on the road. The views are magnificent but we only had a view from the bus. I have driven on some scary mountain roads but this is not a drive I would attempt.

Enjoy the ride! I’ve driven both the Salerno to Sorrento and reverse route. Understand, too that I’m in my 70’s and live in the flatland of Florida so driving roads like the Amalfi coast is not something I do often. The only time I had to fold a mirror in was to be able to park closer to a wall to get the car off the road. Fortunately you’ll be there after the main tourist season so the roads should not be too crowded.

Positano is about 20 miles from Sorrento and takes about 40-45 minutes. Yes, the roads are narrow, hilly and very curvy. The obstacles to beware of include buses, trucks, impatient local drivers who think they’re racing Ferraris and groups of slow moving bicyclists 🚵🏽‍♀️🚴🏾‍♀️🚴🏾‍♀️🚴‍♂️ who know THEY own the road. Just be careful. Drive at the posted speed limit. If you get stressed, pull into a lay by and enjoy the view.

No, you don’t have to drive the whole Coast to be awed by the view. I would definitely advise driving up to Ravello for the most impressive views of the Coast.

My first visit I stayed in Positano. On three subsequent trips I chose to stay in Amalfi. Positano is great to look at but, IMHO, it’s overpriced and filled with expensive boutiques. If you’re staying there, don’t pass your hotel by. You’ll have to drive all the way to the top of the town and then go downhill again. The town is built on the side of a steep slope so if you want to roam around, think mountain goat 🐐. If you want a great small family hotel at which to stay in Amalfi, I highly recommend Hotel Villa Annalara and they’ll arrange parking.

Use the ferry? The driver does not get to enjoy the view really--and one could argue the view is better from the sea looking up. If the drive does not bother you, parking might.

one thing to bear in mind is if you are bringing a lot of luggage (query based on your name of "excess baggage babes", you will probably need a larger car than most - because most cars will be quite small - and a wide and long vehicle on that route can be fun.

I've spent some time all around there, and I drive both in the UK and Europe (and formerly in the US and Canada) A LOT, and I am very experienced on narrow roads - yes, when something bigger came it was reverse and pop the mirrors in, and then it was no real problem beyond being a lot of very slow traffic. For many years I have been very glad that my cars come with electric mirrors, and the camera on the trunk helps a lot too.

How do you propose to look at the views and drive? No offense, but there are so many things going against you here. If you drive from Sorrento to Positano, you are going to be on the 'outside' so cliffside....with heights....though half of it isn't ocean side. There may be a turn out that allows you to go back, but I haven't done this in 40 years, so can't recall. What I do remember is doing it by bus and waiting an hour for the bus driver and the oncoming car driver to decide who was going to reverse because they couldn't pass each other.
Have you driven the Hwy 1 Carmel to San Simeon and survived? Maybe if you have you could manage this, but if you haven't tried a drive like that, then you may wish to reconsider.
Watch it on a drone film on YouTube.

We went by bus on the Amalfi coast and then by ferry from Positano to Amalfi. Take the ferries. The view is much better than from the road.

Sometimes you have to accept that physical limitations prevent you from seeing or doing some things. I had a wonderful opportunity to visit Antarctica but I get horribly seasick so I had to resign myself to never being there - not easy when friends show me their wonderful photos, but there it is.

I spent two days driving along the AC in February a few years back. I mention that it was February because that's very low season, with very light traffic and it was easy to find parking. Here's some of my experience.

If you still want to drive - if you get that carsick, I imagine a ferry wouldn't be possible for you either (though it would be best if you can handle it), anyway, if you still want to, take the train to Salerno and rent a car there. The scenic part of the AC is basically from Salerno to Positano. Much (most?) of the drive from Sorrento to Positano is inland. No, you don't have to drive all the way to Positano. You can stop in any village on the main road (don't try to drive into Vietri sui Mare or Ravello) and turn around.

Unless you are stuck in traffic heading eastbound (the seaside lane), you won't be able to really enjoy the views because you'll need to concentrate on the road!!! The only way to really enjoy is to find parking and then walk along the road.

No, you won't need to fold in any mirrors, but you will have to be careful not to scrape the low stone wall on the seaside or the cliffs on the other side - there are virtually no shoulders.

Only on a full moon at 3AM. You get to see, and little traffic. :)

Can you ride a moped or mini-bike? I rented one in Sorrento for about 20 euros for the day. Was pretty easy to handle nad no problems. Easy to maunever around other cars, parking is a cinch compared to a car, can pull over at the side of the road n almost any place to look at the view. Was a highlight of my time on the Amalfi/Sorrento area.

I would recommend if you have to drive, do it from Positano to Salerno. If you do it the opposite direction you will be hugging the cliff walls and the oncoming traffic will block any views.
Ferries are the answer IMHO.
I will be there in May 2022 but will be riding the bus from Positano up to Ravello then taking the ferry back .
Enjoy whatever you choose to do .

If you do it the opposite direction you will be hugging the cliff walls and the oncoming traffic will block any views.

Speaking as someone with a terrible fear of heights, I am willing to give up a bit of the view to drive on what feels like the safer side, the lane nearer the hillside rather than the lane nearer the views. But then, as stated above, my real preference is to pull off to get my fill of the view, and a few minutes of relief from the "scary drive."

How are you going to drive only in one direction? How do you get back to your lodging? Where do you leave the vehicle?

My one trip on the Amalfi Coast was a day bus tour from Rome. Heights really bother me but it was so beautiful. I think it's best to go with a local who hopefully has experience driving that road.

Just take the bus from Central Station of Sorrento to Positano. You can enjoy the landscape from the bus

volaviamare, the OP has an issue with motion sickness. They've already said that trying to do the coast by road would be an issue for them. It absolutely would be an issue for me as well. The suggestion to use the ferries is a good one as they'll likely experience less of an upset stomach on the sea than on the road. I will admit to having a wee bit on an issue on one of the ferries but that was because of fuel fumes.

We took a bus there and a ferry back to Sorrento. I have fear of heights but didn’t have any problem in the bus driving that twisting route high over the sea.