How to Get to the Amalfi Coast from Naples
If your plane lands in Naples Capodichino International 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 at the Naples airport. Tickets cost about €10 and can be purchased directly from the driver.
- By Alibus bus to the center of Naples, which leaves from outside Terminal 1 and transport passengers to Napoli Centrale (Naples Central) Trenitalia railway station in Piazza Garibaldi. Tickets cost about €5 and can be purchased directly from the driver. Once at the station, follow the signs for the Circumvesuviana train, the local train 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 the Sita bus which runs 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 or to Ravello, 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.
How to Get to Your Amalfi Coast Hotel
To reach Amalfi and the other towns further south along Italy's 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 the Sita bus 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.
How to Get to the Amalfi Coast by Sea
How to Get to the Amalfi Coast from Salerno
During the summer months, there are convenient ferry routes running from Salerno and stoppping in Positano and Amalfi (and vice versa if you're planning a day trip).
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.
How to Get to the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento
Other ferry routes for Amalfi and Positano depart from Sorrento and generally run from May to October.How to Get to the Amalfi Coast from Capri
Ferry routes between Capri, Positano, and Amalfi run from the beginning of April to mid-October when most tourists are interested in day trips. In April and May, there are generally two routes that depart each afternoon/evening from Capri to Positano and two routes departing each morning from Positano to Capri. In June, July, and August, additional morning routes depart from Capri to the Amalfi Coast and vice versa. You can see updated ferry schedules for the current season here:
We recommend booking your ferry tickets online in advance, particularly if you are travelling on the weekend or during the busy months of July and August, as the Italian ferries are quite small and can get crowded. You can also purchase tickets directly at the port ticket office a day or two in advance. One piece of carry-on luggage is included in the price of a ticket; for larger bags or suitcases, you must pay a supplement (around EUR 2/bag). Vehicles are not allowed on board. During the winter (from the end of October through March), to reach Positano from Capri you must take the ferry to Sorrento and then connect to a local bus headed to the Amalfi Coast. Ferries between Capri and Sorrento run all year round.
How to Get to the Amalfi Coast from Ischia
You can reach the Amalfi Coast directly from Ischia via ferry from mid-April through September, when ferries depart from Ischia and stop at Capri, Positano, Amalfi, and Salerno. It takes about three hours to complete the entire route from Ischia to Salerno.
How to Get 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 Italy's 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.
How to get to the Amalfi Coast from Rome
If you're flying into Rome or traveling from Venice or Florence to Rome by train, 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 a high-speed train to Naples.
Train tickets from Rome to Naples can be purchased in the station (at the ticket office or from the automatic dispensers) or online. Significant discounts are often available for customers buying their tickets in advance online.
Book you train from Rome to Naples 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.
From the Rome Fiumicino airport you can also take a direct bus to Piazza Garibaldi in Naples
Book the Rome Fiumicino - Naples bus
Once you arrive at the Napoli Centrale railway station, follow the signage to the Circumvesuviana (the regional train line located beneath the main railway station), and from here take the train to Sorrento.
You'll reach Sorrento in about an hour. Train Sorrento - Naples Schedule.
Outside the Sorrento railway station, you'll find the stop for the Sita buse headed to Positano-Amalfi or to Sant'Agata-Nerano.
An Alternative: Continue on to Salerno
The Freccia Rossa high-speed train goes 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.
Book online the train to Salerno
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 timetables 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.
