WE have stayed in other areas of Italy and rented our own car. We have transitioned from ,aps to computer and GPS sensor to in-car GPS device and have never had problems. However, it sounds like the Amalfi Coastb has tremendous traffic problems and having a car is more of a headache (like car in Manhattan, New York). Can anyone share their experience?
Thanks
Brad and Mary
We've had a car here many times, usually early spring and fall. The end of September and October a car "might" give you more freedom, however, parking is in very short supply and expensive. Since the coast road is only a narrow 2 lane, you cannot go any faster than the vehicles in front of you.
You will be able to use the busses and ferrys and manage to see everything. Schedule below.
I agree with Gerri. The road is OK outside of summer or the weekends but you really need to concentrate on driving the roads which means the passenger may enjoy the scenery but the driver won't. Parking is an issue as well. The problem with the Amalfi peninsula is that public transportation isn't great in most places so if you want to get around to out of the way places you need a car. Having said that, I go there quite frequently but I never get a car. I base myself in Sorrento so that I have the option of trains, ferries or buses. The center of Sorrento sits on top of the cliff so there is also no having to walk uphill for everything as in Positano. In Sorrento you have the train or ferry option to and from Naples along with the airport bus. Pompeii is 30 minutes on the train. Capri 30 minutes on the boat. Ravello by ferry and boat or bus. So it is all do-able without a car.
Whatever you do, don't even attempt to drive in Naples. Visit definitely, but driving is complete chaos.
It all depends on when you will be there. Fall starts in September and ends just before Christmas. The later you go, the less traffic there’ll be. Last December 4th I drove from Naples (traffic in the city was like any large crowded city) to Amalfi Town, stayed there and then headed south to Paestum. I drove the coast on Monday-Wednesday and had no traffic problems at all. If you are staying overnight, make sure your hotel has reasonably priced parking available.
Agree with the posters above. Have been to Amalfi Coast a number of times in the summer and fall with and without a car. We have always stayed in Sorrento because it is easier to get to Pompeii, etc. by train and we usually leave our car at the hotel and use the buses and boats. We like to take the bus to say Positano or Amalfi town and a boat back or vice versa as it is fun to see the towns from the water. If you take the bus there, sit on the right side for the best views. The buses back to Sorrento run later than the last boat back and can be full leaving Amalfi town. I know R.S. says in his book that if full coming from Amalfi t. they don't stop in Positano but from our experiences they have always stopped in Positano even if full as there are always people getting off here. Last fall, mid-October, when there we were driving from the Puglia region and stopped at Paestum enroute to Sorrento. Was the first time my husband drove the A. Coast and we enjoyed the drive but the driver does not get to enjoy the scenery and we did not stop along the way at all as parking is a huge problem and even worse in the summer. Cars were parked forever along the road coming into and out of Positano and Amalfi town was a zoo, although there is a parking garage (luna rossa) coming into town from the south. . (Note: this drive was nothing compared to our drive from S. France to Vernazza back in 2006 where I was hugging the door the entire time.) This time we got rid of our car upon arrival in Sorrento. We were flying out of Naples 4 days later and as a previous poster stated--you do not want to drive there. If you go to Amalfi town and have time, take the bus up to Ravello for beautiful views. We had a spritz at the bar terrace right across the street from the bus stop and it was heaven! The views from the infinity terrace at Villa Cimbrone are amazing and Villa Rufolo is also lovely. Be aware that when the huge cruise ships dock at A. town it becomes a mob scene and can take awhile to get the bus up to Ravello. Sorry......I have digressed. Buon Viaggio!!
Here's my experience last February. I would expect a lot of traffic in September - even late September.
It's nothing like New York. It's mostly a narrow 2-lane road along the cliffs, often no shoulders, rock face on one side and a low stone wall on the other side, blind curves and lots of up and down. GPS isn't needed - the road is obvious. And if you venture of the main road into one of the towns, you'll always find your way back - if you went up, you have to go down, if you went down, you have to go up. These are small villages nestled on the cliffs. There's little public parking. I didn't stop in Positano because I couldn't find a parking place. In Amalfi, I had to wait for a place in the main lot. . . . in February. OTOH I did find places to pull over for a few minutes for a photo op. I doubt that would be possible in September.
We were in Positano, Amalfi and Ravella in late Oct 2017. Based our stay in Positano. Traffic was still crazy. We hired a private driver to drive us from Rome to Positano and for our return back again to Naples to catch a train. While on the coast we again hired a driver for a lesiurely day of exploring between Positano and Ravella. We saw cars having to back up to get around bus's etc. Even if traffic had been lighter, everyone drives so fast so I don't know how you can enjoy the views while driving. We did take the bus several times and it was easy and cheap. OK for getting from point A-B.
Yes, we did spend more on drivers but for peace of mind it was so worth it. This was our 3rd trip to Italy. The previous 2 trips we rented cars both times with out any problems. But those trips were over 20 years ago.
My experience is similar to caugustine54. I had read about driving on the Amalfi Coast and had zero interest in doing it when I visited in May 2015. So, I used a driver some, too, and found myself frequently saying to my travel companion, "I am sooooo glad I did not try to drive in this."
