Going To Amalfi-positano, Italy. Renting A Bike? Some Hints?

I will be there about 3 weeks before you and never thought about renting a bike. I was intending to just rent a car.

 

My advice: don't rent a bike in the Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi are unless you are 100% familiar with the local driving style!

I used to live there and driving was always "special" (managed 2 years without an accident!).

 

Naples is the only place I have been in the whole world where I felt nervous driving. @RickyX managing two years without accident is a miracle haha. Every other car had accident marks and the only rule seemed to be 'those who snooze lose'!

That said the Amalfi coast was fine and a lot of fun. I wouldn't have any problems taking the bike there again. It's a beautiful region and whilst the roads are busy we did manage to find plenty of clear areas.

 

We did a similar trip last year for a wedding in Ravello.

I rented a Honda VFR 1200 Crosstourer from Honda Palace Napoli ([email protected]), the dealership is about a 15 euro cab ride from Naples airport.

The bike was supplied with side cases and top box, we also rented helmets from them. The price was €600 for five days, €5 per helmet per day plus a €1200 deposit. We were also able to leave our luggage at the dealership which was very handy. Less convenient, the bike was supplied with only a centre stand (i.e. no side stand). The dealer claimed that in Italy, a side stand is a cost option, which sounded very odd to me. Dismounting and balancing a fully loaded, heavy bike (often on an incline) and backing it onto its centre stand took a real leap of faith.

Although quite expensive the bike proved to be less of a liability than a car on the Amalfi peninsular, but in the towns I'd strongly advise you to only use parking spaces reserved for motorcycles (and not all are free of charge).

As others have alluded to, the driving in that part of the world is "interesting", not what you'd describe as risk averse. Call me a pussy but I have a preference for more than 2cm of space either side of the bars when overtaking into oncoming traffic!

That said, it was bloody brilliant!

 

I rented a Supersport from Motoradd for WDW last year. Not cheap but readily available and picked it up from the hotel we were staying at in Bologna for the first night, dropped off at the end of the week at the same place then straight back to the airport. Off the top of my head was about £1100 all in for the week. Still cheaper than carting both our bikes over there, extra hotel stops, van hire, fuel, tolls etc.

 

I love it around Sorrento, been three times now, only rented a scooter though to travel down the Amalfi coast, managed the traffic OK but I had Mrs Birdie on the back, she hates bikes and was the worst pillion I've ever had.

Steve

 

A scooter is a much better option than a full blown touring bike if you don't have luggage. I forgot to mention in my last post that I don't think I got beyond 3rd gear on the peninsular.

 

Watch out for scuffing your helmet on the rock face on right hand bends when heading West from Salerno...

When I lived there I had an RG500....NOT the ideal bike for the local roads!!

 

I've driven for a couple of half days when we went to Capri. It's ok, but I wouldn't suggest a bike unless you have humungous cahunas. You'll not get much speed up along the coast roads as they're very twisty (interspersed with multiple buses) and as said in previous posts, assume everyone is trying to kill you and the road signs are only a guide as to what might happen..

 

This is a pic taken on the Sorrento to Amalfi coast road in July 2015, when I rode down. The Multi was well suited, I thought. Traffic conditions in Naples demand one's fullest attention.

 

2005 on an 11 plate bike...?

 

Riding around Naples was one of the scariest thing I've ever done
Driving standards get worse in Italy the further south you go by Naples it's horrendous you would be better in a 4x4