Recommended stops from Rome to Amalfi Coast

We stopped at Cassino for lunch and to visit the Abbey of Montecassino which is very impressive and set high on a hill.

Hey Martin,

You can start by stopping along the way in the town of Sperlonga. It's a coastal town in the Province of Latina Italy along your journey. Continue your tour by stopping in other towns like Lazio, Frosinone, Cassino, and Caserta.

Amalfi Coast is a broad term, especially when used (incorrectly) to include Sorrento. I suggest you get a driving time estimate from two sources (like Google Maps, I mean) to plan when you'll need a break or a rest. (Do you have parking at your destination?)

Having visible articles in a parked car can attract thieves, in any country of the world, including the USA. Subject to that warning, some people would stop in Naples or, closer to the AC, Pompeii. Naples is rather too large for a short stop. Depending on where you mean to end up, and personal interests, you might consider Caserta Palace.

When you say "arriving in Rome" do you mean landing at Fiumicino after a trans Atlantic flight? If so, the prospect of disembarking from an airplane, renting a vehicle, and driving for some 4 hours or so to Amalfi would be daunting for me. The traffic gets weirder and more confusing as you head south. All of this when you are extremely jet-lagged if you just came from the U.S. I don't think I would attempt such a trip unless I was completely rested.

If you are planning on an overnight stop somewhere between Rome and Amalfi, your plan looks more reasonable.

We arrived in Rome in the late afternoon, stopped overnight in Pompeii, saw the ruins from early morning to early afternoon, and continued on to Positano. Our friend who had been there for a few days before us did the driving. I don't think we would have wanted to drive that trip.

For a hint of the issues you will face driving the Amalfi Coast road, go here and watch some videos. It's not for the faint of heart. I particularly liked the one titled "Italy: Amalfi Coast Drive from Sorrento to Positano."

Those videos show why you shouldn't drive on that road the day you arrive. That is especially true if you've never driven in Italy before.

You can learn a lot about the requirements for driving from Gemut.com's "What you should know about renting a car in Europe in 2019." It's a free download.

We have twice landed in Rome and then driven the the AC- Ravello to be precise, which is about 3.5-4 hours driving. After a transatlantic flight it was exhausting, but we landed fairly early morning so we wanted to get out to our first destination of our trip. While the idea of a stop along the way sounds like a great opportunity to add another destination, it is just too much. Autogrill is our favorite lunch option along that trip. We always get a kick out of the freeway stops and Autogrill is our favorite. 😊