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Get a JetLuxe quoteThe Amalfi Coast does not have its own airport. Almost all visitors arrive via Naples — flight to NAP, then a transfer south. The drive from Naples to Positano takes 90 minutes in light traffic and three hours in the wrong August Saturday afternoon. The last 30 minutes — the road from Sorrento around the peninsula and along the cliff edge to Positano — is the introduction to what the trip is going to be: spectacular views, terrifying corners, slow movement.
The first evening should be light. Arrive at the hotel, change into something cooler than what was packed for travel, walk to the nearest viewpoint or small piazza, order a glass of local white wine (the Greco di Tufo or Fiano from the surrounding hills, or the local Falanghina), and watch the lights come on across the cliffside. The first dinner should be at the hotel or a short walk away — wherever it is, it’s near the sea and the menu has fish on it.
For the Naples-to-Amalfi transfer specifically, the practical options are: pre-booked private car through Welcome Pickups or GetTransfer (€120–€180 for a sedan, €180–€240 for a van for groups); the Curreri shuttle bus to Sorrento (€10, 75 minutes) followed by a local connection; or rental car (manageable but the parking situation at the coast is real).
The choice of base town is the single largest determinant of the Amalfi Coast experience.
Positano. The famous one — vertical town cascading down a cliff to a small beach. Most photographed, most expensive, most crowded. Hotels and restaurants priced accordingly. For first-time visitors who want the canonical Amalfi experience and don’t mind the crowds, Positano is the choice. The town is small enough to walk in full but vertical enough that the walking is exhausting.
Amalfi. The historic capital of the coast, with the famous cathedral. Larger and flatter than Positano, slightly less photogenic, somewhat less expensive. A good middle option for travellers who want central position without Positano’s premium.
Ravello. 350 metres above sea level, on the cliff overlooking Amalfi and the coast. Smaller, quieter, more atmospheric than the coastal towns. The Belmond Hotel Caruso and the Palazzo Avino are here; Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo are the famous gardens. Best for travellers prioritising quiet luxury over sea-level beach access.
Praiano. Small town between Positano and Amalfi, less famous, with the same coast views and meaningfully lower prices. A locals’ favourite for visitors who want the views without the Positano scrum.
Atrani. Tiny town just east of Amalfi, hidden in a narrow valley. The most authentic-feeling small town on the coast, with one beach, one piazza, and a handful of restaurants. Best as a day-visit unless seeking complete quiet.
Sorrento (technically not Amalfi Coast). The town on the northern side of the peninsula. Larger, flatter, easier to navigate, lower prices than Positano. Many travellers base here and day-trip to the Amalfi towns; the trade-off is being less immersed in the actual coast atmosphere.
For first-time visitors with 4–5 nights, the practical choice is usually: 2–3 nights Positano (the canonical experience), then 2 nights Ravello (the contrast — quiet, mountain views, slower pace).
The Amalfi Coast experience is mostly about being in beautiful places rather than visiting specific attractions. The activity list per town:
Positano
The town centre is the beach (Spiaggia Grande), the main church (Santa Maria Assunta, with the famous majolica dome), the network of vertical streets connecting them. The smaller beach (Fornillo) is 15 minutes’ walk west and meaningfully calmer. The Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods) hike begins above the town and runs to Praiano — 7 km, 3 hours, one of the better walks in the region. Boat trips from the harbour to nearby beaches (Da Adolfo’s, the most-photographed beach restaurant) and around to the island of Li Galli are the local equivalent of taxi service.
Amalfi
The Duomo (cathedral) and its cloister of paradise are the main sights — €3 entry, 30–60 minutes. The Paper Museum (museum of the centuries-old local paper-making industry) is small and pleasant. The town beach is functional. Most travellers spend half a day in Amalfi before moving to the next town.
Ravello
Villa Rufolo’s gardens (the inspiration for Wagner’s Klingsor’s garden in Parsifal), Villa Cimbrone’s Terrace of Infinity (the most-photographed terrace on the coast), the cathedral. Summer concerts at Villa Rufolo are one of the more memorable European outdoor classical-music experiences.
The boat tours and the coast from the water
The coast looks meaningfully different from a boat than from the road. Half-day or full-day boat tours from any of the major towns visit small beaches, sea caves, and (for the longer tours) the island of Capri or the Li Galli archipelago. GetYourGuide aggregates the major boat-tour operators with prices from €60 per person for half-day shared tours to €600+ for private boats; the booking ahead is essential during peak season.
Capri (day trip from the coast)
The island lies offshore from the peninsula, accessible by ferry from Positano (40 minutes, summer service only) or Sorrento (year-round, more frequent). Capri-town is famous, packed, expensive. Anacapri (the upper village) is quieter and arguably more pleasant. The Blue Grotto requires its own boat plus a small rowing transfer; book early to avoid the worst queues. Capri can be done as a day trip but rewards an overnight (when the day-trippers leave and the island returns to itself).
For travellers wanting structured introduction to the coast, GetYourGuide lists multi-stop coast tours (Positano-Amalfi-Ravello in a single day, Path of the Gods guided hikes, Capri day trips from Positano or Sorrento). The trade-off is the bus-pace; the benefit is access to vantage points and timing that independent visitors find harder.
The Amalfi Coast road (SS163, the Strada Statale Amalfitana) was built in the 19th century to carry mule traffic and now carries the entire region’s tourism. Two narrow lanes, hairpin turns, cliff drops, with tourist buses, local SITA buses, scooters, rental cars, taxis, and delivery trucks all sharing the road. In summer, the traffic regularly reaches a complete standstill.
The practical transport options, ranked by how well they work:
1. Walking. Within any individual town, walking is the only option that makes sense. Between towns it’s possible but only as a hiking experience (Path of the Gods, the trails between Positano and Praiano).
2. Boats / ferries. Between coast towns and to/from Capri, the ferry network operates from April through October. From Positano: ferries to Amalfi (25 minutes), Capri (40 minutes), Sorrento (50 minutes). Faster than the road, dramatically less stressful, and more scenic. NLG and Travelmar are the main operators.
3. Private driver / pre-booked transfer. For specific journeys (airport transfer, transfer between coast towns with luggage), pre-booked drivers know the road and bypass the worst of the navigation problem. GetTransfer and Welcome Pickups arrange these. €80–€150 for typical coast-to-coast moves.
4. SITA local buses. The public bus system runs the length of the coast at reasonable prices (€2–€3 per ride). Frequent in peak season; crowded; standing room only often. Good for short hops; less good for longer trips where time matters.
5. Rental car. Manageable but stressful. The driving itself is intense; the parking at most towns is expensive and limited (€25–€40 per day at public garages; some hotels include parking, most don’t). For travellers who want to combine the Amalfi Coast with the inland regions (Cilento, Pompeii, Naples) and want flexibility, a rental car from Naples airport for the broader trip is reasonable. For pure-coast itineraries, the rental car is more burden than benefit. GetRentACar handles Naples rentals.
6. Taxis. Expensive — the coast taxis are notoriously priced — and unavoidable for some routes. Hotels can arrange.
The general recommendation for first-time visitors: rely on ferries between the major coast towns, pre-booked transfers for airport and between-town moves with luggage, and SITA buses for short cheap hops. Skip the rental car unless the broader itinerary includes inland destinations.
The Amalfi Coast cuisine is essentially Campanian seafood — different from Roman or Tuscan cooking in its emphasis on tomato, fresh seafood from the local waters, lemon (from the famous Amalfi lemons), and pasta with seafood combinations.
Spaghetti alle vongole — spaghetti with clams, white wine, garlic. The Campanian seafood staple.
Scialatielli ai frutti di mare — fresh local pasta with mixed seafood.
Linguine al limone — lemon pasta. Sounds simpler than it is when made well with the famously perfumed Sfusato Amalfitano lemons.
Delizia al limone — Amalfi’s signature dessert: lemon mousse-filled small dome cakes. Available at every pasticceria on the coast.
Limoncello — the famous lemon liqueur, served chilled after dinner. The cheap limoncello is sweet and chemical; the artisanal versions made from real Amalfi lemons are meaningfully better.
Where to eat
Hotel restaurants on the coast are mostly very good — the dining at the major properties (Le Sirenuse in Positano, Belmond Caruso in Ravello, Palazzo Avino) is among the better European hotel dining. For visitors not staying at the luxury properties, several restaurants are worth specific reservations:
For travellers wanting structured food experiences, GetYourGuide offers cooking classes (pasta-making, pizza-making), limoncello tastings at the famous producers, and food-and-wine tours from the major towns.
The Amalfi Coast luxury hotel landscape is one of Italy’s most celebrated. The properties that anchor the region:
Le Sirenuse (Positano) — the most famous hotel on the coast. Family-run since 1951, on the cliff above the main beach, exceptional service and food. Approximately €1,500–€4,000+ per night in season.
Il San Pietro di Positano — built into the cliffs east of Positano, with a private elevator down to the beach. Equally legendary. Similar pricing.
Belmond Hotel Caruso (Ravello) — the famous infinity pool with the most-photographed view on the coast. Recently renovated. €1,200–€3,500+ per night.
Palazzo Avino (Ravello) — historic palace, “The Pink Palace,” clifftop position. €800–€2,500+ per night.
Borgo Santandrea (between Positano and Amalfi) — newer addition (2022), modernist design built into the cliffs, private beach. €900–€3,000+ per night.
Capri Tiberio Palace (Capri) — the leading luxury option on the island.
Below the luxury tier
The Amalfi Coast has a meaningful gap between the legendary properties (€1,000+) and the mid-market (€250–€500). Some hotels worth noting in the mid-tier:
Premium rentals and villas
For travellers wanting villa rentals — particularly groups, families, or longer stays — Plum Guide curates premium villas across the coast, including properties with private pools, sea views, and the kind of full-service infrastructure that makes a week-long stay function. The villa route typically outperforms hotels on per-person cost at the 4+ person, 5+ night threshold; for couples on 3–4 night stays, hotels remain the simpler option.
The Amalfi Coast is the most expensive Italian destination for what it offers — the beauty is real, the experience is meaningful, but the per-day spending exceeds Rome, Florence, or Venice for equivalent quality of accommodation and food. Realistic budgets per person per day:
Budget (€200–€280). Mid-market hotel in Praiano or Atrani; one nice meal per day; ferries and SITA buses; entries to gardens and viewpoints; no boat tour.
Mid-range (€350–€600). Boutique hotel in Positano or Amalfi, or quality apartment; restaurant meals; one boat tour or Capri day; transfers between towns.
Premium (€800–€2,500+). Luxury hotel in Positano or Ravello; restaurant reservations including hotel dining; private boat day; private guides where useful; pre-booked transfers throughout.
The season multiplier is significant. May, June, and September prices are roughly 30% below July and August. April and October offer further discounts but with the risk of cooler weather and some restaurants closed. The shoulder seasons (late April, May, September, early October) are the better value-for-experience windows.
For first-time visitors balancing budget and experience: 3 nights mid-market in Positano + 2 nights mid-market in Ravello + 1 Capri day trip from Sorrento typically produces the most positive trip-evaluation. The luxury properties are exceptional but the marginal experience gain over good mid-market hotels is smaller on the Amalfi Coast than in some other Italian destinations.
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