Driving Amalfi coast to Pompeii---how dangerous??
 

We are spending a day off a cruise ship and have opportunity to drive along the Amalfi coast to Pompeii. The tour company talks about all of the "1,000 hairpin turns", which I hear are beautiful...but....am I paranoid or these drives just plain dangerous? I hear Pompeii is really worth it---but are we better off not doing this drive??

Hmmm. Some confusion here.

Pompeii is not really on the coast (anymore). It's inland.

Is someone else doing the driving?

There is so much traffic on the coastal drive of Amalfi, you won't be going very fast.

I have yet to hear of a single cruise ship excursion bus plummeting over the edge of an Amalfi cliff -- and somehow I think I would have heard of it if it happened.

If you hate heights, you won't like being on a bus driving along the Amalfi.

Whoever told you Pompeii is really worth it was speaking truthfully.

You'll be perfectly safe. And if you take cruises, presumably you don't throw up easily.

If you duct tape your head you should be fine :)

Seriously, we have driven from Positano to Pompeii and had no problems.

Thanks zeppole....I never thought about other traffic which would slow things down---we are going in a van with 4 others which I like better than a bus. It is a private tour. I am anxious to see Pompeii but also want to see Ravello, Sorrento....do you think there is time ?? I think we have 8 hours. Heights don't bother me, but since I am a CD counselor, I am paranoid about drunk drivers!

How much time you have will depend partly on where your ship is docked. And how much time you want to spend in in Pompeii. Do you want to stop for lunch? If you zip around fast you can probably get to all of those places, but not have too much time to spend in most of them. I think you can safely miss Sorrento this time.

I'm afraid you'll barely have time to see Pompeii. Here's an aerial view:

http://dismanibus156.files.wordpress...erial-view.jpg

Surprisingly, there is not a lot of drunk driving in Southern Itay -- once you see how people drive when they're sober, you'll want a drink!

The Amalfi road is safe. It's just very high.

This is a wonderful video of driving the Amalfi. (It's got a soundtrack, so be careful where you turn it on.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsv7r...eature=related

Ravello is up a twisty road, and you won't have time. There's a famous song called Return To Sorrento. Just come back sometime.

Here is a question since we won't come back anytime soon: is it better to see Pompeii or the hill towns like Ravello? How long is the drive to Pompeii?

I believe we are docking in Amalfi, weahter permitting

This is very subjective, of course, but Pompeii is a jaw-dropping, thought-provoking, astonishing pile of history. That said, who needs a vacation to feel like school? And you will only scratch the surface on a one-day excursion.

Ravello is a very exclusive patch of lofty real estate with statuary, and I think a marvelous place to go hide for a few days and stare at the blue. But bombing in for a look at the view is not quite that, and you will get plenty of lovely vistas further down.

If you are docking in Amalfi, it is possible your driver intends to run you right over the mountain, past Ravello, and take the "back route" to Pompeii, through the hills. I would check this out, because if that's the case, you will not see the famous Amalfi coast line. Ask what the route is.

Pompeii is really worth it - but is inland. Not sure how you could drive along the Amalfi Coast from there. Where is the ship depositing you? Amalfi and Positano are small towns and large boats certainly can;t dokl there. Is this a small ship that will ferry you in by launch?

The drive itself isn;t dangerous at all. It;s true there are innumerable hairpin turns. there is also a significant amount of traffic, meaning that you can't get up much speed. (In the summer it's about 10 mph - and you can have an accident only by falling asleep at the wheel.) In places it's very narrow and if you have to pass a bus or large truck you may scrape your mirror on the cliff wall - but that's about it. Oh - and there's a thick stone wall between the road and the drop-off down to the water.

You could go Amalfi to Ravello and then over the top of the peninsula to Pompei, coming back to Amalfi along the coast. The over-the-top route is longer by 10-12 kms. Depending on traffic, it can be faster than the coastal road.

Thanks all of you...think I accidentally posted a similar question again. Sorry! I think I may pass on Pompeii and concentrate on hill towns

That ride is an adventure! My bus ride was exciting - alot of honking on blind curves just to alert anyone on the other side. When two big buses meet each other on a tight curve, one might have to back up inch by inch to let the other squeak by. When you park, fold in your mirrors. It's all fun.

Pompeii IS worth it! We went last April. We hired Sorrento Silver Star car service to take us around the Amalfi Coast from our base in Positano. Then on a day trip to Pompeii. Worth the extra money. Our driver is from Sorrento so he knew the area and we were in the comforts of a Mercedes sedan. Check them out. Sorrento SS also arranged a private tour of Pompeii. This guide took us to the gated off area. Make sure you see what the Romans were up to in this interesting area of Pompeii. A tour gives you the background and interesting anecdotes. So glad we did it this way! Have fun....Amalfi Coast is awesome!