# Rome to Amalfi and then some - questions



## Zac495 (Jan 1, 2012)

Hi my friends,
We are going to the south of Italy this summer. Air booked (FF miles!). Hotel in Rome booked for 3 nights. We will take the train to Naples and then the hydrofoil to Capri for 2 nights (no clue how to do this , but I hear it's easy).

Then we hydro back to Naples and rent a car for a week. We rented a villa in Ravello. So questions:
1. the car rental was 1500 My travel agent said it's tough since I'm not convinced I want my husband to drive a manual - he has little experience and Amalfi drive is dangerous - I won't drive it. Thoughts?
2. Any thoughts or suggestions on day trips ( I know the basics but tuggers know so much). We of course plan Pompeii , Paestum, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi. But no clue what time to leave - how long to go places - we can fly by the seat of our pants -but love tugger input.

So THANKS!
Ellen


----------



## Passepartout (Jan 1, 2012)

Sounds like fun! We love Italy and any excuse to go is enough. That said, I won't drive in Italy from Rome South. They are NUTZ and very aggressive! Road rules are merely suggestions. Sidewalks are just extensions of the roadway. This is no place to learn to drive a standard shift. There are plenty of trains and taxi's for shorter distances are reasonable enough. You will be 5 people iirc, and a taxi costs the same as for 1.

Once you get away from Naples, you may want to rent a car for day trips.

Consult your favorite guidebooks for specifics on pricing, schedules, and reservations at museums and attractions. A couple of hours at B&N perusing them will help you decide which to buy. They take the guesswork out of train, ferry, and other tourist info stuff.

Be sure to go to the Archeological Museum in Naples before you go to Pompeii. The mosaics were removed from the floors, the frescoes taken from the walls, and the day-to-day artifacts from Pompeii are in the Naples museum. There is a room of the more bawdy stuff so you may want to monitor what your kids see.

Have fun planning the trip. The planning is often more fun than the going.

Jim


----------



## dmharris (Jan 1, 2012)

With our family of four, we rented a car in Rome as we flew in and out of there.  I love to drive and can do a stick very well as I've had a Beemer since 1982.  So I drove all over from Rome to Florence to Pompei to Sorrento.  BUT we did not drive the Amalfi Coast.  We took the bus tour.  That way EVERYONE could see the view rather than worry about staying on the road.  It can be a day trip to and from Amalfi - Sorrento.  My brother who is also an avid driver recommended this to me and he was right. (that was the first time my brother was right.  :hysterical:  Sibling rivalry never dies).


----------



## Margariet (Jan 1, 2012)

This is one of my favourite topics! I always like to tease Italo Americans with this matter. So many Italians migrated to the USA. Is it really true that only the scared drivers migrated and that the crazy drivers left behind? No, I don't think so! Frances Mayes' husband got used to drive in Italy in a manual car and in fact after a while he loved to drive the Italian way: fast and efficient. Don't be scared or intimidated. Nobody wants an accident. If you really are scared, don't do it. We are used to driving in Europe and we love to go to the Amalfi coast anytime. You will be fine!


----------



## Zac495 (Jan 1, 2012)

Okay - so you suggest I get a manual? But if he stalllllssssss, won't we go over the edge? 
UGh
And how do we do daily tours without a car? Is it that "easy?"


----------



## Margariet (Jan 2, 2012)

Manual is better for driving on these roads but I don't know about your husbands driving skills. If he is confident enough he can just drive the roads, maybe drive slower than others, stay in the right lane (only the left lanes are passing lanes in Europe) and you will be fine. Enjoy the scenery when you drive in your own pace. He won't go over the edge! My husband prefers manual driving because he's much more in control over the car. I don't know anything about public transport or day tours without a car in Italy. We would never do that. The fun and charm for us is driving by ourselves through the countryside and all the old towns.


----------



## jerseygirl (Jan 2, 2012)

We did a similar trip a few years ago but were based in Sorrento, which can be reached by a local train from Naples.  We hired a driver for about 8 hours the first day and he got us acclimated to the area.  Once we had it figured out, we took the bus or ferry everywhere.  I couldn't imagine driving on those roads - your husband is a brave man.  We absolutely loved it.  Even though I have so many places to see, it's on my "must return" list!


----------



## Laurie (Jan 2, 2012)

We generally prefer having a car for the freedom it allows, and had a rental car in Sorrento - a manual is no different in Italy than the states of course. 

Driving the Amalfi coast wasn't nearly as difficult or "dangerous" as rumor had it. The hardest thing was having to back up once to allow an oncoming bus to get around a hairpin turn, and road up and down to Ravello was steep. (I didn't drive it - my partner did.  )  

The upside is if anyone in your party tends towards motion discomfort on a bus on a really winding road, they'll be better off behind the wheel. 

That said, driving near Naples and inside Sorrento was more chaotic and stressful than many other areas of Italy, especially the countryside, and public transportation to reach the places you mentioned is plentiful. It's one of the few places, other than cities, where I think you'd be just fine without a rental car - especially given the expense of the car.


----------



## elaine (Jan 2, 2012)

I suggest consulting ricksteves.com for his articles and then posting questions about daytours on the graffiti wall (travelers helpline)--I see one on viator.com, but I am sure there are lots more. Ricksteves graffiti wall is a great source for Italy--everything from eating to step-by-step details of where to get the bus, etc. Since you are there for a week, you could easily navigate the local bus system. Take a bus to one of the towns and explore. You could pick a different one each day.
I agree with PP, I would not rent a car. If you decide you really want to drive, then get a car for a day trip, if you decide. It is easy and cheap to take the local train (circumvensia) from Sorrento to Pompeii. 
There are many vacationers in the summer along the coast that trained in and hydrofoiled over from Naples that do not have cars. We were in Naples on cruise ship in Aug. and the hydrofoil was full of people with luggage going to Sorrento and beyond for holiday. Have fun. Can't wait to hear your report, as we hope to go with kids to Sorrento/Amalfi in 2013. Elaine


----------



## Zac495 (Jan 2, 2012)

THANKS - I posted over there. I'm still conflicted about the car - luckily we rented with the option of cancel no charge..


----------



## pwrshift (Jan 2, 2012)

Number one crime in Italy is pickpocketing.  No. 2 is car theft.  Don't drive.

I wouldn't drive in Amalfi at all...hire driveamalfi@aol.com and they'll take you everywhere so you can enjoy the scenery.  Hope that email address is still good...if not google Drive Amalfi...we used them in 2005 and they picked us up in Rome, drove us to Sorrento (stayed at the Hilton Palace...very nice with incredible views)...ask for Salvatore), he drove us all around the area, and also from Sorrento to Florence.  Not cheap, but you only live once.  You will never forget Amalfi. 

Tune into 'Only You' movie on Netflix.  Great scenery.

Brian


----------



## Margariet (Jan 2, 2012)

pwrshift said:


> Number one crime in Italy is pickpocketing.  No. 2 is car theft.  Don't drive.



I don't know about that! Makes me think how we used to talk in Europe about the USA! A country where everybody had a gun and where we all would be robbed or killed.    However we were never robbed or hit, not in the USA and not in Italy. We met active pickpockets in the metro in Paris and on the rambla in Barcelona. And lots of them in our home country. In our home country I had to fight with a pickpocket. My husbands car was broken into just in our home town. So you can never know .... But I do have two angels on my shoulders when we travel abroad. That helps.


----------



## pianodinosaur (Jan 2, 2012)

Zac495 said:


> Hi my friends,
> We are going to the south of Italy this summer. Air booked (FF miles!). Hotel in Rome booked for 3 nights. We will take the train to Naples and then the hydrofoil to Capri for 2 nights (no clue how to do this , but I hear it's easy).
> 
> Then we hydro back to Naples and rent a car for a week. We rented a villa in Ravello. So questions:
> ...



Greece in 2011 and now Italy in 2012.  Go for it, girl!!

This might be a good time to use some of your HHonors points.  There is a Hilton resort in Sorrento that may prove a convenient central travel point.


----------



## Talent312 (Jan 2, 2012)

For driving in Europe, I like using the AA (UK's AAA) route planner.
http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp (click the "EU" button).
It will give you distance, time, turn-by-turn directions and a map...
_just like Google_. Example: 76km and 1:18 hrs from Naples to Ravello.

It's fairly easy to catch in to driving a stick-shift.
If you know anyone who has one, ask to practice.


----------



## Rene McDaniel (Jan 2, 2012)

One woman's opinion, but I definitely would not recommend someone learning how to drive a stick-shift on the Amalfi Coast.

I think I'm a pretty good driver having driven throughout Europe many, many times.  Our first trip to Italy for 2 weeks in 2002 was pretty uneventful (1 wk- Carpedium Roma, 1 wk-Le Barchesse Di Villa Corner near Treviso).  We put close to 2,000 miles on our rental car and went everywhere.  Awesome trip!  

But our last Italy trip in 2006 (1 wk-Carpedium Roma, 1 wk-Residence LaFerreria) the traffic and driving was absolutely horriffic -- nothing like what we had experienced 4 years earlier.  We were constantly wedged in like sardines, but the flow of traffic is like 100 km/hour.   Sometimes on the autostrada when there are 2 lanes your direction, they drive 3-across & sometimes even 4-across.  It's like our Mario-cart game on the Wii, totally insane, crazy.  Makes driving in Manhattan (which I have done) look like nothing!  Driving into towns is also crazy, insane as no one has patience & they're all cramming in, so you have people literally driving 4 inches from you trying to squeeze by.  I could not even count the number of times we had to fold in the side mirror to let some idiot pass.  It ended up really making the 2nd Italy trip very stressful for us.  On top of just trying to find your way, find a place to park (another huge & expensive pain), find a place to eat, find a bathroom, etc. 

After 10 days of driving in this insanity, I was side-swiped by someone in opposing traffic while both of us were going around 50 miles an hour.  Their driver side mirror hit my driver side mirror & in an instant -- POW --- everyone in our car (our 2 girls are in the back seat) are suddenly covered in little shards of glass.  Over all our clothes, in our hair, in our skin -- but we can't stop driving because there is no where to pull off without plummeting into a ravine.  Ten minutes later we are finally able to pull off to the side of the road.  What a nightmare.  At least we were fine, but the car was no longer lockable with the driver's window missing, & my driver side mirror was dangling alongside the car hanging by one small wire.  So, we drove it to the nearest National/Eurorent office at the Venice airport.  They billed the 1,000 Euro deductible to our credit card and 2 hours later sent us on our way with a fresh, new car -- but my nerves were shot, and my poor husband had to drive the remainder of the trip.

We were supposed to spend the last 5 days of our trip on the Amalfi Coast, but the La Ferriera Residence timeshare office helped me with calling & explaining we had been in an accident & planned to stay in Tuscany.  They even let us stay the extra nights in the 2-bedroom unit we were in at a good rate (130/night?) and the hotel in Amalfi was kind enough to not bill us for being no-shows.  

Having spent a week on the Amalfi Coast many years ago, I very vividly remember the hairpin turns and steep drops. I had an Italian train/bus pass, & used public transit to travel from Rome to see Pompeii, Capri, Positano, Ravello,and all the little towns along the Amalfi coast.  I stayed in the town of Amalfi & there was very frequent bus service to Sorrento which is the largest town with the best night life.  In 2006, our travel plans for this 5-day Amalfi coast side-trip were just to use the car to get down to the area, then park the car at the hotel, and use ONLY public transit or taxis.  Even when I felt most confident about driving in Italy (before arriving), having seen the terrain previously, I never had plans to drive the Amalfi Coast.  The roads are too narrow.  It's too steep.  There were not good guard rails.  Plus, all the backing-up to let buses pass, business.   And it's not just backing up a little bit --- it requires driving around steep cliffs in reverse sometimes for fairly long distances.  I remember watching the cars do it when I was riding the Amalfi bus previously.  Not for the faint of heart!!  And certainly not a good idea for someone who just learned how to drive a stick shift, or has a fear of heights.

Since I now have my own traffic-accident-in-Europe story, I can't believe how many others I've heard since then.  A fellow teacher at my school had her rental Mercedes totalled by a drunken Frenchman who ran a stop sign at 10am on a Sunday morning.  I think that we were actually very fortunate that only our mirrors collided.  Six inches more and it would have been a head-on collision going 50 miles/hour and that would have been REALLY, REALLY bad.  In that split second *POW* when we were all covered with tiny shards of glass, my entire family could have DIED. 

I count the 1,000 euros as the price of a lesson learned.  No more risky driving adventures for me.  That was 2006, and the up-side of that has been that our foreign vacations have been far more relaxing without the rental cars. We still rent cars in the US.  But outside the US, we stay near where we want to be, so that we don't HAVE to rent a car.  When we need to go somewhere farther we take a bus, a train, a taxi -- whatever.  I actually think we're spending less, because the foreign car rentals & insurance were getting rediculously expensive, anyways!

--- Rene


----------



## Margariet (Jan 3, 2012)

The whole issue still puzzles me because we always rent cars where ever we go. The only place where we haven't rent a car was in Jaipur in India and prompt did our car driver have an accident by hitting a bike driver!

We drove manual or automatic in the USA, in several countries in South America, the Carribean, Asia, Africa and all over Europe. We were always struck by the idea that you cannot drive in foreign countries. I remember once an Indian man who could drive in Mumbai but was scared to drive in Chicago! And we often hear from Americans that they are scared to drive anywhere outside the USA. Well, we haven traveled through the USA and I must say that we have seen several ridiculous dangerous drivers in the USA! Just like we have seen them in Europe. You always have to be careful and alert when you drive.

To all the Americans who want to drive in Europe: please do, because you will miss so much if you don't drive yourself. If it scares you, just don't. But most of all: Europeans do drive in Europe. Every year millions of Europeans drive through Italy, France, Spain etc. Just to go on vacation like millions of you do in the USA. You would have done the same thing when you were living in Europe.

Renting a car is more expensive than in the USA but you will find that most things and services are much more expensive than in the USA. Especially Switzerland and Scandinavia will be very expensive to you.


----------



## Zac495 (Jan 4, 2012)

WOW - what a story - I'm sure glad your kids and you are okay. Seems MOST people say take public transport and that it's cheaper - yet like Margaret, I like the convenience of going when I feel like it. But I'm leaning towards no car. THANKS for all the stories and opinions - they all count and are equally important regardless of whether we agree with each other - that's what TUG is about.


----------



## Zac495 (Jan 4, 2012)

pianodinosaur said:


> Greece in 2011 and now Italy in 2012.  Go for it, girl!!
> 
> This might be a good time to use some of your HHonors points.  There is a Hilton resort in Sorrento that may prove a convenient central travel point.



Piano - I'm determined to see the world before I die! I sold my Hilton so no points


----------



## Zac495 (Jan 4, 2012)

pwrshift said:


> Number one crime in Italy is pickpocketing.  No. 2 is car theft.  Don't drive.
> 
> I wouldn't drive in Amalfi at all...hire driveamalfi@aol.com and they'll take you everywhere so you can enjoy the scenery.  Hope that email address is still good...if not google Drive Amalfi...we used them in 2005 and they picked us up in Rome, drove us to Sorrento (stayed at the Hilton Palace...very nice with incredible views)...ask for Salvatore), he drove us all around the area, and also from Sorrento to Florence.  Not cheap, but you only live once.  You will never forget Amalfi.
> 
> ...



Now that's a cool idea, Brian. NOT saying money is nothing to us - the car is 925 (we found a less expensive one) but convenience matters too. So if it weren't for the horror stories and the clear difficulties of driving in AMalfi area, it would be a no brainer - we can afford the 925 - no need to save 800 and take public transportation.

HOWEVER - maybe something in between. I like someone's idea of renting for a day from where we are staying. 

Glad we still have time and that the car we rented is fully refundable.
THANKS tuggers!


----------



## pianodinosaur (Jan 5, 2012)

Zac495 said:


> Piano - I'm determined to see the world before I die! I sold my Hilton so no points



Zac495:

HHonors points are different than HGVC points.  You do not need to be a member of HGVC to participate in HHonors.  Do you have a HHonors AmEx?  If you stay at the Hilton Sorrento Resort you could easily earn almost enough points to pay for another vacation.  It will give you quick access to Mt. Vesuvius, Pompei, Herculaneum, Positano, Capri, Amalfi, and Naples.  This is something on our wish list before we die.


----------



## PStreet1 (Jan 7, 2012)

My husband drove all over Italy in the month we were there----WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE AMALFI COAST.  Not only is it harrowing (and we lived in Colorado and drove the mountains there, as well as being well acquainted with the west coast of the U.S. and driving along it), but because it takes so much concentration, the driver really won't be seeing the coast.  We decided that he needed to be able to enjoy the views as much as I would be able to.

We took the train from Naples to Sorrento---easy.  We got off the train at Pompii (the station is right at the gate) and then proceeded to Sorrento.  In Sorrento, we used public transportation and took the bus down the coast.  It was easy and cheap (really cheap for the bus) and he was able to fully enjoy the views.


----------



## 225chs (Jan 8, 2012)

Ellen
As a fellow Philadelphian and a traveler to Italy almost every year I must give a bit of a caution about (1)driving a manual if you don't do it on a regular basis (2) driving in Amalfi.
I love driving in Italy but would never try to teach myself to drive a manual away from home. (I'm in my mid-60s so a bit set on my ways). Driving in Italy can be stressful enough. I have made wrong turns, driven down pedestrian walkways, narrow  streets, and hills with no room to error. To have to remember to shift (because it would not be natural) would only add another level of stress and concern. Would this effect you're husband's enjoyment and peace of mind. If it would, it's not worth it.
As to the Amalfi. It has hair raising turns. Buses around the corner. A need to pull over to allow cars and buses to go the other way. It affects the driver's ability to enjoy the drive and also his stress levels. Ravello is a beautiful town. The bus stops in the middle of the town and you can get to Positano and Amalfi from there. I recommend the boat ride from Amalfi to Positano. A car hire the other days you want to sightsee and it will still be less expensive than a seven day rental(especially automatic).
Enjoy Amalfi for the views, and let the driver do so as well by not driving


----------



## dmharris (Jan 11, 2012)

Back to my original comment which many have echoed since, driving in Italy is fine but DO NOT drive the Amalfi Coast; use public transportation and park the car for that portion of the trip.  Enough said.


----------



## Zac495 (Jan 15, 2012)

pianodinosaur said:


> Zac495:
> 
> HHonors points are different than HGVC points.  You do not need to be a member of HGVC to participate in HHonors.  Do you have a HHonors AmEx?  If you stay at the Hilton Sorrento Resort you could easily earn almost enough points to pay for another vacation.  It will give you quick access to Mt. Vesuvius, Pompei, Herculaneum, Positano, Capri, Amalfi, and Naples.  This is something on our wish list before we die.



Wow - wish I had known that.... But we're staying at an Italian villa in Ravello. You WILL do this, Piano!!!


----------



## Zac495 (Jan 15, 2012)

Thanks to ALL OF YOU. I'm cancelling the car!!!!


----------



## Talent312 (Jan 15, 2012)

I cannot disagree with the no-car approach.

I did drive the Amalfi Coast... South to North, hugging the inside lane.
But then, that was _20_ years (and another marriage) ago.

We also drove to our hotel in Rome. What can I say. We were young+foolish.
I'd only drive country roads in rural areas, like Tuscany, in Italy these days.


----------



## Margariet (Jan 15, 2012)

Talent312 said:


> I cannot disagree with the no-car approach.
> 
> I did drive the Amalfi Coast... South to North, hugging the inside lane.
> But then, that was _20_ years (and another marriage) ago.
> ...



If you are a male could you please explain this no car attitude of American males to me when they go outside the USA? Is it just the manual driving? Because there are millions of European males who would give up everything but their car!


----------



## Passepartout (Jan 16, 2012)

Margariet said:


> If you are a male could you please explain this no car attitude of American males to me when they go outside the USA? Is it just the manual driving? Because there are millions of European males who would give up everything but their car!



I would rather drive a standard any day, but I think most American men just don't want to appear timid, and have another driver honk a horn at him. Plus, (imo) most American drivers are not used to driving in fairly close quarters and simply don't know where the corners of their vehicles are when sitting in the driver's seat. Obviously there are exceptions, but for most American drivers (men or women) an automatic car on a wide road is more comfortable.

Jim


----------



## Talent312 (Jan 16, 2012)

Oh, it doesn't really make a difference to me.

I've driven in several interesting situations in Europe -- city centers in Rome & Florence, narrow Irish lanes, bumber-to-bumper on motor roads, the Loire Valley, Amalfi Coast, the Riviera, and Austrian Alps. I've also driven thru mid-town Manhatten.

But I agree with those who say that, for tourists, letting someone else do the driving lessens stress and allows better concentration on what you came to see.


----------



## hibbeln (Jan 19, 2012)

Hi Ellen!  How exciting it's getting with your trip planning!

Here's my 2 cents on things.....

I think your decision to not rent a car is a good one.  The really nice thing about the Rome to Amalfi Coast trip is that there is no NEED for a car.  Public transportation is EXCELLENT so why not "When in Rome" and do like the Romans/Italians do and use the public transit?  It's fun and easy (truly, REALLY easy, I NEVER use any kind of public transit in the USA, but had no trouble figuring out the trains/busses/boats).
Driving on the Amalfi Coast drive....meh....I think the danger of it is really overstated.  It's a winding road.  OK, whatever.  It really didn't strike me as dangerous.  BUT....as we were on the bus and my husband was relaxing and looking out the window he commented "I am SO happy to not be driving so I can actually SEE things!" and I (as the family designated navigator) was also glad to be able to sit back and enjoy the view from the public transit without having my nose buried in a map.
If your husband isn't 110% comfortable with a stick, he would be MISERABLE trying to drive when in southern Italy.  Not just the winding roads, but having to back up in narrow confines to let a bus by, tight maneuvering in villages, everyone driving fast and confidently and CLOSE to each other, lots of going up hill and around corners......imagine your husband trying to stop the car and then put it back in gear when you're stuck behind a bus on a narrow mountain road and you have another car sitting impatiently 2 inches off his back bumper.  Boy, that would be a total trip buzzkill and I guarantee you he would be sweating and stalling and rolling back into the car behind you.   
But probably the SCARIEST thing about having your own car is TRYING TO FIND A PARKING SPOT!  When you get to these towns you'll see what I mean.  I cannot even imagine the heartburn (and in-car fighting) that would occur with trying to find a parking spot in the towns and villages, especially hampered by one way streets.  It would border on impossible.  This alone would be reason to NOT rent a car!

I also think you'll get more of a true Italian feel for the area by using the public transit.  You'll be less isolated and living more the way the locals do.

The discussion that if you want a car for a specific day (the one that pops to mind is driving from Ravello to Paestum) is an excellent one.  That might be the one day that you might want it.


----------



## hibbeln (Jan 19, 2012)

Margariet, I think you're painting millions of American males with a very wide brush in stating that they "don't want to drive overseas".  I have to say I've found the exact opposite to be true.  Usually Americans are roundly criticized for *failing* to use available public transportation overseas and instead doing our usual American-car-driving-fossil-fuel-burning thing and renting cars and driving everywhere.  If you had to characterize Americans (which is a mistake, there are millions of us) I would tend towards the "you can't get them out of a car!" portrayal as being most accurate.
And if someone CHOOSES that they don't feel comfortable driving under certain situations (be that in downtown Manhattan or in a foreign location where they aren't familiar with the traffic signs or laws) then, my goodness, let them make decisions based on their personal comfort level.
We've rented cars (stick shifts) and driven them all over Greece, Sicily, Spain, Germany, Austria, France, Mexico, Aruba, Venezuela, Sudan.....  The deciding factor really needs to be whether having a car makes more sense than using public transportation.  It's simply a matter of efficiency.  I would never rent a car for Paris, but we did rent for seeing Normandy.  Andalucia in Spain we absolutely drove, but used public transit in Morocco.  For Munich or Salzburg, we used public transit, but rented a car for the mountainous areas of Bavaria where bus connections were sketchy.  Same thing in Italy:  For Sicily we rented a car (and I would feel the same about Tuscany) but it would have been more of a hindrance than a help for Rome or the Naples/Sorrento/Capri/Amalfi Coast area.
And yes, we're all "packing heat" here in the USA!  :hysterical:


----------

