Aj

My family and I are traveling to southern Italy at the end of May. We
have rented a car out of rome for about 9 days and plan to drive along
the coast and go to Sicily if time permits.

I was wondering if anyone had any experiences, suggestions, of what
one should see?
How are the driving conditions?
Is it hard to find accomodations without reservations for four people?

I am very interested in specifically the amalfi area. i have been
reading the frommer's italy book and they say some negative remarks
toward a car. I would like to drive along that Gulf of Naples and stay
there for a night or so.

Comments and suggestions are welcomed...

Thanks

Ken Blake

In [email protected], AJ wrote:


    > I am very interested in specifically the amalfi area. i have
been
    > reading the frommer's italy book and they say some negative
remarks
    > toward a car. I would like to drive along that Gulf of Naples
and stay
    > there for a night or so.


My recommendation is to avoid driving on the Amalfi coast. The
road is very twisty and turny. It isn't terribly difficult or
dangerous, but it does take the driver's concentration. As a
result, the passengers get to enjoy the beautiful scenery, but
the driver doesn't.

Instead of driving, take the commuter bus.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

Ulrike Messerschmidt

Hi,

AJ schrieb:

    > My family and I are traveling to southern Italy at the end of May.
We
    > have rented a car out of rome for about 9 days and plan to drive
along
    > the coast and go to Sicily if time permits.
    > I was wondering if anyone had any experiences, suggestions, of what
    > one should see?
    > How are the driving conditions?

Driving in Italy is different, driving south of Rome is more
different, driving in Sicily is - madness.

Yesterday I have returned home (Austria) from Sicily and we went there
with our 27 ft. motorhome and we managed it, but:

Speed limits, road signs etc. seem to be rough suggestions. When the
speed limit is 50 km per hour and you drive 80, a lot of drivers pass
with 100 - even when there is the sign "Do not pass" and an double
center line...

Imagine a junction. The road has three lanes. The left lane is
determined for the drivers tht turn left, the right lane is for those
that turn right and the center lane ist for those who keep straight
on. Then the red light turns green - and everyone keeps straight on.

And the stop line at a junction? Only some people, e.g. tourists stop
here, the others stop a little further in the junction and they cannot
see the lights turning green any longer. Therefor the others use there
horns..

I liked the friendliness of the people, the blooming nature, the
impressive Monte Etna and the beautiful landscape. I disliked the
loudliness, the traffic, and above all that tons of garbage that are
everywhere: at the roadside, in the meadows, in front of the shopping
centers, on the campgrounds...

Regards,
Uli (Graz, Austria)

Devil

On Mon, 21 Apr 2003 08:37:12 +0000, AJ wrote:

    > My family and I are traveling to southern Italy at the end of May. We
    > have rented a car out of rome for about 9 days and plan to drive along
    > the coast and go to Sicily if time permits.
    >
    > I was wondering if anyone had any experiences, suggestions, of what
    > one should see?
    > How are the driving conditions?
    > Is it hard to find accomodations without reservations for four people?
    >
    > I am very interested in specifically the amalfi area. i have been
    > reading the frommer's italy book and they say some negative remarks
    > toward a car. I would like to drive along that Gulf of Naples and stay
    > there for a night or so.
    >
    > Comments and suggestions are welcomed...


Depends how brave you are. How comfortable you are driving in a, how to
put it, challenging environment, I guess.

(I love it. But then I am mean and I have no hesitation projecting an
image of aggresive driver. It helps.)

Never trust people will obey any rule. Rules are merely for informative
purposes.

You'll even see signs saying to "facilitate" passing on places where
passing is not allowed...

Depending upon the time, day and hour, traffic can get very bad too.
Driving from Naples to Sorrento on a Sunday noon took us hours last April.

Aj

Thanks for the responses so far... they are putting everything in
context.

The one notion I gather from them so far is driving is a challenge and
the rules are quite flexible. I think this will be a great challenge.

Thanks please the responses coming... Now that I am getting an idea of
the driving habits I am more interested in the locations that I should
visit.


"devil" wrote in message news:...
    > On Mon, 21 Apr 2003 08:37:12 +0000, AJ wrote:
    >
    > > My family and I are traveling to southern Italy at the end of May. We
    > > have rented a car out of rome for about 9 days and plan to drive along
    > > the coast and go to Sicily if time permits.
    > >
    > > I was wondering if anyone had any experiences, suggestions, of what
    > > one should see?
    > > How are the driving conditions?
    > > Is it hard to find accomodations without reservations for four people?
    > >
    > > I am very interested in specifically the amalfi area. i have been
    > > reading the frommer's italy book and they say some negative remarks
    > > toward a car. I would like to drive along that Gulf of Naples and stay
    > > there for a night or so.
    > >
    > > Comments and suggestions are welcomed...
    >
    >
    > Depends how brave you are. How comfortable you are driving in a, how to
    > put it, challenging environment, I guess.
    >
    > (I love it. But then I am mean and I have no hesitation projecting an
    > image of aggresive driver. It helps.)
    >
    > Never trust people will obey any rule. Rules are merely for informative
    > purposes.
    >
    > You'll even see signs saying to "facilitate" passing on places where
    > passing is not allowed...
    >
    > Depending upon the time, day and hour, traffic can get very bad too.
    > Driving from Naples to Sorrento on a Sunday noon took us hours last April.

Ptravel

"AJ" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Thanks for the responses so far... they are putting everything in
    > context.
    > The one notion I gather from them so far is driving is a challenge and
    > the rules are quite flexible. I think this will be a great challenge.

I'm jumping into this thread late. We drove around Sicily two years ago.
No problems at all EXCEPT in Palermo -- utter chaos, one way streets that
always go the wrong way, drivers who see yielding the right of way as a
challenge to their manhood, triple parking on the streets, driving on the
sidewalks. I've driven in Naples and Sorrento, and the rest of Sicily was
just fine, but I'll never again drive in Palermo.


    > Thanks please the responses coming... Now that I am getting an idea of
    > the driving habits I am more interested in the locations that I should
    > visit.
    > "devil" wrote in message
news:...
    > > On Mon, 21 Apr 2003 08:37:12 +0000, AJ wrote:
    > >
    > > > My family and I are traveling to southern Italy at the end of May. We
    > > > have rented a car out of rome for about 9 days and plan to drive along
    > > > the coast and go to Sicily if time permits.
    > > >
    > > > I was wondering if anyone had any experiences, suggestions, of what
    > > > one should see?
    > > > How are the driving conditions?
    > > > Is it hard to find accomodations without reservations for four people?
    > > >
    > > > I am very interested in specifically the amalfi area. i have been
    > > > reading the frommer's italy book and they say some negative remarks
    > > > toward a car. I would like to drive along that Gulf of Naples and stay
    > > > there for a night or so.
    > > >
    > > > Comments and suggestions are welcomed...
    > >
    > >
    > > Depends how brave you are. How comfortable you are driving in a, how to
    > > put it, challenging environment, I guess.
    > >
    > > (I love it. But then I am mean and I have no hesitation projecting an
    > > image of aggresive driver. It helps.)
    > >
    > > Never trust people will obey any rule. Rules are merely for informative
    > > purposes.
    > >
    > > You'll even see signs saying to "facilitate" passing on places where
    > > passing is not allowed...
    > >
    > > Depending upon the time, day and hour, traffic can get very bad too.
    > > Driving from Naples to Sorrento on a Sunday noon took us hours last
April.

Rosie Miller

In article ,
[email protected] (AJ) writes:

    >I am very interested in specifically the amalfi area. i have been
    >reading the frommer's italy book and they say some negative remarks
    >toward a car. I would like to drive along that Gulf of Naples and stay
    >there for a night or so.
    >Comments and suggestions are welcomed...
    >Thanks
Hi, I lived in Southern Italy for years and diving there is not like any
driving you have ever done.You must unlearn everything you ever learned about
driving and simply drive like everyone else. A stop sigh does not necessarily
mean ANYTHING. If everyone else is going through a stop sign and you stop,
there will be an accident.
Speed limits are a joke. Drive where you are able... one way streets... well
you are only driving one way! If the sidewalks are free, use them. If there are
buffalo on the road, do not hit them, and kill them, besides probably killing
yourself, you will be responsible for the death of the animal and all the
mozzarella it would produce in
it's lifetime.

Be careful.
Rosie

Info

    > Is it hard to find accomodations without reservations for four people?

We can accomodate you and your family in our holiday farms or houses, just
clicking on our web site.
All our proposals are located at easy distance from Sicily's must see, as
Noto, Syracuse, Catania, Etna.

Cheers
Emanuele Fazio

www.siciliacasevacanza.com
[email protected]

"For vocational ethics we have to warn you of the danger, you run a risk in
Sicily, the risk of being hit from the arrows of the myth and then the wound
won't heal and you'll have to return still here to recover, and remember
that you have lived a truly original time".

Rosie Miller

In article ,
[email protected] (AJ) writes:

    >I am very interested in specifically the amalfi area. i have been
    >reading the frommer's italy book and they say some negative remarks
    >toward a car. I would like to drive along that Gulf of Naples and stay
    >there for a night or so.
    >Comments and suggestions are welcomed...
    >Thanks

You might want to go visit the Cuma caves and Baia baths near Naples, they are
fun, and rarely are there others there . Also do not miss Erculano, it is much
better than Pompii and sometimes you can get a special tour to parts that have
not been opened to the public yet. Lots of fun. The market at Caserta is fun,
but any of the local markets are usually interesting.
Rosie
Rosie

Icono Clast

[email protected] (AJ) wrote:
    > How are the driving conditions?

The Travel section at my personal WEB site (the one at the Right
below) has an article on "Driving in Italy" as well as Italian
Vignettes. You might find them entertaining, informative, or both.
__________________________________________________ __________
A San Franciscan in (where else?) San Francisco
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 IClast at SFbay Net

Terryo

Well, if driving in Sicily is not such a good idea, how is the public
transportation? I am planning a trip next spring, 10 days doing
Naples, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast, then 2 weeks in Sicily. I
thought I would rent a car in Sicily and drive around, but would
rather take trains and buses if that would be feasible. Is the public
transportation network in Sicily as good as it is in the rest of
Italy?

Ken Blake

In [email protected], Terryo wrote:

    > Well, if driving in Sicily is not such a good idea, how is the
public
    > transportation? I am planning a trip next spring, 10 days
doing
    > Naples, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast, then 2 weeks in Sicily.
I
    > thought I would rent a car in Sicily and drive around, but
would
    > rather take trains and buses if that would be feasible. Is the
public
    > transportation network in Sicily as good as it is in the rest
of
    > Italy?


I don't agree that driving in Sicily is "not such a good idea."
My view is that it depends on where you're going and what you
plan on doing. I think driving in Palermo (or in the other big
cities of Sicily) is not a good idea, but driving in big cities
anywhere in Italy is not generally a good idea.

I've been to Sicily three or four times. I've always driven to
get around from town to town (which works very well), but as much
as possible avoided having a car in the big cities. So if you're
going to spend two weeks in Sicily, where will you be? For
example, one plan is to start in Palermo, and rent a car only
when you leave Palermo and go on to other places.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

Tandp

Terryo schrieb:
    >
    > Well, if driving in Sicily is not such a good idea, how is the public
    > transportation? I am planning a trip next spring, 10 days doing
    > Naples, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast, then 2 weeks in Sicily. I
    > thought I would rent a car in Sicily and drive around, but would
    > rather take trains and buses if that would be feasible. Is the public
    > transportation network in Sicily as good as it is in the rest of
    > Italy?

I can't quite agree entirely with some of the opinions, I drove round
Sicily a few years back and had zero problems.

I think one point you should remember is that in vacation areas, the
locals spend 9 months a year driving round deserted roads where they
know every curve like the back of their hands, and the other 3 months
they have to fight their way through the holiday traffic.

Tom

Ralph

Hi,

    > Well, if driving in Sicily is not such a good idea, how is the public
    > transportation? I am planning a trip next spring, 10 days doing
    > Naples, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast, then 2 weeks in Sicily. I
    > thought I would rent a car in Sicily and drive around, but would
    > rather take trains and buses if that would be feasible. Is the public
    > transportation network in Sicily as good as it is in the rest of
    > Italy?

I found it to be ok for the east coast, bus and train.

R

Mason Barge

On 22 Apr 2003 11:53:47 -0700, [email protected] (Terryo) wrote:

    >Well, if driving in Sicily is not such a good idea, how is the public
    >transportation? I am planning a trip next spring, 10 days doing
    >Naples, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast, then 2 weeks in Sicily. I
    >thought I would rent a car in Sicily and drive around, but would
    >rather take trains and buses if that would be feasible. Is the public
    >transportation network in Sicily as good as it is in the rest of
    >Italy?

My thought would be take the bus/train in the first part, but rent a car for a
week or two in Silicy.
--
"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me some coffee."
- Abraham Lincoln