Tuscany to Amalfi Coast via train - a few ???

Have you explored dropping the car in Sorrento?

I picked up a car in Naples and drove to Sorrento. I know I would not voluntarily drive IN to Naples

I'm not sure if Hertz (which we must use) has a location in Sorrento, but I will check. I'm also concerned about driving into Sorrento and not knowing how the roads are once you come off the autostrada?
What concerns do you have with driving into Naples please?
Thank you!

Thanks MaryPat for the detail.
We would hire a car then.

If you don't mind getting up early, you could drive from Montepulciano to Chiusi- Chianciano, drop the car there (30m). Chiusi-Napoli Centrale @
8:02 2H26m.

Another option is to drive to Sorrento, the Hertz office is on Corso Italia # 261 B. Travel time is 4 1/2-5 hours. The combined train time is very comparable.

I've taken the Circumvesuvian probably 50 times over the past 15 years, both with and without luggage. Never once a problem.

Thanks Gerri - something to think about.

Another question as I continue to figure out our 3 nights in Tuscany (1 separate night in Florence - already been there): Which do you all prefer -- Chianti area (more north) or further south Val d'or____ area?

Assuming you are staying in an agriturismo somewhere in the Val d’Orcia area, like Montepulciano, and assuming you have a rental car (which is the only sensible way to visit that area) the most logical thing is to drive from there to Sorrento and return the car in Sorrento (assuming you don’t want to keep the car in Sorrento). Backtracking 2 hours all the way to Florence to take the train makes no sense time-wise or money wise. An alternative option would be to return the car in Chiusi and take the train from Chiusi (change in Rome, and then Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento).

The drive is mostly on a freeway, except the beginning (to Chiusi, where you enter the freeway) and the end (from the Castellammare di Stabia on the A3 Autostrada to Sorrento.

The entire drive is almost 5 hours (plus pit stops).

Hertz, Avis-Budget, Europcar, all have an office in Sorrento. If you are using Hertz, the Sorrento Hertz office is located at 261 Corso Italia, very close to the Circumvesuviana train station.

Naples is a big city with notorious chaotic traffic. It is not a good idea to return the car there. Returning it in Sorrento is a much wiser choice. Driving from the Autostrada exit in Castellammare di Stabia to Sorrento is a really easy drive on a regular two lane road. Even an American from the Midwest, who’s never seen a curve in his life, can do it.

Hertz, Avis-Budget, Europcar, all have an office in Sorrento. If you are using Hertz, the Sorrento Hertz office is located at 261 Corso Italia, very close to the Circumvesuviana train station.

Thank you Roberto for clarifying, I deleted my post. I used Expedia to find a car in Sorrento and it said it had to be picked up in Naples. Now I know not to use a travel shopping company to find out where car rental agencies have offices.

We were thinking of adding train travel to part of our trip from Umbria to Naples but luckily changed our minds sand kept the car. When you exit the Autostrada for Naples you are north of the city and will come to the airport first, before you get to Naples itself. It was all quite easy.
We took a taxi to our hotel. Taxi rates are set for each area of Naples. Find the prices online and have it with you. Our driver gave us a quote double the legal amount. When we showed him that we had the list, he said”OK.”
I can’t imagine schlepping luggage for five people on and off trains!

Suki, how long was the trip from Umbria to Naples?

As it appears as if you're going on to Sorrento and not spending time in Naples, if you decide to drop the car at the Naples airport there's a coach-type bus that travels between airport and Sorrento city center on a regular schedule. Might be a convenient, cost-effective option for you? It would eliminate the need to transfer from airport to Napoli Centrale/Garibaldi train station to catch the Circumvesuviana commuter train or Campania Express (only 4 runs per day of that one). It would be more comfortable than the Circ. as well. Price is € 10 pp. Just throwing that out as a possibility.

https://www.curreriviaggi.it/en/naples-airport-shuttle

It's important to understand that the Amalfi Coast (and Sorrento, adjacent to the AC) are slightly "out of the way". There are special conditions about getting there. I don't think you really want to give up the car, so maybe driving to Sorrento (heavy traffic in high season from Naples to Sorrento) will be the happiest for you. But don't arrive too late. Pre-Covid, in the last week of May, every night we saw a long, at least half-hour line for cars to enter a parking garage that wasn't even in the center of town. In fact, the center of town closes some streets every night for the Passeggiata and, just crowding. In fact, our plane London-Naples was late enough that we planned in advance to spend the night in Naples because the Circumvesuviana doesn't run late enough.

We took the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento, but the severe crowding and need to pay for a 15-Euro taxi to our hotel in Sorrento anyway helped us to decide to pay 90 Euros for a car service the other way, on departure. The issue is not crime on the Circumvesiviana, but crowding. You simply can't put your bags at your feet. Anyone who's been on the Chicago subway will not be intimidated by this train. (Experienced travelers on THIS newsboard all have belt-pouches anyway, so we don't worry much about perceived, reported, or imagined pickpocket activity.

If you want to see the Amalfi Coast, you will have to make arrangements. Some people use the really cheap bus. But in May, we saw a line for that bus in Sorrento that was longer than the next half-hourly bus. Our host, Rick, has written that you should visit Positano first, and Amalfi (end of the bus route, start of the route to Salerno) second. That's because in the afternoon, the bus may fail to stop in Positano because it is already full from Amalfi! Will you get a seat on the side with the view? You'll have to be glad if you get a seat at all. We paid a driver for an 8-hour survey of the AC towns. But you can't fit five guests in a sedan with a driver. Don't keep your car for this. It's a horrible idea, because of traffic, busses swinging out to take curves on the only, two-lane road, and non-existent parking. It has nothing to do with your magnificent, life-long, Gran Turismo driving ability on mountain roads.

Just to clarify, the buses Tim is referencing that travel the Amalfi Coast are the SITA buses, not the Curreri shuttle I'd mentioned above. Also, if your trip is next month, tourist crowds may not be up to pre-COVID-closing numbers so SITA buses and some other forms of public transit may not have you feeling as sardine-like. 🐟

Mondo Guides www.sharedtours.com RS recommended
does an Amalfi drive with stops in Positano, Amalfi and Ravello
Might consider

Hi everybody - I tried to respond this morning from my phone, but it did not post.
Glad in the event that after spending more hours, I think we've decided to head back to Florence, spend our night then, and train down to Naples (3 hr) and then hire a car service to Sorrento hotel.
So, at least this tells me that I want to likely find an Agriturismo in the Chianti region or at least no longer than 40-45 minute drive from Florence.
YOU ALL have aided so much in this decision - and we leave on Sunday! YIKES
Ordinarily having so many places to choose from wouldn't be happening but right now there's over 4,000 properties in Tuscany on booking.com available for my dates and over 1200 have a pool. I hope Italy's economy has a great bounce-back.
While I am likely not going to see the orcia area on this trip in Southern Tuscany, Chianti is beautiful.

So I'm spending my time looking for my northern Tuscany location and then will look into booking trains, etc., plus rapid covid testing for the outbound journey.
Still happy to read any thoughts you want to share! I'm reading it all!
Thanks so much!

Since you’ll have a car you can certainly you drive to see Val d’ Orcia area no matter where you stay in Tuscany
Montepulcinao, Penza, etc are beautiful

Check out this agriturismo...
http://www.borgorapale.it

Check availability for your dates. If they have an opening, they do rent by the night.

50 min to Montepulciano, 25 min. to Siena, 1:05 to Florence.

Edit: you could drop the car in Siena and take the train to Florence.