Few Questions - Amalfi Drive

I recently stayed in Sorrento and took the bus from Sorrento to Amalfi.

I believe the bus tour took over an hour. Maybe 2 hours?

The buses and cars do not go very fast. The road is very windy and right on the cliff. The bus driver was constantly having to maneuver around the oncoming cars. But they do an excellent job!

No stops but you can take photos out the bus window.

In Sorrento there was one bus stop by the train station to Amalfi.

Take the boat back to the city you are staying in. Soooo fun!

Anne,

We just returned from 2 weeks in Italy that included a stay in Sorrento. We did the Amalfi Coast with a private driver, Mariano Fiorentino, based on recommendations from several others on this site.

Mariano is outstanding, very knowledgeable, flexible regarding tour start/pick-up times, gives plenty of photo-ops ( I like to take lots of photos), and is a very safe driver.

We did a 9-hour tour which included Positano, Amalfi, Ravelo, and several other small towns along the way for 280 euros (for 4 people). I can honestly say that I would do this drive again with Mariano without hesitation...he was phenomenal.

If interested, you can contact him at pleasantravel.com. Hope this helps,

Willy

We did this drive 10 days ago with our rental car. It was a bit foggy in the morning so we left at around 11 am and it wasn't busy at all. The street is very well maintained but with lots of bends and some hairpin turns. If you've done any mountain driving before it's quite managable.

Most of the time it's slow driving at about 20-25 mph, a total of about an hour.

There are quite a few opportunities to stop and get out to take pictures which we did a number of times. From what I've heard busses do not stop.

We had our own rental car and made the drive from Massa Lubrense to Paestum along the Amalfi Coast Drive. It is incredible. The speed is not fast as it is windy and on the edge of the cliff. Lots of spots to stop for photos.

For some reason we were quite lucky and had very little traffic (July 31!!!)

I would suggest hiring a car rather than doing the bus unless $$$ is a huge issue. If your thought is to see the towns - go by ferry. We did not stop in towns on our drive but we went back by ferry.

Anne, I did the exact thing Darcie explained and it was PERFECT. Wouldn't want to waste my time driving it... leave it to the bus. Easy to find and catch in Sorrento. Also the boat ride was one of the highlights or our trip. We caught it from Positano - very relaxing. Have fun!

Anne,
Another vote for Mariano Fiorentino !! As mentioned above, we thought he was phenomenal - knowledgeable and very personable, flexible etc... We made many photo stops. He is an excellent driver and I never felt nervous at all. I did take a Bonine so I wouldn't have to worry about all the curves and just enjoy the fabulous views. Anyway, we highly recommend Mariano. His prices were very reasonable compared to other quotes we got for private day-tours of the Amalfi Coast. Enjoy !

Let him Drive.....he will always remember how sweet you were to let him do it, and it will make him feel in charge. Also, if he messes up you will have one more thing to bring up to him later in life.
That was a Joke'
You will Love Sorrento also.

Id rent a car, put the top down and GO!
I loved stopping in the town of Amalfi (lots of parking). Our best drive from Sorrento was to Nerano, a small fishing town with a great seaside restaurant that does pasta with zucchini. Rent a little boat and see the coast from the sea. 30euros and one of the locals from the fishing co-op will take you out for a ride and a swim in the cool blue water.

Thanks everyone! We'll most likely contact Mariano, as hiring a private driver seems to be the best option for us since we want to make as many stops as possible to take photos.

I'm sure my fiance would LOVE to rent a car, but I'd feel safer having someone who knows his way around the town driving us around =)

Good luck, it will be fun.
If you have the $$$ and dont get car sick in the back seat, then a driver is OK.
If funds are an issue, Id spend the $450 on a driver in Rome. Amalfi is a one way drive, you cant get lost. All you need to do is pull into Positano, Amalfi, etc. Lots of parking, get out and just walk the town. Are you staying in Sorrento?

David, Yes, We'll be staying at a hotel in Sorrento. Funds are always an issue, but it's our honeymoon and our first time in Italy, so we're willing to splurge a little :)