Traveling across Italy
 

I am traveling from Rome to Vieste, Italy, and then from Vieste tp Positano, Italy. What is the best way to get to those places without renting a car?

While it is not an exhaustive site, I like to use https://www.rome2rio.com/ to give me an initial idea, and then I follow up by confirming with official websites like http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en.
It looks like you are going to have to change from a train to a bus at Foggia. I would ask my accommodations in Vieste for advice and also ask them if they offer transfers. The Gargano peninsula is somewhat difficult without a car.

I have used Rome2rio often, but thanks for the other site. How hard is it to rent a car in Italy. Riding in a taxi in Rome has been harrowing. That's why I dread getting a car. Is there anything I should watch out for in renting one?
Thanks for you info

See this recent thread for tips http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...y-521821-2.cfm

Well you would not want a car anywhere near Rome for sure!
Once you are out of Rome, the driving should be easy. You might consider taking the train to Foggia, then using the car for the Vieste portion before dropping it off in Foggia or Bari, or even in Salerno (before taking ferry or bus to Positano). The Gargano peninsula has some windy roads.

Trenitalia is the Italian train system. From Rome to Vieste, I would search Trenitalia from Roma Termini or Roma Tiburtina to Foggia. From Foggia, you would catch a bus. I find looking at the tourism websites of places helpful for how to arrive although most are only in Italian.

http://www.turismovieste.it/index/se...orari-autobus/

From Vieste to Positano, you would need to make multiple changes. Bus to Foggia, train to Salerno (changing at Caserta), bus (requires a change at Amalfi) or ferry to Positano. The ferry would require getting from the train station (which is also where most buses depart) to the port. In Positano, you have to get from the water up to your destination. There are some small internal buses you can take in Positano. You can also look for transfers (limo/taxi) from Salerno.

As for a car, if you didn't like riding in Rome, you certainly won't like driving on the Amalfi coast (or Naples which makes Rome traffic look calm) plus most places don't have parking. If you are from the US, you need an IDP so if you are already there and don't have one, that is a problem.

wow .... lots of good advice. Thanks, I appreciate the help!