Amalfi Coast Guide: Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and How to Get Around

Amalfi has about 5,000 residents and, a thousand years ago, it was a maritime republic with merchants in Constantinople and Alexandria. Today its biggest naval battle happens every summer morning at the bus stop in Piazza Flavio Gioia, where a few hundred people try to squeeze into a blue SITA bus built for about fifty. The Amalfi Coast is only around 50 km of road between Vietri sul Mare and Positano, but that road (the SS163 Amalfitana, carved into the cliffs in the 19th century) is so narrow that buses honk before every blind curve and two of them can barely pass each other.

Getting around is the real puzzle here. This guide covers how to arrive, how buses, ferries and cars actually work in 2026, and how to split your time between Positano, Amalfi and Ravello.

How to Get to the Amalfi Coast

There is no train and no airport on the coast itself, so you always arrive through one of three gateways.

• From Naples: The simplest summer option is the ferry from Molo Beverello. NLG runs sailings to Amalfi (around 1 h 50 min, from about €32), and Alicost has had weekend runs to Positano (from about €30). The year-round alternative is the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento (about 70 minutes), then the SITA bus to Positano (about 40 minutes) and on to Amalfi.
• From Salerno: The smart entrance if you come from Rome. High-speed trains reach Salerno in about two hours, and the Travelmar ferry from Molo Manfredi takes you to Amalfi in 35 minutes (from about €12) or Positano in about 70 minutes (from about €17). SITA buses also run Salerno to Amalfi along the eastern half of the coast.
• From Sorrento: Buses leave from outside the train station toward Positano and Amalfi, and summer ferries also connect Sorrento with Positano and Amalfi.

Key point: ferries along the coast run roughly from April to October. In winter, sailings to the Amalfi Coast largely stop and the bus becomes your only public option. Ferries are also cancelled in rough seas, so keep the bus as plan B.

SITA Buses: How They Really Work

SITA Sud is the backbone of the coast. The main line runs Sorrento, Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, and from Amalfi other lines go to Ravello, Salerno and up to Agerola.

• Tickets: Buy them before boarding at a tabacchi, newsstand or bar. Single fares on the main legs sit around €2.40 to €3.40. The 24-hour COSTIERASITA pass costs about €10 and pays off after three or four rides. Validate your ticket when you get on.
• Timing: Positano to Amalfi takes about 40 to 50 minutes. Amalfi to Ravello takes about 25 minutes.
• Seat tip: Going from Sorrento toward Amalfi, sit on the right side for the sea. Coming back, sit on the left.
• Crowds: In July and August buses often pass full, especially at Positano's stops, which come mid-route. Start early, before 9 a.m., or after 5 p.m.
• Motion sickness: The road has hundreds of curves. If you get carsick, take the ferry for the long legs.

Driving: The Odd and Even Plate Rule

Renting a car sounds romantic until you try to park in Positano. On top of scarce, expensive parking, the SS163 has an alternating plates rule (targhe alterne) under Anas ordinance 340/2019: on odd dates, cars whose plate ends in an odd number cannot drive the coast road, and on even dates the even ones are restricted. For 2026, Italian media reported it for March 30 to April 6 and April 24 to May 2, from 10:00 to 18:00. In previous summers it also applied on weekends in June and July and every day in August and September, so check Anas or the Comune di Amalfi before you drive in high season.

Hotel guests with a booking, taxis, rental cars with driver and residents are exempt, but carry the reservation with you. Honestly, for most travelers the best plan is no car: bus, ferry, and a taxi or private driver for one or two key transfers.

Positano, Amalfi and Ravello: What Each One Is For

Positano is the postcard: pastel houses stacked down a ravine to the beach of Spiaggia Grande. Come for the view and an evening drink, not for bargains. The town is basically stairs, so pack light.

Amalfi is the practical hub, with the main ferry pier and bus terminal side by side. It also has the most history: the Cathedral of Sant'Andrea with its bronze doors cast in Constantinople, the Cloister of Paradise, and the Valle dei Mulini, where Amalfi made paper for centuries. If you can only sleep in one place without a car, sleep here.

Ravello sits about 350 meters above the sea and is the calm one. Villa Rufolo costs €8 in 2026 (open 9:00 to 20:00, tickets on site), and its terrace inspired Wagner. Villa Cimbrone and its Terrace of Infinity charge a separate ticket of roughly €7 to €10, so check at the gate. The Ravello Festival runs from July 4 to September 5, 2026, with concerts in Villa Rufolo's garden.

Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods)

The coast's most famous hike runs from Bomerano (Agerola) to Nocelle, above Positano. It is about 7 to 8 km and takes three hours or so, mostly downhill or flat if you start in Bomerano.

• Take the SITA bus from Amalfi up to Bomerano (a bit under an hour; check the timetable).
• Carry at least 1.5 liters of water per person: the fountains along the route do not always work.
• From Nocelle, walk down roughly 1,500 steps to Positano, or take the small local bus.
• Wear proper shoes and skip it on rainy days, when the rock gets slippery.

When to Go

• May, June and September are the sweet spot: warm sea, ferries running, crowds manageable.
• July and August are hot, packed and expensive. Bus queues are at their worst.
• October is still lovely, but ferries thin out toward the end of the month.
• November to March is quiet and cheap, but many hotels and restaurants close and you will rely on buses.

A Realistic 3-Day Plan

• Day 1: Arrive in Amalfi by ferry from Salerno. Cathedral, Cloister of Paradise, Valle dei Mulini.
• Day 2: Morning bus to Ravello for Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone. Afternoon ferry to Positano, sunset there.
• Day 3: Path of the Gods from Bomerano to Nocelle, then down to Positano.

Use Naples as your base on the way in or out, and stop at Pompeii: the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento stops at Pompei Scavi, so you can combine the ruins with your trip to the coast.

Explore the Amalfi Coast with Trevurs

The cliffs are beautiful, but the story behind them is even better. On Trevurs you can download "Amalfi: the Tiny Republic That Ruled the Sea Before Genoa and Pisa", a self-guided audio tour from the view of Positano and the Emerald Grotto to the cathedral, the paper mills and Wagner's garden in Ravello. Pair it with "Naples: Vesuvius, Pizza and the City Underground" and "Pompeii: One Day Before the End" for the rest of your trip. All tours are free, self-guided and work offline, which matters when the bus has no signal on the curves.