Practical Tips
Getting to the Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast is best reached from Naples or Salerno:
- By ferry: From Salerno to Amalfi (35 min, 10 €) and Positano (70 min, 14 €) with Travelmar. From Naples to Sorrento by Circumvesuviana train (1h, 4.60 €), then bus or boat.
- By bus: SITA buses run the entire coastal road SS163 (Salerno–Amalfi–Positano–Sorrento). Breathtakingly beautiful, but slow and crowded in high season. Buy tickets in advance at the kiosk.
- By car: Only if necessary. The SS163 is narrow, winding, and congested in summer. Parking is scarce and expensive (3–5 €/hour in Positano and Amalfi).
Accommodation
The Amalfi Coast is extremely expensive in high season (June–August). Budget tips: Stay in Salerno (charming old town, 50% cheaper than Positano) and commute by boat. Or in Vietri sul Mare or Maiori — less glamorous, but more authentic and affordable. Agriturismo in the mountains behind the coast are also affordable alternatives with panoramic views.
Limoncello
The lemon liqueur of the Amalfi Coast is made from the giant Sfusato Amalfitano lemons — handpicked, sun-ripened, so aromatic that the peel alone is fragrant. Buy Limoncello directly from producers (from 8–12 € a bottle), not in tourist shops. Tip: Limoncello after a meal, ice cold, in small ceramic cups — that's how the locals do it.
Achtung
The Amalfi Coast road SS163 is a nightmare in summer: traffic jams, tour buses on single-lane sections, aggressive scooters, and hardly any room to maneuver. The more relaxed alternative: boat from Salerno or Sorrento. If you drive: early morning or evening, never midday.