gailw

We are in Amalfi for 9 days. The driver arranged by our hotel to pick us up at Naples airport this morning and return us there on 10/11 did not show up so after waiting for 45 minutes, we hired a taxi to drive us to Amalfi. The original driver has now demanded an extra 50 euros to take us back to the airport on 10/11 since he says he was there (but also says there was a car accident that prevented him from showing up on time, despite the fact that at least 20 drivers with signs were waiting for other passengers as we came out of the airport departure area).
Our flight on 10/11 is at 7 am so we need someone who is willing to pick us up at 4 a.m. Does anyone out there have someone reliable that they have used and can recommend?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
gail

ourjetboat

try Ugo at [email protected] We have used him several times

hamlet

I have not used any since we use our own car but if you want to call another company for comparison:
http://www.italylimousine.com/

There is also a link on their site to excellent TA reviews.

bobthenavigator

Here are several:

The best option is to hire a private driver to meet you at the Naples station or airport and take you directly to your hotel. Expect to pay about 100E.
www.cuomonet.it www.tourofitaly.com www.francescomarrapese.com
www.angelodriver.com

bobthenavigator

And, these guys may be based in Praiano which is closer to Amalfi for an early call:

http://www.benvenutodriver.com/

baladeuse

With a 7.00am flight I would leave the night before and stay at an airport hotel.

gailw

thank you all for info. I'm going to start contacting the places you've suggested and will report back.
grazie
gail

gailw

ourjet: Ugo contacted me in reply to our email. Thank you for the referral. I just to make sure that he has been on time when you have hired him in the past, because we'll miss our flight to Rome and connection back to the U.S. if he is late.
Bob the Navigator: I also heard from Angelo and he is our second choice.
Thanks to all who offered help.
Regards,
gail

ourjetboat

I can confidently recomend Ugo. Get his cell number and ask that he call you 1 hour before pickup...to avoid any stress.

sueblue

Just left Amalfi and am now in Rome. Call Stefano at Aqualimo. We found him very reliable. Even called him Sun night at 9PM to arrange a car. It is his own company. Good luck.

TDudette

Just saw this so maybe you are all set, but Stefano (don't believe it is the same as sueblue above mentions)

http://stefanomogini.com/

drove us one day in Umbria. He says he will drive anywhere in Italy.

bobthenavigator

Really?
How can a driver from Umbria drive an extra 10 hours RT for this mission and still be price competitive?
I suspect his quote would be 300E higher than the locals.

Mimar

How about leaving Amalfi a day early and staying in Naples the night before your flight? You're relying an awful lot on one link. What if the car breaks down? What if the driver gets sick and can't drive? What if there's a rock fall in the hills and the road's closed. If you miss the flight, it can be quite expensive. You'll have to buy full fare tickets on the next flight with available seats. Not so difficult in October maybe but still....

There are countries where you can expect transportation to run like clockwork, but Italy is emphatically not one of them.

gailw

We're home. The son of the hotel owner arranged for a driver which I believe to be the owner of the company that originally stood us up. I was concerned about using him, but we ultimately felt that the possibility of our broadcasting a poor result about the hotel on the internet would provide some leverage to a positive experience. The driver picked us up promptly at 3 a.m., drove carefully but expeditiously to the Naples airport and got us there by 4:15 a.m. I don't actually know the name of his company or the driver, but the price of 130 euros seemed fair and we tipped him 5 euros for helping us with the luggage.
All's well that ends well. Thanks to everyone for all the help. You guys are great.

TDudette

Check the original date, Sorrento123. Don't worry, I've done it also.

Dukey1

Interesting that you would "broadcast a poor result" about a hotel which had little, if anything, to do with your driver experience.

janisj

TDudette: no I don't think you've done it before - advertising a car service??