We will be in Italy for 3 weeks in April. Other than seeing Rome when we arrive and seeing Florence just before we are due to go home, we will probably stay in small towns in between. We want to have a little flexibility as to where we stay when we are not in a large city, which is why we initially planned to rent a car. However, we are a little nervous about driving in Italy, particularly along the Amalfi coast. I know it is expensive but we are thinking of hiring a private driver to take us to destinations rather than using the train/bus systems. We are older ladies and really don't want to be lugging luggage to the train or bus if we can avoid it. Is this a good idea and does anyone know of a private driver to recommend. Thanks very much. Sara
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
The RS Italy book contains quite a few recommendations for drivers in the Amalfi area. You should pick up a copy. Happy travels.
Posted by
Long Beach, CA, USA
359 posts
a driver would probably be expensive but would be a very nice way to get to your destinations without the stress a driver who comes highly recommended is Alessandro Cammilli you can checkout his website and email him with your itinerary and see what he would charge
www.alessandrocammilli.com I am actually going to use him for a trip for my parents this fall and I have read nothing but wonderful things about him
Posted by
Utah
446 posts
we used Sorrento Silver Star for a couple transfers (Tropea to Sorrento and Sorrento to Rome) and a day trip along the Amalfi Coast and to Paestum. Our driver was Catello. Would definitely recommend. They were best price at the time and are in RS guide.
Posted by
OP
San Diego
24 posts
Thanks for the advice. I will check it out. Since we will not be using a driver everyday, perhaps it will not be more expensive than renting a car and having the car in a parking lot on a number of days. By the way, we also plan to go to Sicily, perhaps by taking the ferry from Salerno. We haven't decided yet which towns to visit in Sicily, other than Taormina, but I was wondering if there are any drivers to be recommended for that portion of our trip (or perhaps the ones who have already been recommended will know someone?)
Sara
Posted by
phoenix
52 posts
We looked into hiring a driver for part of our trip last summer but in the end the cost was going to be just a little too much, even split between two of us. I suppose that if you organize your trip so that you don't need the driver for more than a day or two it can be a great way to see the coutryside and villages. For the Florence part of our trip we decided on a small group tour which was more economical for us and ended up being a whole lot of fun. We took the 'Slow day in Tuscany' to a small family run winery and castle in the hills surrounding Florence. Definitely an alternative worth considering if the private driver idea looks a little pricey.