Driving the Amalfi Coast

I drive all over Europe and have on many trips. I am not crazy about driving winding mountain roads, but can manage. However, the Amalfi, in February, was still a challenge for me. It is so narrow and the drop off to the sea is daunting. I could not really enjoy the scenery and there was not a parking place to be found for us to have lunch in Sorrento... I really don't like posts where people say " I didn't like it
So you won't either". But I am giving you the reality of my experience.... Some people do enjoy it, and now I suppose I have the bragging rights:). But, I have done it and now I don't long to do it again! It is however so beautiful...

It is beautiful, but nerve wracking if you are not used to it. I was grateful we took the bus. Rick has a video of it, probably on youtube. I suggest you watch it and then decide :)

Mid May is not as bad as summer, unless you are there on a Sunday. Personally I don't find driving that road difficult at all. I've seen worse elsewhere, even in America. But it's hard for me to give you advice, since people have different driving skills and experience, and different levels of comfort behind the wheel.
I suggest using the Street View feature of Google Maps and have a virtual navigation of the road to give you an idea if you would feel comfortable. It's a curvy road, but not particularly narrow, unless lots of cars are parked illegally on the side (which happens every weekend in summer).
The biggest challenge is probably going to be finding parking on weekends, because lots are few and they fill up quickly. In your shoes, I'd keep a car if I decided to stay in Positano. Just use one of the lots to park (although they cost about 25€ day). Positano is small, and without a car you are pretty much stuck there in the evening (like for dinner) because buses don't run late at night. So I find staying in Positano to be more limiting without a car. If you stay in a hotel Sorrento, which is a big town, you probably can do better without a car. For the trip to the Amalfi Coast during the day, from Sorrento you can use the bus.

I recall the drive on the bus. It sort of reminded me of the roller coaster at Cedar Point and the road to Aspen. It was beautiful and I can appreciate the skill of those bus drivers making all of those turns and lack of common sense of all the bicycle riders on that road. I think it may be nerve wracking; but, it is do-able on your own with patience and attention. But, I would hire a private driver who is used to the unique rules of the road in Amalfi----I think the rules are simply to defer to the larger of the two vehicles passing and whichever vehicle has the loudest horn. If you are driving yourself you will be missing the view which is not reproducible at any other location...so, a hire driver is the most reasonable thing to do to afford yourself the joy of the views. Also, parking is a mess there and a driver can simply drop you off and be available on a cell phone to pick you up. So, the easy answer: splurge and hire a private driver. Will save you time and ulcers.

Becky, please put your home state and country in your profile. For example, if you were from Vermont or Colorado, we could make some comparison to mountain drives there!

The traffic and busses backing up to make a curve are so slow that I don't think fear of poor guardrails is the issue. We, in fact, hired a car and driver in Sorrento for 8 hours, and that was enough A.C. for us. If you choose to stay in Positano, be sure to investigate the parking situation, and how many hundred steps there are to your hotel.

May is not a slack time in Sorrento. Every time we went to the train station for a daytrip (Pompeii, Herc, etc.), the bus to Positano/Amalfi had a line longer than would fit onto the next bus. If your plan is daytrips, DO NOT stay in Positano. If your plan is leisure on pebble beaches and pretending you are Lindsay Lohan or some other celebrity, feel free to stay in Positano.

Narrow, winding, challenging. The cyclists who pedal two and three abreast preventing you from passing them and then "salute" you when you finally can. Not the safest road and a bit of a stress inducer. Beautiful scenery and I'd definitely do it again!

The section from Sorrento to Positano is really quite good with reasonable width. After Positano it becomes more challenging but the key is to be patient and alert. I agree with Roberto that the MOST difficult part can be the parking and that it is easiest to suck up the cost and pay for a private garage.

I drove the Amalfi Coast in May 2014. If you are used to driving narrow mountain roads the Amalfi Coast road is no big deal. It is just crowded and you have to go with the flow. There is a new parking garage just south of Amalfi Town that connects to Amalfi Town by a walking tunnel (no, I do not mean the tunnel walks!).

There are definitely a few roads in the US that are far worse (two I drove recently were Mt. Evans Rd. (Colorado, highest paved road in North America ) and the Nanicimiento-Ferguson Rd. (CA, side road off of Rt. 1 in Big Sur)
In comparison these were roads were as the driver I was more terrified than enjoying the drive.
Amalfi Coast road would be far more enjoyable a drive ; however as mentioned driving the road is one thing but if you want to stop where are you going to park the car.
The towns you are going to want to stop off at are really tiny and have no parking or you will pay an arm and a leg for parking so there really is no advantage to having a car,
The SITA bus is really inexpensive, a fun and very scenic ride and runs frequently so only reason to get a car is just to experience, not for the purpose of getting from point a to point b.
The bus should not be very crowded in May.

Check the ferry schedule to see if it is running to Positano in May as I found Positano a great base for day trips without need of a car but very helpful if both bus and ferry are options.
A visit to Capri is a must and if the ferry isnot running to Positano you would have to get to Sorrento and back to visit Capri.

There is no need at all for a private driver. And don't forget about Ravello, a beautiful little town a short bus or car ride above the town of Amalfi where the view is more of the sky than the sea.

Becky,
I am from Maine, have driven the Amalfi Coast several times and agree with Roberto. Your biggest challenge will be parking but don't let that deter you, unless you are the type of driver who needs to take the inside lane on roads like the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia or Going-To-The-Sun Highway in Glacier Nat'l Park. The road is perfectly safe and the views are magnificent. Traffic jams may occur and motorcycles are "exciting" so just stay alert. This is just a beautiful drive that begs to be taken at your own pace. BTW, I'm 74 years old.

I have been on the Amalfi Coast by car and bus many times. May is not bad.

With a car, I stay in Praiano (halfway between Amslifi and Positano) at a small hotel off the main road with onsite parking. With that option, you could take the bus for short distances where finding parking can be problematic, or drive to places like Ravello or Paestum.

Remember the go pedal is the one on the right and shift to a higher gear when the tach hits the redline.

If the OP needs to be reminded of the above, maybe it would be a good idea for her to stick to the bus.

Was just in the Amalfi coast 2 weeks ago. We took the SITA buses and they were a much better option than driving. It would be too stressful to drive I think. Those turns are incredibly technical and treacherous. I think whoever is driving would not be able to keep their eyes off the road and it would be a pity to miss out on the spectacular views. Make sure you sit on the right side of the bus headed to Amalfi.