Driving the Amalfi Coast
 

My parents are taking a trip next month to the coast and are wondering <BR>whether they should rent a car or take taxis. Their main concern is the <BR>safety of the roads and how difficult they are to navigate without being <BR>familiar with them. They have driven in Italy before, but hear stories <BR>about the narrow roads and fast traffic. Any thoughts. <BR> <BR>Much appreciation.

My only advise about driving along the Amalfi Coast is to head West so that your driving on the mountain side! The road is narrow and those drivers drive crazy! <BR> <BR>Taking a taxi can be expensive. There are local busses that go between the towns.

When in Sorrento in 1997 we took the local bus to Amalfi and Positano. <BR> <BR>It cost us about£3 return!!! <BR> <BR>Fabulous views as you are higher up, try to sit on the sea view side of the bus, and a driver who knows the roads... <BR> <BR>And more money left for fabulous meals out...

Enjoy the view from a bus rather than concentrating on making it around the next bend or not nudging another manic-moped driver to his/her death on the rocks below.

We rented mopeds in Sorrent for a trip down the Amalfi coast and it was wonderful. They are very easy to ride and you get a chance to see some great views

Stayed in Positano on honeymoon last September. Found the best way to explore Amalfi Coast was to hire a car and driver for the day. This way you are not prisioners to a schedule and can find the little out of way places that only the locals know. Also beaware that GAS is VERY EXPENSIVE so it is a negative to renting a car.

<BR>Just got back from Italy, including a 2 day visit to Positano on the Amalfi coast. I've never driven in Italy, but have been a passenger. Yes, the roads are narrow and particularly the main road going along the Amalfi coastline snakes back & forth & at times you're turning on VERY tight curves. I'd imagine it would be very intimidating when you round the curve and one of those very large buses is passing you with barely a foot to spare (and I do mean that literally). Quite frankly, I'm amazed at the skill of these bus drivers - I was astounded when 2 buses would have to SLOWLY creep past each other on especially narrow spots, coming within inches of each other (again, I do not exaggerate). <BR> <BR>Finally, as a previous poster mentioned the gas in Italy is VERY expensive as compared to the United States (and I'm making the assumption that you're an American?). Once again, I was a passenger when we stopped at a gas station and I calculated the price to be approx. $5.00 per gallon. <BR> <BR>As long as they're fully aware of the road conditions & confident of their driving abilities (& parking, which again, the Italians manage to squeeze into impossibly small spots), then they may wish to rent a car. Oh and one more thing, make sure if they do so, that they keep everything in the trunk & out of site inside the car - the theft rate of both the contents in a car and the car itself is a bit higher in Italy than in other European countries. <BR> <BR> <BR>