The Amalfi Coast is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. When people think of the Amalfi Coast, most people think of Positano, Amalfi, and Capri. But how easy is it to travel between the Amalfi Coast cities? We generally don’t rent a car in Europe so we have to rely on public transportation. Luckily, the Amalfi Coast Italy is surprisingly easy to travel around! There are a number of ways to travel between cities along the coast.
Word to the Wise: I highly, highly recommend utilizing both the bus and ferry for your travels in the Amalfi Coast. The views are absolutely stunning on both the bus (or car) and ferry. The vantage points are vastly different from one another so both are worth it! Driving the Amalfi Coast is bit daunting at first as the winding roads are narrow and steep. The spectacular views are more than worth it though!
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HOW TO GET TO THE AMALFI COAST
First things first, how do you get to the Amalfi Coast? The closest airport to Amalfi Coast is Naples. Naples to Amalfi Coast is approximately 1 hour to Sorrento and 1 hour and 15 minutes Positano. You can take a train, bus, ferry, or drive. You can also book a private car which is reasonably priced depending on the number of people you’re traveling with. It takes approximately 4 hours to travel from Rome to Amalfi Coast so you can also fly into the Rome Airport. From Rome, you can train, bus or drive to the coast!
If you’re planning a trip to Italy, make sure to grab the travel planners I’ve created for Italy. There are a total of 10 templates. Eight of the templates list suggestions and travel tips for the most popular cities in Italy. There is also a place for you to add your travel information as well as blank templates. I’ve linked them below!
AMALFI COAST HOTELS
Before I dive into ways to get around the Amalfi Coast, it helps to know where we stayed! Since transportation is fairly easy throughout the coast, you can honestly stay anywhere. We decided to base ourselves in Sorrento Amalfi Coast for a few reasons. As budget travelers, we found Sorrento Italy to be less expensive. It also seemed to run the most frequent buses and ferries. We loved basing ourselves in Sorrento because of the convenience. Positano Italy is another great spot due to its central location but it’s quite pricey.
Sorrento Hotels: We stayed at Caruso Suites in Sorrento and absolutely loved it! For more on our experience at Caruso Suites click here.
FERRY
Alright, now for the best but of course, most expensive route! Taking a ferry is probably the most popular way to travel along the Amalfi Coast. It’s easy, quick, relatively affordable, and absolutely spectacular!
There are a few ferry companies that run between Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi. It’s a pretty direct route making it that much more enjoyable and relaxing.
Taking a ferry is the only way to travel to Capri since it’s an island. Ferries run from all major cities including Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, and Naples. Capri is a quick 20-25 minute ferry from Sorrento and Positano. The ferry from Naples is approximately 45 minutes. The times I’ve listed are generalized as it depends on the ferry company you choose.
We utilized the ferry a number of times throughout our stay and purchased ferry tickets at the port just before departure.
Cost: Ticket prices vary depending on which cities you’re traveling between. We found a one way was generally around 15-20 euros.
HOP ON HOP OFF BUS
Update 2023 – It looks like the hop on hop off bus is no longer running between Sorrento and Amalfi Italy. I’ll check back in April to see if it’s just not running in the winter months.
There is a Hop on Hop off Bus that will take you from Sorrento to Amalfi making stops in Positano and Praiano (upon request) along the way. It’s an easy and informative way to travel between these cities. I highly recommend taking the bus at least one way because you’re given a headset on the bus with information on the Amalfi Coast throughout the drive. The drive from Sorrento to Amalfi is breathtaking which is another reason I recommend bussing at least one way.
The first bus leaves Sorrento for Positano and Amalfi at 8:50 am. The last bus from Amalfi back to Positano and Sorrento leaves at 7:15. You can find the timetable and full schedule here. Unfortunately, the bus ride is a long one as it will take approximately an hour and a half to go from Sorrento to Amalfi however, the view makes up for it! You must reserve a seat for the bus prior to departure. We reserved our seats about 20 minutes prior to departure and didn’t have a problem however, I can imagine these seats fill up during peak season.
Cost: A one way ticket is 10 euro. If you’re returning the same day, the ticket is 6 euro.
SITA BUS
The most budget friendly way to travel between cities along the coast is the The SITA (city) Bus. The bus is only 2 euro each way. During the week, the first bus leaves Sorrento at 6:30 am for Amalfi. Here is the full timetable for your reference. It took us less than an hour to travel from Sorrento to Positano and personally, we found it extremely easy to use. The SITA bus is supposed to run later than both the Hop on Hop off Bus and the ferry.
Okay, while this is the cheapest option, I’m going to be honest, I’ve heard mixed reviews. I’ve heard a number of stories about the bus being confusing and filling up super fast leaving only standing room. This wasn’t our experience at all, but it’s something to be aware of. We might not have experienced any issues because we got on the SITA bus at the first stop. My recommendation is to be early to the bus stop and don’t be afraid to ask locals for direction to ensure you’re at the correct stop!
Cost: 2 euros/ way
I was so impressed with how easy it was to travel the Amalfi Coast. All the more reason to add the Amalfi Coast to your bucket list, if it’s not already there!
For more on the Amalfi Coast:
Safe Travels,
Sarah :)
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Thank you for reading :) Capri is one of a kind! I can’t wait to go back to the Amalfi Coast too, I just love it! It depends on the time of year and the town you are traveling to from Capri. I remember heading back to Sorrento around 7 pm though!
[…] actually wrote an entire article about traveling around the Amalfi Coast. In short, cities along the coast are well connected by ferries, the hop on hop off bus, and the […]
This is really helpful, my family and I are headed to Italy in about a week, for 2 weeks, and we will be using almost all public transportation. We are staying in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast so this post was very helpful as we will need to know how to get around.
Nina – The Globetrotting Accountant
Hi Nina – I’m glad you found this article helpful!! I hope you and your family have an incredible trip to the Amalfi Coast! I am envious!
Love post. Helps in planning our trip
Hi Mary! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the article!