Few drives in the world are as famous as the Amalfi Coast road. For about 50 kilometers, from Positano to Vietri sul Mare, it twists along cliffs high above the sea, past lemon terraces, pastel villages and churches with tiled domes. It is also narrow, crowded and full of blind bends, and it rewards drivers who arrive prepared.
When to go
July and August are the hardest months: heavy traffic, full parking lots and long queues behind buses. Spring and autumn are far better. In April, May, late September and October the weather is mild, the light is soft and the road is noticeably calmer, especially early in the morning.
Check the latest traffic rules before you travel. On busy days in high season, local authorities have restricted non-resident cars, for example by allowing only certain license plates on alternate days.
Choose the right car
This is not the place for a large SUV. The smaller the car, the easier the tight bends and the parking. A convertible makes the views unforgettable, but pack sunscreen and a hat. If you are not used to a manual gearbox on steep hills, rent an automatic.
How to drive it
Drive slowly and keep right, especially on bends. Buses often need the whole width of the road on tight corners, so be ready to stop, and even reverse a little, to let them through. A short tap of the horn before a blind bend is common and accepted.
Many of the best viewpoints have no safe place to stop. Pull over only in marked lay-bys, and never park on a bend.
Leave your ego at home. The locals know every curve, the buses have priority in practice, and nobody minds if you take your time.
Giulia Esposito, driving instructor in Salerno
Parking
Parking is the real challenge. Spaces in Positano, Amalfi and Ravello are scarce and expensive, and garages fill up by mid-morning in season. Book a hotel with parking, or leave the car in one town and use ferries and buses to reach the others.
A good one-day route
Start in Vietri sul Mare early and drive west. Stop in Amalfi for its cathedral, then take the side road up to Ravello for gardens with a view over the whole coast. Continue to Positano in the afternoon as the traffic eases, and end with the sunset from one of the lay-bys beyond the town.
Comments 0