A group of friends will be traveling in southern Italy next fall and I am trying to get started on the planning. We are thinking of taking the train from Rome to Naples and renting cars there to drive to the Amalfi coast. (We need the cars because we will be driving later to Basilicata and Puglia...) So a couple of questions: Is it going to be a huge headache to have cars in that area? We would like to do trips to Pompeii, etc so seems we should have wheels. Would it be better to rent the cars in Rome and drive down so as to avoid the chaos of Naples? And finally should we headquarter in Amalfi or Positano to have best location andmost interesting surroundings? Thanks!

You can rent cars in both Sorrento and Salerno---I would not drive in Naples. How many are you--that is a big factor.

I suggest you take the train to Pompeii, store your luggage at the entrance, tour the sight, and then have a car service pick you up and take you to your Amalfi coast lodging. I can recommend benvenuto limousines, and you can look up reviews of them online and places like TripAdvisor. They will bring whatever size car/van is necessary to pick you up.

Go car-free on the Amalfi coast. Use public transport (ferries and buses) and fill in with the occasional private car, but even in the less-crowded fall, you will find it an expensive nuisance to keep trying to find parking places for cars.

At the end of the Amalfi portion of your trip, get a car/van service to take you to Salerno, and rent what you need there to take you across Italy. By the way, the scenery along that route is absolutely spectacular, and there are several stunning hilltowns that dangle from cliffs, so you might not want to just barrel to Matera (like I made the mistake of doing!)

It may be that for the second portion of your trip, having more than one car makes for much greater flexibility for your group. Public transportation in Puglia is not great, so if people would like the freedom to go in different directions and do different things, more than one car might be best.

On the other hand, if you'd rather stick togther in one large vehicle, there is plenty of parking in Puglia. It's practically nothing but room for parking! You need to be careful in the ancient historic centers, but most of Puglia is easy to move even a large vehicle around.

PS: If you have vehicles in Basilicata, do not neglect to see the underground "Crypt of the Original Sin" -- one of most memorable sights in southern Italy. It is a few miles south of Matera, but you must make a reservation to have people show where the crypt is and take you inside. Do a google search for La Cripta del Peccato Originale.

Cars are ery convenient on the Amalfi Coast as long as you aren;t there is high season - when thehideous traffic on the road makes it close to impassable.

We have visited a couple of times in late May (in the middle of a road trip) and found the car very conveninet (Pompeii and Naples) and fun (driving the coast road). We prefer to stay in Sorrento since it's a larger town with a much greater choice of restaurants and shops - and I must admit I'm really a city girl. Also, the center is flat - as opposed to the much smaller towns down the coast - which are cut into the side of a cliff and require dealing with a large number of steps.

The one thing you should do is make sure your hotel either has parking (ours did) or that they can arrange for a garage nerby.

We rented the car in Rome since you hae a much greater choice of cehicles either at the airport of at the largest office in the city center. Esp important if you want an automatic - which it can be difficult to get at smaller offices.

I would rent car in Rome and either stop on the way in Pompeii or drive to this site on another day, if you are not feeling up to it.

I would choose either Sorrento or Amalfi as a base, as they are both very easy to reach their centre, and choose accomodation facing the harbour in the case of Sorrento, or facing the coast in Amalfi. Vico Equense, which is very close to Sorrento might also be an option. It is relatively quieter than Sorrento, but still enjoys the magnificent views of the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius as Sorrento does, and is very accessible. We had spent a view days at the Cubo Apartments in Vico Equense - they are brand new, they have a cafeteria and restaurant, and offer a free light breakfast of a hot drink and brioche in the mornings. There is also a covered parking lot just opposite, for which they reserve parking space for you on request at a nominal fee. Just a few steps away is the famous Pizza al Metro restaurant.

Praiano,a very small town on the Amalfi Coast road (very very close to Positano), might also be an option for its lovely incredible views. I would also recommend this small town since you would be driving a hired car and if you also want to be close to Positano (with its winding roads and lots of stairs), but not in this busy town itself. Also from Praiano area you get the lovely coastal cliff sea-vies, and of Positano perched on the cliffs.

If I had to make two stops I would choose between Sorrento and Vico Equense on the Sorrento Coast (so that you would be close to Pompeii, Naples, Sorrento and the ferry service to Capri, and get the magnificent views of the Bay of Naples), and Praiano or Amalfi town on the Amalfi Coast. Amalfi town is literally a 2 minute walk from the harbour, and its centre square is really pretty. From Amalfi you are very close to Maiori, Minori, Ravello, etc.

You won't have much trouble driving once the tourists have thinned out and I'd go for the car every time. You will have to pay for parking in most places but it's not a fortune and too convenient not to.

Rome to the AC is about 3 to 4 hours by road, whereas Naples is about an hour. If you're coming off an overnight flight and you're tired, then take the train to Naples and then on to Sorrento, although pulling lots of luggage is a PIA. However, it may be that you'll have been in Rome for at least a few nights, so get your cars and head South. I've done it and didn't find a problem getting to the autostrada and then it's plain sailing.

I'd use Positano as a base, just because it's such a great place. Vico Equense, Massa Lubrense are OK but are not Positano. Basing there gets you West and East along the AC at that time of year without trouble and out to Pompeii. It is a little more expensive, but IMHO well worth it.

Thanks so much to all who provided input! I think not renting in Naples is definitely the way to go. I will have to think further about the location for our stay. BTW we are 9 people!

matera2019: You say "scenery along that route is absolutely spectacular, and there are several stunning hilltowns that dangle from cliffs" -- what places do you have in mind specifically?

Wow, with 9 people you will need at least 2 vehicles. With that cost, and the hassle of parking etc, I would consider using pro drivers for key sojourns in a van.

Here are images of that coast---the best in Italy:

http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=4481

For Basilicata, you should look up Castelmezzano and Peitrapertosa

http://www.sassiweb.com/guided-tours...pietrapertosa/

On the amalfi coast, you'll have more freedom with 9 people to split up and go different ways if you don't rent cars. There is plenty of public transporation.