The Best Way To Get Around Italy's Iconic Amalfi Coast That Saves Tourists Time And Money

The Amalfi Coast is the kind of place that calls to you — from posters, screensavers, and 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles — and millions of people spend years promising themselves that they'll visit. We yearn to see the colorful buildings that slope toward the sea. We fantasize about hours-long cappuccino sessions beneath elegant awnings. We want to rig up sailboats while bobbing in opal-blue waters.

But this part of coastal Italy isn't easy to get around. The closest airport is Naples Capodichino, a twisting 80-minute drive from any Amalfi hotel. Buses and shuttles must cautiously share the space as they wind their way along cliffside roads. Even Rick Steves dissuades people from taking the bus on the Amalfi Coast. Passengers may swallow Dramamine before contending with these narrow highways and disorienting drop-offs, while rental-car drivers choke the steering wheel with strained knuckles. There's a reason so many well-heeled vacationers arrive by cruise ship — and many backpackers just hop the ferry.

So how do you fly up hills and maneuver through slow-moving traffic? What automotive miracle makes the most of Europe's high gas prices and sunny Mediterranean weather, and how do you find one? Easy: Rent yourself a classic motor scooter.

Italy has enjoyed a long love affair with the motor scooter, which travelers often identify as a "moped" — whether or not it uses bicycle pedals — or a "Vespa," the iconic Italian brand. Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck zipped through Rome in the 1953 film "Roman Holiday," romanticizing this form of transport for a whole generation of moviegoers, and countless motor scooters have made cameos in Italy-set films ever since. First-timers to Italy are often surprised by the flocks of scooters in Milano or Florentine streets, especially when they have to cross from one curb to another. The motor scooters symbolize freedom and youthful spontaneity in a country that cherishes both.

Scooters perfectly match the Amalfi terrain, where slim streets and hairpin turns are the norm. Rugged tires bounce over cobbles and speed bumps, and skilled riders weave through sluggish traffic. Sturdier models are designed to carry passengers, so couples can benefit from a single rental. Parking a car is almost always a headache in Italy, and Italian drivers have a reputation for, er, creative parking solutions. Motor scooters, however, only require a sliver of pavement. You might call the Vespa an essential travel hack when visiting Italy.

Before you plop down your credit card and demand a rental service's finest Piaggio, please know that riding a motor scooter comes with certain risks. For starters, you should always review the rental agreement and make sure the vehicle is insured. Note that many insurance policies may cover medical expenses from an accident but do not cover damage to the vehicle itself, so the renter may be liable for scuffs and dings. To legally rent a scooter, you'll have to be at least 18 years old and possess a valid driver's license. U.S. travelers are encouraged to get an International Driver's Permit, which may sound like a big deal but really just translates your personal data into Italian. They're affordable and easy to procure from AAA before you travel. Not surprisingly, passengers must be at least 6 years old.

Unless you have a valid motorcycle endorsement from your home country, the most powerful scooter you'll be able to rent is 125cc, which should handle almost any city street or country road on the Amalfi Coast. Traffic tends to move slowly in these parts, and a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour should do the trick. Once you hit the road, you will have to contend with Italian traffic patterns, which are widely perceived as cavalier and rebellious. Two-wheeled motor vehicles are inherently less stable (and less visible) than cars, so you may hesitate to ride one for the same reasons tourists avoid renting scooters in Southeast Asia.

If you're careful and take the time to practice, scooters remain an excellent option for getting around the Amalfi Coast, which extends 34 miles along the edge of Campania and boasts one of the most beautiful coastal rides in the world. Scooters are normal here: The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers estimates (via ScienceDirect) that there are 1.9 million registered mopeds and scooters in Italy, so drivers are accustomed to sharing the road with them. You can generally rent scooters for a few hours, and a full day shouldn't cost you more than €100, if not significantly less. No matter what you see riders doing around you, always wear a helmet.

Intrepid riders may also take scooters along winding roads into the countryside. It's reasonable to round the broader Sorrentine Peninsula and ride all the way to Naples, as long as you stay on secondary highways like SS18. The Vespa GTS 125 can get a whopping 110 miles to the gallon, which is a lot of ground in this dynamic region. You can also stop just about anywhere and find Rick Steves-approved places to eat on a budget.