Amalfi Coast, ItalyBy Last checked

Plan a trip to Amalfi Coast

Cliff towns strung along one narrow road. Choose carefully. The town you sleep in shapes the whole trip, and because the ferries beat driving between May and October by such a margin, a rental car turns into a liability.

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Trip length

Free to run, and you keep editing after. Add who's coming or a pace like “slow mornings” to shape the result.

Amalfi Coast guides

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All Amalfi Coast guides

Amalfi Coast at a glance

Skip this if you have already been. What follows is a first trip to Amalfi Coast: Positano and three more stops that hold up, Positano or Amalfi town for a base, and the months that are worth the airfare. 4 to 6 days is the usual answer on length.

How long
46 days
When to go
Late May to June, then September, which is when the water is warm and the road is passable. September is the pick. July and August are peak crowds and peak prices, while many hotels and ferries shut from November to March, so a winter trip here is mostly closed doors.
Getting around
Take the ferries between towns in season, because the coast road is narrow, slow, and stressful to drive in a way the photographs never convey. SITA buses are cheap and crowded, while the trains reach Sorrento and Salerno from Naples.

What to build the plan around

  1. 1

    Positano

    The postcard town, built as stairs, which is why you arrive by ferry and expect to climb everywhere you go.

  2. 2

    Path of the Gods

    A ridge trail from Bomerano down to Nocelle, and since it runs about three hours, the coast stays below you the whole way.

  3. 3

    Ravello

    Above the coast road, with the Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone gardens and far fewer day-trippers, so late afternoon is the time to come up.

  4. 4

    Capri

    A ferry day trip, and once you are there, take the chairlift up Monte Solaro and skip the Blue Grotto queue.

Where to stay in Amalfi Coast

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Positano
The most beautiful and most expensive, with stairs where other towns have streets, which is the reason to pack light.
Browse stays in Positano
Amalfi town
Flatter and cheaper, and the ferry hub, so it is the easiest base if you have no car.
Browse stays in Amalfi town
Sorrento
Outside the coast proper but on the rail line, which gives it the best transport links and the best value.
Browse stays in Sorrento
Browse stays in Amalfi Coast

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Amalfi Coast planning questions

How many days do you need in Amalfi Coast?
4 to 6 days is the usual answer, and the low end works only if you skip one of the four stops. Four days covers two towns, one hike, and a boat day. Six lets you add Capri and Pompeii without a rushed morning at either end, and Pompeii deserves a solid three hours once you are inside the gates.
What is the best time to visit Amalfi Coast?
Late May to June, then September, which is when the water is warm and the road is passable. September is the pick. July and August are peak crowds and peak prices, while many hotels and ferries shut from November to March, so a winter trip here is mostly closed doors.
Where should I stay in Amalfi Coast?
Positano, Amalfi town, and Sorrento, in roughly that order of convenience, though convenience and rate rarely move together. Positano: The most beautiful and most expensive, with stairs where other towns have streets, which is the reason to pack light. Amalfi town: Flatter and cheaper, and the ferry hub, so it is the easiest base if you have no car. Sorrento: Outside the coast proper but on the rail line, which gives it the best transport links and the best value. Any of them beats booking out by the airport.
How do you get around Amalfi Coast?
Take the ferries between towns in season, because the coast road is narrow, slow, and stressful to drive in a way the photographs never convey. SITA buses are cheap and crowded, while the trains reach Sorrento and Salerno from Naples.
What should I see first in Amalfi Coast?
The first thing to slot in is Positano, because once you have given it a morning the rest arranges itself around that. The postcard town, built as stairs, which is why you arrive by ferry and expect to climb everywhere you go. After that, Path of the Gods, then Ravello, though the order between those two barely matters.
Is there a free Amalfi Coast itinerary I can copy?
Yes, and reading it costs nothing. Arriv has a Amalfi Coast itinerary with every stop mapped and a day-by-day order to follow, which is enough to plan from without touching it. Duplicate it into a trip of your own and the dates, the places, and the order are all yours to change.