Almafi cost drive
 

Anyone have any contacts on finding out about obtaining driver to go down Almafi coast? I would like to see what the cost would be to hire a driver rather than rent a car and drive it ourselves.

If you're staying on the Amalfi Coast, I'd recommend shipping your luggage to your hotel and renting a scooter. It's cheap, easy to maneuver, and will help you avoid the carsickness which seems endemic when driving on the narrow Amalfi Coast roads.

I am happy to recommend our driver. Giovanni Benvenuto drove my family of 5 people from Sorrento for a full-day excursion. I planned the itinerary with him by e-mail. We stopped in Praiano for lunch, plus Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. www.benvenutolimos.com It's a family business. Giovanni was a careful and skilled driver and knew every curve, also knew where he could safely pull over for us to take pictures or get out and see the gorgeous scenery.

I recommend you don't drive anything yourself on the Amalfi coast drive, and not only because of the traffic and driving conditions, but also because if you're driving, you have to pay attention to the curves, to the 2-way traffic on narrow roads, so if you're driving you're gonna be missing a lot of beautiful scenery!

Giovanni also told us a lot about the places we were passing. He also knew where the good bathroom stops were, very handy and practical.

I am very prone to travel sickness by car, by boat, and by plane. But I took a Dramamine that morning and it did the trick...I felt great all day. Also if you get Giovanni Benvenuto as your driver you're be taking those curves at a nice comfty speed, not too fast, slow enough to enjoy the views and feel safe. I promise! (I am a gripping-the-handle kind of rider, I normally hate curves and steep cliff drives, but Giovanni truly made it feel safe to me.)

We spent 2 weeks in Italy and saw Sorrento, Praiano, Amalfi, Positano, RAvello, Rome, Florence, Siena, the Chianti region, and Venice. Here's my advice. If you want to drive in Italy consider driving in the countryside of Chianti or Tuscany. Don't drive along the Amalfi coast, and don't drive in the cities of Rome or Florence.

Have fun. Great fresh seafood lunch for good prices on the beach of tiny Praiano, at Armando's restaurant. (I believe it is called Armandini Lapraia. It's the only seafood restaurant that I saw on the tiny beach.) Praiano is a very laid-back place, with a non-touristy feel.

If Giovanni Benvenuto is not available for some reason, here is another good contact:

Giovanni and Giancarlo Gargiulo
www.tourifitaly.com

email
[email protected]
cells:
Giovanni: +39 338 730 6575
Giancarlo: +39 333 522 6029

This is a father and son team (each drives a separate car). It's also a family owned business, they are both extremely charming, and great drivers, and also know the area very well, they are from Massalubrense (On the Sorrentine Penninsula). Any of the drivers can find a beautiful spot to lunch, if asked.

Another Private driver and guide is Salvatore of www.driveamalfi.com, who has a good reputation.

If it's your first trip, I would definitely do this with a driver. The previous poster is correct.

I am lucky enough not to be that sensitive to motion sickness, and have driven the Coast myself in a car, but that was in off season, when the traffic was minimal, and only after I had been to the Amalfi COast several times. I wouldn't want to drive it when the traffic is heavy, and I don't recommend a scooter for your first trip, there are dozens of blind hairpin turns on a narrow road, there is often a tourist bus around the blind curve.

Oh! And hope you have a fantastic trip!

AH - The going rate for a driver on the Amalfi Coast is in the range € 30-40.00 per hour.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Just to add to Sognatrice's post Salvatore Lucibello is at [email protected] and is a familiar face in Amalfi having worked for 20 years at the 5 Star Santa Caterina Hotel

Hi,

You could also contact Renato Cuomo
www.cuomonet.it [email protected]

We had a great driver in September 2002. Spoke wonderful english, took us to a great resturant for lunch, drove a mercedes station wagon and could sing a great rendition of Volari, plus he knew just about everyone on the road from Sorrento to Ravello. In 2002 the cost was 145.00 euros for 7 hours and it was the best time we had in our 3 day stay in Sorrento. His name is emilio and you can reach him at [email protected]