Renting a car at Naples Airport

You don't need to go all the way to the airport. Do you know that there are both Hertz and Europcar in Sorrento, a good deal closer?

Is it hard to drive out of Sorrento.? At Naples airport you can get right on the autostrada.

That's a doozie of a drive no matter where you start.

Sorrento to Pompei isn't bad, at least it wasn't for me, on a decent local road until the flyover at Castellammare di Stabia where it turns into a divided road and drops straight onto the A3. A3 around Napoli and onto the A1.

Not trivial, but not hard, at least not for me.

Since we have the car since it sounds like it would be easier leaving from Naples airport. There are 4 adults and my husband wants to drive and we all want to take a break from the train. Would you do it again? We plan on driving in the fast lane not afraid of the road or drivers.

The fast lane in the Italian freeways is only for passing.
You should plan on driving in the slow lanes.

To save a bunch of money, The renter(s) should go to Sorrento by bus. Pick up the car in Sorrento then drive back to Positano to pick up the rest of the party and drive away to Radda.

If you think that driving from Sorrento (or Positano) to the freeway is too hard, you will have similar difficulties when you get to the Chianti. The road to Radda is no better. It's a very narrow two lane road with many sharp curves.

Not trying to save money, and we read posts online how scary it is to drive in Positano. Not afraid of the autostrada and I realize the pass lane is the passing lane as it is in the U.S. as well. Train to Tuscany will take as long and I do not want to take the fast train to Florence and back track. Not worried about driving in Tuscany.....my husband has driven on the opposite of the road on narrow roads. Have you made this trip before?

I've done lots of these trips before. I lived in Italy half of my life, I learned to drive there, and keep doing it every year.
Stop reading posts online. The road to Positano is not any scarier than the roads of Tuscany where you are going. Actually I've seen much worse in other places.

Some people use the internet to say it's scary because they don't know how to drive and want to terrorize those who do. They belong to a terrorist group called ISIS (Internet Scaremongers on the Italian South)

If you don't pick up the car in Sorrento because you let yourself be frightened, then the the terrorists have won.

Thanks, I will give your advice some consideration. Either way, I want to take a car and be on our own for the drive North.

I have also driven in Italy a lot and in and around Sorrento, Salerno, and all in between (had to replace a tyre in Salerno after hitting a large block of wood in a construction area on the autostrada - had a great half Italian half English and a lot of sign language conversation with the owner about Formula 1 and World Rally Championship while the lads did the job).

The Amalfi Coast road degree of difficulty will depend on the time of year and the time of day. I am used to narrow roads and lanes and plenty of traffic because I live in the countryside of England and drive regularly into Oxford and London, and when I drive in Italy it is in my British car with the wheel on the wrong side.

Take it steady, remember to keep your eyes on the road, be ready to stop, be ready to reverse to allow a bus, coach or truck through, and enjoy it.

I find it easier around there because the road only goes in one direction. The very rural lanes in Tuscany can be a bit more difficult because the signage is not always clear and it is easy to get going too fast for the road.

Driving in the left lane, or with that attitude, is a formula almost guaranteed to get your picture taken (keep smiling) and be the recipient of a number of camera speeding tickets some months after you get home. Read the other threads around here about getting tickets. You won't know about it when it happens.

The limits are set for everybody's safety.

For driving plans add 30 percent or more to times projected by google maps or viaMichelin.

Do as you first planned. Pick up your car in Naples and get right on the freeway. Driving in Italy is easy and not the terror that some indicate. We have done it for years, traveling from the north down into Sicily and enjoyed every minute of it. It is wonderful to have a car as you can see so much more of a country and are not limited to cities.

Thanks......I will. Already have car reserved and driver from Positano.