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Vespa from Sorrento to Sant' Agata sui Due Golfi. Safe?

Hello!
My husband and I are looking to celebrate our anniversary at Don Alfonso 1890. I thought it might be fun/romantic to drive a vespa there. Is that a crazy idea? I've heard horror stories about driving on the amalfi coast, but we are staying in Vico Equense and could drive from there or Sorrento...so not really amalfi coast driving. Thanks!

Posted by
3812 posts

Are you an experienced biker?

Horror stories are about slow traffic for cars, but driving the Costiera is the graduation exam for Vespa riders.

It is extremely funny to those who know what to expect and what they are doing. Otherwise there are cheaper ways to suicide.

Posted by
7181 posts

Experienced travelers often point out to starry-eyed honeymooners here that scooters anywhere - the Caribbean, Italy, Eastern Europe, whatever, are extremely dangerous. There's a reason you have to take a separate test for a motorcycle license in the United States, and it rubs off on the task of operating a scooter.

In any case, the road from Sorrento to Sant' Agata is very steep uphill, and very winding. Because one of the main reasons for riding it is the views, it seems suicidal to talk about your first time running a scooter, amid regular cars and tour busses, trying to look over the edge at the Gulf of Naples. BTW, one of the main reasons people warn about driving the AC is not related to vertigo or lack of guardrails; It's the crushing traffic from Sorrento to Amalfi, on the only two-lane road that connects them.

In any case, there is a very attractive, 99% paved, PEDESTRIAN path down from Sant' Agata to Sorrento, with easy pauses to enjoy the views. Just don't wear your plastic flip-flops for the constantly downhill grade. Your toes will be bleeding before you get to the bottom. Wear regular closed shoes. I'm sure your hotel has a map for finding the path. Does the hotel have a beach shuttle service for your use while staying there? You also need transportation for visiting places where parking is expensive or non-existent, like Sorrento and Positano.

Edit: I should have said that the walk down takes 1.5 hours + or -

Posted by
9462 posts

In any case, the road from Sorrento to Sant' Agata is very steep uphill, and very winding.

This is immediately what I thought of. I wouldn’t dream of attempting this.

Posted by
926 posts

There is some kind of strange difference, even for Italy, in how the locals around Sorrento ride their scooters. It may be because they know every inch of all the roads? They ride "ferociously." There's no other word I can find for it. We intended to rent a two up scooter, to do the coastal road, but after a day of observation, and seeing just how un-maintained the rental scooters were, we decided against it. I've been riding motorcycles for over 50 years, and rented motorcycles in other parts of Italy: These people scared the heck out of me. Its a whole other level of riding with many, many, unwritten rules that only the locals understand. You might be okay with the road you are planning to ride on. But don't even attempt to go anywhere else. If you still want to do this; look the rental over completely and make sure everything works. Photograph the whole bike, with a rental agency person witnessing, and get as much insurance as you can. :)

Posted by
1220 posts

My Vespa has 25,000 km on the clock, my wife’s a mere 15,000 km. I have also cycled about 8,000 km around Australia. So I am pretty familiar with two wheeled transport.

Even given that experience, I would not travel on two wheels in Italy.