Guide/driver on Amalfi Coast

For a local guide or driver in southern Italy, I highly recommend Private Tours of Southern Italy, or PTSI (Via Strettola S. Vincenzo, 80067 Sorrento, Italy; phone, in the US, 516/532-9482 or, in Italy, +39 338 6223980, www.amalficoastdrivers.com).

Four of us used this company to book a private, full-day tour of the Amalfi Coast. We did this a couple of months ahead of our tour, which started on May 14, 2018. It included stops at Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. The tour was outstanding, and we enjoyed our ride in a clean Mercedes.

Before this trip, I went online and researched tour companies in the Amalfi region. Online reviews convinced me to go with Private Tours of Southern Italy, even though their price was higher than those of some of the other tour operators.

Our driver was excellent, and he also acted as our guide. He picked us up at, and returned us to, our hotel outside Sorrento. The driver had parking privileges at most of the places we visited, so we never had to walk far. Also, he took us to a great spot for lunch (our request and expense), which had not been originally included in the tour.

Payment of €500 (near $550) plus gratuities was made in cash to the driver after the tour’s completion. Tolls and parking were included in the cost.

We booked everything online, even though they have a Stateside phone number, and their response time to all of my enquiries was rapid, usually within a day. Their flexibility even permitted me to change the day of our tour when a weather prediction suggested better weather for a different date.

PAUL A. HUIZENGA

Grand Rapids, MI