Cinque Terre to Positano, where do we stop in between?
 

Friends and I will be in Italy the first 2 weeks of september. From Assisi we will be going to Cinque Terre and then our next destination is Positano 2 days later. <BR>We want to stop in between to break up the long drive but where? <BR>We thought of Sienna but it's not that far from CT, what about Orivieto? <BR>We leave CT on a Saturday. <BR>Any help?

Can't help with any real suggestions, but when you are calculating distances between cities on maps, remember that the roads you will be driving on will likely not be direct routes and probably will be very narrow and winding, so what may look like a short distance may in fact take hours. Car rides on the autostrada are easy, but then you have to maneuver through the hillside, if you go to Sienna. We drove from Cinque Terre to Piombino, and stopped off in Pisa for an hour or so, and the trip took just under 5 hours. Then we drove from Piombino to Montepulciano, an hour south of Sienna, and it took another 4 hours or more. And my husband was driving way faster than what I felt comfortable with!

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No question Linda---Orvieto is your best option. And, you will have time to divert over to see Civita. I would take the big roads as far as Siena but then meander down S-2 from there and approach Orvieto from the west. Check your map for access to Civita, but it is only about 15 miles south. A-1 will be faster but not as pretty and you will have time to meander. Good luck !

You're right. Siena is too close. Orvieto is a good possibility. It's right off the autostrada and is a great to visit.

Linda, are you planning this trip? My question is if there is a reason you are going to Assisi and then north to the Cinque Terre and then about 8 hours south to Positano. What airport(s) are you flying into/out of? Is this your first trip to Italy? People don't realize that are not the extensive highways in Italy that we have here in the states. It may take you an hour to go someplace that is 15 miles away. Stopping, how about somewhere in the Chianti area. Have you been to Florence, how about someplace on the outskirts of Florence?

Last spring I drove from Cortona to Sorrento and it took about five hours. I think drive time from CT would be about the same as from Cortona. It's autostrada most of the way. I'm hoping that Orvieto is a good stopping point because I am planning the exact same trip for next spring, and I had already selected Orvieto as the place to break up the drive from CT to Positano. I've seen Orvieto (up on its cliff) from the road and it's very impressive, and I've also read good things about it on this forum and elsewhere. If you do it this way, please let us know if it was a good choice so I'll know whether to stick with my plan or come up with a new one.

Hi Dawn, <BR> <BR>Yes we have both been to Italy in the past, our parents are from there. <BR>We are arriving in Rome and taking our rental car to Assisi (my friend will see some family there first) then off to CT for 3 days. Positano was next on the list but we thought it too far and wanted a stopover place to shorten the ride. <BR>Regarding Florence, we have both been there, and wanted to focus on places we havn't been, and we will save it for the next visit. <BR>So as you see Orivieto is a stopover, what do you think of it. <BR>Do you know how many hours from CT it is, what about from Positano? <BR>Any suggestions on driving routes, we will be leaving Ct on Saturday and going to Positano on Sunday. <BR>Thanks

Can you please advise the best map to use for travel in Italy?

For those stopping in Orvieto: It's a good choice. Orvieto is a beautiful city that is very walkable. We have stayed at Hotel Virgilio and have booked there again for our October trip; it's a clean, plain hotel without a lot of atmosphere, but if you ask for a room overlooking the Cathedral, the view is glorious. There's a small lift. <BR>We were quoted 165.000L/night, including breakfast, for a double. <BR> <BR>If you are picking or dropping off a rental car in Rome, may I suggest that you consider doing it in Orvieto instead. There are frequent trains to Rome, and Orvieto is easy to reach by funicular from its train station. <BR> <BR>Buon viaggio

Hotel Virgilio info: <BR> <BR>Hotel Virgilio <BR>Piazza Duomo 5/6 <BR>05018 Orvieto <BR> <BR>Tel: 0763 341 882 <BR>Fax: 0763 343 797 <BR> <BR>There's a good gelateria a couple of doors away!

Thanks, <BR> <BR>i think I will call Virgilios, it was mentioned a few times on this site.

Linda, The drive time will be at least 2 hours longer from CT[ Monterosso?] than from Cortona. You need to look at a good map. Try the Michelin #430. The drive can be all autostrada if you choose, but look at the S-2 route south from Siena for a great look at Tuscany. <BR>