The Amalfi Coast drive: route, stops and how long to take

The most beautiful road in Italy, and the most stressful to actually drive.

Distance

About 30 miles / 50 km

Time needed

4–6 days based in one or two towns

Best time to drive

May to early June, and late September — warm sea, open ferries, and no August gridlock

The Amalfi Coast road is spectacular and short: fifty kilometres of cliffside hairpins between Sorrento and Salerno. What people underestimate is how slow and how tense it is. Buses take the corners wide, parking barely exists, and in August it becomes a car park with a view.

The better version of this trip is to drive in, park the car, and use ferries and buses along the coast. You get the same views from the water, with nobody white-knuckling the wheel.

The stops

bothways Get started

The Amalfi Coast drive: route, stops and how long to take

The most beautiful road in Italy, and the most stressful to actually drive.

Distance

About 30 miles / 50 km

Time needed

4–6 days based in one or two towns

Best time to drive

May to early June, and late September — warm sea, open ferries, and no August gridlock

The better version of this trip is to drive in, park the car, and use ferries and buses along the coast. You get the same views from the water, with nobody white-knuckling the wheel.

The stops

The practical base: train connection to Naples, ferries everywhere, and cheaper than the coast towns.

PositanoOVERNIGHT

The vertical postcard town. Beautiful, expensive, and a long stair climb from anywhere to anywhere.

PraianoOVERNIGHT

Between the famous two, half the price, and the best sunset on the coast.

Amalfi and Atrani

Amalfi has the cathedral and the crowds; Atrani is a ten-minute walk away and nearly empty.

Ravello

Up in the hills above Amalfi: gardens, terraces and the best view of the whole coastline.

Capri

A ferry day from Sorrento. Go early, get out of Capri town, and take the chairlift up Monte Solaro.

Pompeii or Naples

Both an easy train ride from Sorrento, and both better than another day of coast traffic.

Map your nights on bothways

Plan the trip by where you're sleeping, not by mileage.

Logistics worth sorting first

Base in one or two towns rather than moving daily — the drive between them eats hours
Use SITA buses and ferries along the coast; park the car for the duration
Ferries stop running in rough weather and outside the April–October season
Book accommodation with parking included, or budget €25–40 a night for it

Driving this with a group

Big groups struggle here: the towns are vertical, restaurants are small, and hotels rarely have adjoining rooms. Splitting into two apartments in Praiano or Sorrento works far better than one hotel in Positano — and keep the ferry times on a shared plan, because a missed sailing means a two-hour bus.

Should you rent a car for the Amalfi Coast?

Only to get there. Once you've arrived, ferries and buses are faster, cheaper and much less stressful than driving and parking.

Where should you stay on the Amalfi Coast?

Sorrento for value and transport links, Praiano for views at a fair price, Positano if the budget doesn't matter. Amalfi town is central but busy.

When should you avoid the Amalfi Coast?

August, when the road jams and prices peak, and November to March, when many hotels, restaurants and ferries shut down.

The Amalfi Coast drive: route, stops and how long to take

The stops

The Amalfi Coast drive: route, stops and how long to take

The stops

Logistics worth sorting first

Driving this with a group

Common questions