I am going to Positano with 3 friends in April. Looking at hiring at car & driver to get around. Is that best?

Question

It seems so expensive (2800 Euros) for the week. Are we better off taking buses and trains. Want to see Amalfi coast, Pompeii, Naples, Sorrento, a day in Rome and 1/2 day on Capri. Can't find train costs or bus costs either...what site should I go to. Has anyone else utilized a driving service? HELP?!?

Answer 1

Take the trains/buses route. You don't need a car in Europe. Positano is gorgeous..but small...Naples is scary...be cautious when visiting (my family is from Naples).

have fun and enjoy - Italy is truly the best place!

Answer 2

I've traveled the Amalfi Coast twice using public transportation.  It's really easy and you'll save sooo much money (use that savings to splurge at a posh hotel one night).

Positano is NOT a good home base for exploring the Amalfi Coast.  It's fine for a visit but it's tiny and has really poor transportation connections.  Even if you have a car and driver you could potentially get stuck in traffic for hours because the roads in and out are so narrow that minor accidents cause major backups.  If you stay in Sorrento you have train connections to Napoli Centrale station and Pompeii, plus more frequent boat service to Capri.  There are busses from Sorrento to Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, and if you travel in the second half of April there is also passenger boat service along the coast.

By the way, a day trip to Rome from the Amalfi Coast area takes at least three hours of travel in each direction.  You'd do best to overnight in Naples and head to Rome early the next morning.

Answer 3

the train system in naples is awesome.  I was stationed there for 2 years, and we could get around pretty effectively soley by trains.  yeah some walking was involved, but it was all in the experience.  you can see all of the above by train, except for capri of course.  but I do believe all is accesible by train.  especially enjoyed the train ride to rome.

david cole

Answer 4

Renting a car (autonoleggio) in Italy becomes more expensive and more problematic the farther south you go.  I would not recommend it in and around Naples.  Parking, theft and the cost of fuel (benzina) make it a challenge.  

The Italian State Railways (Ferrovie dello Stato) are fairly easy to use and inexpensive compared to driving.  You'll also have the peace of mind of knowing no one is going to steal your car while you're off exploring.  The FS website now has an english translation, so getting information is easy.  From Naples south to the Amalfi coast you can ride the Cimcumvesuviana, a railroad/bus system serving Pompeii and the coastal towns to Sorrento and Amalfi, or the FS.    

You can travel to Capri either by ferry or hydrofoil, from Naples or Salerno.  Get yourself a good travel guide with itinerary planning help and plan the trip out in advance.

One final note.  Don't schedule things so tightly that you allow no time for the unexpected.  Public services in Italy are plagued by the occasional "sciopero", strikes lasting a day or so.  If you'd planned your favorite activities for the day of a strike you'd be out of luck.

Answer 5

The best is to stay in Sorrento and from there you can visit all those places.To visit Capri and the Amalfi Coast you can easily go by boat. To go to Naples and Pompeii just take the train. It's easy, doesn't take a long time and it's much cheaper.  By the way, don't forget to visit Positino. It's lovely!

Answer 6

im not sure what you mean by driving service, are you wanting to drive or have someone drive you?  we rented a car and drove ourselves all over rome, florence, pompeii, naples, vesusvius, spoleto, umbria and tuscany.  we rented our car from autoeurope and it cost around 500 euros for a week.  then, of course, we added in the cost of fuel.   but we rented the smart forfour and had minimal problems getting around the country.