Car Travel

All traffic from Naples to Sorrento is ultimately channeled onto the Statale 145, which must be one of the slowest state highways in southern Italy. The road is single lane all the way from the A3 Autostrada turnoff at Castellammare di Stabia.

Though you'll get some scenic vistas as you inch along the peninsula, it's only when you get beyond Sorrento, on the road to Massa Lubrense or Sant'Agata, that a car becomes more of a benefit than a liability. Don't expect excellent driving standards in the Sorrento area, and be especially careful of scooters, which tend to take considerable liberties. Avoid traveling from Naples to Sorrento on Saturday evenings and on fine Sunday mornings in summer. The same applies to the Statale 145 late on a Sunday afternoon, when immense numbers of day-trippers and weekenders return home to the Naples area.

If you make a stop in Sorrento by car, head for one of the large parking lots: the municipal Parcheggio Achille Lauro (Correale) is in the very central Piazza Lauro. Another option is Ulisse (after the hotel of which it is a part): take a left turn into Via degli Aranci when you see the "no entry" signs as you enter Sorrento, pass under the railway bridge, and turn right at the roundabout. This road skirts the town center (to the right). At the stop sign on Corso Italia take a right turn, and turn right immediately down toward the Marina Grande. Those with deeper pockets (especially larger groups who can share the expense) should consider hiring a reputable driver from Sorrento Silver Star for airport transfers and/or to explore the coastline.

Parcheggio Achille Lauro. The municipal parking facility is in a convenient central location. Via Correale 23, Sorrento, Campania, 80067 . 081/8773022. From €2 per hr.