1600

First of all, I hope all of you had a happy holiday and the new year is going to treat us all well. My wife , son and I finally took the plunge for our first trip to Italy and flew to Rome. After a couple of glorious days with absolutely superb weather we rented a car and headed for Amalfi. I have wanted to do this drive for many years. It was amazing! The scenery is amongst the most spectacular I have seen anywhere. The place we stayed had a balcony overlooking the sea and the cliffs around us. We approached the coast an interesting way through the mountains where we first view all of the Bay of Naples and then descend rapidly onto the coastline. It was dark by the time we arrived and I was anxiously anticipating the next day's drive. The hairpin-filled road down the mountains prepared me for what was to come. Starting in Amalfi we headed for Positano first, towards lunch in Sorrento and a return to Amalfi. Our five series would be rather risky to drive through this area because the road is at best one and a half car widths wide. The native drivers are, to say the least, spirited in their driving style. It takes some getting used to, but it is challenging, exciting, and a bit dangerous all rolled into one. I had rented a rather small Opel Astra 1.4 with a manual transmission. The vehicle held the ground well, but the transmission and the steering were really not up to our standard with BMWs. Nevertheless, that first day even though it was a nervous learning experience was necessary to go through so the next few days would be smoother and more fun. The driving took my full attention, but it's hard not to let your eyes miss the passing breathe-taking seascape. The next day we headed from Amalfi to Ravello. Ravello is a gorgeous town elevated from the sea with many demanding hairpins to drive sometimes forcing you or the oncoming vehicle to back up into small shoulder areas. Around blind turns buses on more than one occasion quickly emerge so it is one foot ready for the brake and the other ready to depress the clutch at all times. There is a rhythm one develops over time and the fear factor for the most part goes away. The final day took us the rest of the way along the coast heading for Salerno. I thought I had driven the curliest hairpins the last two days, but this section had some of the hairiest of all. I just loved every moment. We were so lucky with the weather and that made me be able to take full advantage of this opportunity. It was truly a blessing at last realized. I hope you all get to experience it!

flyingpuck

Sounds great! Any pictures??

1600

I am terrible with pictures, but I'll see what I can do.

CWS530

Sounds like a blast!

UUronL

Sounds like we had similar experiences, your report brings back lots of memories! I drove it last September, staying in Amalfi for a week and then driving around from there. Used the TomTom which did a fantastic job. Those roads are incredibly fun - the rental car was a manual, and it was simply a blast! It was my second time in the area, and it was nice to really relax without having to try to see everything.

These are some of my pics from that trip, although I'm sure many of you have seen these images in some of my other posts.


Positano





Positano




The coast and Capri (far left on the horizon)




The view from Ravello




Amalfi at night




The duomo in Amalfi




Ravello




Pompei

dmahon

Brings back great memories for me...I lived in Italy for two years and whenever someone visited me, we made a pilgrimage to the Amalfi coast. We always stayed in Hotel Villa Maria and ate at La Fenice...a fabulous restaurant with best delizie al limone (lemon delights) on earth. I found the best way to take in the beautiful coast was on a Vespa!

poleposition

I did this drive and it is simply FABULOUS. Enjoy.

mrfva

Gorgeous pics!

AlexFW

I don't know well that place, but 3 yrs ago I was in Sorrento and I drove till Salerno on the coast... The car belonged to a friend and it was big almost as a 5er (an old Lancia, Thema: http://www.musafiaitalia.it/1Z300127b.jpg).
That road is narrow and it took all your attention to don't make damages.
I remember a lunch there.. Very good food as well! (although every region in Italy has its specialty, on the Amalfi coast dishes with tomatoes, oil, cheeses, etc. are very good)
I should come back to Pompei for a better visit, I have been there when I was 15 or so.
A friend of our family who was major in Capri continues to invite us in his villa on the little island.. One week in summer we will decide to go.

UUronL

Some advice for anyone considering this:


-Fly to Naples (Napoli) since it is closest

-When you rent the car, make certain you get "super" coverage (insurance) it was only about $75 Euro extra for the entire week and covered all damages

-Bring a GPS with EU maps or rent one from the rental car agency. It made the driving a breeze