Driving vs. Train: Rome to Sorrento
 

My wife and I will be travelling from Rome to a town on the Sorrento Peninsula (Massa Lubrenese) and we want to have a car while we're staying in Sorrento. We're trying to decide whether we should rent the car in Rome and drive to Sorrento or take the train to Naples, rent the car there, and drive down. My original plan was to rent the car in Rome, but now I'm wondering if taking the train to Naples might be a good way to avoid Rome's traffic. But does this mean I'll just be trading Rome traffic for Naples traffic?

Thanks so much,
Randall

We have done this, by car, twice in recent years. We leased the car bec we stayed for a month. The fwys are fine & bypass Naples if you can. Sorrento and places south are wonderful. I will say that South of Sorrento gets rather winding. Leaving Rome is not that scary, just get to the ring road; ask at the rental agency, they will provide a car or check michelin maps online. In Sept, we plan to rent a car and leave from the train stn. No worries. Better than L.A.! If you have any further ?'s, feel free to email me.

I meant to say that the car rental will provide a MAP, not just the car. Sorry.

Do not drive out of the heart of Naples. The driving is crazy there - many Italians will not drive in Napoli. Pick up the car in Rome and skip Naples completely.

The A3 Autostrada is a great hwy - 3 hours will get you to the Naples area. And as above, driving in Naples should be avoided. I took a wrong turn & drove into vehicular hell. No rules are observed & it is not pretty. So stay on the A3 until you cut off for Sorrento. Even then, expect some madness on your way to Sorrento.

If can, drive over the mountain to Positano. Some of the vistas on the drive are jaw-droppers.

Ian

Both Avis and Hertz show locations in Sorrento. If you wanted you could take the FS train to Naples and switch there to the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento, and pick up a car upon arrival.

In my experience, the maps provided by the rental car companies do not have enough detail. Invest in a decent map.