Drive yourself - Naples/Amalfi Coast

[abelthi]

Hello !

 

Has anyone self-driven the Amalfi Coast starting in Naples ? Are there rental agencies close to the port ? Is it difficult to drive/find your way ? We will be there on a Sunday... it seems to be difficult to find a rental agency open on Sundays.

 

Any suggestions / experiences ??

 

Thank you !!

 

Thierry

[Hlitner]

We have never rented a car in Naples, but we have driven the Amalfi coast many times (we stayed there a week last year and are staying 5 days this May). It is true that many rental car agencies in Italy close on Sundays, which the exception generally being at airports. Assuming you can find an open agency its certainly a doable drive. But, getting through the Sorrento area and finding your way on to the Amalfi Drive can be a little tricky although there are some signs. Once on the Amalfi Drive, you can expect to run into some traffic problems in the area around Positano. Stand-offs with buses can often cause traffic backups as too many bystanders try to figure out how to direct traffic and who needs to back-up where. Under most circumstances we find all this a lot of fun, but not the best situation if you are trying to get back to a ship. Also keep in mind that this road is a two lane road and if there were to be a major accident (we have only seen fender benders) you could run the risk of not getting back to the ship on time (not a problem if the ship stops somewhere in Italy the next day). You also need to be aware that parking can be very difficult and its common to see cars parked for over 1 mile on the road just above Positano. Parking in Amalfi (there is a large public lot right near the water) and Ravello is not too difficult.

 

Hank

[Paul S]

I've driven the Amalfi coast, albeit in my own car which I drove over from London. Apart from being two lane, narrow in places and with lots of large tour buses, bear in mind that on this twisting road you can't really take in the view and concentrate on your driving at the same time - great ride for the passengers, not so good for the driver!

 

Paul S

[commonsense2]

I've driven the Amalfi coast, albeit in my own car which I drove over from London. Apart from being two lane, narrow in places and with lots of large tour buses, bear in mind that on this twisting road you can't really take in the view and concentrate on your driving at the same time - great ride for the passengers, not so good for the driver!

 

Paul S

 

you forgot to mention the blind curves, that the natives have no qualms about passing on and the sheer dropoffs with no guard rails. :eek:

 

to the OP: do yourself a favor and hire a driver. the amalfi coast drive is spectacular. whoever is driving will miss out on the scenary.

[Susan-M]

We've driven in many large cities in Europe and N.A., but after witnessing the traffic in Naples (fortunately while being chauffeured) I doubt that we would get two blocks before returning a rental vehicle. Driving there seems to be a 'free for all' with whoever has the most nerve getting the right of way. Out of 10 ports on our Med cruise, this was the only one where we hired a private driver...and it was well worth it.:)

 

Worthwhile advice from: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/naples/0058010002.html

As for driving around Naples, we have one word: Don't.

[texancruzer]

From another couple who like to rent cars and "do their own thing"......

 

DON'T.

 

I agree with the above posters. This area is just too beautiful to miss out on for the one who is driving. We did a tour share with 3 couples from our ship..... and dh loved it. He sat next to the window with camera out the door videoing the drive and taking pictures. The parking situation is horrendous and we were there at the very end of the season when there was no traffic :eek: I would not want to take the ships tour tho as I cant see being on a bus for this area either. See if you can share a private driver. This is really the way to go.

[abelthi]

Thank you all for your advice !

[Mike Andrews]

I agree,hire a local Driver such as Salvatore Lucibello of http://www.driveamalfi.com who knows the area like the back of his hand