Amalfi Coast: Thoughts and Concerns
Jul 27th, 2005, 06:42 AM
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Amalfi Coast: Thoughts and Concerns
We still haven't decided where (city wise) we will be staying, but I have come up with some thoughts/concerns I seek confirmation of or, perhaps, to be dispelled of.
We will be a party of six, with two of the men being tall, i e, 6'4" or more. I think we will need two cars, and I understand that the smaller the car the better. How will tall people do in really teeny cars? And then what about parking? Some of the villas we have reviewed mention they have parking for ONE car. What to do with the second car? Is public parking a thing of dreams?
At least one of the party suffers (mildly) from a fear of heights and is not the most athletic of people. We realize of course that almost no matter where we stay, there will be heights in some form or fashion and stairs, sometimes, LOTS of stairs. Is this indeed a major factor in your experience? Any suggestions.
Thanks for your insights.
We will be a party of six, with two of the men being tall, i e, 6'4" or more. I think we will need two cars, and I understand that the smaller the car the better. How will tall people do in really teeny cars? And then what about parking? Some of the villas we have reviewed mention they have parking for ONE car. What to do with the second car? Is public parking a thing of dreams?
At least one of the party suffers (mildly) from a fear of heights and is not the most athletic of people. We realize of course that almost no matter where we stay, there will be heights in some form or fashion and stairs, sometimes, LOTS of stairs. Is this indeed a major factor in your experience? Any suggestions.
Thanks for your insights.
Jul 27th, 2005, 06:51 AM
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Hmm.. tough luck heading to the Amalfi Coast with someone fearing heights. The road along the coast isn't incredibly high but it is very winding... Positano is a very stop for most visitors to the coast--- There are MANY stairs leading from the top of the town to the shore. You could stick to the road though to do most of your walking if stairs are to be avoided. When will you be going? Your visit hinges on whether you are headed there in high season-- the views/the weather are amazing... but it's an absolute zoo.
Jul 27th, 2005, 06:58 AM
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Hi J,
When we were on the AC, we discovered that my Lady Wife was subject to vertigo.
One bus trip and we did the rest of our touring by ferry.
The AC is pretty much vertical; there are lots and lots of steps, some of them are very, very steep, the rest are merely steep.
It is very hard to find parking during the season.
We were there in Oct. Taking buses was no problem.
When we were on the AC, we discovered that my Lady Wife was subject to vertigo.
One bus trip and we did the rest of our touring by ferry.
The AC is pretty much vertical; there are lots and lots of steps, some of them are very, very steep, the rest are merely steep.
It is very hard to find parking during the season.
We were there in Oct. Taking buses was no problem.
Jul 27th, 2005, 07:03 AM
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Thanks, Fraggle.
We're going the first week of May, 2006. Hopefully, it will be somewhat quiet on the coast then.
By the way, I am not afflicted by the things I mention, i e, I don't have a fear of heights and I'm not tall (weep). I just want to make sure that the rest of my party fully appreciates what they are in for. (I'm sure we will have a lovely time, I just don't want someone bellyaching about heights and having to walk too many stairs. So, I'm trying to get a true sense what to expect.)
Jul 27th, 2005, 07:32 AM
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A couple of thoughts...
A really tiny car is in Italy is REALLY tiny
As for villa parking...you should ask the agent or owner that is handling the rental about parking for a second car.
As for the person with mild fear of hights...he shoud be in the other car..not yours
A really tiny car is in Italy is REALLY tiny
As for villa parking...you should ask the agent or owner that is handling the rental about parking for a second car.
As for the person with mild fear of hights...he shoud be in the other car..not yours
Jul 27th, 2005, 08:31 AM
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It strikes me that having two cars will be a pain. Can't you opt for a somewhat larger car that can seat six?
The roads in Positano are narrow, but there are small buses that ply them. You don't need to worry about having a larger car, as long as you don't have a huge one.
I couldn't understand at first why my wife was so nervous when we drove there (I was doing the driving). Yes, there are sheer drops with no guard rails, but it's easy to stay well back from them. Then one day we took a bus, and I nearly panicked myself. At each turn, it looked as if the driver was going to take us over the edge. It seems that there's a curious illusion of safety when you yourself are in control of the car. When someone else is driving, it's scarier. In actual fact, I'm sure I was safer in the hands of the bus driver, who drove that route 40 times a day, than when I was driving myself.
Some small cars are fine for tall people; some large cars are not. I think someone 6' 4" needs to be sure to get a car he can fit in.
- Larry
The roads in Positano are narrow, but there are small buses that ply them. You don't need to worry about having a larger car, as long as you don't have a huge one.
I couldn't understand at first why my wife was so nervous when we drove there (I was doing the driving). Yes, there are sheer drops with no guard rails, but it's easy to stay well back from them. Then one day we took a bus, and I nearly panicked myself. At each turn, it looked as if the driver was going to take us over the edge. It seems that there's a curious illusion of safety when you yourself are in control of the car. When someone else is driving, it's scarier. In actual fact, I'm sure I was safer in the hands of the bus driver, who drove that route 40 times a day, than when I was driving myself.
Some small cars are fine for tall people; some large cars are not. I think someone 6' 4" needs to be sure to get a car he can fit in.
- Larry
Jul 27th, 2005, 09:02 AM
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If the two guys are 6'4" plus a small car is ridiculous, get a mid size at least. And yes - you will need two cars - no car in europe holds more than 5 people - you would have to rent a large van - and I don;t reco that.
As for where to stay and hotels - I'm not sure what you mean about parking places. There are quite a few hotels that have parking lots (granted the more upscale ones) depending on which town you pick. Unless you intend to rent a private villa - then the owner would have to provide info.
Driving a mid size car on the roads is not an issue - but parking may be. Be sure whoever parks has their parallel parking skills up to speed - and can park in a spot barely larger than the car (just as in any big city - you may have only 6-8" to spare). Also - when parked always fold in your mirrors - this is the biggest risk of car damage.
As for height/steps some of the towns - like Sorrento have large areas relatively on the flat - and that should not challenge anyone. Other towns - like Amalfi and Positano are much more vertical - but again - it depends on where you choose to stay. If you stay near the bottom and don;t climb to the top - stairs are minimal. But there are certainly many places in which a fear of heights could be a problem- as there are in many places in Italy - hill towns, bell towers etc.
As for where to stay and hotels - I'm not sure what you mean about parking places. There are quite a few hotels that have parking lots (granted the more upscale ones) depending on which town you pick. Unless you intend to rent a private villa - then the owner would have to provide info.
Driving a mid size car on the roads is not an issue - but parking may be. Be sure whoever parks has their parallel parking skills up to speed - and can park in a spot barely larger than the car (just as in any big city - you may have only 6-8" to spare). Also - when parked always fold in your mirrors - this is the biggest risk of car damage.
As for height/steps some of the towns - like Sorrento have large areas relatively on the flat - and that should not challenge anyone. Other towns - like Amalfi and Positano are much more vertical - but again - it depends on where you choose to stay. If you stay near the bottom and don;t climb to the top - stairs are minimal. But there are certainly many places in which a fear of heights could be a problem- as there are in many places in Italy - hill towns, bell towers etc.
Jul 27th, 2005, 09:11 AM
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One thing to consider...my parents and some of their friends are heading to Italy in October. It's a group of 6, and they rented a van for all of them.
Made the car rental months ago.
Just found out that the car they rented cannot get up the road to the villa. Be careful to not reserve too large of a car, as the roads are tiny!!!
Made the car rental months ago.
Just found out that the car they rented cannot get up the road to the villa. Be careful to not reserve too large of a car, as the roads are tiny!!!
Jul 27th, 2005, 09:16 AM
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nsgriff-
that's probably my biggest concern. we rented a van in Florence a few years ago and toured Tuscany, with little to no trouble. (I'm a very good driver and have driven on some roads that really strecthed the defination of the word "road."
But will a van in the Amalfi Coast work? I'm sure on the main roads, even the ones hugging the coast, won't be a problem, at leaast not for me. It's the smaller, in-town, up-to-the-villa roads I'm concerned about. Hence the two-car question/concern.And thanks to all who have posted responses. I have passed along to my travelling buddies some of your comments.
Jul 27th, 2005, 10:08 AM
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We just got back a few days ago (I posted a trip report). We were 7 and rented 2 cars as we were arriving separately. Our car was a minivan (Renault Espace). Also, our villa in Praiano didn't have parking. I was assured that parking would be easy and cheap near our villa, which I made sure I checked into since we had 2 cars to deal with. It turned out to be no problem most of the time, but mainly because both guys didn't mind dealing with it. Usually my husband would drop us all of as close the house as possible, then deal w/it on his own. Most of the time he quickly got a spot very close. A few times he had to park pretty far away, but he didn't mind the walk. But he (and our friend w/the other little car) are just the type where this type of crazy driving and having to find spots doesn't faze them. Parking in the other towns (Positano, Ravello, Amalfi, Vietri) always worked out fine. We often used public lots. It wasn't as bad as I had heard and feared. My husband would do it the same way in a heartbeat, I'm sure. And our minivan was fine on the roads too. Definitely get a car you're comfortable in though.
I think its just depends on your personality. Honestly, if I had to deal with it on my own w/out my husband, I wouldn't have done it this way.
I think its just depends on your personality. Honestly, if I had to deal with it on my own w/out my husband, I wouldn't have done it this way.
Jul 27th, 2005, 02:17 PM
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JackOneill, I am afraid of heights, and when my hubby drives I am always feeling like I have to "help" him by saying, "Watch out for that car! EEk, you're going too fast, you're trying to kill me!" For some reason, he doesn't appreciate my help.
I knew the Amalfi coast wouldn't be enjoyable (for me) if I let hubby drive. So for this one drive, I hired a driver with a van. It turned out to be a very relaxing day-trip for the whole family, and hubby enjoyed taking all the photos he wanted and not having to keep his eyes glued to the road.
Our driver was skilled and knew the road very well, so I found I didn't feel the need to "help" him, like I usually "help" hubby! I relaxed and enjoyed the scenery. He was Giovanni of Benvenuto limos, a family business... www.benvenutolimos.com
For the rest of Italy, we enjoyed using public transportation, trains between the cities, and within cities we used taxis and buses.
We had 5 people and I think it cost us about 350 in high season for a full-day excursion, lasting at least 8 hours. We saw Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, Ravello, and stopped at the limoncello factory (small, family-owned) for some fun samples and to buy our souveneirs! I think the limoncello factory was in Sorrento or near Sorrento. Our hotel was in Sorrento.
Our driver knew where he could park so we didn't have to worry about parking.
If you stay in Sorrento, you can take the circumvesuviana train to see Pompeii. If I returned to this area a second time, I would want to stay in either tiny Praiano, or else in beautiful, remote Ravello.
Positano is the steepest town of the ones I mentioned. I'm almost 50 and the only exercise I get is walking. I had no problem with walking down to the beach though. And even though I am afraid of heights, the steps and the path winding down to the beach has lots of curves in it, so you aren't facing the whole thing all at once...you are winding your way past shops, so it is never terrifying or anything.
Tell the person who is not very athletic that I said he/she needs to get all the way down to the beach because there is a good gelato shop on the beach at Positano, and because the view of the steep town from the beach is picturesque and worthwhile!
Buon viaggio!
I knew the Amalfi coast wouldn't be enjoyable (for me) if I let hubby drive. So for this one drive, I hired a driver with a van. It turned out to be a very relaxing day-trip for the whole family, and hubby enjoyed taking all the photos he wanted and not having to keep his eyes glued to the road.
Our driver was skilled and knew the road very well, so I found I didn't feel the need to "help" him, like I usually "help" hubby! I relaxed and enjoyed the scenery. He was Giovanni of Benvenuto limos, a family business... www.benvenutolimos.com
For the rest of Italy, we enjoyed using public transportation, trains between the cities, and within cities we used taxis and buses.
We had 5 people and I think it cost us about 350 in high season for a full-day excursion, lasting at least 8 hours. We saw Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, Ravello, and stopped at the limoncello factory (small, family-owned) for some fun samples and to buy our souveneirs! I think the limoncello factory was in Sorrento or near Sorrento. Our hotel was in Sorrento.
Our driver knew where he could park so we didn't have to worry about parking.
If you stay in Sorrento, you can take the circumvesuviana train to see Pompeii. If I returned to this area a second time, I would want to stay in either tiny Praiano, or else in beautiful, remote Ravello.
Positano is the steepest town of the ones I mentioned. I'm almost 50 and the only exercise I get is walking. I had no problem with walking down to the beach though. And even though I am afraid of heights, the steps and the path winding down to the beach has lots of curves in it, so you aren't facing the whole thing all at once...you are winding your way past shops, so it is never terrifying or anything.
Tell the person who is not very athletic that I said he/she needs to get all the way down to the beach because there is a good gelato shop on the beach at Positano, and because the view of the steep town from the beach is picturesque and worthwhile!
Buon viaggio!
