Planning an Amalfi Coast trip comes down to one decision: whether you move by sea or by road. Go by sea and you travel on fixed published fares, avoid the number-plate restrictions altogether and see the coast from the only angle it is famous for. Go by road and you spend half your holiday in a queue on the SS163.
Below are three itineraries built on real ferry departures, a budget table with every line item priced, the comparison with the Cinque Terre that most people are weighing up, and a straight answer on which town to use as a base. Every figure comes from official fares and published price lists.
How many days you need
- 1 day: you do one thing properly. Do not attempt Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and Capri in the same day.
- 2 days: two towns plus a short trip on the water.
- 3 days: the right formula. Towns, a boat, and something high up (Ravello or a footpath).
- 4–5 days: add Capri, or walk the Path of the Gods at a civilised pace.
The coastal ferry: 35 minutes from Salerno to Amalfi, with no hairpins and no car park to find.
One-day itinerary
Starting from Salerno, the cheapest base and the one with the best train service.
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 08:40 | Travelmar ferry Salerno–Amalfi from Molo Masuccio (€12, about 35 min) |
| 09:20 | Cathedral of Sant'Andrea and the Paper Museum (10:00–19:00, 1 March to 2 November) |
| 11:30 | Two-hour boat trip to the Fiordo di Furore with a swim stop (€36 per person) |
| 14:00 | Lunch in Amalfi (€20–30) |
| 15:30 | Ferry Amalfi–Positano (€10, about 25 min) and a walk down to Spiaggia Grande |
| 18:00 | Back; the last Travelmar sailing from Amalfi towards Salerno is around 18:00 |
The centrepiece is the two-hour trip to the Fiordo di Furore: at €36 it is the cheapest ticket onto the water anywhere on this coast. If you are coming from Sorrento instead, there is the 8-hour trip with transfers included.
Two-day itinerary
Day 1 — the water. Morning: a boat along the coast with swim and snorkelling stops. The benchmark product out of Positano is the trip with snorkelling and drinks on board at €95 per person (price on GetYourGuide, checked). Afternoon: the beach. In Positano a sunbed and parasol at Spiaggia Grande costs €25–40 per person; at Fornillo it starts at €15.
Day 2 — the stone. Ferry to Amalfi, then the SITA bus up to Ravello (about 30 minutes). Villa Rufolo is €8 full price, Villa Cimbrone €7. Come down in the late afternoon and eat in one of the smaller towns.
Three-day itinerary
Day 1 — Amalfi and Atrani. The cathedral, the Paper Museum (€7 adults), then the five-minute walk round to Atrani, the most intact village on the coast. In the afternoon, the Grotta dello Smeraldo: €7 entry, open 10:00–16:00, reached by the Cooperativa Sant'Andrea boat from Molo Pennello (about €10 return) or by the lift down from the SS163.
Day 2 — open water. A full day on a boat with swim stops between Li Galli, Capo di Conca and the Fiordo di Furore. If there are four or more of you, a private boat often works out cheaper than four shared seats.
Day 3 — high ground. The Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei) from Bomerano to Nocelle, 4.5 km plus the descent into Positano, three to four hours in all: full detail in the guide to the coastal footpaths. Afternoon in Positano, then the ferry back.
The SS163: 40 km from Vietri to Positano, with alternate number plates 10:00–18:00 for much of the season.
The real budget, line by line
Figures taken from official price lists and council tariffs.
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Positano tourist tax | €2.50–5.00 per person per night | 1 Apr–31 Oct, under-tens exempt |
| Amalfi tourist tax | €1.50–5.00 per person per night | full rate for 4 nights, then 50% |
| Minori tourist tax | €2.00–4.00 per person per night | by category |
| Ferry Salerno–Amalfi | €12.00 (children €6.00) | about 35 min, Travelmar |
| Ferry Amalfi–Positano | €10.00 (children €5.00) | about 25 min |
| Ferry Amalfi–Minori or Maiori | €5.00 | the cheapest crossing on the coast |
| Ferry Amalfi–Capri | €23.00 (€43.50 return) | Alicost, plus €5 landing tax |
| SITA 24-hour bus pass | €10.00 (€12.00 with Positano's town buses) | not sold on board |
| Sunbed and parasol | €15–40 per person | Fornillo from €15, Spiaggia Grande €25–40 |
| Lunch in a trattoria | €20–30 per person | |
| Three-course dinner | €30–75 per person | €30–60 in Amalfi, €40–75 in Positano |
| Group boat tour | €36–149 per person | 2 hours from Amalfi at €36, 6 hours from Salerno at €149 |
| Amalfi Luna Rossa car park | €4.00/h in summer, €20–25 a day | €2.00–3.00/h off season |
Add a room, the tax, two meals, a ferry and a coffee and a realistic day sits between €90 and €220 per person. Almost all of that spread comes down to the standard of your accommodation and the month you travel.
Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre?
| Amalfi Coast | Cinque Terre | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting around | ferry and SITA bus, 25–70 minutes between towns | local train, a few minutes between villages |
| Size | 13 towns across about 40 km of coast | five villages very close together |
| On the water | sea caves, a fjord, Li Galli, Capri for a €23 ferry | fine swimming, but no island nearby |
| Walking | Path of the Gods, Valle delle Ferriere, Path of the Lemons | a network of coastal paths, paid for with a card |
| Cost | higher, above all in Positano | generally more contained |
| Suits | people who want boats, cooking and great villas | people who want to walk and not think about logistics |
The practical test: if your idea of a holiday involves getting on a boat, the Amalfi Coast wins outright. If you want a train every twenty minutes and no logistics at all, the Cinque Terre are simpler.
Which town to stay in
- Amalfi — the rational choice. Travelmar and Alicost ferries from Molo Pennello, SITA buses 5070 and 5120 from the terminal, five minutes on foot from everything. Dinner €30–60.
- Positano — the prettiest and the hardest work: you go down and back up by steps, and the Spiaggia Grande jetty is at the very bottom. With heavy suitcases it is punishing.
- Praiano — halfway along, cheaper, with Marina di Praia as its landing. You will need the bus for almost everything.
- Maiori and Minori — flat, with proper seafronts, a Travelmar stop and lower prices. Excellent with children.
- Ravello — quiet, high and beachless: wonderful for two nights, awkward as your only base.
- Salerno — a real city, with high-speed trains, cheap hotels and ferries from Molo Masuccio 300 metres from the station. The budget-conscious choice.
- Sorrento — not on the Amalfi Coast at all, but the best transport hub in the area; the 8-hour trips with transfers leave from here.
Atrani, five minutes' walk from Amalfi: the most intact village on the coast and the cheapest place to eat.
When to come
| Month | Sea | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| April | 15.9 °C | ferries picking up from 1 April, few people |
| May | 19.0 °C | mid-May is the best window for value |
| June | 23.1 °C | long days, sunset at 20:36 on 21 June in Positano |
| July–August | 26.0–26.7 °C | everything full, number plates restricted daily from 1 August |
| September | 24.9 °C | the favourite month of people who live here: warm sea, thinning crowds |
| October | 22.2 °C | last ferry sailings in early November |
Ferragosto week is the most expensive and most crowded of the year, with the Assumption procession in Positano on 15 August and fireworks over the water. Lovely, but go in knowing it.
Getting there and getting around
From Rome it is about 270 km: the Rome–Naples train takes a little over an hour, then you carry on by Frecciarossa to Salerno (37 minutes) and take the ferry, or by Circumvesuviana to Sorrento. The guide on getting here sets out every fare, while readers starting from the capital will find real timings on the trips from Rome page and anyone landing at Capodichino on the from Naples one.
SITA buses cover the whole coast, but the last one runs around 22:00: bear that in mind when you book dinner.
How to actually save money
- Sleep in Maiori, Minori or Salerno and use the ferry: you save on the room and lose nothing else.
- Buy the €10 SITA pass if you are making more than two bus journeys in a day.
- Use Fornillo beach (from €15) rather than Spiaggia Grande (€25–40).
- The two-hour trip from Amalfi at €36 gives you the sea for a fifth of the price of a full day.
- In a group of four or more, always price a private boat against shared seats: see the guide to Amalfi Coast tours.
- Book restaurants and wineries before you fly: the list is on the food and wine page, and everything on land is in things to do.
Planning an Amalfi Coast trip therefore comes down to three decisions: how many nights, which town as a base, and which day you give to the sea. Fix the boat day first, because it is the only one that depends on the weather and has to move when the sea gets up. Compare the options and real availability among the Amalfi Coast experiences and build the rest around it.
