Venice & Amalfi coast - travel tips?

[Ric]

Agree that a car is not necessary in places like Florence, Rome and Milan. However, I think that in Tuscany, a car is necessary if you really want to see the country side and explore the by ways rather than the highways. Like the OP, I like driving and I always bring my own Garmin navigation device loaded with the respective countries maps.

I would prefer to get a smaller car but we always have a couple of extra friends so always ended with a larger car and none of them wants/dare to drive left hand drive!!. Last year we got a Merc 250 station wagon and was quite fun driving the country roads and missing the Italian drivers!! This year 6 of us are going and I ended up getting a Merc Vito!!:shock: It should be fun....I hope!!

 

[RB]

Agree that a car is not necessary in places like Florence, Rome and Milan. However, I think that in Tuscany, a car is necessary if you really want to see the country side and explore the by ways rather than the highways. Like the OP, I like driving and I always bring my own Garmin navigation device loaded with the respective countries maps.

I would prefer to get a smaller car but we always have a couple of extra friends so always ended with a larger car and none of them wants/dare to drive left hand drive!!. Last year we got a Merc 250 station wagon and was quite fun driving the country roads and missing the Italian drivers!! This year 6 of us are going and I ended up getting a Merc Vito!!:shock: It should be fun....I hope!!

So what causes the "I hope"?

 

[TheRealTMA]

Don't be concerned with driving in Italy. It's very easy. You'll love it once you get used to the fact that the white lines on the road have no meaning. Smaller roads especially in Tuscany, Piedmont and hinterland of the lakes are quite narrow but generally good. Other drivers very forgiving and they will just go around you if they need. Speeds on motorways are higher, although in recent years they have been cracking down on speeding and not what they used to be. Just stay out of the left-hand lane, or, drive in it

Far far safer than driving in Brisbane. Most dangerous time of driving in Europe is the two days after you get home when you expect local drivers to behave like Europeans with situational awareness and no personal ownership of a specific part of a road so you are not permitted to use any part of their road, as in Brisbane.

For reference, usually we like to hire an Alfa Guiletta diesel from EuropCar or maybe A/B class Merc from Avis/Hertz with insurance via my Earth Plat. For longer periods, lease a Renault or Peugeot.

 

[JohnM]

Don't be concerned with driving in Italy. It's very easy. You'll love it once you get used to the fact that the white lines on the road have no meaning. Smaller roads especially in Tuscany, Piedmont and hinterland of the lakes are quite narrow but generally good. Other drivers very forgiving and they will just go around you if they need. Speeds on motorways are higher, although in recent years they have been cracking down on speeding and not what they used to be. Just stay out of the left-hand lane, or, drive in it

Far far safer than driving in Brisbane. Most dangerous time of driving in Europe is the two days after you get home when you expect local drivers to behave like Europeans with situational awareness and no personal ownership of a specific part of a road so you are not permitted to use any part of their road, as in Brisbane.

For reference, usually we like to hire an Alfa Guiletta diesel from EuropCar or maybe A/B class Merc from Avis/Hertz with insurance via my Earth Plat. For longer periods, lease a Renault or Peugeot.

I totally agree.

I only started this thread because I was after specific tips about one particularly unusual location (Venice) and just some comments on the other location (Amalfi). It kind of morphed into a discussion about the relative merits of driving or not driving in Italy. Driving was a given and I've done it heaps of times before and like it for exactly the reasons you outline.

Just to get back on topic, I have discovered that there are several parking stations on Venice island near the causeway where you can advance book a parking space on the web. It costs about 30 Euros/day but seems well worth it for the convenience.

 

[TheRealTMA]

We look fwd to your Richard III horse photo!

try la buona forchetta for dinner one night. Family run place with good local food and environment.

 

[Ric]

Don't be concerned with driving in Italy. It's very easy. You'll love it once you get used to the fact that the white lines on the road have no meaning. Smaller roads especially in Tuscany, Piedmont and hinterland of the lakes are quite narrow but generally good. Other drivers very forgiving and they will just go around you if they need. Speeds on motorways are higher, although in recent years they have been cracking down on speeding and not what they used to be. Just stay out of the left-hand lane, or, drive in it

Well said and I think this answers RB's question.

 

[Alanslegal]

If you go to Venice, you must stay on Venice otherwise what's the point At night you can stroll around, you might get lost in little lane ways now and again but everywhere you look or past by there is something quirky to look at. Take the public boat rides along the grand cana at night and peer into the houses lining the canals and look at their very impressive chandeliers Probably all of it is from Murano. we stayed that the Hotel Danielli and it's one mightily impressive old castle.