When to go: One of the most important things to take into account when booking this trip is that the ferries only run from the beginning of April until the end of October so you should only book the trip during those months. We actually went in November and we had to drive instead of moving around via ferries. I do not recommend this option as the roads are absolutely insane and not only that but it takes ages to go from village to village. To give you an example, it takes 1 hour 30 mins to go from Sorrento to Amalfi and the distance is only 32 km, and by boat it takes 55 minutes. Also, you have to add the complexity of the parking… the spaces to park are very limited and the prices absolutely crazy. Also, I would try to avoid this area during the moths of July and August. The Amalfi coast towns are really small and it is one of the most visited places in Europe and I read that the crowds are insane and can ruin the experience.
Where to stay: the best options are Sorrento or Salerno. I would not stay in the towns of the Amalfi coast as it is much more expensive and you have less services than in Sorrento or Salerno that are bigger, cheaper and have more restaurants and shopping selections. Also they are super well located and perfect to take the ferries.
In both cases, I would recommend to stay at an apartment or B&B as the prices are better and there are more options to choose from. In Sorrento, I recommend the B&B “Corso 38 Sorrento” that is very well located in the city centre and also at a very good distance from the Marina Piccola where you can take the ferry from. In Salerno, I recommend “Le Terrazze sul Cortile”, again very well located and near to the marina.
We stayed in Sorrento and we loved it! Highly recommended in my opinion.
How many days do you need: if you are only visiting the Amalfi Coast I believe that 3 is probably enough but I would try to do a longer trip and combine it with other activities like Pompeii, Capri or Naples.
How to get there: you will have to fly into Naples and there you can either rent a car or take the bus from the airport. As mentioned previously once in Salerno or Sorrento, I would move by ferry from Salerno or Sorrento. The bus from Naples airport to Salerno and Sorrento takes approximately 75 minutes.
Day 1: Atrani, Amalfi & Ravello
The main thing to do on the Amalfi coast is to walk around the villages, go up and down a lot of stairs and enjoy the beautiful sun while having a drink on a terrace. I think it is important to note that this is not Rome! So you are not going there for the sightseeing and old monuments, you are there to see cute small towns and enjoy the sea views, and all of this is connected by the most surreal road that I have seen in my life…(and trust me I have been in India!)
Even though Atrani is not as famous as Amalfi or Positano, it is worth visiting the same day that you are visiting Amalfi as they are very close to each other. Atrani feels smaller, a bit less touristic and more relaxed. The inconvenient thing is that the ferry does not stop here so either you can get off in Amalfi and walk for 10 to 15 min along the road over looking at the sea or you can take a taxi from Amalfi that would take 3 minutes.
When you come back to Amalfi, have a walk around one of the most iconic spots of the Amalfi coast… the Duomo di Amalfi and the square where it is located. For lunch a good option is “Taverna Buonvicino” that is slightly further from the centre of the town. After lunch you should of course have a lemon ice cream as the lemons from this area ate famous all over the world!
Ravello is basically located on the top of the mountain overlooking Amalfi and does not have sea access. However, the views from here, in particular on a sunny day, are incredible. You can get to Ravello from Amalfi by taxi or bus. The taxi costa between 10 and 12 euros and it is much faster and more comfortable than the bus. In Ravello, you should visit the Villa Rufolo and enjoy the fabulous views.
Day 2: Positano
I think when someone thinks of the Amalfi coast automatically you think of Positano… the colourful houses hanging from the cliff and the blue ocean in the background… and yes it is as beautiful as in the pictures.
I would spend a full day in Positano just walking around the streets, having drinks in nice terraces and just enjoying a relaxing day. It is worth walking down to the beach and also admiring the view from the bottom of the town.
In terms of “must dos”:
Go to Le Sirenuse hotel garden to have a drink
Have lunch overlooking the breath-taking views… a couple of nice options are “Mirage” and “Il Tridente”
Walk on the beach
Go into every shop! Even if it is just to look!
Get the perfect picture at Spiaggia Grande
Day 3: Vietri Sul Mare & Sorrento/Salerno
Vietri sul Mare is the final town that makes up the Amalfi Coast and it is very close to Salerno so it is definitely worth having a walk around if you are staying there. Vietri is particularly famous for its ceramics so the best plan is to have a walk around the shops and admire the beautiful pieces. You can also visit the “Ceramic Museum” that is in a beautiful Villa surrounded by a park.
A good option to have lunch is “Passariello Cantina Mediterranea”.
Sorrento and Salerno are not only good base camp spots, it is also worth seeing both towns if possible and spending some time exploring. Our last day we spent some hours walking around Sorrento during the day as we really liked it during our evening trips. As mentioned at the beginning as we were staying in Sorrento we had dinner every night at Sorrento. Some places that I would recommend to have dinner are:
Pizzeria da Franco: one of the most famous pizzerias of Sorrento
O’Puledrone: great place at the port for seafood and fish
Ristorante Donna Sofia: classic italian
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