Naples Review - Renting a car and doing Sorrento/Positano on your own

On our recent Medi cruise out of Barcelona, we ported in Naples for a day.

Here's a summary of what we did...

Car Rental:

We rented a car from Hertz. Booked well in advance, the car cost 46-Euros for a small economy car. We spent another 20-Euro on gas for the day and perhaps another 20-Euro for parking. So the two of us were able to see everything we wanted, on our schedule for just 86-Euros. Compared to the hundreds they can charge for a private tour or ship tour, this is a no-brainer.

We chose Naples Harbor location for pickup/return on the Hertz site and their location is shown on the map attached below. It's where the green arrow is on the map which is slightly different from where a Google search would lead you to believe it is. Either way, it's a short walk from either of the piers where Cruise ships tie up (noted by the blue X).

Driving:

From the rental agency, you're a short 5 minute drive to the A3/E45 freeway that heads south towards Pompeii, Sorrento, and the Amalfi coast.

This is a toll highway and costs 2-Euros each time you get on the highway. The toll booths take Euro change and bills.

Despite reports I had heard to the contrary, driving on Italian roads and freeways is actually pretty easy. Exits and signage is easy to follow. But I always use a GPS and these day's there no excuse for not having one. Italian's drive fast (and so do I), but if you stay out of the fast lane, you won't be getting in their way.

Driving to Pompeii, Sorrento, or Positano, couldn't really be simpler. If you look at a map, you will see that the A3/E45 takes you directly to Pompeii and from there you can take SS145 towards Sorrento and the Amalfi coast.

As a general rule, I always drive to my furthest destination on a port day and then start working my way back, leaving at least an hour buffer in my itinerary at the end of the day in case there are unforseen traffic incidents. If there are none, I'm back on the ship an hour early, and if there are situations, an hour is certainly enough to drive around nearly anything or wait it out.

Positano:

The drive to Positano took about 1hr 20min. The latter part of which is on the Amalfi coast road which is not as harrowing as some would lead you to believe. It is a windy two lane road, but not dangerous in any way and there are a couple of pull outs to enjoy the view and take photos although they can be full of cars some times. Don't worry just go to the next one or catch one on your way back.

Positano is serviced by a one-way winding road that descends from the Amalfi coast highway down into the village. It's easy to miss and drive right by it, so study Google Maps or somethign or set the turn on your GPS so you don't miss it.

Drive down into the village.

Parking... There is street parking near the top, but I don't recommend this as it's a long ways down from there by foot, and of course, you have to come back up! There are about 6 different parking garages on the way down. They all charge about 20-Euro for a full day and a portion of that by the hour. We used Garage Mandara, which is near the bottom, and it's obvious because it's the only gas station in the village (Agip). A lot of the tour drivers use this garage for their vans. For a small car, the cost is only 3.5-Euro per hour. They take your car and park it in their underground parkade and keep the keys on busy days so they can jockey vehicles around. It seems safe but you may not want to leave valuables in your car, as with any parking lot really.

From the car park, you can easily stroll by the shops on the main street and descend further into the heart of Positano along the various pedestrian walk ways working your way down to sea level.

There are a lot of restaurants, cafe's, and shops... it's just an amazing little place to spend a couple of hours poking around. The ceramics are just beautiful but pricey.

You may want to have lunch in Positano. I would recommend it over where we ate (more on that below).

Ceramica Casola and Montepurtuso:

On the Amalfi coast highway, just a few minutes drive beyond Positano, is a large Ceramics shop and factory... Ceramiche Casola. While they have some very nice stuff, it's extremely expensive. We didn't buy anything there. The benefit of going a bit further east along the Amalfi coast highway was the views you get of Positano. That was worth it.

After that, we drove back towards Positano and then turned and went up the hill to Montepurtuso for lunch at La Tagliata. That was a fun drive up the steep hill. It was interesting when a couple of tour buses meet head on and we watched the one coming down have to back uphill to a wider spot to allow the other bus and line of cars behind to pass. Crazy! I don't know how those bus drivers do it! Anyway, in a small car, it's easy to move around.

La Tagliata has an amazing view of Positano and the western end of the Amalfi coast. It's worth a drive up there just for the view. Lunch was good value, but not great food. They cater to tour groups, so there is a set menu of three or four courses for 25-30Euro each. It includes a bottle of house wine, water, antipasto, pasta, and meat (additional charge) plus desert. Again, it's good value but the food is not spectacular but the view is. You might have better food down in Positano village but you might also pay more for it... I didn't even look at dining options in the heart of Positano.

After lunch we headed back to Sorrento.

Sorrento:

We parked in the main Sorrento car park. Search for "Autoparco Vallone dei Mulini" in Sorrento on Google Maps and you'll know where it is. It's a block from the main square.

I was half expecting all the shops to be closed in Sorrento in the afternoon based on other reports from people about them observing ciesta but this was not the case. It's a busy shopping area and there are a couple of narrow long streets with tons of shops. Pottery in Sorrento is more reasonably priced than in Positano. I purchased a couple of bottles of wine in Sorrento to take back on the ship (Carnival was particularly liberal with this on our cruise - YMMV)

After a couple of hours in Sorrento, we were ready to head back. While traffic was heavy at the end of the day with several ships in port, and therefore lots of tour buses and vans making their way back to Naples, it moved along well and we were back at Hertz in Naples with my one hour buffer fully in-tact.

Pompeii:

We obviously didn't opt to visit Pompeii but you could do so easily since it's right along the way. However, you really have to decide what your priorities are and where you want to spend your time if you have just one day. We found our day was filled just visiting Positano and it's environs and Sorrento. Adding another stop would have really rushed our itinerary more than we wanted. Just keep that in mind when planning your day.

Map showing Hertz location at the Naples Harbor (green arrow):

Positano as viewed from a lookout along the Amalfi Coast highway just beyond (east) of the town...

Another view of Positano from the highway...

From the base of town...

Ceramics for sale in Positano...

Positano at Sea Level...

Strolling the walkways of Positano...

Looking west along the coast from the base of Positano...

Another view of Positano...

A view of the western end of the Amalfi Coast and Positano from high up in Montepurtuso...

A portion of the Amalfi drive... what an amazing marvel of engineering!

Downtown Sorrento...

The ruins of an old mill in a deep chasm in the heart of Sorrento...

Your post made me smile just with the memories of the areas you describe in your post. We have spent two multi-week vacations on the Amalfi Coast (we stay in Praiano about 5 miles from Positano) and always have a rental car. Although we have been to Naples more then a dozen times on cruises, we have never rented a car on port days because we usually go to places accessible by boat (such as Ischia, Procida, Capri) or train. But we think your plan was great and a very cost-effective way to explore the Amalfi Coast. You did teach us something about parking in Positano. When we stay in Praiano we normally use the local Orange bus to Positano to avoid the parking hassle...but your experience makes a lot of sense for a port day.

Hank

Thanks for the great information and pics. We have never driven in Italy but threads like this make it easier for everyone to do so, thanks again.

Kirk

Thanks for a great post full of useful information. I agree that renting a car is a viable option. You had the luxury of doing what you wanted.

Virtual Rain,

THANKS for sharing your amazing pictures and excellent information.

We did the Amalfi Coast tour in July, but we used APTours. We also ate lunch at La Tagliata, and agree that the view was spectacular.

We did drive all over the Tuscan hill towns and the autostrada earlier in our vacation, with no problem. But we didn't think we could drive the Amalfi coast because we had heard how harrowing it was, too. After being there, I can say the roads were narrow and winding but certainly not "harrowing".

Your post provided good information so perhaps on our next visit we will DIY.

Great job!

Thanks for taking the time to write and post this review.

Keith

Thanks for the beautiful pictures & the helpful instructions! Sounds like you made the most of your day!

This was an incredibly helpful posting. Thanks! We will be there in June with our two teens. And I don't think that we'll want to do Pompeii as Naples is our final stop on the cruise. By then, I'm guessing that the kids will be 'ruined' out! So just want to see the Amalfi Coast. This sounds perfect and I appreciate your comments on restaurants as well as where to buy less expensive ceramics.

I would add one suggestion that if you intend to rent a car and drive to the Amalfi Coast you also get (rent or own) a GPS system. It can a little tricky getting through the Sorrento area onto the Amalfi Drive and the signs are not the best. Otherwise we suggest you go to the Michelin web site and print-out their very detailed directions. You can find this useful site (its a Bible for many of us who do a lot of driving in Europe).

http://www.viamichelin.com/

Hank

I would add one suggestion that if you intend to rent a car and drive to the Amalfi Coast you also get (rent or own) a GPS system. It can a little tricky getting through the Sorrento area onto the Amalfi Drive and the signs are not the best. Otherwise we suggest you go to the Michelin web site and print-out their very detailed directions. You can find this useful site (its a Bible for many of us who do a lot of driving in Europe).

http://www.viamichelin.com/ Hank

Appreciate your excellent summary and wonderful pictures. We have been in this area twice. First, in 1999, having four days there and doing the driving. Stayed nearby to Sorrento. This past June, we had a cruise visit, having a private tour AND DRIVER for our group of eight. Driving in the area is not as bad as some fear or predict. It can work out fine. Great suggestions by Hank, including the GPS. BUT, having a driver so that I can focus on looking, seeing and taking pictures is much easier and fun. Lots to see and enjoy in this wonderful area. You cannot do it "ALL" or even half during one cruise day stop in Naples or Sorrento. Below is one of my favorite pictures from there where we had lunch with this mega-million-dollar view of Positano.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Recently back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 48,983 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Overlooking Positano along the Amalfi Coast, this is the view as we dined, family-style for lunch, at La Tagliata. The views here were super and the sun came out in strong force as we enjoyed our three-course lunch with local wine and drinks. Their website is http://www.latagliata.com. Wonderful location, food and views!!!:

I should have added that if you do drive the Amalfi coast and have the time, we think the best view (and its also a wonderful town) is from Ravello. Since this is much further from the ship then Positano we suggest folks go there first (in the morning) and then work their way back to Positano and the ship.

Hank

Great pictures and an interesting take on doing the Sorrento/Naples area. We travelled there in October and used public transport mostly. Here is an edited blog as it refers to travel arrangements. Hope it is useful.

Ken & Mary’s trip to Italy, October 2011

Tuesday 4th October, 2011

We arrived at Naples airport on time after a smooth early flight from Dublin. We missed our intended bus shuttle to Sorrento with Curreri Viaggi - http://www.curreriviaggi.it/inglese/E_index.html . Luckily the next bus was due to leave at 1.00pm so we only had a little less than an hour to wait. The bus stop is immediately to the left just outside the Arrivals exit, bay no.1. It was hot but we stood under the canopy. At about 15 minutes to the hour, the driver appeared with a permanently attached mobile phone at his ear and instructed us to place our luggage in the lockers on the left hand side of the bus. This seems counter intuitive as the kerbs are on the right hand side. This also threw the queuing into chaos. No big deal here but highly relevant when we get to Positano on Saturday. When we boarded I told him we were going to the second last stop at S’Agnello di Sorrento so he then told me to go back outside the bus and move my luggage to the right hand side, all while talking on the mobile phone. Fare was €10 to Sorrento per person. The fare is the same if you travel to/from Vico Equense or Sorrento to/from the airport. From or to Pompei is less at €8. The bus journey was uneventful, about 1 hour, until we rounded the peninsula and got our first view of Sorrento - spectacular.

Thursday 6th October - Trip to Pompeii

We decided to visit Pompeii http://www.pompeiisites.org/index.jsp?idProgetto=5&idLinguaSito=2 - today as the weather forecast for Friday was for rain and I thought there might be little shelter in Pompeii. We walked the 10 minutes or so to the Circumvesuviana http://www.vesuviana.it/web/en station in Sant Agnello di Sorrento. We missed the 12.37 so we waited 30 minutes for the next train. The train was full so we stood the 50 minutes or so to Pompeii Scavi. Fare was €4.20 return per person.

The entrance to the city is uphill to Porta Marina, quite steep and not mobility friendly. Most of the site seems to be a challenge for wheelchairs but many visitors had walking sticks. Some of the paths are concreted but the streets are the original flags and fairly difficult for anyone. Pompeii is amazing. We had a printout of a Rick Steves guide and that helped me find my way around. I did get a bit lost at one point but I don’t blame Steves. The place is huge and a maze of streets, some are closed for work at different times. There were a number of guided groups and we crossed paths with several and it became an obsession of mine to avoid them or at least get to the main attractions ahead of them. The forum is impressive but it is the ordinary day to day stuff that is really interesting, baths, fast food emporia, houses of the Poet, the Fawn and, of course the most popular house in Pompeii, then perhaps as much as now, the brothel which has faded but graphic wall paintings, thought perhaps to be a menu of sorts. We finished off with a visit to the impressive theatre and then to the Amphitheatre which was less impressive than I had expected. We tried to walk out by the necropolis at the bottom of the site but ended up exiting through the forum and Porta Marina again. All in all, a fantastic experience. I had already decided that to complete the experience we should visit the Archaeological Museum in Naples.

It might be advisable to commence train and bus journeys in Sorrento itself as you will have a better chance of getting a seat.

Trip into Naples

Friday lived up to the forecast. It started of dull and got duller, so we headed off to Naples to see the Archaeological Museum and the Cappella Sansevero - http://www.museosansevero.it/index_ing.html. We took the Circumvesuviana again from Sant Agnello di Sorrento. Luckily we got seats this time. Fare was about €8 for two, one way. Journey was over an hour and gives a view of some unsightly suburbs of Naples. We got off at Stazione Garibaldi so we could get the metro to the museum. The signposting in the station does not seem great to me. There were directions to the Metro but no maps so you can figure out the direction or stops. A helpful shopkeeper told me platform 4 second stop and sold me the tickets. You have to validate your tickets on the train or bus, but on the platform of the Circumvesuviana. We got off at the second stop which is ‘Cavour’. On exiting the station it is not clear where the museum is. I asked a lady who was examining the tourist map and she pointed us up hill to the museum. There is a closer stop called ‘Museo’ but that is not easily accessible from Garibaldi. What threw me is that the museum is uphill from Cavour metro and this is counterintuitive if, like me, you do not know Naples. This is a map of the metro that I did not have at the time http://napoliunplugged.com/pdfFiles/mappa_trasporti_rotary_2011[1].pdf .

Access to the museum is €6.50 and a map is provided free. Check at the information desk what is closed when you visit as there is always some room or exhibit closed for some reason or other. The main attractions are the Farnese Collection, ground floor on the right, the Meridiana room at the top of the stairs and the Pompeii and other Roman collections on the 1st floor. The mezzanine floor holds a fabulous collection of Pompeiian and other mosaics as well as the famous Secret Room, which houses the previously banned Roman bedroom art. This is a small room which is usually very busy. Mary points out that it is mostly mean with very large cameras who are jostling to take pictures of graphic art and statues with extremely large penises. I think she was pointing out some ironies here but it is lost on me! My extensive collection of photos from this room were lost due to a dodgy camera card, see later. There are many other attractions such as the Egyptian and Greek artefacts, coins and medals. The museum has a nice gift shop which is not overpriced.

We headed off walking towards the port and decided to skip the Capella Sansevero as we were tired and it was later than planned. Again the slope of the streets around the museum confused me and we headed off in the wrong direction initially but soon came across a sign to the port. We walked downhill and followed signs toward the port, passing through Via Duomo. This led us past the Duomo, the main Cathedral of San Gennaro, http://www.duomodinapoli.it/en/main.htm and more bridal boutiques than I have ever seen in one street. We popped into the Duomo and had a brief look. It is very impressive but we did not have the energy to explore as much as it deserved. It is here that vials of St. Gennaro’s blood are supposed to liquefy each year during a ceremony. A failure to do so bodes ill for the area. There is a museum at the side of the cathedral, pay to enter.

We walked downhill and then took a right onto Umberto I, one of the main streets in Naples, and continued walking towards the port of Beverello. It’s about 40 minutes walk and quite easy. There are signs to the port and the walk is all downhill. This is a handy map of Naples: http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Maps/Map-Naples-_-Napoli-Italy?strLocid=31NDFrMDQxMGNOREF1T0RRd01qYz1jTVRRdU1qVXhPVFE9 . The streets were quite grubby with rubbish spilling out of skips.

We had decided to treat ourselves to a Jetfoil ride back to Sorrento and arrived at the port and found that we had an hour to wait for the last boat back to Sorrento. We bought the tickets from Gescab s.r.l. - http://www.gescab.it/ . The ferry port is just opposite the Castel Nuovo, a large fortress structure overlooking the port. The bar opposite the ticket offices is a nice spot to wait and watch the boats and people. The drinks are half the price of those in Sorrento.

The incoming boat was 30 minutes late and it was getting dark as we slowly eased out of the port. At least we would see the Bay of Naples by night and with lightning still flashing in the sky all around the bay, it promised to be spectacular. It was not to be. We held on for dear life as we went through what can only be described as offshore powerboat racing as the driver sped across the bay, pounding off the waves, rolling and pitching. Many passengers were ill and I was clinging on, hoping that no one nearby would retch because that would set me off. The 50 minutes seemed like 2 hours but we finally made landfall at Sorrento we were really glad to get off that boat. That put paid to any thoughts of getting the boat to Capri. At the pier there was a ‘Tourist Bus’ which took us up the steep climb to Piazzo Tasso, you have to buy the tickets at the nearby tobacconist.

Trip to Positano

Saturday dawned bright but windy, so we decided to hop on a bus to Positano, a favourite tourist spot on the Amalfi coast. The bus which travels over the mountain to the Amalfi coast is of the SITA line. The blue buses are SITA. The orange buses are EAVBUS which travel more or less along the Sorrento side of the peninsula. The stops are the same so you have to watch out for your desired bus and flag it down. The tickets are interchangeable on SITA, EAVBUS and the Circumvesuviana - http://www.unicocampania.it/index.php?lang=en&center=inside&colonna=turisti&action=costiera&banner=costiera . To Positano, we were sold two 90 minute tickets at €3.60 per person each way. I think 60 minute tickets would have been sufficient. Next time I would check the timetable and base my purchase on the scheduled duration of the journey. We waited for the bus and as the blue coach approached, I moved to the edge of the footpath and raised an arm. The driver just looked at me and drove past. The bus was clearly full. Almost an hour later the next bus arrived, full as well but we got on and stood all the way over the mountain to Positano. The drive is twisty and the views of the coast are spectacular. The bus does not go down into Positano but makes a number of stops at the outskirts and closer in. If you are a first-time visitor, ask the driver to announce ‘Positano’. He probably will anyway. The roadway down to the seafront provides wonderful views. It passes through a single winding street to the church and restaurants at the beach, a gauntlet of expensive boutiques, art galleries and gift shops. The beach is dark and made of a mixture of sand and stone. It gets very busy in summer. The beach is ringed with hotels, restaurants and bars. We chose Covo dei Saraceni – www.covodeisarcaeni.it - part of a 4 star hotel chain although we did not know that. We had a very nice pizza between us, a portion of fries and two beers and two glasses of wine for under €40. Positano was very pretty but we were ready to leave after the lunch so we made our way up the narrow, twisty street and hill to the bus stop.

Tour around the Sorrentine Peninsula

This is our last full day so we decided to take the hop on/hop bus around the peninsula. Tickets are €12 each and the start is at Piazza Curtis in Sorrento, just outside the Circumvesuviana station. http://www.sorrento.city-sightseeing.it/eng/ Earphones are provided and may be kept after. The commentary describes the various sights, history and myths of the area. It was very cold while we were moving but the sun was out so the views were spectacular. The bus stopped several times for pick ups or drop offs but stopped at Termini for 15 minutes to allow us to gaze over at Capri. The tour lasted about 90 minutes or so. We really enjoyed it but wished we had done it on the first day as it would have informed us on the area and the layout a bit better than we had informed ourselves.

We also usually rent a car in Italy (and in Spain). It's much cheaper and you'll have the flexibility to change your plans during the day. However, it's one drawback - while the rest of the family can enjoy their lunch with a glass (or two) of wine, I have to drink Perrier!

Screwcork

Thanks for the great information here! OP..how long we're you in port? I'm thinking of taking the advice to visit Ravello first...it is very hard to get to without a car and since we were in Positano almost feel I could skip that stop concentrate on Ravello, Amalfi town, an Sorrento...we have the luxury of being in port until 11 pm arriving at 8am. How would you plan this day with a car? suggestion for lunch stop other than Tagliata?

Thanks for the great information here! OP..how long we're you in port? I'm thinking of taking the advice to visit Ravello first...it is very hard to get to without a car and since we were in Positano almost feel I could skip that stop concentrate on Ravello, Amalfi town, an Sorrento...we have the luxury of being in port until 11 pm arriving at 8am. How would you plan this day with a car? suggestion for lunch stop other than Tagliata?

Wow... great timing in resurrecting this thread as I'm on here frequently these days planning my next cruise. :)

I'm sure a lot of the more frequent travellers to this area can provide better advice than me, but if I were doing the Amalfi coast again, I would probably do as you suggest and drive to Ravello first thing, followed by an afternoon stop in Amalfi Town, and then I would continue East to Vietri skipping Sorrento (as we've been-there done-that). I guess I'm assuming you would do this counter-clockwise, but an equally good approach would be to go in a clockwise fashion from Vietri to Amalfi and Ravello, and then continuing west to Sorrento and back.

I can't provide any suggestions for lunch other than I hear a lot of folks rave about the views from various restaurants in Ravello so maybe make that your lunch destination?

:)

This post has taken an interesting direction and we will again jump in the deep waters with a thought. When doing things on your own (our normal way of travel) you need to always be cognizant that the Amalfi Drive is a just a 2 lane road that can be subject to major delays in case of an accident (have never seen an accident on this road) or construction. One advantage to going to Ravello (or Amalfi) last...is that there are two options for getting back to Naples (assuming that is your port). If you go to Ravello in the morning and then work your way back along the Amalfi Drive...one should be careful as to when they depart Positano just in case there is any major delay on the stretch of road between Positano and Sorrento.

Hank

From another thread...

I saw your post on Naples and the Hertz car rental locations...the Hertz site shows a location at Naples Harbour Via Marina. The google map does not show it that close to the cruise ship terminal. There is another Hertz location that some say is right at the cruise ship terminal. It is called Mergellina Railway Station and says it is located inside the harbor at Naples. Do you know which location you used for your car rental?

 

Thanks -

 

~ Jane

You're right, Google Maps use to be misleading and indicate the Hertz office was in the Cruise Terminal. Evidence that Google Maps is not infalilbe.

Fortunately, however, I just checked Google Maps again, and if you search for Hertz Naples, it is now showing the correct location for the Hertz office near the pier which is where I show it to be on the map in my post above. It's on the road connecting the Porta di Massa ferry terminal and the main Cruise Ship Terminal.

Hertz Autonollegio Napoli Map

Here's the location information:

http://www.hertz.co.uk/rentacar/car-hire/italy/naples/napc66

Hopefully that clarifies it for everyone.

Oh, and I should have pointed out that Mergellina Railway Station is not near the Cruise Ship Port... so definitely don't use that Hertz location for a port day... that was bad information where-ever it came from.

Thank you VirtualRain - This is exactly the info we were looking for.

~ Jane

As my DH and I are starting to plan an European Cruise I came across your post. Thank you so much. It really gave the the "I got to do this" feeling.

Your photos are wonderful

As my DH and I are starting to plan an European Cruise I came across your post. Thank you so much. It really gave the the "I got to do this" feeling.

 

Your photos are wonderful

Thanks... I know what you mean... Having done this, it gave me the "I got to do this again" feeling :)

On our recent Medi cruise out of Barcelona, we ported in Naples for a day.

 

Here's a summary of what we did...

 

Car Rental:

 

We rented a car from Hertz. Booked well in advance, the car cost 46-Euros for a small economy car. We spent another 20-Euro on gas for the day and perhaps another 20-Euro for parking. So the two of us were able to see everything we wanted, on our schedule for just 86-Euros. Compared to the hundreds they can charge for a private tour or ship tour, this is a no-brainer.

 

We chose Naples Harbor location for pickup/return on the Hertz site and their location is shown on the map attached below. It's where the green arrow is on the map which is slightly different from where a Google search would lead you to believe it is. Either way, it's a short walk from either of the piers where Cruise ships tie up (noted by the blue X).

 

Driving:

 

From the rental agency, you're a short 5 minute drive to the A3/E45 freeway that heads south towards Pompeii, Sorrento, and the Amalfi coast.

 

This is a toll highway and costs 2-Euros each time you get on the highway. The toll booths take Euro change and bills.

 

Despite reports I had heard to the contrary, driving on Italian roads and freeways is actually pretty easy. Exits and signage is easy to follow. But I always use a GPS and these day's there no excuse for not having one. Italian's drive fast (and so do I), but if you stay out of the fast lane, you won't be getting in their way.

 

Driving to Pompeii, Sorrento, or Positano, couldn't really be simpler. If you look at a map, you will see that the A3/E45 takes you directly to Pompeii and from there you can take SS145 towards Sorrento and the Amalfi coast.

 

As a general rule, I always drive to my furthest destination on a port day and then start working my way back, leaving at least an hour buffer in my itinerary at the end of the day in case there are unforseen traffic incidents. If there are none, I'm back on the ship an hour early, and if there are situations, an hour is certainly enough to drive around nearly anything or wait it out.

 

Positano:

 

The drive to Positano took about 1hr 20min. The latter part of which is on the Amalfi coast road which is not as harrowing as some would lead you to believe. It is a windy two lane road, but not dangerous in any way and there are a couple of pull outs to enjoy the view and take photos although they can be full of cars some times. Don't worry just go to the next one or catch one on your way back.

 

Positano is serviced by a one-way winding road that descends from the Amalfi coast highway down into the village. It's easy to miss and drive right by it, so study Google Maps or somethign or set the turn on your GPS so you don't miss it.

 

Drive down into the village.

 

Parking... There is street parking near the top, but I don't recommend this as it's a long ways down from there by foot, and of course, you have to come back up! There are about 6 different parking garages on the way down. They all charge about 20-Euro for a full day and a portion of that by the hour. We used Garage Mandara, which is near the bottom, and it's obvious because it's the only gas station in the village (Agip). A lot of the tour drivers use this garage for their vans. For a small car, the cost is only 3.5-Euro per hour. They take your car and park it in their underground parkade and keep the keys on busy days so they can jockey vehicles around. It seems safe but you may not want to leave valuables in your car, as with any parking lot really.

 

From the car park, you can easily stroll by the shops on the main street and descend further into the heart of Positano along the various pedestrian walk ways working your way down to sea level.

 

There are a lot of restaurants, cafe's, and shops... it's just an amazing little place to spend a couple of hours poking around. The ceramics are just beautiful but pricey.

 

You may want to have lunch in Positano. I would recommend it over where we ate (more on that below).

 

Ceramica Casola and Montepurtuso:

 

On the Amalfi coast highway, just a few minutes drive beyond Positano, is a large Ceramics shop and factory... Ceramiche Casola. While they have some very nice stuff, it's extremely expensive. We didn't buy anything there. The benefit of going a bit further east along the Amalfi coast highway was the views you get of Positano. That was worth it.

 

After that, we drove back towards Positano and then turned and went up the hill to Montepurtuso for lunch at La Tagliata. That was a fun drive up the steep hill. It was interesting when a couple of tour buses meet head on and we watched the one coming down have to back uphill to a wider spot to allow the other bus and line of cars behind to pass. Crazy! I don't know how those bus drivers do it! Anyway, in a small car, it's easy to move around.

 

La Tagliata has an amazing view of Positano and the western end of the Amalfi coast. It's worth a drive up there just for the view. Lunch was good value, but not great food. They cater to tour groups, so there is a set menu of three or four courses for 25-30Euro each. It includes a bottle of house wine, water, antipasto, pasta, and meat (additional charge) plus desert. Again, it's good value but the food is not spectacular but the view is. You might have better food down in Positano village but you might also pay more for it... I didn't even look at dining options in the heart of Positano.

 

After lunch we headed back to Sorrento.

 

Sorrento:

 

We parked in the main Sorrento car park. Search for "Autoparco Vallone dei Mulini" in Sorrento on Google Maps and you'll know where it is. It's a block from the main square.

 

I was half expecting all the shops to be closed in Sorrento in the afternoon based on other reports from people about them observing ciesta but this was not the case. It's a busy shopping area and there are a couple of narrow long streets with tons of shops. Pottery in Sorrento is more reasonably priced than in Positano. I purchased a couple of bottles of wine in Sorrento to take back on the ship (Carnival was particularly liberal with this on our cruise - YMMV)

 

After a couple of hours in Sorrento, we were ready to head back. While traffic was heavy at the end of the day with several ships in port, and therefore lots of tour buses and vans making their way back to Naples, it moved along well and we were back at Hertz in Naples with my one hour buffer fully in-tact.

 

Pompeii:

 

We obviously didn't opt to visit Pompeii but you could do so easily since it's right along the way. However, you really have to decide what your priorities are and where you want to spend your time if you have just one day. We found our day was filled just visiting Positano and it's environs and Sorrento. Adding another stop would have really rushed our itinerary more than we wanted. Just keep that in mind when planning your day.

 

Map showing Hertz location at the Naples Harbor (green arrow):

Thank you for posting this!! And the spectacular pics! We love exploring on our own, and after reading endless, "don't do it" posts, I came across yours. We will be following in your footsteps.:D

Thank you for posting this!! And the spectacular pics! We love exploring on our own, and after reading endless, "don't do it" posts, I came across yours. We will be following in your footsteps.:D

Thanks... it's a great way to see some of the Amalfi coast.