Amalfi Coast Towns

There are several town you can choose to stay in on your visit to the Amalfi Coast depending on what you’re looking for. It’s also easy to visit other towns as day trips once you’re there so you can easily see several towns during your trip!

Sorrento:

Best For: Most Accessible from Sorrento, Best Range of Accommodation Options

Sorrento is the most accessible town on the Amalfi coast, as it is the closest to Naples and is connected to Naples via the train. Most other towns require taking a bus from Sorrento or booking a private transfer or ferry from Naples. Sorrento is a great place to go if you’re looking for cheaper accomodations, easiest town to get to, but also accessibility to the rest of the Amalfi coast.

In terms of views and beaches it is probably my least favorite of the towns on the Amalfi Coast, but it is still beautiful. It also offers a lot of restaurants, shopping and nightlife!

Positano:

Best For: Typical Amalfi Coast Views

Positano is the most infamous of the Amalfi Coast towns, and for good reason. The colorful cliffside houses stacked up from the beach into the rocky mountains are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. If you’re looking for the quintessential Amalfi Coast experience, I would definitely recommend Positano.

That being said, the rocky landscape, while giving it it’s charm, means Positano is not the most accessible place. There are several main roads, but many of them are only connected by windy rocky paths with a LOT of stairs. Our Airbnb offered stunning views, but was literally only accessible from the beach by roughly 750 stairs (it took over 15 minutes of purely uphill or stairs walking to get there) This was fine for us, but definitely something to keep in mind, that to get around Positano you will need to take the stairs at some point even if your hotel is accessible by a main road!

Amalfi Town

Best For: A more authentic Amalfi Coast feel with less crowds

A bit farther down the coast past Positano is Amalfi, another charming Amalfi Coast town. It’s smaller and less touristy than Positano and is more hilly than stair-filled, but it still offers a wide range of restaurant and bar options! Amalfi has grown in popularity, but still feels a bit more authentic than Positano or Sorrento to me. It’s a great option if you want a Positano-like experience for a beat cheaper with slightly less crowds!

Capri:

Best For: Feeling like a 1950’s Hollywood Movie Star

While not technically a town, the small island of Capri oozes with wealth & glamour. Despite the landscape being similar to other Amalfi Coast towns, Capri is known for it’s ritzy villas that look like hotels, but actually are single-family villas with stunning views. In recent years Lake Como in Northern Italy has become the buzzy spot for celebrities, but Capri retains it’s celebrity getaway feel!

Fortunately, it’s still accessible for us non-celebrities and offers a range of options for people who didn’t arrive on private yachts. The rocky island offers some stunning views & unique experiences (like the Blue Grotto) and is definitely worth a visit even if you don’t stay there!

Best things to do in the Amalfi Coast

Catch the Sunset in Positano:

For me, Positano has the best sunsets in the Amalfi Coast (see picture above) and even if you’re not staying in Positano you should definitely find time to see a sunset there. Bar Franco is a great place to catch the sunset if you’re in Positano

Spend a day Exploring Capri:

No matter where you’re stating in the Amalfi Coast Capri is a short ferry ride away. Capri is a great day trip. Some of my top recommendations for Capri would be:

• Hike or take the funicular up to the city center
• Explore Marina Piccola
• Grab drinks at Capri Rooftop
• Explore Giardini di Augosto
• Take a boat tour and see the infamous Blue Grotto
• Take a trip to the small town of Anacapri

Head to Music on the Rocks in Positano:

If you’re interested in having a night out while you’re in the Amalfi Coast, Music on the Rocks in Positano needs to be on your list! Located at the end of the beach in Positano. It’s a massive stone structure, so you can’t miss it. Inside the “cave” you’ll find a DJ and tons of people on any night of the week.

Explore Amalfi Town:

Amalfi is a great town to day trip to and spend a few lazy hours exploring the hilly streets and shops. Three are tons of great little cafes, bars and restaurants, or you can grab some drinks at the beach!

Getting to the Amalfi Coast

To get anywhere in the Amalfi Coast you’ll need to get to Naples, from there you can begin the next leg of your journey to your chosen Amalfi Coast town. From Naples you can either get a ferry, take a train or get a private transfer

Naples is connected to all major Italian cities via train and only takes a little over an hour.

Naples to Sorrento:

By Train: Trains run from Naples to Sorrento regularly. Three are two options, the local Circumvesuviana trains or the Campania Express Trains. T

he local trains are cheaper and take a little over an hour, but they are extremely crowded (especially if you’re trying to bring luggage) and they are almost always running very late.

The Express train takes about 45 minutes and require pre-booking but come with assigned seats, so they’re much easier for planning and traveling with luggage.

You can find details on the local train here: https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/naples-to-sorrento-train-schedule $5-10

You can find details on the Express Train here: https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/campania-express-train-schedule $15

By Ferry: The ferry from Naples to Sorrento takes about 45 minutes (the Naples ferry port is located about 15 minutes from the train station) Ferry Hopper is a great place to compare companies and prices. Average Cost $15

By Private Transfer: Private transfers are the most stress free way to get to the Amalfi coast from Naples. These tend to be more expensive options, but sometimes with a lot of luggage, the convenience is worth it. There are also sometimes semi-private transfer options that can be slightly cheaper. You can check out options here. We just took a semi-private transfer from Naples to Positano for 40 Euro a person, Sorrento would normally be even cheaper.

Naples to Positano:

By Train & Bus: To get to Positano from Naples by train and bus you’ll need to take the train to Sorrento and then the bus to Positano. See info above for getting the train to Sorrento.

From Sorrento to Positano you’ll need to catch the SITA bus that run along the Amalfi Coast towns. The bus runs daily between Sorrento and Amalfi, stopping in Positano along the way. The bus takes about one hour $3

By Ferry: The ferry from Naples to Positano takes about 2 hours (the Naples ferry port is located about 15 minutes from the train station) Ferry Hopper is a great place to compare companies and prices. Average Cost $30

By Private Transfer: Private transfers are the most stress free way to get to the Amalfi coast from Naples. These tend to be more expensive options, but sometimes with a lot of luggage, the convenience is worth it. There are also sometimes semi-private transfer options that can be slightly cheaper. You can check out options here. We just took a semi-private transfer from Naples to Positano for 40 Euro a person

Naples to Amalfi:

By Train & Bus: To get to Amalfi from Naples by train and bus you’ll need to take the train to Sorrento and then the bus to Amalfi. See instruction on getting the train to Sorrento above.

From Sorrento to Amalfi you’ll need to catch the SITA bus that run along the Amalfi Coast towns. The bus runs daily between Sorrento and Amalfi, stopping in Positano along the way. The bus takes about 90 minutes $3

By Ferry:The ferry from Naples to Amalfi takes about 2 hours (the Naples ferry port is located about 15 minutes from the train station) Ferry Hopper is a great place to compare companies and prices. Average Cost $30

By Private Transfer: Private transfers are the most stress free way to get to the Amalfi coast from Naples. These tend to be more expensive options, but sometimes with a lot of luggage, the convenience is worth it. There are also sometimes semi-private transfer options that can be slightly cheaper. You can check out options here. We just took a semi-private transfer from Naples to Positano for 40 Euro a person. Amalfi is a bit farther, and would cost slightly more

Getting Around the Amalfi Coast

Once you’re in the Amalfi Coast the easiest way to get from town to town is definitely by ferry. There are ferries connecting all major Amalfi towns. I always use Ferry Hopper to compare routes, times and prices ahead of time!

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