Car Hire Sorrento

With its prime spot atop the Bay of Naples, the islands of Capri and Ischia beckoning you in the distance, Sorrento is in a fabulous spot for exploring one of Italy’s most charming coastlines.

You’ll be driving on the right-hand side of the road in a left-hand drive car, with all overtaking on the left.

The main coastal road here is the SS145, which runs east past Sant’Agnello and swings north to Pompeii. From there you can join the E45 or SS18 to continue to Naples.

If you drive west out of Sorrento on the SS145 you’ll enjoy a scenic drive before joining up with the SS163 which will take you along the southern coast. Here you’ll find Positano, Praiano, Amalfi and Ravello.

In towns such as Sorrento and other built-up areas, the speed limit is typically set at 50km/h. On the autostrade, the country’s motorways, there’s a limit of 130km/h. The pretty coastal roads make for spectacular driving – just bear in mind that corners can be tight and traffic busy at peak times.

Sorrento operates a ZTL or Zona Traffico Limitato, which closes the historic parts of the town centre to traffic at certain times. These change seasonally and you’ll be fined if you enter the ZTL during these periods.

Don’t worry, there’s ample parking nearby and if you really need to drive in the ZTL because your hotel is there you can call ahead to pass on your details – they should then be able to arrange access at the relevant time.

The pace of life slows in Sorrento – this is not a place to dash around. The vibe is best summed up by the passeggiata, the pre-dinner stroll taken by the locals, while many of the hotels have balconies and terraces hewn from the rockface – the perfect place to enjoy the sun and serene setting.

Strolling Sorrento

With the city centre closed to traffic, this is an invitation to dress smartly and join the passeggiata. It generally takes place along Via S. Cesareo and Corso Italia from 5-7pm each evening, with families walking together, stopping to greet friends or grab a gelato from the parlours that line the streets.

The walk will take you to Piazza Tasso, the city’s hub and the heart of the historic town. The cobbled side streets are lovely to explore, slowly revealing their artisan shops, shuttered mansions and welcoming trattoria.

The unassuming exterior of the Basilica di Sant’Antonino hides a fascinating interior that includes whale ribs, an 18^th century crypt and Roman artefacts.

Grande and petite

Sorrento isn’t really a ‘beach’ place. This stretch of coast is studded with ‘beach clubs’ that usually consist of decked areas over rocky promontories where you can hire a lounger for the day.

Marina Grande almost passes for a beach though. It sits beneath Sorrento and is a charming marina with a lived-in feel.

Studded with restaurants serving the fresh catch of the day, it has a couple of jetties where you can enjoy a fritto misto or gnocchi alla Sorrentina in the sunshine, while others have loungers to hire.

Rival ruins

Using your Sorrento hire car you can take a day trip to see the famous ruins of Pompeii, swamped in AD79 by the lava that flooded out of Mount Vesuvius. The volcano is almost always in your eyeline when in and around Sorrento.

Pompeii’s scale and the level of preservation here never fail to surprise. Excavations over the centuries have unearthed houses, a vast amphitheatre, temples, a brothel and a laundry.

Wall decorations remain, faded but legible, which gives you even more of an acute sense of how people lived their lives here before the fateful eruption. You can wander freely or hire a guide to steer you around the main sights and bring the ruins to life.

Its size means Pompeii seldom feels too busy, but if you are looking to get away from the crowds, head for Herculaneum. This is the fun-size version of Pompeii, and just as interesting.

Around 4,000 people called this fishing bay home when it was engulfed by the erupting Vesuvius and much of it has been left frozen in time, including a villa once owned by Caesar’s father-in-law.

Discover the best of this fascinating destination and the rest of the Amalfi Coast with car hire in Sorrento from Hertz.