We will be on our honeymoon in June and want to drive from Rome to Ravello (that's where we are staying. Opinions anyone??
Driving from Rome to Amalfi Coast
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WE CELEBRATED OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY IN ROME ( WHERE WE WERE ON OUR HONEYMMON)AND AMALFI. WE DROVE FROM ROME TO AMALFI STOPPING AT POMPEII ALONG THE AWAY. i WOULD HIGHLY RECCOMMEND STOPPING FOR A FEW HOURS AND TAKING A TOUR. POMPEII IS FASCINATING..THE LAVA PRESERVED MUCH OF IT SO YOU SEE ACTUAL HOMES NOT IN RUINS. ANYWAY...THE DRIVE IS SPECTACULAR...BUT SCARY..HAIRPIN TURNS WITH TRUCKS COMING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. WHERE ARE U STAYING IN RAVELLO. WE STAYED AT A WONDERFUL HOTEL..THE CATHERINA( (i'M NOT SURE OF THE SPELLING) IN AMALFI.HAVE A WONDERFUL HONEYMOON..AND A LONG HAPPY LIFE TOGETHER
Not been to Rome but have twice been to Sorrento which puts you in easy touch of Amalfi, Ravello,Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius.
Fantastic area!
The Amalfi drive alone is stunning.
Would recommend the public transport for seeing some of these places as it's very good and easy to use.
BC is right about the trucks,last time we went we hired a car to to the Amalfi drive and were confronted on a hairpin bend with a truck overtaking a coach.
Car went back next day minus door mirror.
Pompeii is a must see.The site is vast and they still have to uncover the majority of it and the level of preservation is amazing.
Italy is a very beautiful country and a superb choice for your honeymoon.
Good luck for the future!
Soudns great-- I can't wait. I def want to stop in Pompeii. We are staying at teh Palazzo Sasso in Ravello.
Thanks for the info, I'll watch the turns!
dnb
Easy drive until you get just past Pompeii. Get a good map.
From my trip report:
Amalfi Coast
When you get to the coast road SS163(or use any of the general routes to get there - we favored SS366) expect very slow driving. The roads are narrow & windy. Meeting a bus on a corner is impossible. They beep their horns as they approach, so keep a window open. There are mirrors placed on corners so you can see what's coming. Motor bikes will pass you at will & fast local drivers will beep & pass. After a day or two, you'll be doing it too. Due to the almost complete lack of parking in any town, we decided to park the car & bus/boat the coast. We used the car to hop to Pompeii & coming/going. If you do try to drive & park - Amalfi has parking at the waterfront, Postitano, Praiano, Conca dei Marini all have no public parking, so you use the road coming into or leaving town which further complicates the driving issue. Ravello appeared to have decent parking.
To illustrate how hairy it can get, at one point near Positano, I was leading a small lineup & met a bus on a small straight part of the road, in a village with motorbikes & cars parked on one side. I couldn't backup & the bus couldn't either. I angled toward the buildings, blocking people coming out of a store & an inch or two from the parked cars. I folded my side mirror in (the bus did too) & he inched by me with about 2 -3 inches clearance. Not too fun.
SS366 (from just west of Amalfi to Castellammare - near Pompeii) is a really fun drive until you reach the town of Castellammare and then suburban Napoli drivers run amok. Motorbikes/scooters are EVERYWHERE & there are virtually no rules. You pass wherever you want & dodge everything that gets in your way. It is dog eat dog, but it can be kind of fun too if you have a slightly crazed mentality.
do text search on "Rules for Driving the Amalfi Coast" for humor/tips on driving the Coast. if you can't find it, post a response and i'll top it for you.
If you enjoy driving, you will greatly enjoy the coastal road and its challenges . be sure to get a small car; parking is precious. A standard transmission is the best (and much less expensive) way to enjoy driving the coast; again, IF you enjoy driving.
To get to the Coast, you have two choices: The Autostrada (A1 from Rome and
A3 around Naples) to SS145 toward the Coast. look for the shortcut to Positano
in Meta. This is the quickest by far--about 3 hours from Rome driving at 85-90 mph (135-145 km/hr). there is no speed limit on the Autostrada, and you will be passed a lot at this speed. But for the scenic route, cut to the coast south of Terracina (SS82 off of A1) and wind along the coast to A3 around Naples to Meta. This will take much longer; at least twice as long as the Autostrada.
There is no point in driving directly to the coast out of Rome; the area from
Ostia (on the coast just SW of Rome) to Terracina is highly developed, and
buildings block most of the view of the beach.
Enjoy.
If you are interested in exploring beyond the A.C., the drive along the coast from
south of Salerno to Maratea rivals the Amalfi Coast. Then at Maratea there is
the impressive "Cristo de Maratea" statue on the mountaintop overlooking the
entire Gulf of Policastro, which affords a spectacular view of both the coast and
the charming village of Maratea be sure to park near the plaza and walk the
narrow streets of Maratea if you go that far. The statue is about 100 ft high and
depicts Christ w. outstretched arms truly awesome. The drive up to the statue
from Maratea is much like the drive along the Amalfi Coast except the last
kilometer or so is virtually "in the air" the road is simply supported by a number
of tall support beams way above ground level you have to have faith in Italian
civil engineers to drive this one! From Maratea, drive NE toward Trecchina and
then NW to Rivello (not Ravello, which is the popular tourist stop just above the
Amalfi Coast) which is arguably the most picturesque mountain village in Italy.
Imagine a dipped top ice cream cone covered w. chocolate and you have some
idea of the way Rivello drapes the peak of a tall, slender mountain high above a
beautiful valley. And you can drive all the way to the top! At Rivello, you will be
very near A3 again, or you can loop back south to the small town of Sapri on
the coast to complete the loop. The entire loop is only 50 60 kilometers, so it's
a pleasant half day drive.