Driver in Naples
 

We are going to be on a cruise in July, docking at Naples for the day. Does anyone have the name of a driver/guide that can take a party of six to Pompeii and tour the Amalfi coast?

Do a search for weadles and Tour of Italy. The Gargiulos (father and son) will pick you up and drive you wherever you want--we had a great time with them.

This may be easier:

www.tourofitaly.com

Coffeeaddict, thanks. Just got back from Costa Rica, you would have been in pig heaven with the coffee there!

Hi there!

Thanks, coffeeaddict! Giovanni ( dad) and Giancarlo Gargiulo can be reached at tourofitaly.com or on their cells ( I don't have the area code!) at:

GIOVANNI: 3387306575
GIANCARLO: 3335226029

We've used them many times, and have recommended them ad nauseum, I'm sure, here on the forum.

Hi the internation code from the US is 011. And the area code for Naples proper is 081. I hope that helps.

Hi Weadles
I am trying to decide on a driver for Amalfi coast and I see you recommended tourofitaly. Did you use Giovanni or Giancarlo? Salvatore from driveamalfi gets rave reviews but he is much more expensive. Do you think tourofitaly is as good. My main concern is reliability.
I was going to book Renato but I have read a few posts where he did not show up. Thanks
p.s. I see you used Luca too...we are planning on using him in Tuscany..any comments

Hi eedie,

We've used both Giovanni and Giancarlo many times. They are reliable, charming drivers, and both speak English pretty well.Giovanni used to be a cruise ship waiter based in the States for 29 years, and has lots of stories to tell. Giovanni is sort of the Italian version of Archie Bunker, but even funnier! My kids actually still talk about how much they enjoyed our trips with him.

As for Luca, he's great, too. A very personable, very smart guy, who really knows the Chianti area inside out. We enjoyed a fabulous lunch with him at La Bottega in Radda. Maybe he can take you there, too. I hope you enjoy your time with him as much as we did!

I recommend Salvatore of DriveAmalfi [email protected],he is used by all the top hotels here including the Santa Caterina where he was a fixture for over 20 years.

Are the the Gargiulos driver and guide, or just drivers? I understand that you usually have to have a separate guide. How much do they charge for a day?

I would say that the Gargiulos are informal guides for the coast. They've lived their all their lives, and have plenty of stories to tell. You will have a wonderful time with them, but if you're looking for anything more than that, you'd need to hire somebody.

Another driver I'd like to mention is Francesco Marrapese. He has posted some excellent advice about the area here on the forum, and apparently has just started his own business. I checked out his website, francescomarrapese.com, and was very impressed with it. You might want to look yourself, and compare rates.

There are some good suggestions here,but my personal choice would be Salvatore of DriveAmalfi.

I second the vote for francesco marrapese, based on the wonderful contributions he's made to this forum recently, and on his brilliant website. If the website is any indication, he has a great personality, and the enthusiastic approach that can make for a fun experience.

We hired the Gargiulos of Tour of Italy for 2 different days of touring in Italy. Giovanni, the father, drove us from Rome to Monte Cassino, to Naples, to Herculaneum, to Pompeii. He was great - played all Italian music CDs, has a great sense of humor, has great connections and so was able to park us very close to our destinations. He then drove us to our hotel in Positano, stopped anywhere we asked him to and even bought me 3 beautiful long-stemmed red roses!
His son, Giancarlo, drove us on a day-long tour of the Amalfi coast, provided excellent information about the area from where to shop, what to see and took us to a great restaurant for lunch. He is very personable! Both father and son speak English very well. We thoroughly enjoyed our tours with them!

We just returned from Italy. We had the very best tour guides that you could ever imagine. Their names are Giovanni and Giancarlo Gargiullo, a father and son team (Tour of Italy). We toured Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, Positano, Pompeii, and Rome. They are the best. I highly recommend them to anyone who wishes to be toured "Italian Style". They are knowledgable, friendly, dependable, humorous, and very trustworthy. I cannot wait to return to Italy...they made our trip very special.

did you use both giovanni AND giancarlo?
If so, who would you highly recommend?
Have you used private drivers in other parts of italy and if so do you have
other recommendations?

Hi eedie,

We've used both Giovanni (dad) and Giancarlo (son) Gargiulo of tourofitaly.com for several trips to the Amalfi Coast. Their presence is always a highlight of each trip! You'd be in great hands with either of them, and probably have a wonderful time, too.

If for some reason they are unavailable, I would also recommend a new poster here who's contributed quite a lot of great information to the forum. He is Francesco Marrapese and you can take a look at his website: www.francescomarrapese.com. I've been in touch with him through e-mails, and he seems like a delightful guy!

Have a wonderful time on the Amalfi Coast.

I missed the part where you asked for drivers for other parts of Italy. If you're going to Florence/Chianti area, check out Luca Garapa at Hillsandroads.com. We took a few day trips with him last year when based in Radda, and had a great time with him. He is very knowledgeable about the area ( grew up in Siena), reliable, and good company. I highly recommend him!

Thanks weadles
I have booked Luca for 2 days of touring in tuscany and have also booked Francesco for Amalfi.

Another vote for Francesco Marrapese. We just spent 4 days on the Amalfi Coast and he picked us up at the train station and another day drove us on a tour of the coast. He is intelligent, funny, professional, and a very good guide. He is also easy on the eyes, if you like tall, dark, and handsome dreamboats. (Sorry, Francesco!!!!!)