522 driving around sorrento

hi we are going to sorrento again in august and this time i am thinking about hiring a car has anybody any experience of driving around the sorrento area esspecially driving to mt vesuvio

Category
General chat about Italy

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/03/2005 - 18:58

Hi Ya
We spent a week in Piano di Sorrento two year ago, Mt Vesuvio is easy to find, but it a bit of trek to the summit then you will have to pay to see the crater.

Pompei was excellent, try to get a guide, it's not cheap but that was our only regret.

Amalfi is also a must, the drive down there is beautiful and scary :eek: at the same time.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 06/04/2005 - 03:24

We went on an organised trip (Mt Vesuvius in the morning, Pompeii in the afternoon).
From what I remember this was both to make the trip up the mountain early before it got too hot and to try to get ahead of the crowds there.
The drive to Mt Vesuvius was straighforward but the car parking was a bit of a nightmare, if I remember correctly, as the parking available nearest the setting off point was very limited and the bus was parked way down the hill.
It is a very long trek to the crater.

I would agree with libero about Pompeii (definitely worth visiting with a guide) and the Amalfi coastline (Ravello was particularly lovely, I thought, and if you take a photo of the sea from Villa Rufolo you will find it is the same photo that is used in almost every advert for holidays in the Bay of Naples area - we always have a laugh when we open the newspaper and see the 'most famous tree in Italy' photo, as we call it).

Lesley

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 06/04/2005 - 07:00

Hi, my husband is from Sorrento and on our visits to his family we try to avoid using a car as much as possible. I would suggest planning your excursions and only hiring a car for a day or 2 (including the trip to Vesuvio). Parking in Sorrento is difficult and bear in mind the main road through the centre, the Corso Italia, is closed to cars from 20:00 at weekends and whenever else they choose in the summer.
A visit to Pompei can easily be done by rail, and buses or boats run along the coast to Amalfi each day. Otherwise if you're really adventurous you could always rent a scooter!
Ciao for now

Vicky