The Amalfi Coast. Thirty miles of road that everyone wants to drive.

The SS163 runs along the cliffs from Vietri sul Mare to Positano, and it is the only continuous road there is. It was not built for the traffic it now carries, and in summer it is managed with restrictions rather than widened. The practical effect is that a twelve kilometre journey between two villages can take fifty minutes in August, and that a transfer with a fixed arrival time needs a generous allowance or a boat.

So the good itineraries here do as little on the coast road as possible. Arrive by sea where you can, move between Positano, Amalfi, Capri and Sorrento by boat, and keep the car for the airport run and the evening. We arrange the aircraft, the boats and the cars together. In Italy cars come from our trusted global network of operators we know; our own fleet and chauffeurs are in London and Manchester.

Under a long-standing ANAS ordinance, traffic on the SS163 through the eleven coastal municipalities is restricted on busy dates between 10:00 and 18:00 by the last digit of the number plate, alternating with odd and even calendar dates. The pattern in recent seasons has covered the Easter and late April holidays, then weekends through early summer, daily traffic in August and September, and weekends again into October. Several towns on the Sorrento peninsula run their own separate ordinances, and at least one of them applies the rule the opposite way round, which catches people out.

The part that matters to you is the exemption: taxis and licensed hire cars with a driver are exempt from the alternating plate rule on the SS163. A properly licensed car and driver can therefore travel on a restricted day when a self-drive car cannot. It is one of the better arguments for not hiring a car here. The calendar is reissued each year, so we confirm the dates that apply to your trip rather than working from last season's.

Naples Capodichino is the practical gateway for most private arrivals. It takes every size of aircraft, has full handling and customs, and sits close enough to the port for a boat transfer to make sense on arrival. It is a busy commercial airport, so the movement through it is planned rather than casual and your handler matters.

Salerno Costa d'Amalfi is the newer option, at the eastern end of the coast, with a runway extended to around 2,000 metres and further development under way. For Amalfi and Ravello it removes a long stretch of driving. It suits smaller and midsize aircraft comfortably; whether it suits yours is a question for your operator, and the two airports are worth quoting side by side. A small number of helipads serve the coast, which can be worth asking about on a peak Saturday, subject to availability and the weather.