We are flying into Rome this Sept. and have 2 weeks to explore southern Italy
Wondering where and when we should rent a car (Rome or Naples).
Comments advise on Itinerary? We are planning on exploring the surrounding areas along the way.
Day 1 Arriving in Rome and traveling to Naples. Should we travel by train or drive?
Day 2 Going to Pompeii then spending the 2 nights in Sorrento
Day 3 Sorrento
Day 4 Positano
Day 5 Positano
Day 6 Matera
Day 7 Matera
Day 8 Lecce
Day 9 Lecce
Day 10 Lecce
Day 11 Ostuni
Day 12 Ostuni
Day 13 Drive to Bari and fly back to Rome
Day 14 Rome
Day 15 depart

I must admit that I generally prefer public transportation, as it gives me the chance to fully enjoy the scenery, as well as to see local people interacting with each other. Other people feel differently, and the number in your group would be a factor to consider.

That said, having a car for Naples, Pompeii, and the Amalfi Coast is really not likely to be an advantage and might actually be quite a disadvantage, as parking can be quite expensive and challenging in these locations. AND if there is any chance that you will have jet lag, it could actually be quite dangerous -- although many people don't realize it, jet lat is just as dangerous, to yourself and others, as driving drunk -- so PLEASE wait until you've at least recovered from jet lag to pick up a rental.

I'm not sure why you are planning on a stop in Sorrento. Staying a night or two in Naples will give you a great chance to see its magnificent archeological museum, have a taste of the best pizza in the world, and sample just a few of this fascinating city's other delights. (I love Naples; not everyone does.) And if you aren't interested in seeing Naples, then consider a night in Capri -- it is much more magical after daytrippers leave. I think you should be able to take a ferry from Naples to Capri and then a ferry to Positano; I could be wrong.

You can use public transportation to get from the Amalfi Coast to Matera and from there on to Lecce, but I'm not sure how convenient it would be to do so from Positano (the options I know are from Salerno) or how easy your access from Lecce to Ostuni. You might want to check rome2rio.com to get an idea of your options. If you are to rent a car, I would think the section that makes most sense would be starting with your departure from the Amalfi Coast and returning the car in Bari. JMO.

Hope that helps!

I'd fly into Naples and then immediately take the train or hydrofoil to Sorrento and use Sorrento as your base for Naples, Pompeii, Positano and even Capri. All are easy trips out of Sorrento using trains, buses, and boats. It also saves time not having to pick up and move every two days.

I'd not rent a car until you're ready to move on down south. Just get back to Naples via train and there are car rentals at the train station.

I don't know how set you are on seeing Rome but there is so much to see and do there that the time you've allotted yourself just isn't enough. I'd fly home out of Bari and make time for a Roman holiday in the very near future!

What airport are you flying out of? You must have a reason for Rome, but there could be better alternatives.

I would say go by train! Driving is very difficult among the amalfi coast and Naples, and the costs of the parking are very high if you find a parking place! By train and bus you can see much more because you're sitting relaxt!

Given the itinerary proposed, I would suggest getting a rental car in Salerno after your visit to the Amalfi coast. For the rest of the trip it would probably be the best way to get around.

Flying into Naples and home from Bari would be ideal, but if you've already bought the tickets into and out of Rome, don't try to buy new tickets for the short-range flights.

When looking for tickets, I always check first for flights (with a layover) directly to the airport nearest my destination, and back from the airport nearest to my end point. It usually doesn't cost much more.

Great advice from all. Thank You!!! I've already booked flights in and out of Rome because I found great non-stop airfare. Then I have a flight back to Rome from Bari at the end of our trip with an extra day in Rome before we leave. Sounds like renting a car from Salerno makes sense. My only concern is getting around on mass transit with luggage. We usually take 2- 22" suitcases with us. How do I get from Positano to Salerno?
The only decision I'm in limbo about is where to stay on the Amalfi coast?
There are 2 nights that are flexible. If I don't go to Sorrento, should I spend the extra nights in Naples and/or Positano and/or Capri?

If that is one 22-in suitcase each that shouldn't be an issue, but keep an eye on it on the commuter train from Naples to Sorrento.

I am in favor of spending at least one night on Capri, it is much nicer before and after the day trippers, and you will have more time for the walks. I also enjoyed Naples, and presumably you want to see the museum, which is best done either from Sorrento or Naples itself. I also recommend seeing Herculaneum, as well as or instead of Pompeii.

2OnRway Not sure this would fit your plan, but we rented our car when we left Sorrento. It's easy to drive out of Sorrento, and the Amalfi coast is a really fun drive. Nice part about having a car is you can stop anywhere you want. We then stayed at Luna Convento in Amalfi, wonderful view and nice pool, and there is a large garage just down the road.

There are also a few nice spots to stop on your way to Salerno, when you are on your way to Matera.

Thanks to Fodor's advice, we took the hydrofoil from Naples to Sorrento, and it was a really nice way to go, much nicer than the Circumvesuviana. The views coming into Sorrento are really beautiful.

I believe there are boats from Positano to Salerno.

@sundried - what time of year were you driving the AC? Most people report that it is a nightmare to drive in the summer, rather than fun. Of course, we all have different definitions of fun...

Here you can see the timetable of the boats
http://www.alicost.it/?page_id=202&lang=en

We are arriving in Naples on Sept 20th and plan on spending 4 more days along the Amalfi coast.
Thanks Rosanna for the alicost link.

Is it easier to get to: Salerno from Positano or Capri?
to Positano or Capri from Naples?

One more Idea!
What do you think about getting a private driver/tour guide to take us from Naples to tour Pompeii and then on to our destination in Positano or to a boat to Capri?

@thursdaysd We drove the Amalfi twice in September, and then just this mid-May.

kja, Thank you for the link about the transportation options. I went on to Fodors this AM looking for this exact information!

@ jeanned -- I'm glad you found rome2rio.com as useful as I do!

You will definitely want to have a car in Basilicata/Puglia. Public transportation options are not easy there, and driving is easy. It looks like you could rent a car out of Sorrento and have the option of bypassing the Amalfi Coast road and cutting inland in case it is crowded.

On the Amalfi Coast we stayed in Praiano and it was very pleasant. We were in off season, so can't compare for Sept. We had nice views of Positano and the faraglioni off Capri.

From Salerno there are a lot of boats to Capri and Positano.
If you travel by train I would say go to Salerno because the haven is near the main station and you can walk to there, it is much easier.
If you arive at the airport of Naples you also can take the boat in Naples