Driving from Rome to Sicily and back
Feb 28th, 2016, 10:50 AM
#1
Original Poster
Driving from Rome to Sicily and back
Am planning a two week trip in May where I fly in and out of Rome. Will be renting a car and we want to see Pompeii/Herculaneum and the Amalfi coast while spending 6-8 days in Sicily and spending the last three nights in Rome. Any words to the wise is appreciated for this drive. I hear the Amalfi coast can be hairy to drive (Sorrento to Positano?) although it's on my bucket list to try. What is the best time of day to start the Amalfi drive to keep bad encounters to a minimum? Is there anything worthwhile to see between Amalfi and Sicily? Oh, we have no interest in going to Naples on this particular trip. Thank you.
Feb 28th, 2016, 11:12 AM
#2
Why, oh why, would you want to drive this? It will take up valuable time better spent ON Sicily, where 6-8 days is barely enough time to see one side of the island. (Lots of good Sicily TRs here.) And even in May driving the AC will probably be a real pain.
Look into trains, buses, ferries and planes!
Look into trains, buses, ferries and planes!
Feb 28th, 2016, 11:23 AM
#4
The Cilento coast is gorgeous and way less crowded than Amalfi, may be a touch less scenic but not by much. Matera is a great town to stop in. Sadly I think the AC is overrun and the enjoyment of it is not what it was at one time. It's very crowded with huge buses. I don't think it's particularly "hairy" to drive, but it does take concentration mainly because of the buses.
Feb 28th, 2016, 12:22 PM
#5
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yestravel Do you mean Maratea?
This is how we are doing it:
Train to Naples
Ferry Naples to Sorrento (we want to visit Capri from here, have already seen Pompeii 3 times, but is easy to reach from Sorrento)
pick up car at end of visit to Sorrento
Drive to Amalfi town.(Parking available at hotel)
Drive to Maratea
From Maratea, drive to Tropea
From Tropea, drive to Sicily.
Tour Sicily
Drop car at airport Catania
Fly back to Rome
We really enjoy having a car so we can explore at our own pace.
I would just suggest to get a smaller size car for driving the Amalfi Coast. We did it in a Volvo wagon, which was a little hairy when we met a bus on a tight corner.
I would highly suggest though that you fly back to Rome, it's quick, cheap, and will give you more time on the ground.
This is how we are doing it:
Train to Naples
Ferry Naples to Sorrento (we want to visit Capri from here, have already seen Pompeii 3 times, but is easy to reach from Sorrento)
pick up car at end of visit to Sorrento
Drive to Amalfi town.(Parking available at hotel)
Drive to Maratea
From Maratea, drive to Tropea
From Tropea, drive to Sicily.
Tour Sicily
Drop car at airport Catania
Fly back to Rome
We really enjoy having a car so we can explore at our own pace.
I would just suggest to get a smaller size car for driving the Amalfi Coast. We did it in a Volvo wagon, which was a little hairy when we met a bus on a tight corner.
I would highly suggest though that you fly back to Rome, it's quick, cheap, and will give you more time on the ground.
Feb 28th, 2016, 12:26 PM
#6
Original Poster
thursdaysd,
I know you mean well but your response is not only of little value but in fact counter productive. I don't really feel it necessary to explain why I enjoy driving. Just accept it and answer the question if able. Imagine if each time you went to the grocery store the cashier questioned each purchase like "why are you buying a turkey, why don't you get the chicken, it tastes better, cooks faster and takes up less room"! Further, time is a commodity I cannot make more of but I do the best I can with the time I have. Wouldn't you agree a week in Sicily is better than three days in Sicily?
I know you mean well but your response is not only of little value but in fact counter productive. I don't really feel it necessary to explain why I enjoy driving. Just accept it and answer the question if able. Imagine if each time you went to the grocery store the cashier questioned each purchase like "why are you buying a turkey, why don't you get the chicken, it tastes better, cooks faster and takes up less room"! Further, time is a commodity I cannot make more of but I do the best I can with the time I have. Wouldn't you agree a week in Sicily is better than three days in Sicily?
Feb 28th, 2016, 12:46 PM
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Boolanger,
Welcome to Fodors. Don't bother with answers you don't like, we are all stubborn and a lot of us just kidnap threads and answer not in the light of the question but in the light of our experience.
Just ignore answers you don't like and go ahead. Don't question our wisdom, we are also very susceptible. We like to bicker with each other but we tend to usually close ranks against OP's who dare rebell...
Now that you have some basic rules, you'll find you'll get a lot of good advice too.
Welcome to Fodors. Don't bother with answers you don't like, we are all stubborn and a lot of us just kidnap threads and answer not in the light of the question but in the light of our experience.
Just ignore answers you don't like and go ahead. Don't question our wisdom, we are also very susceptible. We like to bicker with each other but we tend to usually close ranks against OP's who dare rebell...
Now that you have some basic rules, you'll find you'll get a lot of good advice too.
Feb 28th, 2016, 12:54 PM
#11
>>you'll find you'll get a lot of good advice too. << and are perfectly free to ignore it . . .
••• You will spend nearly 6 days just in the car Pompeii/the AC - so 8 days (or even 6 days) on Sicily, 3 in Rome and 5+ in the car -- you will have missed your flight home •••
••• You will spend nearly 6 days just in the car Pompeii/the AC - so 8 days (or even 6 days) on Sicily, 3 in Rome and 5+ in the car -- you will have missed your flight home •••
Feb 28th, 2016, 12:56 PM
#12
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Boolanger-What is the best time of day to start the Amalfi drive to keep bad encounters to a minimum? Is there anything worthwhile to see between Amalfi and Sicily?
As far as I can see this is what the OP has asked for help with.
Anybody out there driven the Cilento?
I am interested in how long it takes to drive, and which parts are most scenic.
I think we are going to have to drive down the A3 from Amalfi town and cut off at Maratea because of time constraints.
Sorry to hijack, Boolanger but I think this may be of interest to you too?
As far as I can see this is what the OP has asked for help with.
Anybody out there driven the Cilento?
I am interested in how long it takes to drive, and which parts are most scenic.
I think we are going to have to drive down the A3 from Amalfi town and cut off at Maratea because of time constraints.
Sorry to hijack, Boolanger but I think this may be of interest to you too?
Feb 28th, 2016, 01:07 PM
#14
before I ever read the other replies, i was thinking that driving one way was probably the way to go, if you're going to do this at all, so IMO sundried has the right approach.
I would fly into Rome and follow his/her lead, getting the train/ferry to Sorrento, and then drive to Sicily. if you drive right down past Tropea you can get the ferry to Messina; you then have th echoic of concentrating on the east of the island and flying back to Rome from Catania, or driving across to Palermo and flying back from there.
Put your stay in Rome at the end of the trip so that you're not chasing back across Italy to try to catch a flight.
I think what concerned other posters was your apparent intention to drive both ways, thus limiting the amount of time you could spend in Sicily, which would be a shame.
I would fly into Rome and follow his/her lead, getting the train/ferry to Sorrento, and then drive to Sicily. if you drive right down past Tropea you can get the ferry to Messina; you then have th echoic of concentrating on the east of the island and flying back to Rome from Catania, or driving across to Palermo and flying back from there.
Put your stay in Rome at the end of the trip so that you're not chasing back across Italy to try to catch a flight.
I think what concerned other posters was your apparent intention to drive both ways, thus limiting the amount of time you could spend in Sicily, which would be a shame.
Feb 28th, 2016, 02:47 PM
#16
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This trip sounds very rushed to me and makes me wonder whether you will really have the time to see and experience the places you plan to include. Of course, that depends on what you want to see and experience! If you haven't already done so, I recommend that you get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, check their opening/closing times on the internet, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation (IME, viamichelin gives the most accurate estimates), add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together.
BTW, you asked another poster upthread, "Wouldn't you agree a week in Sicily is better than three days in Sicily?" My answer is: Not necessarily! Since - IMO - even a week is not enough for Sicily, I'd only go there at all if assuming I would return. So the choice between 3 and 7 days (or 0, for that matter) would depend, for me, on what else I was giving up to include that time in Sicily, why I wanted to see any of these places, and what other constraints I am considering in planning my time. Again -- just MY perspective. YMMV.
@ sundriedtopepo -- as just noted, IME, you'll get the best estimates of driving time from viamichelin.com . I usually add time for traffic and stops to refuel, not to mention rest breaks. My TomTom gets generally similar estimates, if a tad less reliably. IME, google maps consistently underestimates driving times in Europe by as much as a third.
BTW, you asked another poster upthread, "Wouldn't you agree a week in Sicily is better than three days in Sicily?" My answer is: Not necessarily! Since - IMO - even a week is not enough for Sicily, I'd only go there at all if assuming I would return. So the choice between 3 and 7 days (or 0, for that matter) would depend, for me, on what else I was giving up to include that time in Sicily, why I wanted to see any of these places, and what other constraints I am considering in planning my time. Again -- just MY perspective. YMMV.
@ sundriedtopepo -- as just noted, IME, you'll get the best estimates of driving time from viamichelin.com . I usually add time for traffic and stops to refuel, not to mention rest breaks. My TomTom gets generally similar estimates, if a tad less reliably. IME, google maps consistently underestimates driving times in Europe by as much as a third.
Feb 29th, 2016, 08:29 AM
#17
Original Poster
The Cilento coast sounds very intriguing along with Maratea and Tropea. I look very forward to doing further research on the area as this is just the kind of information I was looking for. Thank you very much.
As to the general angst created in my discourse to thursdaysd, I am somewhat surprised with the responses, particularly from the ubiquitous StCirq. From time to time I have participated in discussions on this board since 2001. StCirq has written in this forum for quite a long time, often with very helpful advice. However, I recall times where StCirq's responses have been terse, angry and mean-spirited. To be chided by StCirq in this case seems terribly odd! Rarely do I have to apologize for what I said but at times I must apologize for how I said it.
It seems that many here feel driving is a necessary evil when traveling. I however am acutely aware that perhaps in the not too distant future I will lose the ability, or the desire, to participate in the ultimate spontaneity and freedom offered by driving in a foreign country. To witness a local festival or simply stop the car and spy the locals tending to their vineyard in a morning mist is my Eiffel Tower. The only difference is the Eiffel Tower will probably still be there but getting off the beaten path will become increasingly difficult. Therefore, the drive IS the trip and consequently is anything but a waste of time.
I really do appreciate the quality and passion of posters here. No doubt the information provided can be extremely valuable. Thanks again to all and I look forward to further ideas.
As to the general angst created in my discourse to thursdaysd, I am somewhat surprised with the responses, particularly from the ubiquitous StCirq. From time to time I have participated in discussions on this board since 2001. StCirq has written in this forum for quite a long time, often with very helpful advice. However, I recall times where StCirq's responses have been terse, angry and mean-spirited. To be chided by StCirq in this case seems terribly odd! Rarely do I have to apologize for what I said but at times I must apologize for how I said it.
It seems that many here feel driving is a necessary evil when traveling. I however am acutely aware that perhaps in the not too distant future I will lose the ability, or the desire, to participate in the ultimate spontaneity and freedom offered by driving in a foreign country. To witness a local festival or simply stop the car and spy the locals tending to their vineyard in a morning mist is my Eiffel Tower. The only difference is the Eiffel Tower will probably still be there but getting off the beaten path will become increasingly difficult. Therefore, the drive IS the trip and consequently is anything but a waste of time.
I really do appreciate the quality and passion of posters here. No doubt the information provided can be extremely valuable. Thanks again to all and I look forward to further ideas.
Feb 29th, 2016, 09:11 AM
#18
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yestravel, thank you, I may start my own thread about this.
Boolanger, I totally get that.
It seems much more popular to do a 'road trip' in the US than in Europe.
And yes, the attraction of Italy is the art, architecture, history, and museums, but we keep going back because it's just such a beautiful place, even after all the 'sights' have been seen.
Having done much of this drive before, aside from the Cilento, it is a rather lonely stretch of road between Salerno and Sicily, so after driving down the coast, you might find it more enjoyable to spend a bit more time in Sicily and fly back to Rome than repeating that drive. There is just so much to see in Sicily. Your decision though.
Do you think it's possible that after years of answering questions from (a few) posters that are insincere, don't reply, or are sometimes downright rude, members could get a little cynical? That's my take on it.
kja, thanks for that reminder, viamichelin used to be my go to.
Boolanger, I totally get that.
It seems much more popular to do a 'road trip' in the US than in Europe.
And yes, the attraction of Italy is the art, architecture, history, and museums, but we keep going back because it's just such a beautiful place, even after all the 'sights' have been seen.
Having done much of this drive before, aside from the Cilento, it is a rather lonely stretch of road between Salerno and Sicily, so after driving down the coast, you might find it more enjoyable to spend a bit more time in Sicily and fly back to Rome than repeating that drive. There is just so much to see in Sicily. Your decision though.
Do you think it's possible that after years of answering questions from (a few) posters that are insincere, don't reply, or are sometimes downright rude, members could get a little cynical? That's my take on it.
kja, thanks for that reminder, viamichelin used to be my go to.
Feb 29th, 2016, 01:30 PM
#19
I'm with you- love driving ourselves. There is a freedom that one simply can not have using buses or trains. We drive in most of our trips and miss it when we don't. I love that feeling of getting in a car and knowing I can go where I want, when I want, enjoy your road trip.
Feb 29th, 2016, 02:05 PM
#20
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I don't understand what is all the fuss about driving 10 hours to go from Rome to Messina.
It is hardly more than going to the trainstation, wait for a train etc. If you like driving, that is probably more appealing than sitting in a train.
However I didn't understand either tha attack on StCirq.
So I will close ranks and wish you good luck with your travel. Whatever you choose will be your solution for your trip - so your problem and your joy.
It is hardly more than going to the trainstation, wait for a train etc. If you like driving, that is probably more appealing than sitting in a train.
However I didn't understand either tha attack on StCirq.
So I will close ranks and wish you good luck with your travel. Whatever you choose will be your solution for your trip - so your problem and your joy.
