Renting a Vespa to explore the Amalfi Coast!

Sometimes in life you’ve just gotta go for it. Recently on our visit to the Amalfi Coast I decided to face my fear of giving up control of my fate to another, by renting a vespa and hitting the open road in Italy! The Amalfi Coast is without a doubt the most stunning area I have visited in Italy (having previously visited Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Pisa, Verona, Lake Como and a few others) and for sure this is the best way to see the coast. So here’s what happened when we rented a vespa to explore the Amafi Coast!

The Itinerary: Renting a Vespa to explore Amalfi

For this trip I partnered up with Southern Cross Travel Insurance to share with readers my experience with trying new things abroad. I’m a huge advocate of travel insurance and have never travelled without it myself, proving to be a good move on a number of occasions where I have been left with huge hospital bills from falling ill or injured overseas… as well as a few flight cancellations to throw into the mix!

So for our trip we decided to visit the hot spots of the Amalfi Coast: Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. These are the most popular pitstops for visitors to the Amalfi Coast and having visited all of them, I would say that you can’t miss any of them – make sure you see them all!

Naples

We first arrived in Naples, the gateway to the Amalfi Coast and the end of our fast train from Milan (4.5 hours with stops in Bologna, Florence & Rome). I’ll be straight up about it: we only came to Naples for the pizza. Naples is the birthplace of pizza and we were quick to jump straight into our afternoon of taste testing. My favourite pizza we tried was a classic margarita at Da Michelle, the pizzeria where Julia Roberts over indulges in the film Eat, Pray, Love.

Sorrento

For our first couple of nights in the Amalfi Coast we stayed in Sorrento, one of the largest towns on the coast and a great place to base yourself when exploring the smaller towns/villages/islands on the coast. Another added bonus is that you’ll find an absolute mecca of great gelato here in Sorrento, as well as great “aubergine parmigiana” (eggplant parmigiana) – a personal favourite dish from the Campania region.

Capri

Next up we decided to visit Capri as a day trip from Sorrento. This is by far the most popular way to visit and see Capri, so prepare yourself for the crowds! Ideally we would have liked to stay a couple of nights on the island but we were so short on time that we settled for a day trip (20 minutes by ferry, one-way from Sorrento). Here we hired a vespa for 30 euros for a period of two hours (including gas). This was what made our day so enjoyable as we were able to visit remote parts of the island that are otherwise only visitable by car.

Positano

Positano is the true gem of the Amalfi Coast and it won’t take you long to realise that everyone around you seems to think so, too! The crowds only increase in the summer months, so I would suggest visiting in Spring as we did if you would like to have a more authentic experience. From here we rented a scooter for a couple of days to explore the entirety of the Amalfi Coast on our own time schedule and plans. There are buses that run from Positano to the smaller towns (Amalfi & Ravello) but you won’t have the freedom and experience of riding on a vespa!

Amalfi

Next up we visited Amalfi town on a day trip from Ravello – on our vespa of course! This town is distinctly different from Positano as it is located a little off the water and not on the cliff face like its more popular neighbour; Positano. Here we enjoyed a great lunch and gelato (we went back twice in the same day it was that good!) Prices are a little cheaper here than in Positano so we found it a great escape from the hype.

Ravello

Onwards into the hills we journeyed to Ravello, an even smaller town than Amalfi but a completely different experience yet again. In Ravello you can enjoy an incredible view over the coast from high above, as well as relax away from the crowds and enjoy the spring blooms.

Facing your Fears

This trip was about facing one of my biggest fears. It is not so much heights or motorcycles, but more so giving up the reigns and putting my life in someone else’s’ hands. I was travelling through Italy with my boyfriend this month who just so happens to ride motorcycles back at home, so I was fairly confident that of the two of us he should be the one in control. It was such an unforgettable day and a true highlight of my travels to date.

I would never travel without travel insurance and despite nothing going wrong on our trip, felt more confident knowing that if something did happen, we were both covered by SCTI. With so many travellers falling ill and being injured overseas, I just wouldn’t take the risk! See the full video of our trip below – I hope you enjoy!!

 

 

This trip was in collaboration with Southern Cross Travel Insurance. WOW Readers (Australia only) can enjoy 10% off their travel insurance using the code “WOW”.