Train vs. car next week

It may not be crazy, but I consider it ill advised. Do a search for cars on the AC on the search tab for all of the previous threads. A train to Naples will likely be faster, cheaper, and more comfortable than driving. From there to Sorrento you could take the Circumvesuviana, or a ferry, or have a car service drive you there. You won't have to be concerned with finding gas stations and parking, or of theft of belongings left in your unattended car. And I doubt you'll find a car that will accommodate 5 people plus luggage. You'd likely need a van. Driving on the AC is not usually recommended, and parking in the AC towns can be very problematic. As for stopping in Pompeii on the way back to Rome, the Pompeii Scavi train station has lockers- safer than leaving them in an unattended vehicle.

At those rental car prices (plus at least $30 a day for parking), I would take the train for sure.

No need to buy train tickets in advance. You can buy just 10 minutes before boarding. Buying in advance gives a chance to get discounted fares (although non refundable and non changeable once purchased). However if you are traveling next week the discounted fares are likely all sold out, so you will need to buy the full fare (called “base”) anyhow.

Timetables of high speed trains to Naples here (two train operators to choose from)
www.trenitalia.com
www.Italotreno.it
The full fare with trenitalia is 48€ one way.
But check if there are still discounted fares (Economy, Supereconomy, or also FrecciaYoung for your children). Just be aware that discounted fares, once purchased, are set in stone. No changes or refunds (or only with penalties).

From Naples to Sorrento you take a commuter train called Circumvesuviana. Tickets are bought on the spot at the Naples station. No discounts there, but they are cheap. It’s basically a suburban train for commuters.

There are several issues with renting a car in Italy that Americans are not totally aware of unless they’ve rented a car in recent years. The first is that cars in Europe are very small and most simply do not have the trunk space we Americans are used to here in the US. Even if the car model has the same name in Europe as in the US, the car will be a shrunk-down version of the similarly-named model in the US. One time four of us rented an “intermediate” size car in Europe and we could barely get four carry-on sized cases in the trunk. The four cases had to be rearranged over and over so the trunk lid could close and then it only closed when it was slammed shut. With 5 of you and 5 pieces of luggage, you probably will need a van or an SUV and the cost of that could be double what you have reserved. If you wanted to visit Pompeii on the way down to Sorrento, the Pompeii Scavi train station where the ruins are located has luggage storage available in the upper level.
Two other considerations are that wherever you go, you will find parking almost impossible to find in old city centers which were built centuries before cars were invented. This is true of Naples and Sorrento. That’s when you’ll be forced to finally spend the $35 to park after wasting precious time hunting for street parking.

The cost of the car rental will also end up being way more than you anticipate because of the price of gas in Italy ($7.50 per gallon) and toll roads, the scarcity of free parking and the dreaded ZTL’s which are areas of cities and towns that only cars with prior permission can drive through. They are basically “no-go zones” reserved for neighborhood residents that tourists are not allowed to drive through and are usually clueles about. Rome, Naples and Sorrento all have ZTL zones.
You will not know where all the ZTL’s are and cameras take photos of the license plates to identify violaters. In that situation, unless the ticket is processed immediately and the car rental agency gives you the bad news when you return the car, you likely will end up having to pay for tickets weeks— or even months—after the trip is over and the fines are tacked on to the credit card you used to rent the car with at the car rental agency.
Finally, the Amalfi Coast road is a very difficult road to negotiate as a driver. It is so narrow in some sections that vehicles can come within an inch or two of sideswiping other vehicles. In some sections of the road, vehicles have to stop and be carefully directed to get past large trucks and buses. An Italian friend of mine who lives south of the Amalfi Coast told me he won’t drive that road because he finds it risky and it’s too stressful.
So, if you really want to relax and enjoy your vacation- ditch the idea of a car rental and just take the trains and buses. “When in Rome, do as Romans do” and they are all in the train’s cafe car sipping cappuccinos!
Have a great Trip!
🇮🇹

You can buy train tix online at:
www.TheTrainline.com
www.Italiarail.com

And I doubt you'll find a car that will accommodate 5 people plus
luggage.

A normal estate car should be able to accommodate your needs, I wouldn't be too worried about that.

But, that being said, driving sounds like a bad idea. Especially renting a car in Rome, the train to Naples saves you a lot of time compared to driving.

we live in a large metropolitan area so we aren't too concerned about
getting out of Rome and passing through Naples

Driving in a large metropolitan area in North America is one thing, where the cities have been bulldozed to make room for cars. Driving in and around cities in Europe is, to quote Monty Python, something completely different. Especially in southern Italy where the rules of the roads often are seen more as suggestions.

“In Rome, a red traffic signal is merely a suggestion.”
!!!

hey hey rubisca11
you will need and IDP for each driver to drive in italy. get them at AAA for a fee & 2 photos.
being so overwhelmed with getting this trip together, relax, ride the train and be comfortable. validate train tickets at box before walking down track to board.
it will be busy and crowded, easter & spring break, "revenge getaway travel", many are doing last minute trips, it's happening everywhere. happy travels
aloha

We were in Italy last year and rented a car in Naples to going see relatives in a village not easily served by train. We had to take a cab from central station to the airport to rent the car, which was fine - so not a lot of "in City center" driving. There were four of us (husband and son are "husky" and had the front seats), the daughter and me are 5'5" and 5'7" each less than 140 pounds. We each had one carryon suitcase and one back pack, and we rented a Jeep Renegade. The suitcases were in the back (with the lid removed and just lying on top) and 4 backpacks were crammed around me and my daughter.
My husband and I both are well versed with manual transmissions and currently drive a 20+year old Jeep. I will also say that my husband has a 30+ year career in EMS so NASCAR-like driving is something he is familiar with, but we are not interested in driving Amalfi.
Before making a decision take into account the following logistics: 1) obtaining your IDP before the trip (the Sicily By Car agent checked); 2) actually getting the rental car and returning it; 3) being ready to "tetris" luggage and likely having "petite teens" ride with luggage in the laps for a few hours, both ways; 4) having cash for the autostradas; 5) being familiar with traffic signs (if nothing else, know ZTL); 6) confirming your accommodations in Sorrento have parking; and 7) be ready to search and pay for parking for all places you plan to visit (and again be prepared to read parking signs).

There are still tickets @ €29,90 p/p on direct trains € 299, for the 5 of you R/T If purchased now. Time 1:13.

There is absolute no reason to drive the coast road, especially the week before, during and after the Easter holiday. You’ll do nothing but sit in traffic jams.

Ferry will save you time in transit to the Amalfi coast, then use the bus from Amalfi town on the way back to Sorrento. Bus runs later than the ferry.

Ferry, bus and Circumvesuvian schedules.
https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/
Use drop down then getting here.

I can't remember the last time I paid the motorway tolls in cash, but you'd better have two cards ready in case the 1st one does not work. And some cash as plan B, at least for the first try!

These are the websites for the two train companies operating high speed trains in Italy:
https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
https://www.italotreno.it/en
You can book tickets in advance in the above website with no extra fees.

The two websites below are travel company resellers. I don’t know if they show you all the options and if they charge commission fees.
https://www.thetrainline.com/en-us
https://www.italiarail.com/

Thanks to everyone who replied-- you convinced me that the train is the way to go, and I also appreciate the information on the trains. Ciao!

Good!
Only buy your train tickets from Trenitalia or Italo.
They both have very good apps if you want to use them.
Have a wonderful trip!

I agree the train is the better option. However, I'd like to clarify ZTLs.

I have driven successfully in Italy and have not had a single speeding ticket or ticket for a ZTL violation. I did research and learned the rules of the road and became familiar with signage.

ZTLs are well marked and easily avoided. You have to be pretty clueless to enter a ZTL without knowing.

I did avoid driving in big cities such as Rome or Florence, which is a standard operating procedure for us anywhere in Europe. Cars are a nuisance there anyway. However, there are parts of Europe best explored by car.

A little common sense goes a long way. If you read posts of horror stories about speeding and ZTLs, you'll find it was user error by the driver. There are plenty of us with enough sense to follow the rules.