Suggestion on drive Post Cruise

[pbo258]

Looking for some suggestions.

 

 

Will be finishing up a cruise and have 3 days to tool around.

 

• Finishing Civitavecchia. (April)

• Looking to rent car at Port. (Suggestions) (Drop off at Airport)

• Possibly drive to see the Amalfi coast. (Thoughts?) 4 hour ride. Is the Coast difficult to navigate?

• Take a trip to Capri one day from Sorrento.

[euro cruiser]

It's not so much about difficulty as it is about traffic. If your cruise ends during the high season, driving on the Amalfi Coast road is like the Garden State Parkway on a Friday afternoon in July ... except that all of the traffic is crammed into one lane. Of course, the view is 100% nicer on the coast road vs. the Parkway, but the traffic ...

 

If you'll be driving there during the rest of the year it's fine. I've driven on the coast road in the fall and the spring without problems. The only issue is getting into and out of Sorrento ... that bit of road is bad all year round, unfortunately.

[marazul]

You could also drive North up the shore to Cinqueterre. Drive to Monterosso and get a hotel. Then use the ferry or train to go to the other villages. On the drive back to Rome, you can stop at Monte Argentario and drive around to see Porto Ercole and Porto Santo Stefano.

 

If your cruise is in April, then you will have no trouble going South to Amalfi, etc. The coast is easy to navigate. You can also stop at Herculaneum and Pompeii.

Edited August 28, 2014 by marazul

[euro cruiser]

Ah, the OP did say April and I missed that. So forget the traffic bit, April on the Amalfi Coast will be fairly easy driving.

[CintiPam]

Too early for the Cinque Terre then IMO.

[Hlitner]

Guess we could write a book about driving option in Italy, but it has already been done :). As to renting a car, none of the rental car companies are permitted inside the port (due to security) so you have to actually leave the port to get a car. Assuming that the main port gate is again in use by next April, the Hertz agency is the most convenient and is about 3-4 blocks from the main gate (it is a flat walk). Hertz does not normally charge for one-way rentals within Italy so you can arrange for a Civitavecchia pick up and drop at FCO. If you are renting for 3 days (or more) also check Autoeurope.com and Kemwel.com (they are sister companies) who are consolidators for both Hertz and Europcar. They usually can offer a better rate then you will get directly from Hertz.

 

As to the Amalfi Coast, when we have a car we normally stay at a hotel located in Praiano because we can get free parking. Staying in Positano would be great, but it can be very pricy. Ravello is another great place to spend a few days..although it is a bit out of the way. The coast is relatively easy to navigate, but a GPS is very handy in Italy. It is relatively easy to miss a turn as you pass Sorrento (on your way to the Amalfi Drive) and a GPS might be worth the money (we have our own with European maps).

 

Going to Capri is no problem from Sorrento, but if you stay along the Amalfi Coast it is also possible to get a boat from Positano (they used to only have 2 a day). In fact, when we were staying in Praiano the boat company sent a small boat to pick us up in the morning (from a small dock near our hotel) which took us over to Positano where we changed to the fast boat to Capri. Since parking in and around Positano is a real hassle we found this boat a great option (it can be arranged by any hotel).

 

Hank

[pbo258]

Thank You all for the suggestions.

[pbo258]

Would anyone know if the Hertz rental car location at FCO airport in walking distance to the airport entrance or will I need to obtain a taxi? Or better yet do they provide transportation?

[euro cruiser]

Hertz is located in the parking garage attached to the terminals at FCO.

[pbo258]

Ok, thank you

[slidergirl]

Too early for the Cinque Terre then IMO.

 

I'm not sure why you believe it is too early for Cinque Terre in April. My friends and I have a wonderful 5 days there in Vernazza in April a few years ago. There wasn't anything that was not open/accessible at that time. We were there when all trails were open and spent one of our days hiking between all 5 villages. Other days, we just relaxed, went to the beach in Monterossa al Mare, shopped the little stores in all towns. We'd have a choice of plenty of restaurants for dining without making reservations.

 

I truly would be interested in your thinking on the topic.

[marazul]

slidergirl -

you are right about Cinqueterre in April. The only thing I can come up for CintiPam's objection would be the sea temperature which would be too cold (at least for me) for swimming.

[CintiPam]

Glad to know you have had good visits in April although I certainly would not do a beach day then. (And I grew up on the Jersey shore and do not hesitate to swim in Lake Michigan. :))

 

We have had a lot of bad weather issues in this area in April so prefer mid-May at the earliest.

 

Also, I believe the ferry schedules are much more sparse at that time.

Edited September 10, 2014 by CintiPam