Driving in Italy
 

Okay, here is the dilemma.
My husband, 15yr. old son and I are headed to Italy in June and will begin in Rome for 3 full days. Then we are headed to Sorrento for 2 full days, then on to Siena for 6 full days, ending in Florence for 3 full days. We are planning to rent a car in Siena for sure and tour the hill towns. However, we are now considering picking up the car on our way out of town at the Rome train station, then heading to Sorrento. We'd like to visit Pompei on our way, but I am not sure how easy or difficult it will be to get there by car. Our hotel in Sorrento does have parking available, so thats not a problem. Then we were thinking the drive from Sorrento to Siena might be nice on the Autostrada, instead of the train. Note, my husband and I are not concerned about driving in italy, as we have driven in Mexico City and other large cities and managed just fine under the stress. We would then drop the car in Florence where we won't need it anymore and where we will ultimately fly out.

I am interested in anyone's thought on driving for the adventure and flexibility instead of taking the train.

Thanks
Cyn

It's very easy to drive from Rome to Pompeii, where there is ample parking, and then on to your hotel in Sorrento. Do ask the hotel to e-mail directions for getting to the hotel.

We have always driven on our trips to Europe. As long as I can read a map and husband drive a car, we will keep driving.

ttt

Why not?
It is easy as far as Sorrento but gets tight after that. Stop and see Orvieto as you drive north and then consider taking S-2 north to Siena[Via Cassia--the old road]. With 3 people and bags a car is just easier.

Sounds like a plan. Plenty of parking at Pompeii. You might want to visit Herculaneum as well which is smaller and in a better state of preservation than Pompeii. When my sons were about the age of your's, they liked Herculaneum better. As long as you have no fear of driving, a car will allow you to drive the Amalfi coast as well - narrow, crowded, but spectacular and IMO fun to drive. The coast is not to be missed.
The Autostrada is OK but if you have the time, the secondary roads are more scenic.

Your trip has a nice balance of cities and the country.

We found driving to be quite enjoyable in the countryside and awful in the cities. I would only pick up a car on my way out of town.

The Autostrada is great for long distances...quick and easy. But there are so many scenic roads that you will love, especially in Tuscany. Something wonderful is usually around every bend in the road. Even if you get lost, it's a fun adventure.

I would suggest that you get a good map. We used a Michelin atlas which guided us through our ride from Caserta, through Tuscany and then our drive to Venice.

Also, always take into consideration that the driving times usually take a bit longer than the estimates.

If you don't worry about the stress of driving in Italy, don't think anymore about train trips: the trains in italy are not reliable and very often in miserable conditions. Take the car without hesitation and have a good trip!