How does a chicken(me)manage to enjoy the Amalfi coast since the hair-raising tales I've heard about the drive scare the daylights out of me. Does anyone ever do it at a sensible speed and does that even matter? I guess I have vertigo.

You've been badly misled by those "hair-raising tales"!!!

I did the drive two weeks ago and can attest that there is nothing there to "scare the daylights out of" you.

Traffic moves at a pace somewhat less than "a sensible speed". There is a sturdy stone wall along the seaward side and there's even a generous number of lay-bys for the sight-seeing driver to pull off, get out and savor the views.

Even a chicken (your word) like you should be able "to enjoy the Amalfi coast".

The road can be driven only at a sensible spped or less - since the curves are such you would never make then at anything higher than about 30 - and much of the year there's so much traffic that you're doing more like 15 or 20.

And there is a solid fieldstone wall between you and the drop-off. Personally if I were concerned about it I would be much happier in a car - down at wall level - than riding in a bus - high above the wall.

If you're really concerned do the drive south to north - then you'll be on the inside - and your biggest risk is scraping off the passenger side mirror.

a lot depends on what time of the year one comes to the amalfi coast road...

during the summer months it is virtually a parking lot clogged with traffic that moves at a snail's pace. in the late spring or early fall, the drive can be an amazing experience.

it all depends on your attitude and skill as a driver. if one is intimidated by fairly steep up and down gradients in what more than likely will be a standard shift rental car, best to take the bus.

on the other hand, if one enjoys driving (and there is no other way than in a standard shift vehicle), the amalfi coast road is one of the most exhilarating driving experiences to be had short of a track.

as mentioned in the previous post, there are numerous pull offs overlooking spectacular scenery. it's more than worth the effort if you have some confidence in your driving ability.

See it from a boat.

Compared to driving in Florida, it's a piece of cake.

"Compared to driving in Florida, it's a piece of cake."...

boy, have you got that right. on the rare occasion that it's worth the drive vis a vis plane fare out of atlanta, driving to miami intl. is a real experience.

it begins to get weird about boca raton and then, is completely psychotic thru broward and upper dade. it subsides a bit as one gets to the airport. but the psychic damage has already been done...

ROTFL Patrick!!! I know you were serious even though your remark was so humorous. My late DH loved (yes loved!) to drive in Rome, Milan, along the Amalfi Coast and even in Naples (Naples, Italy that is).

The last two times we were in Florida he absolutely refused to drive! And when we were in the car with the Florida family my DH was a white knuckled passenger. I can still remember the look of horror and fear on his face more then once, LOL.

(Hi Loveitaly!)

I love to drive in Italy too, it is really exhilarating and the speed demon
part of me loves it. I haven't driven on the Amalfi Drive but I have been a passenger many many times. On that road I have fear mixed with exhilaration because I do have acrophobia. I don't fasten my seatbelt when I am the passenger because my logic is it will be easier to jump out of the flying car and hang onto something near the road!

But at the times when the road is clogged with traffic or I am with just sightseeing, it is just another scenic highway, dont worry glaff.

Oh SeaUrchin, so you are one of those that love to bomb around Italian cities also I take it! The reason Patrick's comment got me laughing is that when I thought back to my husband's look of horror about the drivers in Florida I thought it was payback time because there was more then once I almost had a heart attack when he drove in the cities of Italy.

He was an agressive but excellent driver, just like the drivers in Italy. Sounds like you are also!

Hi glaff-
I'm kind of a driving maniac, (used to time-trial awhile ago) and I've driven the Amalfi Coast many times now, on my last trip I was back and forth from the Sorrentine Penninsula just about every day-not to worry, the only time I really felt that I was fsort of flying along that road was in the extreme early morning hours, which was on purpose, because I was playing my favorite little game of "beat the first big bus"! Too much fun!

Most times though, there's just no way to go all THAT fast, thinking about the hairpin turns and blind corners!

My one fear? Backing up down a steep hill to let the buses pass.

Bellastar is '"right on" about the buses. They do not slow down for you. In fact, I think they consider a small car some sort of insect that needs to be a windscreen splatter. This is important for you to know---learn where is and how to operate the reverse gear. Seriously. In our rental, you had to shove the shifter straight down like you are doing CPR. Then while holding it down, shove the stick violently to the back right corner. Then, release the clutch and back up quickly as the bus screamed at us. We nearly went into a ditch.

And---do NOT drive it at night.

Ah, but M_J, I feel it's very important to distinguish the tour buses coming from elsewhere, as compared to the SITA buses, whose drivers are some of the best I've seen anywhere. I have never seen one so much as lay a tiny scratch on a car, though i have seen a few accidents involving cars.

I trust those SITA busdrivers 200%!

Don't be intimidated by the tour buses.

You can always just stop when you see the bus....that will force them to slow down or stop

Well, you could always hire Francesco Marrapese as your driver/guide. You will be so busy looking at his handsome self that you won't even notice that your life is in peril! www.francescomarrapese.com

Hi glaff,

The AC drive is not all that difficult, except that taffic tends to be clogged by tour buses.

>I guess I have vertigo.<

That could be a major problem.

Why not take the bus?

Try the bus and leave the driving to
Sita. see www.uniplan.it/sita, line
runs from Sorrento to Salerno with all stops inbetween.....
Richard of LaGrange Park, IL>

Thank you all, I feel better.

I don’t. I guess I will be after a SITA bus. I didn’t do well in Space Mountain (Disneyworld) either.

If anyone has vertigo I suggest hiring a driver or taking a taxi for the Amalfi Drive. When you are in the bus you are very high above the road and the cliff and you feel every swing of the road at the turns.

When you are in a car you are more or less even with the railing and the car doesn't swing around as much as a tall bus. I have been on the road on both and I know from experience.

Also there are parts of the road that does not have stone railing, in some places it is just an iron fence.