We have purchased airfare in and out of Naples the last week of Sept and first week of Oct, this fall. We are mid-60s, never been to Italy, and would like to wander the coast in a rental car.
Hoping for beach time, small town hotels, and good food! We will take a sight-seeing day to Vesuvius/Pompeii, maybe a boat to view Amalfi coast, looking for other suggestions? Would love to make it over to Lecce.
I have been reading here for hours and love all the info to be gathered, so thank you in advance!

Italy has these things called ZTL which severely limits access to certain places by non local cars. Beware.

There is a lot to see in Naples and it's a good place to do your day trip to Pompeii, so definitely plan some days there. Since you have to be back to Naples for your flight home, do all your Naples days at the end to avoid an extra hotel change. You lose at least half a day each time you move.

This means that when you arrive in Naples, you continue on to your first stop. Where are you planning to stay? Sorrento, while not technically the Amalfi Coast, has good connections by bus or ferry to the AC. Of course, lots of options on the AC.

Are you sure you want to drive? Wandering the coast in a rental car may sound lovely, but the reality could be much more stressful. The traffic can be terrible, and in addition to the ZTL's mentioned, they had (don't know if they still have) a law where you can only drive every other day, odd or even depending on your license plate number.

Just so you know, Lecce is a long way from the AC. The shortest train ride from Naples is five hours, and others are six to eight hours, and you would have to repeat the ride to get back to Naples. Might be better to save it for an other trip.

Thank you, this is great info. I like heading out and saving days in Naples for the end of trip.

Most of us urge people to AVOID driving in this area -- not just because of the ZTLs mentioned above, but also because parking is limited in the coastal villages and, perhaps most importantly, many of us think it is much nicer to be able to fully enjoy the coast, and that's something a driver can't always do. If you do insist on renting a car, note that if you cross multiple time zones before reaching Naples, you won't be safe to drive for at least 36 hours -- and I mean safe for you or for anyone else on or near the roads.

I trust you know that the Amalfi coast is not known for it's beaches -- they consist of pebbles, not sand.

It would seem that a good guidebook would serve you well. Perhaps the Rough Guide or Michelin Green.

Hope that helps!

I hate driving on narrow winding roads with drop offs, so for me driving would be a nightmare in this area.

I've always wanted to explore the Cilento Coast in Campania. It is a much, much less touristed coastal area than the Amalfi Coast. Here is a theoretical week there using public transportation that will give you small towns, beaches, and ... of course ... good food. I used ChatGPT for the public transportation links, so make sure to fact them if this appeals to you.

Day 1: Naples → Salerno → Agropoli
Train: Naples to Salerno (~40 min), then Salerno to Agropoli (~1 hr)

Day 2: Paestum (day trip from Agropoli)
Train: Agropoli to Paestum (~10 min)

Day 3: Agropoli → Santa Maria di Castellabate
Bus: CSTP/Infante lines from Agropoli (~30–40 min)

Day 4: Relax in Castellabate

Day 5: Castellabate → Acciaroli
Bus: CSTP/Infante southbound buses (~1.5 hrs)

Day 6: Acciaroli → Pioppi (and back)
Bus or taxi: Short ride (~15–20 min)

Day 7: Return to Naples via Salerno
Bus: Acciaroli → Vallo della Lucania (~1 hr)
Optional stop: Quick visit to Velia, an ancient Greek site near Ascea, if time allows

Alternately, you could spend the time in the islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida. Friends in the area say that Capri is hell in the summer and heaven in the off season.

There is nothing like the freedom a car. Especially if you want to 'wander the coast' That makes it sound like you are looking for a spur of the moment adventure. So if that is your inclination, it's a fine idea. Just be aware of the pitfalls. Sounds to me like you already have in mind 2 days of activity just south of Naples.

There are magnificent landscapes between Naples and Lecce, and it would be a shame to ignore them. That's where going to Lecce puts you in a bit of a squeeze. So it depends on how invested you are in the idea of 'wandering the coast' as opposed maybe hitting one or two coastal towns. One near Naples and one near Lecce. That you could manage.

Anyway, if it were my trip and I decided to go from Naples to Lecce, I would be tempted to hit Castlemezzo and Matera on the way.

Hi there! I did a similar trip October 2024 (albeit with a few more days than your plans) but was reliant on public transport. While I personally did not need a car myself, I can see that it would be much more beneficial in the Puglia region as opposed to Campania.

I haven't finished my trip report, but hope to soon, you can see my itinerary in post #10: When You've Got Lemons, Have a Limoncello Spritz!

I know you said your flights have already been booked, but if you can consider flying into either Brindisi or Bari (or reverse it - fly home from either of them), it may allow you to maximize your time a bit better. The change fee might be worth it in the end. At any rate, should you decide to keep your original flights, I would consider (again, depending on your plans), taking a train upon arrival to Puglia (i.e. Bari), shake off your jet lag for a day or two (use trains during this time - they are plentiful in the region) and then explore via car as needed. I would put all of your time for Naples at the end of the trip, assuming you still will fly home from Naples.

I would maybe explore dropping off your car in/around Salerno as the Amalfi Coast area is not conducive to driving, as mentioned above. Use the ferries and catamarans. This site gives you excellent options for getting around Sorrento/Bay of Naples and Amalfi Coast: https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/e...sorrento-italy and use the other links for ferries, sita buses, trains, etc.

Do not underestimate, though, that each time you change hotels, it eats into your travel time "budget." Logistics of checking in/out, transit time (no matter how you travel - including parking or walking) eating into your time to sightsee. The rule of thumb (sorry if I am repetitive) is in order to have a 1 full day for sightseeing you need to stay 2 nights, 2 days is 3 nights, etc.

With 2 weeks (exactly how long are you going to be on the ground), you may have to be selective. The AI-generated itinerary suggested in post #6 above would not be one I would want to do, but you may if it fits your interests and travel style.

I agree that you would be MUCH better off if you could change the air tickets so the you fly into Naples but home from either Bari or Brindisi.

I like driving trips, but if you do have a car for most of the trip, you could consider skipping Amalfi Coast, beginning with 2-3 days in Naples and, upon departing Naples, pick up a car (at the airport would be easiest) and drive toward the Cilento, maybe making your first stop Castellabate, OR the lovely hill town of Pisciotta.

Then head south and spend a few nights in Maratea, which has some of the prettiest beaches, and coastal scenery, on that coast of Italy. But you need to check to learn when in September the beach clubs close, OR stay in a hotel with a beach, like the VILLA CHETA. OR a hotel in the hill town of Maratea and drive to the beach.

From Maratea, you could drive to Matera and spend a few nights there before heading south towards Lecce with one or two different overnights before Lecce.

Then head up to Bari for a night, before flying out of Bari airport.

That's just a general idea.....I'd skip the Amalfi Coast...it will be so crowded!!
If you really feel a need to see that coast, you could do what I did two years ago.....drive from Naples and stay Vietri, at the southern end of the coast. (I only spent a night in Vietri on my way to Maratea, but you could spend a couple of nights there and do day trips to other towns). Then proceed with the plan I outlined, above, heading first to Cilento.

Another idea is to just stay in Amalfi Coast, Ischia, and maybe Capri, for the entire time...spending 2-4 nights in each place...then you would not need the car.

I'd do most of this by train. Naples to Bari, Brindisi or Taranto. All three are interesting cities with active ports and some ancient parts then train into the heel.

seat61.com
Just note that Matera station is not on the main line from Naples to Taranto but there is one only a short taxi ride away from the city.
There is nothing like having the freedom of going city to city centre without having to manage cars, park them, leave them over night, worry about drink/driving, foreign laws, insurance, foreign dirvers, theft etc etc

Fly back from Bari or Brindisi

UPDATE! Thank you all and here is my brief trip report! We absolutely loved Italy and 2 weeks was not enough! We did NOT rent a car!
All travel was between Rome and the Amalfi coast. We used trains, buses, taxis, ferries, and lots and lots of walking. Each of these locations we stayed 2 or 3 nights,
Naples, Sorrento, Praiano, Procida Island, and Rome. I want to go back!

Could you talk a little about Procida? Where you stayed, what you did, where you ate, etc.....would you return there?

Yes we most definitely would return to Procida. We only stayed 2 nights and think 3 nights would have been perfect. I had never heard of this island until reading Lonely Planet's Experience Italy.
They talk about it being undiscovered and how it is the REAL Italy. Well I predict it is going to be discovered real soon. We traveled to and from Procida by ferry from Naples. The ride was less than an hour. I found our apartment on booking.com, it was magical, in the tiny town of Corricella. We are light packers with only small carry-ons and we walked from the ferry docks to our apartment, probably a 15-20 minute walk. The views of Corricella marina are what everyone is seeing right now when you google this island. The restaurants were amazing by the marina, our favorite meal was seafood pasta at Fuego, also great food at Assafa, and breakfasts at Bellavista.
We walked about half an hour to Spiaggia Chiaia and swam and subathed for a few hours. I had the best lunch of simple bruschetta at that beach. It was 20eu for one umbrella and one lounger which we shared. We also hiked up to the lookout above the harbor, Belvedere Terra murata, just spectacular views.
On the whole 2 week trip, this is the only location we had to resort to google translate a few times. Not everyone speaks English and it is SO authentic. LOVED IT!

Thanks for feeding back, sounds like you had fun

Procida is a gem, like Ponza or Ventotene. Chiaia is the best beach.
It can get very crowded in August, however (especially the small Island bus!).
As there are almost no non Italian tourists, you really feel to be in Italy..

This is wonderful to learn..thanks for posting the additional info.