Amalfi Coast Trip Planner: Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, and Beyond

Five days fits Positano and Amalfi, seven covers Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello with a full day on Capri, and ten adds Sorrento and the islands. Pick one or two bases, then plan your moves around the ferries and the SITA bus. Costs climb fastest in Positano and in July-August; basing in Sorrento or Salerno saves the most.

No. The Amalfi Coast is in Italy, part of the EU's Schengen Area, so US, UK, Canadian, and Australian passport holders can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The EU's ETIAS travel authorization (a quick online form, not a visa) is not yet running, and the EU will announce its start date several months ahead. Check the official EU ETIAS site for the current start date before you book. The 90-day clock is shared across all Schengen countries combined.

Yes, the Amalfi Coast is among the safer destinations in Italy, with low violent crime and solo, family, and older travelers common everywhere. The real risks are physical rather than criminal: steep staircases and uneven steps in Positano and Ravello, cliff-edge trails like the Path of the Gods, the narrow SS163 road, and strong sun in summer. In the wider region, watch for pickpocketing in crowded Naples and on the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii. Swim near flagged areas and check the sea forecast before booking boat trips.

May, June, September, and October are the Amalfi Coast's best months: highs run 19.8 °C (68 °F) to 25.2 °C (77 °F) across them, under August's 27.9 °C (82 °F) peak. June's sea turns swimmable at 21.7 °C (71 °F) and stays warm through October; May's, at 17.6 °C (64 °F), is still cool. July and August bring the heaviest crowds, with hotel nights across Italy at their peak and the odd-even plate rule running weekends in July and daily in August. Winter is very quiet, with many hotels and boats closed.

Five days covers Positano and Amalfi, with a day trip to Ravello's Villa Rufolo and a half-day on the Path of the Gods built in. Seven days lets you take in Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello at a steady pace and add a full day on Capri without rushing. Ten days adds Sorrento as a calmer base, day trips to Pompeii and Vesuvius, and a second island or the slower towns most trips skip. The coast is compact but slow to move around, so build in buffer for ferries and traffic.

Ferries are the fastest and most scenic way between Positano, Amalfi, and the islands from roughly April to October. SITA Sud buses run the full SS163 between Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, and Salerno year-round, with a separate bus climbing to Ravello. Driving yourself is hardest: an odd-even plate rule runs weekends in summer and daily in August and September, with 2027's dates not yet published; hotel guests may drive only to arrive on check-in day and leave on check-out day. Most visitors skip the rental and use ferries and buses instead.

Most travelers fly into Naples (NAP) or arrive by high-speed train at Naples Centrale, then continue to the coast. From Naples, the Circumvesuviana train or the Campania Express runs to Sorrento, from where ferries and SITA buses reach Positano and Amalfi; in summer, seasonal ferries also run direct from Naples and Salerno. A private transfer from Naples is the simplest door-to-door option if you have luggage. Salerno, at the coast's eastern end, is another rail gateway with ferries west to Amalfi and Positano.

For a first trip, Sorrento is the most practical single base: more hotels, easier transport, lower prices, and ferries and buses fanning out to the whole coast and Capri. Positano is the classic choice but the priciest and most stair-heavy, best for a night or two rather than the whole trip. A common plan is a couple of nights in Positano or Praiano for the cliff-town experience, then Sorrento or Amalfi for the day trips. Avoid changing hotels every night; the towns are close but slow to move between.

Capri is an easy ferry hop from Positano, Amalfi, or Sorrento, fastest from Sorrento. Take an early boat to beat the midday day-trip crowds, then ride the funicular up to Capri town's Piazzetta, walk to the Gardens of Augustus over the Faraglioni stacks, and head to Anacapri for the Monte Solaro chairlift. The Blue Grotto only opens when the sea is calm and the queue can be long, so go early and check conditions. Book the boat tour ahead in summer.

This is lemon-and-seafood country. Try spaghetti alle vongole (clams), scialatielli ai frutti di mare (a local seafood pasta), and Cetara's colatura di alici, an amber anchovy sauce spooned over pasta. Amalfi's giant sfusato lemons flavor everything, from delizia al limone (a lemon-cream sponge) to the limoncello made up and down the coast. Look for fresh mozzarella di bufala from nearby Campania and the Furore and Tramonti wines, grown in the hills above the coast for centuries. Buy lemons, limoncello, and colatura di alici from Amalfi, Minori, and Cetara.