First, I'd never suggest to anyone to drive "IN" Naples. My wife and I have driven all over Europe and driving here almost led to a divorce! Living in Rome, we drove a motorino daily... but Naples was ... challenging. Subsequently, I've driven in Naples 5-6 times, and all were memorable trips - all for the wrong reasons.

Congestion, parking, "rules" of the road: it was certainly an experience. I remember the last time I drove Naples was in a CD-licensed Chrysler van and we had to "fold in" the side view mirrors as we drove through town to keep them from getting knocked off by passing vehicles - on both sides!

The Amalfi is a fun drive - we've done it by car, bus, and motorcycle. It's a drive where the driver HAS TO DRIVE. No "sight-seeing" for the driver. You have to focus on what's happening on the road! When my wife and drive the Amalfi, I drive in - she drives out. That way we both get a chance to see the views.

It's a fun experience unless you get stuck in the traffic - which can get really heavy. I'd suggest a private driver because parking is scarce and sometimes **you just want to stop.** The local drivers know the road, where to stop for the best views, they know where to park, and you get to see in BOTH directions! Also, you don't have to worry about YOUR rental car getting dinged up.

I like the car service better than the bus. The buses DON'T stop where you want them to ... and you have to get seats on the "correct side" of the bus (which everyone wants!).

My favorite, albeit more limited mode of transport, has always been the ferry service... but we generally took those AFTER we got to our hotel, dumped all our luggage and cleaned up. Seeing the Amalfi from the sea is a unique and wonderful experience. Good Luck!

Rineurope....thanks so much...been contemplating this and I think I'll just rent a cab...so we get to Naples by train and then take a private cab to Positano....a taxi guy wants 100 Euro-does that sound ok??

That sounds about right. Depending on the time of year you are going, you could also train to Salerno and then ferry to Positano.

We did nearly the same trip with our 2 kids last summer.
What we did:
-Non-stop, high speed train Rome->Naples.
-Local train to Sorrento
-Stayed in Sorrento (much more dining/evening activities options) Hilton has quad rooms & an AWESOME pool!
Hired car service to drive the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento First Choice)
-easy to train it to Pompeii

If you're set on staying in Positano, I'd get a car & hope your hotel has parking. Public transportation will take up hours of tourist time and raise your frustration level.
I do think your teens might get bored with multiple nights in Positano

Parking is very limited and expensive all along the Amalfi Coast. Then piling the traffic on top of it, it is not the way I would want to spend my vacation. Ferries are a wonderful way to get around during the season and it is a fantastic way to see the coast as well.

I am going to book a driver to get me from Naples to Positano in June and it will cost around 100 euro, so your taxi quote seems fair.

With all of the teenagers I saw playing soccer on the beach, renting paddle boats and hanging out eating gelato at night, I think they will be fine in Positano for 5 days. Plus all the stairs will wear them out!

Depends completely on the time of year. We have been twice in May with a rented car and loved it. but we were staying in a Sorrento hotel with free parking - and keeping the car to head up to Florence afterward. *Yes, even driving the coast road was fun!)

I would never do it in midsummer, when traffic will be hellish. Also, to do it you need to make sure your hotel can provide parking (most can't). We didn;t find parking in the towns a problem - but being from NY are used to parking in tiny spaces and driving around for 10 or 15 minutes to find a place to put the car. For those use to giant malls with head in parking in spaces twice the size of the car this might be a PIA.

Thanks so much,I have already booked for 4 nights(June 2-6) in Positano and am planning on doing the fast train from Rome to Naples and then maybe do the private transfer from Naples railway station to the hotel in Positano....how do we get around after that? I want to visit Amalfi, Sorrento etc..are there ferries to these? Buses? Costs....

Congratulations on booking in Positano - my favorite place in Italy! Another option for getting from Rome to Positano is to take an early fast train from Rome direct to Salerno, and then the ferry from Salerno to Positano.

There will be a ferry between Positano and Amalfi (and you can reach Ravello from Amalfi), weather permitting. There should also be a ferry from Positano to Sorrento. Check www.coopsantandrea.com. The cost of the ferry is 12 euro I believe. There is also the SITA bus between all of the towns, which I have not used (I only use the ferry because I get carsick), so I don't know the cost. If you search the board for "Amalfi Coast Transportation" you will find lots of threads on the issue.

I agree with everything said here. The only thing that I can add is that when I rented my car in Naples it was already scratched all over and it made me worry a little bit less about adding my own scratches.

We'll be staying in Ravello in September with a car. What do you all think about that? Should we just drop our suitcases in Ravello and return the car in Salerno? How expensive and difficult is it taking a taxi from place to place? Is it easier than finding parking in Positano/Amalfi? We are comfortable driving mountain roads and would like to avoid taking buses if possible.

Dax, even in September I would not want to have a car on the Amalfi Coast. I would drop the car in Salerno and then take a cab from Salerno to Ravello. Easy to find a taxi - they are generally congregated in a central spot in each town. In Amalfi they are located where the buses park (where you would get off the bus from Ravello). Parking is expensive and scarce in Positano and Amalfi. I think the cheapest parking lot in Pos is over 20 euro for the day, if it isn't full by the time you get there. I travel almost exclusively by ferry between Amalfi/Positano/Capri/Salerno. Easy and beautiful. But you will have to get down from Ravello to Amalfi before you can get anywhere else by ferry.

Taxis are extremely expensive in this area. From Salerno, take the hourly SITA bus to Amalfi (3.60 Euros verus as much as 100 Euros for a taxi). Luggage can be stowed in the underfloor compartment.

Between Amalfi and Ravello, the hourly bus costs 2.40 Euros and a taxi 30 Euros. Beware that this bus gets very crowded (there are only 30-35 seats) and has extremely limited space for luggage.

And I wouldn't want to stay in Ravello. Though the views are lovely, it's way up in the hills and hard to get down to the coast proper. With a car you'd still need to find and pay for a place to park in Amalfi. And then if you want to see anything other than Amalfi, you have the coast road traffic/parking problems.

Thanks for your helpful input.
Unfortunately we prepaid our place in Ravello, so to avoid the 100 euro taxi rides maybe we should just keep the car?(complimentary parking in Ravello).
Where can I park in Amalfi? Is there an actual parking area (expensive OK)instead of random hunting by luck. Any website with parking infos? Ideally any cheap/free parking at any port town.

One last question: How bad is the traffic in late September? We're ok with aggressive maneuvering through traffic jam in Rome, Milan (never drove in Naples).

Found parking garage just east of Amalfi:
http://www.ciaoamalfi.com/2011/04/luna-rossa-parking-amalf/
I wonder how far/long of à walk from there to board the ferry boats?

To Nauhur: 100 euros is what we paid for a car service from Naples to Positano. I would not drive a rental car on the Amalfi coast road--way too scary. Within Positano you can walk everywhere and the restaurants that are up in the hills will pick you up. We were there in October and used the SITA bus to get around. Once you get the hang of it, it is not bad.

Hi DAX, we were just there in early to mid October with a car. We stayed in Minori and then Sorrento. The volume of traffic was not huge but as the roads are narrow, big buses that you have to back up for, scooters screaming past down the centre line etc, it is a different driving experience. As long as you are a calm driver with good spatial judgement you will be fine. And allow plenty of time to go places.

We had no trouble parking in Amalfi several times, if you head toward the marina and the breakwater (past where the buses park, bear right)there is a parking lot there on the other side of the wall of the breakwater. I don't remember how much it cost but as there weren't a lot of options it was a case of who cares, just park this thing! We always got a spot.

We then took the ferry to Positano which was lovely and easy, and wandered around Amalfi a few times.
I wouldn't drive to Positano and try to find parking there.

We enjoyed having the freedom of the car and one of our best days was driving down to Paestum, beautiful ruins and not as many other tourists.

In Minori and Maiori it was quite easy to find parking.

Ravello is beautiful, I don't think you'll regret staying there if you keep the car. But I wouldn't want to depend on taxis and the buses from there.
Have a fantastic time!

Just a couple of things:
nyt mentioned that driving the coast to Sorrento was "fun." It gets less funner on the drive from Sorrento to Positano and south.

rine's mention of driving in Naples reminded me of when I rented a car in Rome. The agent asked where I was going, and I said "south."

He said: "You're not taking this car to Naples, are you?"

Rain citygirl: Thank you for your useful feedback. It's a relief to know that there are parking lots in other locations. We may have to park all day in Amalfi and ferry to different places if the road is totally jammed. We will be renting a Ford Escape (Kuga) which a medium size SUV. I drive an inch bigger SUV daily with more blind spots that force me to precision park using mostly spatial judgment. I'm sure it will be a challenge to maneuver and back up every time a big bus passes from the other side. If it were up to me I wouldn't drive or even go to the Amalfi coast, but this is granting other people's wishes to stay in Ravello which has been described as heaven on earth so that's where we're staying.

Downtown brown: Appreciate your input. We definitely will get the super collision coverage

No - we drove the road both way - from Sorrento south and another day from the south up to Sorrento. We did find it fun. In May - when there is traffic - but not at a standstill.

But we both like to drive. And I have been known to scare cab drivers in NY. It's more free-form driving - and you have to be confident of your skills and know EXACTLY how big your car is. (The number of passenger side mirrors lying by the side of the road from the driver scraping against the mountainside is quite large.)

DAX, I only just now noticed your link to the new parking garage in Amalfi, it looks great! ( I like her blog and haven't seen it in a while) She says it takes a few minutes to walk through the pedestrian tunnel to the town, the ferry is right there near the centre of town (it is a small town) but if it were me I'd err on the side of caution the first time and allow lots of time. If you are in need of a coffee break in Amalfi there is a pastry shop near the cathedral called Andrea Pansa. (there is a restaurant also). Coffee was good and the pastries were delicious. We took the more expensive option of sitting outside so we could people watch and it was 24 euro (including 10% service) for 2 coffees, water and 3 pastries but worth it to us to be able to sit down and have a break.You can have it much,much cheaper by standing up inside at the bar. Try the sfogliatelle!

Not sure where else you are going but for sure take the ferry to Positano. It was very easy to get parking in Paestum and as I said above Minori and Maiori were also fine for parking.If you do go to Paestum we had a good, inexpensive lunch at Bar Anna.
If the weather is still warm while you are there in September and you are feeling like a beach day, Maiori had a pretty nice looking beach, I remarked to my husband that it looked like a nice little town for a few days beach holiday.

We had a Renault Clio hatchback which was nice and small. I took a look at the car you are renting and don't want to be a nay-sayer, you might really need that size but we met a German couple who took an upgrade to an SUV that size and were kicking themselves. I guess in a parking garage or parking lot that wouldn't be too much trouble but a few times we had to park on the side of the already narrow road in between two cars and it was a bit of a to-do even with the small car.

We stayed in an agriturismo in Minori, up the hillside above the town, and way above us we could see Ravello. Our landlord pointed it out to us on the first day and said "they call it the balcony of the world". When we went up there and saw the views from the gardens in Villa Cimbrone we could see why. Had a lovely lunch at Villa Maria sitting on the terrace with that amazing view.
If any of you are shoppers, we bought some beautiful linen shirts and cashmere sweaters at Ricordi di Ravello near the main piazza, a very nice woman owns it.
Enjoy your vacation!

nytraveller: I suppose we won't be needing the side mirrors anymore after Amalfi since it is our last destination, I should consider picking up all the broken side mirrors along the road as souvenirs. They make an interesting abstract sculpture like those at the Guggenheim NYC.

Raincitygirl: I've been resisting buying sfogliatelle in our city's Little Italy until I try the real thing in Italy. Are you recommending the ferry to Positano for a better scenic approach or just to avoid traffic delay? We are pondering about Capri, not so enthused after reading all the negative reports about it being totally ruined by overtourism.
Yes, our wives unconditionally demand the trunk space of an SUV, unless we can hitch a luggage trailer , they are happy shoppers too. Our trips are not so much about marking off the must sees but more on enjoyment & fun and that includes shopping breaks, so it's good to know that it's available in Ravello, hopefully not too expensive. Ha3x

Ha ha DAX I like your idea for an abstract sculpture!

To answer your question about Positano, both for a scenic approach (really lovely) and the parking problem. Amalfi has more flat area to it than Positano and from what I could see, you would drive to Positano and IF you were lucky, find a place to squeeze your car in and then you descend down the hillside through the town to the waterfront on foot or there may be a bus, I didn't see one.
It is all very steep and I don't think you can drive down into the town.
Going by ferry was easy, stressless and very scenic. It was interesting to look at the cliffs from the sea and see how the road is carved from the side of those cliffs. You arrive right at the main waterfront strip (it's a very small town) and then you can ascend up through the streets and explore the shops, cafes etc. (bring your BIG wallet. lol)

We found a great internet cafe called La Brezza Net Art Cafe right on the waterfront, pretty much straight on from the ferry dock, free wi-fi, nice outdoor patio, good coffee, fresh, young vibe to it.

Good idea about the sfogliatelle, you won't be disappointed! I don't allow myself to eat that kind of thing normally but when I tasted those I practically had to have one every day, in fact, the last thing we did as we departed from the Naples airport was have coffee and sfogliatelle. My husband is an athlete so he was eating several pastries at a go, the lucky so and so.

Regarding the shop I recommended in Ravello, it was the end of the season when we were there and the owner gave me some substantial discounts. There is plenty of shopping in Ravello to keep your wives happy for a while!

We had a day trip to Capri and it was wall to wall people. (October) We grabbed a cab to Anacapri which was somewhat less crowded, had a nice lunch and explored. I know others on this forum say it is lovely if you actually stay there so you can enjoy it early morning and at night when the day trippers have left. Personally I couldn't recommend a day trip there to anyone, it just seemed like we had our hands in our wallets all day and we were cheek to jowl with other tourists milling around wondering what all the fuss was about.
I think if you stayed there and went hiking or rented a boat to explore some beaches or go fishing it would be more enjoyable, it is very pretty.

You are right raincity, there is no bus down to the beach in Positano. I always recommend people travel between Positano and Amalfi by ferry, mainly because the views are so gorgeous and the sea breezes are nice on a hot summer day!

Thanks, that's good to know about Positano & Capri. I also appreciate all the good eating places that you both have mentioned on this board. I am one who travels to eat well, reaally well.