I'm looking for advice on where to pick up a rental car after starting our trip on the Amalfi Coast and the best way to get there. We'll have a driver pick us up in Naples and drive us to Praiano, so from there I was thinking of using bus/train to either Sorrento-Naples-Rome (then where?) or bus/train to Salerno-Naples-Rome and on from there. I've been to Orvieto and that strikes me as a good place to pick up a rental car. Our next stop is an agriturismo near Pienza. Thank you.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16235 posts
I would take the bus to Sorrento. Both Europcar and Hertz are across each other less than 100 yards from where the bus drops you off. Once you have the car, if you didn't want to take the luggage with you on the bus, you could drive back to Praiano, check out, pick up the luggage and the rest of the party, and drive to Pienza from Praiano. If you take the luggage with you, you don't need to backtrack that way. The drive is about 5 hours, more than 90% multilane freeway driving. The only portions on regular roads is the beginning portion from Praiano to the freeway entrance in Castellammare and the last portion from the Chiusi exit to Pienza.
This strategy will spare you the pain of train transfers where you have to lug your suitcases aboard buses, Circumvesuviana, intercity trains. Ultimately it will be a bit faster and more convenient, and also cheaper.
If you absolutely want to subject yourself to the pain of a trip on multiple modes of transportation, then you might as well take the trains all the way to Chiusi, and rent a car in Chiusi. The total travel time is similar, once everything is considered.
Posted by
1 posts
We were in Positano in September. From there we took the ferry to Salerno (not Sorrento) where we rented a car and drove north to Tuscany. You should be able to get a driver to take you to Positano. It is very close to Praiano. We found it to be the best option for us. I've read the horror stories of renting a car in Naples and driving out of Naples. The ferry was relaxing and the views were beautiful. From the ferry dock at Salerno it was a very short walk to the rental car office. - only about two blocks. The drive to Tuscany from Salerno was easy. We completely avoided driving through Naples and we were able to make some stops along the way. We thought about taking the train from Naples and picking the car up in Orvieto or Chiusi but Salerno had better rental car options. Enjoy! Wish I was going back!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16235 posts
Salerno is also a good option. However if you go at a time when ferries/boats are not operating (winter or rough waters), the road to Salerno is longer than to Sorrento, and you need to change buses in Amalfi.
But as I said, either way I would rent the car from the start, especially if there are more than 2 people traveling together (and even more so if you don't know how to pack light, because trains are not fun if you are lugging big suitcases).