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Destinations · Italy

The Amalfi Coast

Villages stacked above a blue sea, lemon terraces and a road that is more beautiful to look at than to drive. Fly to Naples, leave the car, and move by ferry.

Best: May, June and September6 to 9 days

Why here

Fifty kilometres of coast between Sorrento and Salerno, where the mountains fall straight into the sea and thirteen towns cling to the gaps. Positano is the famous one, Amalfi the old maritime republic with the cathedral, Ravello the quiet one 350 m up with two of Italy's finest gardens. Behind them, the Path of the Gods runs along the cliff tops. Capri and Pompeii are each a short trip away. It is a place to slow down, eat well, and take a boat everywhere.

A week that works

Two nights in Sorrento to arrive gently, with a day at Pompeii (30 minutes by train) or Capri (25 minutes by fast ferry). Then three nights in Positano or, for fewer crowds and lower prices, Praiano next door: a morning on the Path of the Gods from Bomerano down to Nocelle, ferries along the coast to Amalfi and back, and a lot of sitting on terraces. Finish with two nights in Ravello for Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone and an evening concert in the summer festival, then a taxi down to Salerno and the train back to Naples airport.

Do you need a car?

No. This is the one destination where we advise against it. The coast road is a single narrow lane in each direction, gridlocked from May to September, and parking in Positano costs €5 to €8 an hour when you can find it. Ferries run between all the towns from April to October, SITA buses fill the gaps, and hotels arrange transfers from Naples airport for around €120 to €150. Spend the car money on a private boat afternoon instead.

Good to know

  • Stairs are everywhere. Positano especially is vertical; check how many steps your hotel is from the road and the beach.
  • Book restaurants, the Path of the Gods transfer and any Capri day well ahead in high season. Pompeii tickets are timed.
  • July and August are hot, full and expensive. May, June and September have the same light and warm sea with room to move.
  • Lemons are the local crop: limoncello, delizia al limone, and spaghetti al limone are all worth trying at least once.
  • Ferries stop in rough seas, usually a few days a year in shoulder season; keep one flexible day at the end.

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