should we drive or train from sorrento to florence?
 

we will travel from sorrento to florence on september 6. we can take a train or rent a car in sorrento. what will the road traffic be like? a car might be nice since we can use it to travel through tuscany. it seems that many have a concern of strada traffic. let me know.<BR><BR>thanks,<BR><BR>cam

I have taken the train from Milan to Rome to Sorrento and found it fast, cheap, and comfortable. We did not have to deal with the crazy Italian drivers which we saw later on the Autostrada. If you are planning on going straight from Sorrento to Florence I would suggest taking the train. However, if you do want to Tuscany, I've been told that the drivers and traffic are not a problem at all as long as you stick to secondary highways. This has the added bonus of letting you really see the space in between towns and cities.<BR><BR>Happy travels and good luck!<BR><BR>Louisa

Cam<BR><BR>It's not the Autostrada you have to worry about. It is safe & very efficient - a good modern highway. Yes, drivers can be fast, but this is not a problem as long as you use the left lane sparingly.<BR><BR>Your only real problems will be navigating from Sorrento to the Autostrada & parking in Florence.<BR><BR>For Tuscany, I think a car is a must.<BR>

Travelled the same areas last year. I am a sane driver, the strada was great, make sure to catch a meal at one of the rest areas better meal then you'd get in most Italian restaraunts in the states. You need a car for the Amalfi coast and teh Tuscany region. If you are not touring Tuscant and simply visting Florence, rent the car on the day you depart. You need a car to really get into the heart of Tuscany, and to appreciate the Amalfi experience you need a car, beware the Amalfi coast road is breathtaking, but nerve racking, do it thjough, take your time, and try to get up to Ravello and Positano from Sorrento. You can also drive from Sorrento to Pompeii. The drive should be now more than 10 hours, consider breaking it up with a night in Rome.

Unless you plan on stopping to smell the sunflowers on the way, I would train it. It's a long drive, the 3-hour part between Naples and Rome is pretty monotonous, and you will have to pay tolls, as well as $5/gallon. <BR><BR>Now if you plan on stopping and sampling the wonderful places in between, like Hadrian's Villa just outside of Rome, or the town of Orvieto with it's interesting striped cathedral and great wines and pottery (I could go on with many places) then consider driving...<BR>The train does leave you conveniently right in downtown Florence -you have to use a carpark outside of the city to leave your rental, and you wont need it you if want to see just Florence. Definitely stay off the Amalfi coast road over the weekend - major major traffic on it as the Italians are also enjoying it too.<BR>have fun!