Getting from Naples to the Amalfi Coast takes longer than the map suggests. As the crow flies it is a short hop; by sea it is about an hour and a half by hydrofoil to Positano, and overland an hour by train plus an hour by bus. The Sorrentine peninsula sits in the way, and there is no shortcut over it.
Worth saying before you book anything: a day on the coast starting from Naples is, by construction, a day of transfers. Below are the three ways of doing it, with times and fares verified, and a way of deciding which suits your trip.
The three routes
| How | Time each way | Cost | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrofoil from Molo Beverello | 1 h 30 to Positano | €27.50–34.00 | Landing on the coast itself, when the sea is calm |
| Circumvesuviana plus bus or ferry | 50–75 min to Sorrento, then 40–90 min | about €4–5 plus onward fare | Watching the budget, or travelling on a rough sea |
| 9-hour organised tour | all inclusive | price on GetYourGuide | One day only, and no wish to plan it |
The Naples tour of the coast, Positano and Sorrento lasts nine hours, averages 4.8 from 1,471 reviews and includes a boat trip as its centrepiece; the coach commentary is in English. No starting price was displayed on the listing on the day we checked.
Hydrofoil from Molo Beverello
Molo Beverello is on Piazza Municipio, in front of the Maschio Angioino, with the Municipio metro station a minute away. It is the hydrofoil port: sailings leave from here for Sorrento, Capri, Positano and Amalfi. Car ferries use Calata Porta di Massa, about a kilometre east, while the Stazione Marittima cruise terminal adjoins Beverello.
- Naples–Positano: €27.50–34.00 one way, about 1 h 30, with sample departures at 08:35, 10:45, 14:05 and 14:40 in high season, and a single daily sailing in winter.
- Naples–Sorrento: €15.00–20.50, about 40 minutes, first sailing around 09:00 and last around 18:30.
- Naples–Capri: €21.50 on a fast craft and €14.80 on the ship, on the fares published by Caremar, 50 minutes against 1 h 25, plus the €5.00 landing tax.
Figures taken from the companies' own websites. Timetables change month by month, so check the day before.
The first twenty minutes out of Beverello run with Vesuvius off the port side: the best part of the crossing.
Overland: Circumvesuviana, trains and buses
The Circumvesuviana leaves Napoli Porta Nolana and Garibaldi, below the main station, roughly every 30 minutes: first train between 05:36 and 05:39, last around 22:14, and 50–75 minutes to Sorrento depending on the number of stops. Fares are quoted at €4 to €5 depending on the source. It is a commuter line — no luggage racks, no air conditioning worth the name, and standing room by mid-morning — so travel light or travel early.
The Campania Express, the tourist train with reserved seats calling at Ercolano, Pompeii, Castellammare, Vico and Sorrento, costs €15 one way but runs only in season: in 2026 EAV suspended it from 1 October, refunding tickets bought for dates after 30 September, so check the calendar in force on the EAV site.
From Sorrento you continue on the SITA 5070 bus to Positano and Amalfi (about 90 minutes to Amalfi) or by ferry. Alternatively, aim for the far end of the coast: there are 119 direct trains a day between Naples and Salerno, the Frecciarossa taking 37 minutes from about €20 and regional services from about €6. From Salerno the Travelmar ferry reaches Amalfi in 35 minutes for €12.00. That is the quickest way onto the eastern coast, set out on the from Salerno page.
Napoli Centrale is where both the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento and the fast trains to Salerno begin: two different doors onto the same coast.
From Capodichino airport
There is no public bus running straight from Naples airport to Amalfi or Positano. In practice you have three options:
- The Curreri bus to Sorrento, €10 one way and €18 return, eight departures a day, about 80 minutes; it goes from the coach area beyond the taxi rank, with the ticket desk outside Terminal 1 arrivals from 06:30 to 20:30. It takes hold luggage, which the trains do not really. From Sorrento continue by bus or ferry: see the from Sorrento page.
- The Alibus shuttle to Molo Beverello and then a hydrofoil, worth it only if you land early in the morning and want to reach Positano the same day.
- A private transfer or taxi, the fastest and the dearest.
The full transport picture, with the ferry fare table and the calendar for the number-plate scheme, is on the getting to the Amalfi Coast page.
The organised tour: when it makes sense
The nine-hour product picks up in central Naples, drives down to the coast, includes a stretch by boat and takes in Positano, Amalfi and Sorrento. With 1,471 reviews and a 4.8 average it is thoroughly proven, but it helps to know what you are buying: an overview, not a stay. The stops in each town are short, free time is limited, and the boat is one segment of the day.
It makes sense in three cases: you have a single day in Naples, you do not want to drive the SS163, or you are travelling in low season when direct sailings thin out. It makes no sense with two days: better to move down to the coast and take a boat there, choosing among the formats listed in all boat tours or the private trips.
To pair the ruins with the sea, the combined day is on the Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast page; if you are arriving by cruise ship, timings and margins are on the cruise passengers page.
The SS163: beautiful and very slow. Sorrento to Amalfi takes the bus about 90 minutes, more in traffic.
A realistic day, hour by hour
This is how the version by sea unfolds, the one with the best ratio of travelling to coast.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 07:45 | Metro to Municipio, collect the ticket at Molo Beverello |
| 08:35 | Hydrofoil leaves for Positano |
| about 10:05 | Ashore at the Spiaggia Grande jetty |
| 10:30–13:00 | Short boat trip, a swim, or a walk through the town |
| 13:00–14:30 | Lunch, at Positano terrace prices |
| 15:00 | Ferry to Amalfi, €10.00, about 25 minutes |
| 15:30–17:30 | The cathedral, the cloister and the seafront at Amalfi |
| 17:30–18:00 | Back towards Salerno or Sorrento, then the train to Naples |
The pinch point is always the last connection. Return times shift month by month and evening sailings are few: check them on the company's site the night before rather than trusting a memory from another trip.
What the day costs
On transport alone, the version by sea works out at roughly €55–70 per person return, combining the hydrofoil out with a ferry plus train back. Overland — Circumvesuviana plus SITA bus — comes in under €20 but adds at least an hour and a half to the round trip.
On top of that comes whatever you do on the coast: a shared boat tour is €86–95 per person, the short run to the Fiordo di Furore €36, lunch in a trattoria €20–30 a head. A nine-hour coach tour bundles all of it under one price, which should be compared against that total, not against the ferry ticket alone.
How to shape the day
- If you want Positano: the 08:35 hydrofoil, a boat trip or the beach, and back on the last afternoon connection. Check that return time before you leave, not after.
- If you want Amalfi and Ravello: train to Salerno and ferry, cheaper and more reliable when the sea is up.
- If you want to see everything in a day: the organised tour, accepting the short stops.
- If you have two days: sleep on the coast. That is the difference between seeing the coast and spending time on it, as the trip planning page explains.
Naples to the Amalfi Coast is entirely doable, provided you choose honestly: much of the day will be travel, and the quality depends on how early the first departure is. Check current pricing and availability on the Naples tour with a boat trip, or look at all departures from Naples towards the coast and compare with the Sorrento to Positano and Amalfi trip if you decide to move base.
