How to manage shore excursion in Naples

Hello! My family of four will be on the Allure of the Seas to the W. Med leaving Barcelona on July 12. We have most of our days planned out, but my DH and I are still debating Naples. He would be happy spending the day at Vesuvius and Pompeii, I want to do Pompeii & Amalfi coast. We are also debating best way to do that part of Italy.

He is the rent a car and do it on our own type. We are doing that in earlier ports where our TA has advised us we will be fine. She has suggested to stick with tours in Rome and Naples. I have a quote from a private driver to do Pompeii & Amalfi coast for what I think is reasonable. He is pushing to cancel that and rent a car. That makes me nervous for a variety of reasons.

Thoughts? What is best? I need information so I can either feel more comfortable with his plan or persuade him to stick with the driver.

Thanks!

Driving along the coast road in July will be an exercise in frustration. I'm not a car service type of person but this is one instance where I'd make an exception. Even the calmest person can be pushed to their limits after hours (I'm not exaggerating here) of stop and go driving. [note: If you do decide to drive yourselves spend the extra money to get a car with automatic transmission - stop and go driving, on hills, with a clutch - not fun.]

It's very difficult to get to the Amalfi Coast and back within the confines of a port day and challenging to get around once you're there.

I think you'll have to make a choice between either Vesuvio or the Amalfi Coast; either one can be combined with Pompei but you can't get to all three reasonably.

I would not recommend driving the Amalfi Coast on your own.

The road is not very wide and I think it is very important to have an experienced driver/guide who knows the best places to sop along the way for photo opportunities and viewing and then once you get to each of the towns knows where to go. Parking can be challenging but they can drop you off.

I agree that I would not try to do all three places.

I would just select two.

Keith

The traffic can be very bad and you could risk missing your ship. Also, driving the Amalfi Coast requires the utmost concentration, due to the narrow, winding roads,volume of tour buses etc. Your husband isn't going to see much if he's having to watch the road all the time.

 

He is the rent a car and do it on our own type.

I have stayed in Positano on the Amalfi Coast and there is no way in hell I'd drive that road! It is super skinny, with almost vertical drop offs, a zillion hairpin turns, and crowded with buses that allow literally centimeters of clearance when they pass you. And there are some tunnels that are one lane only and often blind on the other side where you have to look in a mirror to see if there is oncoming traffic. If my husband insisted on renting a car, I'd insist on skipping the Amalfi Coast. Leave that driving to a professional who is used to it!

Pompeii and Amalfi combo IMHO is best done with a private driver. They know the area and traffic. We did such a tour and it was great, like the other poster said even with GPS and all the modern aids I'd not risk the crazy narrow roads and traffic on the coast, but to let someone else drive me that was good :D

I've driven the AC road several times and it's not difficult driving. In the height of the season, however, you wouldn't be doing much driving, you'd be doing a lot of crawling. It's hard to enjoy yourself in that situation.

You could always get a private tour like joe bananas. They can design wherever u would like to go. I have used them, am using them again in two weeks...whoohoo!!

I too would not drive there...less stress hiring someone else

We would agree with Euro Cruiser. Driving the Amalfi Drive is not especially difficult (we have stayed along the coast (with a car) several times) but summer traffic can be very frustrating. And parking in or near Positano can verge on the impossible during the busy summer season. But it is doable for the adventurous although it is helpful to know the area and have some experience in Italy when it comes to dealing with parking issues.

Hank

You could always get a private tour like joe bananas. They can design wherever u would like to go. I have used them, am using them again in two weeks...whoohoo!!

 

I too would not drive there...less stress hiring someone else

That would be my recommendation as well - we just got back from our cruise yesterday and our tour with Joe Bananas to Sorrento, Positano and Pompeii was one of the highlights of our trip.

Here's a little humor about driving along Amalfi coast. We hired a private tour guide for the day. While driving along the AC, which is very narrow and winding, there were many people on scooters weaving in and out of traffic. Even as passengers, it made us very nervous. My 70-something mother said to our driver, "Oh my, there must be so many accidents along this road." Our driver replied, "Yes, in Italy we have many young organ donors."

Don't DIY it. Get a driver. You will enjoy your day soooo much more and you will live to tell about it.

Here's a little humor about driving along Amalfi coast. We hired a private tour guide for the day. While driving along the AC, which is very narrow and winding, there were many people on scooters weaving in and out of traffic. Even as passengers, it made us very nervous. My 70-something mother said to our driver, "Oh my, there must be so many accidents along this road." Our driver replied, "Yes, in Italy we have many young organ donors."

 

Don't DIY it. Get a driver. You will enjoy your day soooo much more and you will live to tell about it.

Over 10,000 miles of driving in Italy and we are still very much alive :). The crazy motorcycle drivers are nearly all Italians and we have seen a few smeared along the road. But they do have a lot of fun while a,I've.

Hank

There is also a train that goes down the coast. You can get a ticket at the kiosk by the port and this covers the tram to the train station and the train ticket. The train stops at Herculaneum and Pompeii and goes onto Sorrento (approx 1 hour). This is still DIY but much safer than driving - you will notice that many of the cars in Italy have bumps!

You could check Rome In Limo's tour sharing option.

https://www.romeinlimotoursharing.com/naples/

See if you and your husband can agree on a tour and then create one. I've done that for our Naples and Livorno stop

We will be in Naples in December. This will be our first trip to Naples and would love to go to Pompeii as well as Mt. Vesuvius. Does anyone know if it will be possible to do both? I don't see one of the Ship excursions offering both. Thanks!

Yes, it is possible to do both. It's easier with a car service but it's still possible with public transit.

There is also a train that goes down the coast. You can get a ticket at the kiosk by the port and this covers the tram to the train station and the train ticket. The train stops at Herculaneum and Pompeii and goes onto Sorrento (approx 1 hour). This is still DIY but much safer than driving - you will notice that many of the cars in Italy have bumps!

The train of which you speak is the Circumvesuviana Line. And yes, it goes down the coast....but not the Amalfi Coast. The train just runs along the Gulf of Naples and goes as far as Sorrento which is still not on the Amalfi Coast unless a recent earthquake or volcano totally changed the geography of the region :)

Hank