jmatta

Is it possible to rent a car at the Naples airport and drop it off in Sorrento? If not, is it a pain to take the car back to the Naples airport and then taxi back o Sorrento?

nessundorma

You can probably do it -- provided you are renting the car for several days, not just one. But do you mind my asking what you are trying to accomplish by doing this? Driving in the Napoli area is not for the fainthearted.

jmatta

I thought it would be easier to have our own car to visit places along the amalfi coast. I do have a fear of heights though. Do you recommend taking public transportation?

nessundorma

If you are going between May and October you can take a combination of ferries and buses to visit the Amalfi towns. All year round there are buses, and there are also taxis. Taxis are expensive, but if you use them in combination with buses and ferries, they are competitive with the cost of a car.

For instance, I might take a ferry from Sorrento to Positano, tour the town, then splurge 50 euros on a taxi to Amalfi so I could enjoy the views from the car. Have lunch in the town of Amalfi, then take a ferry back to Sorrento.

Next day I might take the ferry to the town of Amalfi, but then immediately take the bus to Ravello for lunch. Walk back down to Amalfi (if you're fit!) and take the ferry or bus to Positano, have a cocktail to watch the sunset, then a bus to Sorrento for dinner.

I have to say that if you have a fear of heights, buses are not more reassuring than cars (and sometimes induce more motion sickness). Ferries might be the best way for you to go. And you can visit the islands (Capri, Ischia, Procida) by boat.

nytraveler

If I had a fear of heights I would much rather be on the Amalfi Drive in a car - which is, after all, only slightly taller than the stone guard rail - than way up in the air in a bus next to a tiny little rail over whiuch you canse down the cliffs into the sea.

That said, in high summer I think a boat/ferry is a much better choice than anything on the road.

Neopolitan

I agree that driving the coast is not so "hair raising" as riding standing up on a crowded bus, swaying dramatically over the cliffs.

I've often talked about leaving our car parked in Positano to take the boat to Amalfi for the day and then getting stranded when the weather got rough, boats were cancelled, and the busses were past capacity so we waited hours before we got aggressive and pushed our way onto one.

The first time we did the Amalfi coast we drove, and we were glad we did.

ira

Hi jm,

>I thought it would be easier to have our own car to visit places along the amalfi coast.

Not necessarily. Especially in season, it is hard to find parking and the coast road gets clogged by tour buses.

>I do have a fear of heights though.

If yuo have an attack while driving, what are the consequences?

>Do you recommend taking public transportation?

Yes.

Ninkette

We were just on the Amalfi Coast in May and had originally planned to have a car. I'm so glad we didn't! I think driving along the coast would have been much scarier than taking the bus. Public transportation is easy and convinient. Yes, its crowded sometimes but the bus comes fairly often and we never had a problem getting a spot on the bus. Parking is expensive and hard to find. Definitely take the ferry over the bus if you have the option, much more fun!

I have a fear of heights too, but did not have a problem. Just make sure you sit on the side of the bus away from the cliffs and you can enjoy the view without looking down.

JoyC

I am with Neopolitan on this one. We rented a car so we can drive along the coast. We based ourselves in Sorrento, so on the day we wanted to go to Positano, I urged my husband to just park the car in the hotel and take the bus to Positano as I read on this forum that the drive is "hair-raising"!! BIG MISTAKE. The bus was so crowded, we were standing up all the way to Positano. We couldn't see any view because of the crowds. After a few hours in Positano, we proceeded to Amalfi-same situation and on the way back to Sorrento, we have to wait for 3 hours and only were able to get on the bus after pushing and shoving our way!! Needless to say, the next day, we used our car to drive to Ravello and it was easier, calmer and we were able to admire the views. BTW, we were there, early June.

drbb

I think it depends on the personality of the person who is the designated driver!

We had a car on the Amalfi Coast in September. We stayed in Positano (drove through Naples from Rome) and to Pompeii, Sorrento, Ravello, Amalfi. It was a white knuckle experience at first but by the 2nd day we were zooming around the hair-pin turns like veterans. We would not have wanted it any other way! I loathe buses. We went where and when we wanted. The only negative was that the person driving did not get to savor the gorgeous views out over the water. Parking was not a problem.

nytraveler

It also depends on the time of year. If you're off season and the buses are not so full you may get a seat and will not have to wait forever for a bus with room for you to get on. In the middle of the summer the buses are so mobbed you're packed in like sardines and - as noted above - may have to wait quite a while for a bus with any room for you at all.

Then take the boat - or the car - which is certainly more comfortable, convenient and faster than standing in a mobbed bus. (And I would much rather spend a little for parking than wait forever to get somewhere.)

Kalpana_Kar

Is 8th - 10th May a 'crowded bus' season?

Also what kind of weather to expect?

HappyCheesehead

drbb:

When in September were you on the Sorrentine Peninsula?

We will be there September 11-18 and will be doing many of the same things and will have a car.

My hubby REALLY does not like going anywhere without a car. We arrive in Rome 5:30 pm ish and are picking up the car and driving to Castellamare di Stabia, where we are staying. Our car rental for the whole week is only $315 and we think just being able to drive it to and from Rome on our own time table is worth it.

I have been VERY concerned about what I hear of the driving in the area, but it seems as if you have a little different opinion. We like driving tours, but my mail thought was that we would not be able to find parking anywhere - any tips?

Kalpana_Kar

re-posting...

just in case someone who might know the answer to my question in my prior post might have missed.

Thanks in anticipation.

nytraveler

We have done the Amalfi Coast area twice - staying in Sorrento - by car and loved it - had no problems parking in the towns (but we're from NYC - so to us circling to look for a place and parking in a tiny spot is routine) and our hotel had parking.

But we were there in May - and although there was some traffic on the road it wasn;t bad.

And at any time of year I would take car vs bus (but I'm really bad at waiting and adapting my schdule to public transit - or other people).