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How to Get Around the Amalfi Coast / without a car
- Katarina Sladic
- Sep 2, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 13, 2022
You’re finally about to book your dream vacation to visit the famous Amalfi coast, however, you first need to figure out your transportation while there. Should you rent a car? Should you go by ferries? How to get to Sorrento from Naples or Rome? Keep reading to have your questions answered.
There are 4 modes of transportation to get you between the most famous spots along the Amalfi Coast such as Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, and Capri (this is an island that you can only get to via ferry).
These are:
Ferry
Scooter
Bus
Car
I have listed each category from best to worst mode of transportation for the Amalfi coast and here’s why:
Worst: Car
Your first thought may be to rent a car for your trip, I know it was my first thought! However, after a quick google search I realized that it may not be a good idea and after my trip I can definitely confirm. I was on a bus from Rome to Sorrento, and everything was going smoothly until reaching about 10km from Sorrento. These last 10km took the bus 3 and a bit hours to get to Sorrento! And the cars were moving no faster. This is because once you get to/near the Amalfi coast, there is only one main road by the coast that connects all the little towns. This one road, combined with the fact that it was extremely narrow, you are driving right alongside cliffs with no railings, and scooters trying to squeeze between both your lane and the lane going in the opposite direction made it not only a long ride, but also quite a frightening one :|
Check this video out.
And don’t be fooled by google maps. It may say you’re only 30min away but that time stays at 30min for the next 3 hours. Of course, this is all due to traffic and road accidents (of which there were many) so you may get lucky or may get stuck even longer than I was.
This is why I strongly recommend not renting a car or getting a taxi. Now once you actually reach Sorrento, the traffic dissipates slightly so you may consider getting a car once in Sorrento, not from Naples. Although, I still advise against it as the driving is alongside cliffs and quite difficult. So unless you’re a very confident driver on European streets, I wouldn’t do it. Trust me, if you’re from North America, this is a whole different ballpark when it comes to driving. Not to mention, almost all rentable cars are manual.
Furthermore, parking is a catastrophe. There are very few parking spots to be found and that are extremely lucky if you actually do manage to find something.
Second worst: Bus
Stay away from busing from Naples to Sorrento, but once in Sorrento, the bus system is actually not too bad. The buses are pretty true to the schedule and can get you to Positano from Sorrento in less than 30 minutes. Also, the buses are really nice and resemble coach buses with plenty of legroom and velvet seats.
There are a few downsides though. Firstly, the buses do not come too often. This changes depending on the season but in June they were running every ~20/25 minutes. Due to the large demand for the buses, the line gets pretty long to get in. So you may have to wait for the next bus to actually get in.
Another big downside is that the ride will surely make you extremely motion sick because of the curving roads along the coastline. Out of the 4 of us, 3 got extremely motion sick and even got off the bus a stop early because of this.
Of course, the biggest pro here is that it is by far the most affordable way to reach any destination. A one way ticket ranges from 3-5 euros depending on your start point and destination. It’s easiest to just buy your tickets at the bus station, and you cannot purchase them on the bus. The 2 main public transportation companies are EAV bus and Sita Sud. Here is a link with a schedule and more in depth info: https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/sorrento-to-positano-bus-schedule
Second Best: Scooter
If you are able to drive a scooter, it’s definitely the best in terms of price and speed. Scooters get through traffic easily (refer to the video under the first section) and if you are able to get them at a good price, are very cost effective with buses being the only cheaper option. But when you consider the flexibility you gain, it's a no brainer especially if you’re a couple.
However, please be cautious, as you saw in the video driving on the Amalfi coast, especially by scooter can be quite dangerous and there were 3 accidents in the 10km leading to Sorrento alone.
Best: Ferry
The ferry is by far the nicest way to get from town to town, although it does come at a price. From Sorrento to Positano or Amalfi, it costs from 13euros-21 euros each way depending on which company you go with. I actually wouldn’t recommend booking online in advance as there are many smaller ferries which get the job done for cheaper but aren’t
online. This brings a round trip anywhere from 26 euros to 40, significantly more than the bus. The duration of course varies with your start and end points but is pretty comparable to the bus, which was to my surprise.
Although, it is a very comfy way to travel, almost no motion sickness, and the views are worth the price! Check it out!
Wondering the best way to get to the Amalfi Coast from Naples or Rome? Keep an eye out for my next post!
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