Driving the Amalfi coast

It will be better than in summer but it is very narrow and twisty!!!! There is minimal parking in Positano unless you are staying at a hotel that has parking, Amalfi is a little better and has some nr beach. However there may be no overnight pking. best ck with tourist info for these 2 towns or use nearby Ravello (lovely town for visitors also) and take short bus ride back to amalfi, positano..

Deanna, we drive often to the Amalfi area... and love it! But it's not for the faint-at-heart. Traffic is congested, roads are narrow, and the drop-offs from the cliff are spectacular. When we usually travel, I'll drive in and my wife drives back - that way we each get TO SEE the beautiful scenery. You WANT the driver focusing ONLY on the road! Having said all that - we still drive! We love the freedom of stopping as we go. It can take us hours to drive this road - mostly by choice!

For some pictures and personal experience, see this post on my wife and I heading down there in May - it might help, CLICK HERE

Ron in Rome

Followup to previous posting:

On the return trip from Amalfi, there MAY BE the small ferry boat to Salerno at 19:10, thereby avoiding the 75-minute SITA bus ride back (the boat takes only 35 minutes). Ticket costs 6 Euros one-way. NOTE; this service is subject to being cancelled due to bad weather, and is less likely to operate for lack of passengers late in the season. But if it does run, it would give you another perspective of the coastline. You would not know the definitive schedule except on the afternoon of departure, when already in Amalfi.

In view of the POSSIBILITY of taking the boat back to Salerno, you could purchase the 75-minute SITA one-way bus ticket (Salerno/Amalfi) for 3 Euros rather than the 24-hr. ticket for 6 Euros. You buy the bus ticket at the newstand inside the Salerno train station. The bus departs from directly outside the main entrance of the station. If the boat service is cancelled, you would need to buy the return bus ticket to Salerno (3 Euros) in Amalfi.

www.ferroviedellostato.it
www.sitabus.it
www.coopsantandrea.it

Thanks, we are from CO so have had experience with narrow, twisty roads with drop offs. We will be heading down in the afternoon for a quick trip and have to be in Rome late that night which is why I am having trouble making bus or tours work, the ferry doesn't seem to be running either. I really want to see the coast so...

It won't be as congested in October as it would be in the summer time. There is a public parking lot in Amalfi at the waterfront and one private pay lot that I know of along the one road that twists and winds through Positano. I believe that lot was about 20 Euro to park. There is also some parking inside the white lines along the roads if you can find it. You will have some difficulty wielding such a large vehicle through the narrow roads and negotiating other drivers. Hopefully you won't meet up with a bus coming the opposite direction. Getting past one another is dicey. I drove a C Class Mercedes and met up with a tour bus once. I had to back up downhill to a wider spot in the road, fold in the mirrors, and hug the cliff face. Still, there was only ONE INCH between me and the bus. I could stick my hand out of the window and touch it with my finger. Whoever is driving won't be doing much sightseeing. I suggest applying generous amounts of anti-perspirant ahead of time!

I'll "make it work" for you:

Depart Roma Termini 13:45 ES train
Arrive Salerno 16:12

Depart Salerno 16:30 SITA Bus
Arrive Amalfi 17:45

75 minutes in Amalfi to see Cathedral & town

Depart Amalfi 19:00 SITA bus
Arrive Salerno 20:15

Depart Salerno 20:42 ES train
Arrive Roma Termini 23:15

Round-trip train fare (ES train second class): approx. 70 Euros, plus 6 Euros for 24-hr UNICO COSTIERA bus ticket to get to Amalfi and back to Salerno.

No hassle, no worries, no problems finding parking, no dodging of tour buses along the Amalfi Coast, all travellers can enjoy the scenery.

Deanna,

We were on the Costiera Amalfitano twice this past July and the traffic was not too congested. The world wide recession has caused a slump in the tourist industry for the last two years in Italy. The roads are narrow, twisty, and the Italian drivers are something else. My girl friend watched the scenery and I watched the road. One poster to your inquiry informed you that he drove one way and his lady drove the way back. That is a good strategy. We found parking in Amalfi, But I do not know if you can park publically overnight.

Buon viaggio,

RB

Thanks so much for all of the help and the suggestions. The ferry was my 1st option for the way back but as someone said you don't know until that day if it will work. We do not need overnight parking so I hope to make the suggestions for parking work. I am sure things will all work out in the long run with so many suggestions.

Deanna: the small ferry boat between Positano, Amalfi and Sorrento does NOT transport motor vehicles, only passengers!!!

If you drive, you will have no choice but to navigate the twisting road back to Salerno in the early evening: yet another reason to think about taking the train/bus as outlined above.

Is the road better from Ravello to Salerno or ? or back to Sorrento if our ultimate destination is Rome?

Just got back from Italy. Drove the Amalfi coast road twice from Sorrento and back. This was during the third week in Sept. The road was EMPTY!! The drive was lovely and we had chances to pull off the road at the turnouts to enjoy the views.

As to parking in Amalfi or Positano, this will be very very hard as there are few spots to park.

If your ultimate destination is Rome, you will want to avoid driving through or around Naples. I would drive to Salerno and get on the Autostrada from there.