With its cliff-chiseled road, dramatic curves and sheer drops towards the turquoise sea far below, the Amalfi Coast has become an iconic road trip destination. A little too iconic, perhaps -- because these days, it has become as legendary for its traffic as for its spectacular setting. Tales of miles-long backups abound, as do those of journey times doubling and tripling, thanks to everyone else enjoying those views.

Spiraling numbers of large vehicles, including passenger vans full of tourists on the road -- which at times is single-lane with narrow switchbacks -- is compounding the agony. But things might be about to get better with new rules introduced Wednesday that should halve tourist traffic on the road -- while causing havoc with people's vacations.