Quote:
Originally Posted by 954Stealth
You'll be alright. Just take it slow and don't let anyone pressure you in to going faster than you're comfortable with. Although, to be honest, there's a couple of switchback type corners that are fun to rip through.
Best advice: Drive yourself so you can take it at your pace and soak it up. The Amalfi Coast is beautiful. Some of the Italians can be pushy with their driving. Have the attitude of "so what" and " Yup, I'm a tourist...deal with it". This might be your only time there so make it about you and your family and not the locals.
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The understatement of the century
Everyone in Italy aggressively tailgates. People hardly even stay within their lanes unless it's an absolute necessity as in a 1.5-2 lane, 2 way road (like Amalfi). It's very common for drivers to casually drift in and out of their lanes and even change lanes without turn signals (not in Amalfi as it's one way both ways, but in other areas of Italy). A turn signal means a driver is
going to change lanes regardless of whether there's an open space or not. If there isn't an open space, the person in the way is expected to slow down or swerve out of the way.
Hiring a driver was nice because we were able to soak up the scenery in full. Otherwise, one of us (the driver) would've missed out given how stressful it is to drive that "course." People who live there know the unwritten "right-of-way" rules of the road when it comes to navigating the 1.5 lane "blind curves."
The highlight of Amalfi is the scenery during the drive itself. Once you park, you'll be inundated with a bunch of "touristy" things. There's no shortage of overpriced gift shops along that route.