Getting to the Amalfi Coast from Naples
If your plane lands in Naples Capodichino Airport, you will need to travel first to the town of Sorrento to reach the Amalfi Coast.
You have two options:
- By Curreri bus to Sorrento, which can be boarded directly outside Terminal 1. Tickets cost about €10 and can be purchased directly from the driver.
- By Alibus bus to the center of Naples, which leave from outside Terminal 1 and transport passengers to Naples Stazione Centrale (Piazza Garibaldi) railway station. Tickets cost about €4 and can be purchased directly from the driver. Once at the station, follow the signs for the Circumvesuviana, the local railway line located beneath the main station. From here you can catch trains which will take you to Sorrento in about an hour.
Useful websites for the airport, buses, and taxis:
Once you arrive at the Circumvesuviana station in Sorrento, you will need to take one of the Sita buses which run between the Sorrentine peninsula and the Amalfi Coast.
Sit on the right hand side of the bus to get the best view!
From Sorrento, the bus takes roughly 45 minutes to reach Positano and 60 minutes to reach Amalfi.
If you need to go beyond Amalfi, you'll have to change buses here.
The road is a series of stomach-churning curves: take all the precautions necessary if you suffer from car sickness.
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To reach Amalfi and the other towns further south along the Amalfi Coast, follow the same directions regarding getting to Positano and then continue by bus to Amalfi and beyond. Otherwise, take the train to Salerno and from there continue on by bus or ferry.
Another option is to take one of the Sita buses to Vietri Sul Mare and Amalfi, accessing the Amalfi Coast from the south rather than the north.
In this case, the bus's final destination is the Varco Immacolatella in the port of Naples.
The Varco Immacolatella is difficult to reach by public transport: with the Alibus you will need to get off at Piazza Municipio and then walk for quite a long stretch of road or struggle to get on to one of the city's crowded trams (an experience best avoided, especially if you have lots of luggage).
The best option by far is to take a taxi from the airport, asking the driver to apply the fixed rate (about €20) to the port. Make sure you clearly specify Varco Immacolatella, otherwise the driver will leave you at Molo Beverello.
Bus tickets can be purchased at the ticket office next to the bus stand and cost about €4.
Getting to the Amalfi Coast by Sea
During the summer months, there are convenient sea crossings by ferry which depart from Salerno and stop in Positano and Amalfi, and vice versa. Salerno has two piers: Molo Concordia opposite the train station, which is perfectly located for those traveling by train; and Molo Manfredi, a few kilometers away. Routes usually run from 1 April to 31 October. Other ferry routes for Amalfi and Positano depart from Sorrento.
Getting to the Amalfi Coast by Car
If you're traveling by car, a piece of advice: be careful!
During the months of July and August and on public holidays the road hugging the Amalfi Coast can be extremely busy and, as breathtaking as the scenery might be from your car window, spending hours stuck in a traffic jam under the Mediterranean sun is not much fun.
On the other hand, driving along the sinuous curves of the Amalfi Coast is an experience no driver should miss: it is not by chance that dozens of car companies have filmed advertisements here.
The times to avoid if you're traveling by car:
- In the summer:
From Naples in the direction of the Amalfi Coast: Saturday and Sunday mornings and the entire month of August.
From the Amalfi Coast in the direction of Naples: late Saturday and Sunday afternoons and the entire month of August. - In the winter:
Although the road is generally clear, you should take care on sunny Sunday mornings when the SS163 is often invaded by motorcycles from throughout the Campania region!
Driving on the Amalfi Coast
Many people ask whether it's a good idea to drive on the Amalfi Coast.
The narrow coastal road is comprised of a series of hairpin bends directly above the sea, and you can expect to regularly come across large tourist coaches which, at the curves, can create difficulties.On the other hand, the best way to explore the Amalfi Coast is by car, allowing you to stop off when and as many times as you choose to enjoy the views. If you are not used to driving on narrow roads, your best option is to use the public bus service or, if your budget allows it, a private car service with driver.
A Stop En Route
If you are driving to or from the Amalfi Coast, stop to stretch your legs at Sorrento Excellence, a combination shop, bar, and limoncello workshop located along the scenic highway 145. Here, you can take a free tour of the open limoncello workshop and enjoy a sample, as well as shop for artisan and local souvenirs.
Getting to the Amalfi Coast from Rome
If you're flying into Rome, you should be aware that the journey from Rome to the Amalfi Coast will take at least four hours from the time you land, and only if you make all the connections..
If your flight lands in the afternoon, you might want to consider spending a night in Rome or Naples and continuing your journey to the Amalfi Coast the next day.
From the Rome Fiumicino Airport
From the airport, take the Leonardo Express shuttle train to the city's main Roma Termini railway station.
From here you can catch trains to Naples.
There are various types of train which run between Rome and Naples:
- Eurostar Freccia Rossa (TAV): this is by far the most comfortable option, but also the most expensive. In little more than an hour, you will arrive at Naples' Piazza Garibaldi station. Freccia Rossa trains depart every hour and are usually extremely punctual. Tickets cost about €50.
- Intercity:: these trains take about two hours to travel between Rome and Naples. Tickets cost about €20.
- Interegional: these trains stop at every station in just about every little town dotted along the line. Not surprisingly, the journey from Rome to Naples takes roughly 4 hours. Tickets cost about €10, but unless you are traveling on a really tight budget, we don't recommend this train.
Train tickets from Rome to Naples can be purchased in the station (at the ticket office or from the automatic dispensers) or online using the Trenitalia. website or the Italo website.
Significant discounts are often available for customers buying their tickets in advance online.
Please be aware that special offer tickets are often non refundable. We recommend opting for tickets that can be changed or refunded in case of flight delays.
Once you arrive at the Naples Stazione Centrale railway station, follow the signage to the Circumvesuviana (the regional railway line located beneath the main railway station), and from here take the train to Sorrento. You'll reach Sorrento in about an hour. Outside the Sorrento railway station, you'll find the stop for the autobus Sita buses headed to Positano-Amalfi or to Sant'Agata-Nerano.
An Alternative: Continue on to Salerno
The Freccia Rossa TAV trains go as far as Salerno. You can get off there and take the bus to Amalfi or one of the ferries to Amalfi and Positano. The Molo Concordia pier is located directly opposite the train station in Salerno, so is the easiest to reach. The Molo Manfredi pier is located a few kilometers from the station, so you will need to hire a taxi.
If you are traveling to Positano, consider carefully the location of your hotel before deciding to arrive by sea. From the pier adjacent to the beach, you will have to climb a significant number of stairs to reach the upper part of town, and walking is the only option. There are luggage porters at the pier for your bags.
From the Rome Ciampino Airport
Once you arrive at Rome Ciampino, take the autobus to the Roma Termini train station and follow the directions above.
Bus Connections from the Rome Tiburtina Train Station
Another option is to travel to the Rome Tiburtina train station (on the Metropolitana subway blue line) and from there take one of the Autolinee Marozzi buses which connect Rome with Amalfi and Sorrento.
For Amalfi: there is a single route departing at 7am and arriving at noon.
For Sorrento: there are two routes, one which departs at 7am and one which departs at 3pm.
Private Transfers: The Most Convenient Way to Reach your Hotel
Trains to change, buses to catch, connections you can't afford to miss... by now, you'll probably have realized that getting to the Amalfi Coast, especially if you are landing in Rome, is not exactly the simplest of journeys.
By far the best way to avoid unnecessary travel stress is to book a private transfer from the airport to your hotel.
If there are four or more of you traveling together, the cost of the service is likely to be only marginally higher than that of all the train and bus tickets you'll need to buy to get to the Amalfi Coast using public transport. A private transfer can be a surprisingly economical option for your family or group.
Chart with recommended routes
The chart below illustrates the available connections between Rome, Naples, Sorrent, and Salerno and the towns on the Amalfi Coast. Here you'll find detailed information regarding how to get to the towns on the Amalfi Coast by car or by public transport.
Please note: transportation schedules vary widely from season to season. The summer schedule is active from Easter to early October, during which time routes run more frequently, but during the winter period the number of routes is reduced significantly.
Between April and October, there are also ferries routes on the Amalfi Coast, which is a convenient and pleasant option.
