Rome/Puglia/Sicily/Amalfi Coast in late February

Be sure to read up on car rental requirements (you'll have to have tire chains just in case). It helps to know who we is and if you have been to Italy before, etc. A train is probably going to benefit you for certain stretches than you think.
I would not want to go to the Amalfi Coast in February, otherwise it just depends on the overall plan. How many days do you have?

We ( 2 adults) have 2 weeks in Italy. I have been before in January 2020. I did Florence and Rome and the areas around, but this time I am traveling with someone who is used to traveling and driving in Europe, but he has not been before. We both hate crowds and traveling this time of the year I found there were no lineups for anything. One thing on his bucket list is to go to the island of Ischia and see that there are ferries running.
THe weather between 8 and 13 is almost perfect weather for me as I am from the east coast of Canada, so that is like an early spring day

Sounds good then--I do think Sicily would be a stretch with two weeks, as a few days in Rome and Ischia would make up about a week (if you include Naples and environs) and then that's only a week for Puglia.
I know I just said I'd avoid the AC in February, but even though Ischia is close, the presence of hot springs makes it something I would keep under consideration.

Are you aware of ITs ZTL zones? A few seconds in a bus lane could cost several hundred dollars. What airport are you flying home from?

No, not aware of the Zones. Please enlighten me. I do not think he will be driving in the city, just to get from Rome to Puglia. I did the trains myself and loved the freedom, although I know you are on their schedule.
The plan is to fly in and out of Rome from Canada, but I might plan it out a bit better to not have to get back up to Rome. I haven't booked my ticket yet

https://www.autoeurope.co.uk/travel-blog/driving-in-italy-what-are-ztls-and-how-to-avoid-them/
I would not pick up the car until leaving Rome anyway--if you go to Naples/coast area, you can even wait until you depart that area.
Check flights out of Bari, Brindisi, and Naples.

Thanks for the Link. Greatly appreciate it

Some car rentals prohibit ferries.

This is a poor comparison, but I once took the Orient Point (Long Island N.Y.) ferry in the winter. My car was covered with salt spray, and everyone except the crew was seasick.

A good visit to a lot (not all) of Sicily's top sights really calls for at least two weeks, and that's if you have a rental car for part of the time. Sicily is fabulous, but you'd have enough on your plate just with Rome, the Amalfi Coast and Puglia.

Click on the link to learn about ZTL zones: https://www.autoeurope.com/italy-ztl-zones/.
If you fly out of Rome sleep there at the end of your stay and fly nonstop to Bari on arrival day.

hey hey MarieBocca
whoever is the driver will need to get an IDP (international driver's permit) AAA.com/IDP before you get to italy, read up on it
it is a translation of your american drivers permit)
it's very important to research parking. many charge, don't have parking on premises, parking garages could be a walk from your places pulling/pushing suitcases which means packing light. if roaming around towns/villages where will you keep you luggage, leaving in car is a safety issue
when renting make sure you get the right insurance coverage, be careful when parking and if spot is small. no scratches or dents that you will pay for, speeding tickets that may arrive in mail for $$$$ months later, ZTL zones mentioned above.
how many days is this trip? that's a lot of moving around, roads may be two lanes with twists and turns, traffic, not getting tp places you think would be faster than a car.
amalfi coast may not be the best place to be in february, many things maybe closed. are you flying home from rome? i would make that city the end of your trip or at least night before to be near airport.
remember check-in to hotels is 2-4pm and check-out is 10-11am, arrange you times according to those hours instead of waiting
keep researching, asking questions of the more traveled posters here to give you info with good bad and ugly. it's your vacation to decide your own opinions but be prepared with the unexpected. jubilee 2025 is expecting millions of travelers, maybe not as early as february but rome is always busy. have fun and enjoy
aloha

We visited Sicily a few years ago. It is wonderful, but in my opinion you need at least two weeks and three would be better.

At that time of year and with limited time, I would skip it. Spend your time in Rome and Puglia.

We visited Puglia for 10 days in late February last year and it was great—- nice weather, few people. We also spent a day in Matera but could have used three.

In 2 weeks you might cover Puglia, Matera, and Ischia, not Sicily or the Amalfi Coast. Fly into Rome and back from Naples.

You could pick up a rental car when leaving Rome, drive to Puglia and explore for maybe 8 days, then head west to Naples, stopping in Matera for a night or 2= on the way. Turn in the car at Naples ( maybe the airport) and use public transport to reach the city and the port for the hydrofoil to Ischia. Much faster than taking the car over ( which may not be allowed anyway). Taxis around the island are apparently quite inexpensive.

Just got back tonight from a month in southern Italy. If you give me till the weekend will respond to questions.

I am S, F, 70+ and travel only by public transport.

directferries.com will give you the schedules. Then contact those companies directly to reconfirm the schedule and fares.
I went from Naples to Ischia, then on to Procida and returned to Naples. Day was a bit windy but the wind really picked up on Procida and made it very cold and unpleasant. I would say only a few places were open. Decidedly sad almost lifeless air about the 2 islands even though the sun was shining brightly. With almost all the shops/restaurants shut up and tourists gone, not as enticing as probably during the warmer weather. The shops/restaurants have doors shutting out what is behind them, so it is not as though you can go "window shopping". There is nothing to see except various colored wood panels. Procida had been a dream destination so slightly disappointed.

Absolutely agree that you will be happiest to hold off on renting that car until you have completed both Rome and your Naples area travel. You can get a high speed train from Rome to Naples and then walk or take buses or metro in Naples. There will be passenger ferries from Naples to Ischia. And you can take a local train from Naples to Herculaneum, Pompeii and Sorrento. Driving in Naples is not something you will enjoy and you will be best served to not have that car until you leave Naples in your rear-view mirror.

As for the Amalfi Coast, Sorento, Capri or Salerno, others will know better. Buses and ferries will be more limited in February, but public transport may be better than driving.

Since you have just two weeks, you may well want to look at your itinerary and eliminate one area or another. Rome and Naples including places to visit near Naples will take at least a week. Ten days might be better unless you’ve been there before and you want to see fewer sights than you might on a first trip. But only one of the two of you have been to Rome before. Indeed, one could enjoy 2 full weeks in Rome, Naples and sights near each of those two such as the Ostia Antica, Tivoli, Hadrian’s Villa, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, and a couple or three days on Ischia. (I can’t speak to weather issues and that impact on your journey.)

Since even a quick Rome/Naples trip would likely leave you just one week for the rest of your journey, consider whether you might prefer to just visit Puglia or just visit Sicily.

FWIW, we spent a month in southern Italy this past April. An 11-day Rick Steves tour to Sicily, another 11 days in Puglia including a one week “self-guided”bike tour, and 6 days in Campania - 2 nights in the Cilento region and 4 nights in Naples with visits to Matera, Paestum, Pompeii and Ischia as part of our journey once we left Puglia. We drove from Lecce to Naples over the course of three days for reasons you mention in terms of train travel. But we flew (Sicily to Bari) and used trains or the ferry to Ischia otherwise. Our Trip Report is at https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/southern-italy-30-days-three-ways-to-travel.

I am traveling with someone who is used to traveling and driving in Europe, but he has not been before.

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