Salerno Amalfi coast next week (oct 30-11/5

Welcome

The ferries stop running in October so that may not be an option at all now
I suspect the AC is still crowded as the season goes longer now
Parking will be an issue all along the coast

If you do drive make sure all drivers have an IDP -get at your local AAA

Don’t miss Paestum -easy train ride from Salerno

Wait. There are no ferries anymore in the first week of November? Oh boy!

Why would I need an IDP ? I have rented card in several countries and it was never suggested. Is Italy different? I thought my USA drivers license would be enough?

Read the entries all the way to the end.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/international-drivers-license-required

Clear cut black and white law. US drivers are required to have an IDP to legally drive in Italy.

I appreciate the heads up about the IDP . Getting one seems like no big deal. Is this something that I can get the same day (this MOnday ..I leave Tueday) or is this something that needs to be applied for and mailed to me?

I am wondering if I need to scrap my amalfi plans. I don't mind driving but prefer not to if there will still be crowded roads.

You should be able to take public buses to the towns on the coast. The folks at your hotel should be able to help you plan trips by bus. I have driven there off season on two separate occasions and parking is a problem and is expensive. As Greyhound used to say “Take the bus and leave the driving to us.” The town of Amalfi is the transportation center for the coast.

We get our IDP from a AAA office. We usually provide our own passport photos, but they can take one for you. They make the card and give it to you immediately.

True that most of the ferries quit running about end of Oct so I hoping this holds but Travelmar is currently showing a schedule of ferries around the AC (not Sorrento) the weeks of October 28th and November 4th.

https://www.travelmar.it/en/timetable-from-october-28-2024

https://www.travelmar.it/en/timetable-from-november-4-2024

The Naples Bay Ferry website (this is a good resource for schedules) is also showing (limited) service into early Nov. between Salerno, Amalfi, Positano, etc. via a couple other ferry lines in addition to Travelmar.

https://www.naplesbayferry.com/en/t/salerno/positano

As you already know, ferry services can be cancelled at any time due to weather but we'll hope that doesn't happen if the schedules remain active: do check them off-and-on before and during your stay. A check of info on the Capri tourism site shows a trip of 2 hours ONE WAY between Salerno to the island. IMHO, 4 hours a LOT of time on a boat even if it is running and when daylight is short (none of the AC/Sorrentine ferries operate after dark) so I'd personally skip that one.

https://www.capri.com/en/t/salerno/capri

danrudy, please come back after your trip with comments. This board needs off-season information on the AC.

Note that just off the AC is Sorrento, a postwar, purpose built, reinforced concrete resort town. It has the best public transit for day trips. But it does not have the imagined glamor or living local glow of the AC, which you seem to be seeking. Every May night in Sorrento, we saw long lines of cars waiting to enter a big underground paid parking garage. There are dozens of restaurants to walk to in Sorrento, although a few might close after the main season.

A few years ago, we stayed in Sorrento the first week of November. The ferries had indeed stopped. The buses between the Amalfi cities tended to be quite crowded. It wasn't much of a problem leaving Sorrento, but they got progressively more crowded. On the way back to Sorrento from Amalfi city, my husband and I had to stand the whole way.

We rent a car often in Europe, and a couple times in SIcily. I would never want to drive the Amalfi Coast roads.

Capri is accessible only by water, so there will definitely be ferries, weather permitting. I bet there's a lot more service from Naples than from Salerno. You might consider splitting your time and spending a couple of nights (at least) in Naples. That would allow for a day-trip to Capri (again with the weather caveat) and visits to some of the local sights, primary among them being the Archaeological Museum where a lot of the best decorative elements from Pompeii are displayed.

Although Pompeii is accessible from Salerno, it means taking a regular train to Pompei city and then a taxi or walk to the excavations. From Naples, the (subway-like) Circumvesuviana train stops right at the excavations. There's luggage storage at the excavations, and I think also at the Pompeii Scavi Circumvesuviana stop, so you could visit Pompeii in transit from Naples to Salerno or vice versa.

I did like Salerno a lot, so I'm not discouraging a stay there. It's just that there are some advantages to spending part of the time in Naples, especially given your interest in Capri.

I will be Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi starting Nov 3. Directferries.com is a must. I opted out of staying in Sorrento for Amalfi as my week of Nov 4-8 will strictly be AC. This is one of the few times I gave up my apt rental to stay in a hotel right at the Amalfi port/bus depot. Enjoy. Weather looks like it will be nice for us!