Following up to Timothy Kroesen

    >BTW; are there not center lines on this highway that prohibit crossing
    >over them for passing as in the US? As in the US do not such marked
    >lanes also prohibit crossing over into opposing traffic just to round
    >curves faster?

such lines exist in appropriate places. For much of the road in
question there is no problem moving out to drive on a better
surface or to get a better view of the road ahead. Obviously you
don't do it when there is traffic or the possibility of traffic.
--
Mike Reid
Walk-eat-UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Walk-eat-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos of both "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"

Following up to Frank

    > If passing on a blind curve isn't your cup of tea,
    >then simply don't drive.

If passing on a blind bend is your cup of tea, please don't
drive.
--
Mike Reid
Walk-eat-UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Walk-eat-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos of both "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"

On Wed, 21 Sep 2005 06:48:10 GMT, Frank wrote:

    > Again, another person who hasn't driven the road...

You have a monopoly on twisty roads?
There are plenty of people here who are experienced in driving them.

--
Tim C.

"The Reids" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Following up to Frank
    >>For those who have never driven the Amalfi Coast should keep their trap
    >>shut. Your ignorance on the issue is so blatant. Get off your computer and
    >>make the drive yourself. Until then, keep your critiques and snide
    >>comments
    >>to you
    > I have driven the Amalfi coast, to Europeans its nothing that
    > unusual or difficult. Its just another winding mountain road,
    > surely such roads exist in US?

Lots of them in the Rockies and Sierra's to my certain knowledge

    > (if any Americans want a road that
    > really is quite difficult but still in Europe try the Hardnott
    > Pass in Cumbria, UK, which has real hairpins (full lock) is very
    > steep to the point of wheelspin if you have to restart and
    > requires first gear for a lot of the time, and is only wide
    > enough for one car at a time (there are passing places) ).

I have driven several in Colorado, Utah and Alaska that are
just as steep and arent even metalled just covered in loose
gravel.


    > Your idea of not driving in the gutter is good, except when
    > someone wants to overtake. Then the best thing is to let
    > obviously faster drivers by, just slow on what passes for a
    > straight bit, indicating right.

Indeed and passing on a blind curve (or summit) is
murderously suicidal behaviour and warrants an immediate
ban from driving IMHO

Keith



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Following up to Keith W

    >Indeed and passing on a blind curve (or summit) is
    >murderously suicidal behaviour and warrants an immediate
    >ban from driving IMHO

too many people take insufficient notice of brows IMHO. Some
people seem to apply the "logic" that its the ability of the car
to corner that is the point, when in fact it should be the
limiting of visability. You see people charging over brows
without slowing at all, then at the other end of the spectrum,
you see people cornering as if cars will turn over at 30 mph.
IMHO all this emphasis on speed limits has led to people
forgetting (or never knowing) that you should drive at a speed at
which you can stop in the distance you can see, which means
pretty slow past parked cars, perhaps the fact that that approach
does not support the 70 limit on motorways makes road safety
campaigners unenthusuastic about it? The trend seems to be
towards driving everywhere at 30 when for the best combination of
safety and good progress we should be varying speed between 20
and 40 according to what we can see.
--
Mike Reid
Walk-eat-UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Walk-eat-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos of both "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"

"The Reids" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Following up to Frank
    >>For those who have never driven the Amalfi Coast should keep their trap
    >>shut. Your ignorance on the issue is so blatant. Get off your computer and
    >>make the drive yourself. Until then, keep your critiques and snide
    >>comments
    >>to you
    > I have driven the Amalfi coast, to Europeans its nothing that
    > unusual or difficult. Its just another winding mountain road,
    > surely such roads exist in US?

Roads in the US are wider. And it's not just the road, it's the Italian
drivers (and others) who pass on blind curves.

Marianne

The Reids wrote:

    > Following up to Alan S
    >
    >
    >>nothing
    >>had prepared me for Naples
    >
    >
    > Naples is indeed a hoot :-) Craziest and funniest driving I have
    > seen, everybody seems completely mad but in good humour about it,
    > I thought whizzing down a tram only section when no tram imminent
    > was the maddest thing I saw. The trick is never "see" anybody, if
    > they spot you (or front passenger) have seen them they have the
    > upper hand in blocking your path. If you appear to be looking the
    > other way they will have second thoughts. Always assume traffic
    > will emerge from side streets, even against red lights.


I didn't try Naples but on the roads south of Florence I found the
following principles to be of use.

1) Mine is a rental with full insurance coverage.

2) They are mostly driving new cars and don't want them scratched.

I did have to watch out for the occasional clunker though.

<I didn't try Naples but on the roads south of Florence... I did have
to watch out for the occasional clunker though.
Frank>


I skipped driving in Naples too when we stayed in Sorrento.

In June 03 and june 04, my wife and family members rented a villa in
Fronzano near Regello. We took day trips driving off off the auto
strada around hill towns of Tuscany, throughout Chianti, and down to
Umbria. The incidence of
those little 3 wheeled farm trucks
puttering along the back roads introduced occasional elements of
surprise when combined with the speeds of other vehicles on the road.

Also finding open gas stations during siesta was a problem in the
smaller communities that we learned to plan for.

...just as 'obviously' we don't ignore legally obliging signage such as
no passing lane markings to 'get a better view' or 'get there faster'
too...

Tim K

"The Reids" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Following up to Timothy Kroesen
    > >BTW; are there not center lines on this highway that prohibit
crossing
    > >over them for passing as in the US? As in the US do not such marked
    > >lanes also prohibit crossing over into opposing traffic just to round
    > >curves faster?
    > such lines exist in appropriate places. For much of the road in
    > question there is no problem moving out to drive on a better
    > surface or to get a better view of the road ahead. Obviously you
    > don't do it when there is traffic or the possibility of traffic.
    > --

On Thu, 22 Sep 2005 07:28:57 -0700, "Mimi" <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >"The Reids" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >news:[email protected].. .
    >> Following up to Frank
    >>>For those who have never driven the Amalfi Coast should keep their trap
    >>>shut. Your ignorance on the issue is so blatant. Get off your computer and
    >>>make the drive yourself. Until then, keep your critiques and snide
    >>>comments
    >>>to you
    >> I have driven the Amalfi coast, to Europeans its nothing that
    >> unusual or difficult. Its just another winding mountain road,
    >> surely such roads exist in US?
    >Roads in the US are wider. And it's not just the road, it's the Italian
    >drivers (and others) who pass on blind curves.

There are many very narrow roads in the US, mostly in rural areas.
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

<<< I have driven the Amalfi coast, to Europeans its nothing that
unusual or difficult. Its just another winding mountain road,
surely such roads exist in US?>>>

<<Roads in the US are wider. And it's not just the road, it's the
Italian
drivers (and others) who pass on blind curves.>>

<There are many very narrow roads in the US, mostly in rural areas.
B Vaughan>

We have a summer house ar 4000 feet elevation in the Blue Ridge
mountains of western North Carolina bordered by eastern Tennessee.
The state roads in this area of both states are good but some of the
back county roads can become interesting and the township roads even
more so.

I have driven the Amalfi drive. I would say construction- wise, it is
comparable to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive in Virginia
which have 35 mph speed limits in most places and forbids passing. The
difference is the double lines are observed and obeyed by drivers on
the Blue Ridge as opposed to not being observed on the Amalfi Drive
which makes the latter much more hazardous despite the fact that
snow is sometimes a factor on the Blue Ridge.

On 22 Sep 2005 09:53:12 -0700, "PJ O'Donovan" <[email protected]> wrote:

    ><I didn't try Naples but on the roads south of Florence... I did have
    >to watch out for the occasional clunker though.
    >Frank>
    >I skipped driving in Naples too when we stayed in Sorrento.
    >In June 03 and june 04, my wife and family members rented a villa in
    >Fronzano near Regello. We took day trips driving off off the auto
    >strada around hill towns of Tuscany, throughout Chianti, and down to
    >Umbria. The incidence of
    > those little 3 wheeled farm trucks
    >puttering along the back roads introduced occasional elements of
    >surprise when combined with the speeds of other vehicles on the road.
    >Also finding open gas stations during siesta was a problem in the
    >smaller communities that we learned to plan for.

That must have been a while ago. It seems that all of them have at
least one self-service pump now.

--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

<<In June 03 and june 04, my wife and family members rented a villa in
Fronzano near Regello. We took day trips driving off off the auto
strada around hill towns of Tuscany, throughout Chianti, and down to
Umbria. The incidence of
those little 3 wheeled farm trucks
puttering along the back roads introduced occasional elements of
surprise when combined with the speeds of other vehicles on the road.

Also finding open gas stations during siesta was a problem in the
smaller communities that we learned to plan for.
PJ>>

<That must have been a while ago. It seems that all of them have at
least one self-service pump now.
B Vaughan>

If June 03 and June 04 "have been a while", at age 73, old age is
creeping up on me faster than I thought.

The stations in small communities did not seem to conform to what "all
of them" do. I did run into self service pumps taking credit cards
during siesta but either the pumps were also having siesta or didn't
like my American credit cards or the most likely the self serve pumps
didn't work at all or they were switched off not to work when
attendants were on siesta.

At any rate whatever it was or is , it is/ was not an insurmountable
problem and these little situations help to make Italy a delight and a
most interesting place to visit.

On Thu, 22 Sep 2005 15:01:05 GMT, "Frank F. Matthews"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >The Reids wrote:
    >> Following up to Alan S
    >>
    >>
    >>>nothing
    >>>had prepared me for Naples
    >>
    >>
    >> Naples is indeed a hoot :-) Craziest and funniest driving I have
    >> seen, everybody seems completely mad but in good humour about it,
    >> I thought whizzing down a tram only section when no tram imminent
    >> was the maddest thing I saw. The trick is never "see" anybody, if
    >> they spot you (or front passenger) have seen them they have the
    >> upper hand in blocking your path. If you appear to be looking the
    >> other way they will have second thoughts. Always assume traffic
    >> will emerge from side streets, even against red lights.
    >I didn't try Naples but on the roads south of Florence I found the
    >following principles to be of use.
    >1) Mine is a rental with full insurance coverage.
    >2) They are mostly driving new cars and don't want them scratched.
    >I did have to watch out for the occasional clunker though.
We picked up the car (brand-new Renault Clio Eurodrive) in
Nice in Mar '03, learnt how to drive a manual on the wrong
side of the road between Nice airport and Menton, and
practiced in the hills near Sospel on the French/Italian
border.

Later, we drove via the coast to Pisa, then in to Florence,
Siena, Radicofani, Buonconvento, Bracciano etc until we
arrived via Rome in Pompeii over several weeks. We avoided
highways and autostradas where possible. All of that was a
quiet drive in the country compared to Naples - so was the
next 10000km thru Greece (weird passing system on the
single-lane tollways), Lombardy, Austria, Czech, Germany
etc. A real cab-driver's holiday (we also drove through
California, the South, and the UK).

I've now driven in 14 countries, and been chauffeured in six
others. There are several posting here with much wider
experience than I, like DFM or Miguel. I'd be interested to
know if they agree with my opinion that the Neapolitans are
without a doubt the craziest drivers on this planet. And the
Amalfi coast is probably the most spectacular section of
road that I've driven on - both for the scenery and the
drivers. Our Great Ocean Road goes close for the scenery -
but not for the drivers:-)



Cheers, Alan, Australia

On 22 Sep 2005 12:29:00 -0700, "PJ O'Donovan"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >I have driven the Amalfi drive. I would say construction- wise, it is
    >comparable to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive in Virginia
    >which have 35 mph speed limits in most places and forbids passing. The
    >difference is the double lines are observed and obeyed by drivers on
    >the Blue Ridge as opposed to not being observed on the Amalfi Drive
    >which makes the latter much more hazardous despite the fact that
    >snow is sometimes a factor on the Blue Ridge.

I drove the Blue Ridge whenever I could travelling from
Atlanta to DC. It was a lovely drive, but I certainly
wouldn't have put it in the same class as the Amalfi for a
winding steep narrow road. The most dangerous things I saw
on the road were deer, not drivers. It was also nearly
deserted in late March '03.

Cheers, Alan, Australia