How to travel Amalfi Coast

How to travel Amalfi Coast

Beautiful, enchanting, called “the Divine”, it is the destination of choice for all types of travelers. Whether you are a sportswoman, a lover of the good life or a passionate lover of history and architecture, the Amalfi Coast is for you. But do you know how to travel Amalfi Coast at its best by optimizing your days?

As you may have guessed by now, I have worked a lot with tourists who vacation in these areas, both as a waitress and as a receptionist. I’ve collected a series of very common questions I’ve been asked that I’ll answer in this article.

Organizing a trip away from home is never easy, there are logistical details that are often overlooked but can make your vacation a nightmare!

How important it really is to know the costs before you leave

Your flight is booked, your hotel is booked, you’ve already chosen your restaurants on trip advisor and you have an idea of the overall costs. You’ve set a budget for this vacation, you’ve considered “almost” everything. But if on the last day, when you have to leave for Naples and take your flight, you realize that the bus doesn’t run on Sundays and a cab asks you 200 euros to get to the airport, how would you react?

Rush, anger and disappointment are feelings I’ve often seen when the trip is not organized at its best. Details make a vacation remembered for the positive and unfortunately also for the negative.

The distance between the gas station (there are only 3 on the coast), presence of electric rechargers for cars (only one!), the belief that you can find last minute availability of a scooter or a cab or a place on the ferry. So many little details, that I assure you, make all the difference.

Starting off on the right foot

There are 13 wonderful towns that make up the “Divine” (eh no… Sorrento is not one of them!), it extends for 55 km from Positano to Vietri sul mare, it takes its name from the town of Amalfi, the historically most important town on the coast, located right at its center.

amalfi
Amalfi by night

Take a pen and paper and let’s discover together how to travel in Amalfi Coast!

The Airport

The nearest airport to Amalfi is Napoli Capodichino, only 39 km away. From the airport it is always necessary to reach Piazza Garibaldi (train station) with the Alibus ANM (line S3) which takes a quarter of an hour. The stop is only 200 meters from the exit of the airport arrival terminal.

From the station there are several options:

– Take the bus to Amalfi with the Sita lines (about 2-2.30 hours). Schedules are very limiting, so it is difficult to find the connection right after the flight.

– Reach Sorrento with the Curreri bus line, and then take the Sita bus to Amalfi.

– Reach Salerno by train or bus and then Amalfi always with the Sita line or with the ferry.

Obviously the displacement depends on the point of arrival. Sorrento is closer to Positano, while Salerno is on the other side of the gulf. I have always advised against buses, sometimes because of the traffic, especially in the summer season. If time permits, the easiest and most scenic route is to arrive in Salerno and then travel by sea. Since Salerno is the regional capital, it is well connected to all the towns on the coast.

Transportation

As I mentioned before, the distances between the municipalities are not excessive, but it is very important to get organized to move between them.

Bus lines

The bus lines are managed by Sita, it doesn’t run too frequently, but it’s an efficient way to get around in the months of March, April, late September and October, when the roads are no longer very busy. Tickets must be purchased in the ticket offices (usually at the pier), in the Tabacchini and in the affiliated points, you can not buy them on board the bus. The first ride is at 5.00 a.m. and the last one is at 9.00 p.m., so be careful to go far away in the evening!

In the winter time the runs decrease but are still there. The positive side of using this means of transportation is the cost, 12 euros for the daily ticket. The negative side is that it arrives in the main cities but does not stop at scenic spots and the stops are often far from the center, so bring comfortable shoes!

Ferries

The most popular means of transportation in the summer season are definitely the Travelmar ferries. They operate from the first days of April until the end of October. Boats usually leave from 9-10 in the morning until 6-7 in the evening, with frequency every 20-30 minutes.

Ferries are very good to move in the main cities and islands (Capri, Ischia, Procida) but also to visit some particular beaches or caves.

Tickets are easily available at ticket offices near the pier or online. Sometimes you can also find daily group tours.

Rent a car

If you’re thinking of renting a car, you’ll be shocked to learn about parking prices. The car as a means of transportation is great for the off-season where public transport links drop, but in summer it is strongly discouraged. First of all it’s a blessing to find a free spot, if your hotel has private ones it’s good to book them well in advance.

Public parking lots have an hourly cost of 5/6 euros in Amalfi, 8 euros in Positano. Some private parking garages, however, have a fixed daily rate ranging from 30 to 50 euros depending on the area. But be careful! Daily is from 12 am to 12 am the next day, if you arrive at 4 pm for example, the cost remains unchanged.

Rent a scooter

A great option for traveling the Amalfi Coast is the scooter, renting one daily or for short periods is a great idea. You’ll notice that all the local people move around with this kind of transportation. The cost of paid parking is lower than with a car, but it’s also easy to find unpaid parking (white lines). Just don’t forget to book a scooter in advance, often in high season it is difficult to find free ones.

Cab

The last means of transport to take into consideration is the cab, I recommend it only in case of need as the rates are very high. Maybe when you can’t find a connection for your flight or to return to your accommodation in the evening. Usually there are cabs in the main bus stops. Alternatively you will often find the ncc (rental with driver), they are private and if booked in time through agency or hotel, offer excellent rates.

In conclusion

A trip that is not well organized, will unfortunately lead to bad surprises and will make you spend a lot of time and energy for nothing. Moreover, the result will be less memorable than imagined.

Creating a well-made and really effective tour today, is a little bit more complex than it might first appear. That’s why it’s important to inquire with those who really know what you’re getting into.

If you’re interested in learning more about these aspects or being inspired by unique experiences, I recommend checking out Amalficoast’s Green Lung.

I hope I’ve given you some information that will make it easier for you to plan your next trip and to have made you understand how to travel in Amalfi Coast. If you found this content useful, I would ask you to share it by clicking one of the buttons below ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ or send the link to a friend who might need it.

As usual, if you have any questions for me, you can safely leave your comment below the article – I’ll personally answer them!

See you soon, ๐Ÿ’—

Brigida

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