WE PARENTS AND TWO ADULT CHILDREN ARE GOING TO ITALY FOR TWO WEEKS IN APRIL. STARTING IN ROME THEN NAPLES, AMALFI COAST, SICILY AND FILICUDI. SHOULD WE HIRE A CAR?
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G. THOMPSON, MAROUBRA
Many travellers are apprehensive of driving in Italy, intimidated by the reputation of Italian drivers for speed and risky behaviour behind the wheel. In my experience that's exaggerated. Sure they're fast but they're also tolerant and mostly forgiving. Unless you happen to be sitting in the express lane on the autostrada and travelling at or below the legal limit.
In your case, I wouldn't be hiring a car until you leave Naples. Travel from Rome to Naples by train, it's super fast and there's no reason to have a car in Naples. Pick up a hire car when you leave the city and use it to explore the Amalfi coast. Although traffic in this region is nightmarish in peak season, and parking worse than that, in April you should be well ahead of the hordes.
A vehicle here makes sense since public transport is less than wonderful for getting to places such as Ravello. Be aware that theft from rental cars is a chronic problem in southern Italy. You're safer parking your car with an attendant and in full view, and as far as possible don't leave valuables inside.
Return your hire car in Naples and take the Grandi Navi Veloci (gnv.it) ferry to Palermo in Sicily. Another option is Liberty Lines (libertylines.it), which services smaller ports on the western edge of Sicily. Again you'll need a hire car, public transport is woeful.
Getting to Filicudi is no problem with daily services by Liberty and Siremar (siremar.it) ferries from the port of Milazzo, on Sicily's north-east coast.
