Managing Naples, Amalfi, Capri, and Sicily

When will you be travelling? Because transportation recommendations for the mainland portion of your trip will differ depending on your dates. During tourist season, a car is unnecessary, and can be a hindrance. Trains, ferries, and hired car/driver would be preferable; and of course you won't need a car for Capri. The easiest way to manage this portion of your trip would be to stay in Sorrento and day trip to your other spots, with perhaps an overnight on Capri.

Then fly to Sicily from Naples.

Thank you - planning our trip for beginning of May.

I second CJean’s recommendations, including the overnight on Capri. By the time you take the ferry, get up from the marina, and get back down for the return trip your actual time there is too short. When we were there, the last ferry back to Sorrento was in the late afternoon. Be sure to include a visit to the church of S. Michele in Anacapri.
A car is very useful in Sicily.

1. April 25 and May 1 are national holydays and the latter falls on a Monday in 2023. They should pay me to drive in Naples and on the Amalfi Coast any day after Easter (April 9), even more so close to 2 long week-ends.
2. would you fly open jaw even if it may be a little more expensive?
3. More or less, Sicily is as big as New Hampshire. Do you already have a specific area in mind?
4. Are you getting the car in Sicily or are you going to drive south from Salerno? I mentioned Salerno because it's in the right direction and because only Neapolitans drive inside Naples. Anyway, check if the rental company allows their cars to be loaded on ferries. If not, take the train and pick the car in Sicily.

It's commonly suggested here (and I totally agree) that a visitor really needs at least two weeks for Sicily alone--and a bit more time if only public transportation will be used throughout the island. If you must condense Naples, Capri, the Amalfi Coast and Sicily into a single two-week trip, you are going to have to make some serious (and frustrating) itinerary compromises in Sicily. I do not recommend doing that. A better choice, I think, would be to spend the second part of your trip in Puglia. It's also very interesting, but you can get a better look at it if you only have only about a week or so.

There will be two of us and we are planning to rent a car in Naples

Don't do it

Can you save Sicily for another time as it is a 2 to 3 week destination. You could pair Puglia with Naples and the Amalfi coast. Fly into Naples and out of Bari or vice versa. Just a thought.

I had to laugh with "don't do it" referring to renting a car in Naples. We spent 3 hours in Naples around the Napoli Central, waiting for our next train. Just not enough time to go any place. We walked the area close by (it is an enormous rectangular square) and grabbed lunch on the square. No where did I see a street light, car lanes and any directional, it was every man (car) for himself. You just stepped out into the road and prayed! I could not imagine driving there!

You really won’t need nor want a car in Naples itself. There are plenty of busses and metro to get you around the city if you prefer not to walk.
For the Amalfi Coast ferries and busses will give you all the options. The coast road is usually a traffic jam, you can only go as fast as the bus in front of you.

For Sicily a car will save time wandering place to place, but with only a week, pick either the Catania or the Palermo area.

This is the path I would take.

Napoli Centrale to Salerno by train. 42 minutes.

Salerno to the Amalfi coast villages by ferry, this will save time over the bus. Ferry is located about. 10 minute walk from the train station in Salerno.

https://www.travelmar.it/en/timetable-24-30-october. Travel timetable will change closer to your dates.

Spend 3 nights on the coast.

Amalfi to Capri by ferry. 50 minutes.
1-2 nites

Capri-Naples by ferry, 50 minutes.
1-2 nites.

Fly Naples to Catania 1hr. Easyjet R/T about $75
Or Naples-Palermo 1hr. Easyjet R/T about $70.

6 nites Sicily

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/3-weeks-in-sicily-very-long

You may want to peruse the above to get a sense of what you might be able to do in your time frame.

For the original poster and others who haven't been to Sicily: Ellen's description of traffic conditions around Napoli Centrale applies to Palermo as well.

With your itinerary, you don’t need or want to rent a car in Naples.
We flew into and out of Naples in 2019. We did not need or miss a car from Naples for our trip: Naples 2 nights, ferry to Capri 2 nights, ferry to Sorrento 4 nights, ferry to Amalfi 3 nights, ferry to Salerno, rented a car for Puglia and returned it to Naples Airport with no problems.
We haven’t been to Sicily, so no comment.

You need to check all iterations from your home airport (into Palermo, Catania, or Naples, out of the same), and you need to narrow down what in Sicily you wish to see. Flying between would be the only option to me with that time frame.
I would choose either Sicily OR Naples/AC/Capri.

Thank you, everyone, for all your wonderful suggestions!
I should have clarified that we are not planning to rent a car to explore Naples but rather to rent a car in Naples and explore Amalfi with a car.

I should have clarified that we are not planning to rent a car to
explore Naples but rather to rent a car in Naples and explore Amalfi
with a car.

You won't want or need a car on the Amalfi coast.

Take the train from Naples to Salerno and rent a car there.