Looking for good, affordable Private Driver to explore Amalfi coast - suggestions?

Posted by Kristina (Dallas) on 04/13/14 03:03 AM

Hi!

Does anyone have any recommendations on a good private driver or car service to explore the Amalfi Coast? Just me and my husband, and we mostly want to have time on our own to explore each place...no tours per se. Just the ease of having a driver, and being able to look out the window at the amazing scenery! (That's what's preventing me from just taking the bus, I hear you can't always get a window seat, and that seems like a waste after spending all that money to get there! )

I appreciate your help! You guys, in tandem with the guidebook, have completely planned this trip for me. I'm so grateful for all your input!!

Posted by Sheron

Alta Loma, CA, USA

04/14/14 04:01 AM

1446 posts

Yes! I can absolutely recommend a great driver. His name is Francesco Marrapese and we used him this past September for a day tour along the Amalfi Coast. His web-site is www.francescomarrapese.com. He is highly reviewed on Trip Advisor and for good reason. Francesco picked us up at our hotel in Sorrento and took us along the coast for the day. He made excellent suggestions regarding where to stop and things to do/see. He knew we were into photography and made sure to stop along the way for photo ops. He tailored the day to our tastes and was extremely professional and easy to talk with. He speaks excellent English as he also lived in the U.S. for a period of time. For lunch, he suggested a wonderful restaurant in an off-the-beaten-path town that we would never have been able to access without a car. The restaurant was up on a hill and we dined on the veranda overlooking the ocean below. It was magical. We liked Francesco so much that we also hired him to drive us from Sorrento to Naples with a 2-hour stop at the Archaeological Museum (it was way easier than using the train due to our luggage). My husband & I really enjoyed his use of his Ipad during our day trip. He mounts it to the dashboard and shows various commercials and movie clips that were filmed along the Amalfi Coast. We particularly enjoy the Fiat 500 commercials shown in the U.S. & Francesco showed us the commercial & stopped each scene when we were driving up to the exact spot where it was filmed. It was a lot of fun and it really enhanced our experience. You can't go wrong with Francesco. Have a great trip.

Posted by Karen

Monterey County, CA (formerly Verbania Italy-Lago Maggiore)

04/14/14 05:04 AM

1658 posts

Monetti Taxi. Raffael was great. Not only did we have a great view, stopped along the way, he gave us a lot of local history that we wouldn't have received otherwise. It was like sitting in a van with a friend for the day. We were picked up and dropped back off at our hotel. Rick mentions Monetti Taxi in the Italy book.

[email protected]

Posted by Jeffrey

San Leandro, CA, USA

04/14/14 05:50 AM

65 posts

My wife and I would also recommend Raffaele Monete [email protected] He gave us a wonderful, worry free day.
We were picked up in Sorrento, went to Paestum then back up the Amalfi Coast. Stopped for lunch, stopped at several spots along the road with exceptional views, and several of the towns along the way. Was with us more than the contracted time.
It was wonderful to be able to see the coast without worrying about driving; to be able to stop at a town and not have to worry about where to park; to get from point a to b in the way that let us pack much more into the day than would ever have been possible on our own.