Ah Italy, its food, its landscapes, its charm… We love this neighboring country. One of our dreams was to take a road trip on the Amalfi Coast, and it’s done! If the entire Amalfi Coast road is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there is a reason … The views are breathtaking.

Update 2023 : Did you know that limoncello, a famous Italian liqueur, is closely linked to the Amalfi Coast ? This region is famous for growing lemons, and limoncello is made from these juicy, fragrant citrus fruits. Lemons from the Amalfi Coast have a thick skin and a unique flavour due to the Mediterranean climate and rich🍋 soil. The traditional production of limoncello involves macerating lemon peel in alcohol for several weeks, then adding sugar and water to make a sweet, refreshing liqueur. So when you visit the Amalfi Coast, be sure to try the local limoncello and enjoy its tangy, sunny taste !

So we’ll help you plan your itinerary on theAmalfi Coast with some must-see places and some not.

Itinerary for our road trip

Day 1

• Visit Positano

Day 2

• Visit to Amalfi
• Visit to Ravello

Day 3

• Boat trip to Capri

Day 4

• Boat trip to Procida
• or Visit Pompeii and climb Mount Vesuvius

How to get to the Almafitan coast ?

The easiest way is to take a flight to Naples. You can find the cheapest flights on this comparator. Once landed, allow around 1 hour 30 minutes to reach Positano by car. A taxi costs between € 100 and € 150 to get to Positano.

You can also go to Naples station to catch a train that will take you to the coast for around € 5. See the timetable here. 

Should you visit Naples ?

We had decided to arrive a day before the start of our Amalfi Coast road trip to visit Naples. As we had specified in the story, we were very disappointed. Naples is (in our opinion) a dirty, noisy and not very busy city. We didn’t see any particular interest in it.

☀️When to take a road trip on the Amalfi Coast ?

If possible, prefer May / June or September / October. We hiked the coast in the middle of August and obviously it was very busy. In addition, the heat does not help to appreciate the beautiful towns built on the cliffs and their many steps.

How to get around the Amalfi Coast ?

We strongly advise you to rent a 2 wheeler, the best being a Vespa road trip to blend in with the Italian scenery. You will have a real feeling of freedom and a much clearer view than in a passenger compartment.

🛣️ If you want to visit the Amalfi Coast the Italian way, do not hesitate to contact The Vespa Trip. Their Vespas are at the top and the company is very serious ! They offer different formulas :

• 3 days / 4 nights with a fixed hotel: the advantage is being able to rest at the hotel whenever you want and not pack your bags every day

• A week with a different hotel every night: no need to go back and forth to the hotel between each visit. Your luggage is brought to the hotels by The Vespa Trip team.

If you don’t want to go through The Vespa Trip, here are our tips for accommodation on the Amalfi Coast :

➡️Where to sleep to visit the Amalfi Coast ?

For small budgets

If you want to put a limited budget on your accommodation, we advise you to go to the heights and get away from the main points of interest. Positano is a bit like the Italian Saint-Tropez, so the prices for hotels and b & bs are high.

Here is a selection of hotels, well placed for visiting the Amalfi Coast :

• Hotel Bacco : magnificent sea view, located on the heights between Positano and Amalfi. The hotel is good value for money and is located in the middle of various points of interest.
• Roccia Fiorita : charming guest house, decorated typical of the region. It is located right next to Hotel Bacco, between Positano and Amalfi. Nice sea view.
• By the sea, in a great location, Hotel La Conchiglia looks great. The sea view has something to do with it… Count around 150 € for the night.

You can find more properties on Booking.com. Refine your search by putting price filters !

If you have a larger budget, the best is to treat yourself to nights on the coast, including one in the heart of Positano.

• To sleep in the heart of Positano, we suggest the Sovoia Hotel, which enjoys a good location and a superb view. The rooms are modern but decorated with the local style !

• Still in the heart of Positano, the Hotel Villa Franca is simply magnificent. High standing with swimming pool and views over the city.

• Ideally located between Positano and Amalfi in Praiano, the Onda Verde Hotel is sublime. It is located near the cliffs, facing the sea. The pool is amazing.

The itinerary of our road trip on the Amalfi Coast

We will detail step by step the stages of our road trip on the Amalfi Coast. For those in a hurry, we have concocted a suggested 4-day itinerary at the end of the article.

Without doubt one of the most beautiful and atypical cities that we have visited. The town of Positano has the particularity of being built vertically. Its colorful buildings on the cliff side give it an exceptional charm.

Where to park in Positano ?

It is the most visited town on the Amalfi Coast and parking is no easy task. We strongly advise you to pay for private parking and not to tempt you on the street spaces which are mostly reserved for locals. We chose the parking lot closest to the sea and found space easily in the middle of August. The price for a scooter is € 3 for one hour. If you don’t want to walk too much, don’t stop at the first parking lots! Be careful, don’t go too low either because otherwise you will have to rewrite the whole road (Positano is one-way).

No special instructions for visiting the city, let yourself be guided through its alleys 😁 But don’t forget to go down to Positano beach to contemplate the view. Open your eyes wide, it’s beautiful!

Unfortunately, a large part of the beach is private and you will have to pay the modest sum of 25 € for a deckchair 😪 And beware, these are not beautiful deckchairs with very soft mattresses. No, it’s more like a rotten old deckchair. We didn’t want to stay long, so we decided to go our way to come back the next day at the end of the day.

♥️ Our tip for visiting Positano

We recommend visiting Positano in the late afternoon / early evening. Why ? Less crowded, a magical atmosphere with all the lights starting to come on … A little tip: you can grab the deckchairs without spending a single euro and without anyone. 

Then, for small budgets or picnic enthusiasts, we advise you to order take-away pizzas at the La Pergola restaurant a few meters from the beach. They are good, not very expensive and ready in less than 10 minutes 😝 Our Pizza Margarita + Buffala cost us 9 €.

As a bonus : If the weather allows it, take the time to swim to admire the reflections of the city lights on the water. It is magic.

Our good addresses in Positano :

Smaller than Positano, allow a maximum of 2 hours to walk through the alleys of Amalfi. There are many craft shops which give them a special charm. In addition, the city is almost entirely pedestrianized. Its beach also has plenty of private sunbeds and umbrellas, so we decided not to stay there too long.

🛵 To park, head for the city port. On 2 wheels, count 1 € per hour at the parking meter.

Discover Positano and Amalfi in a different way thanks to this excursion. You’ll be amazed by the colourful houses in the heart of the Mediterranean.

What to do between Positano and Amalfi ?

The road that separates the two cities is magnificent, you will be amazed at almost every turn.

We particularly enjoyed Fiordo di Furore but, unfortunately, since this year, the place has been banned as it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We weren’t aware of it, it was just stated that it was closed for risk of falling. So we decided to take the risk !

Even if you don’t get off, it’s worth stopping there to admire the bridge and beach from above.

On Instagram, one person told us she got off too and was reprimanded by local police.

☀️ Beaches on the Amalfi Coast

The beaches all along the Amalfi Coast are difficult to reach as the road is several hundred meters above the sea. Most of the time, it is not fine sand. As a consequence of this or a simple business opportunity, most of them are covered with deckchairs, leaving little room for public spaces. The Amalfi Coast is therefore not an ideal destination for lazing on the beach. For that, we recommend Sardinia instead ☀️ ! Find our travel guide to Nothern Sardinia. 

If, however, you have the motivation to go down, take a swimming break in one of the beaches. We went to the Spaggia Gambardella, it’s very pretty, but be careful, it goes down so you have to assume the ascent afterwards 🤣.

👀 Open your eyes

On the road to the Amalfi Coast, stop whenever you want at the many viewpoints. Let yourself be guided by your desires: this is the Dolce Vita. Also, taste a lemon granita in one of the little stands that line the road. It’s delicious and it refreshes well ! 😉

Ravello is a charming little village in height, not to be missed during your road trip on the Amalfi Coast. More authentic, it is less frequented and therefore quieter.

What to do in Ravello ?

• Get lost in the small alleys and enjoy the surrounding views
• Visit Villa Rufolo : a beautiful garden in the heart of the village which offers a splendid view of the sea. We were not there because there was a classical music festival and the garden was covered by the stage and chairs. Entrance fee : € 7 per person.
• Lunch at the Mimi Pizzeria e Cucina restaurant. The terrace is adorable and the food delicious !

Road Trip on the Amalfi Coast, the essentials :

• The islands of Capri, Procida and Ischia : departures by boat can be done from Sorrento. Many excursions are available to visit these islands.

• Hike on the Path of the Gods : if you like to walk, go to the start of the hike in Bomerano to Positano. Allow 4 to 5 hours for the round trip. The views are magnificent (it seems). We didn’t want to do it because, in the middle of August, we thought that hiking + high heat + a lot of tourists didn’t mix.

• Pompeii and Vesuvius : located near Naples, these two places are emblematic and steeped in history.

• Bagni Regina Giovanna : located 10 minutes from Sorrento, this natural pool is magnificent. In addition, if you have the chance to go there out of season, you will not meet many people! Park in the car park and allow 10-15 minutes on foot to descend to the sea. See GPS coordinates.

Day 1

• Arrival
• Day and night Positano tour

• Fiordo di Furore

• Go for a swim in one of the beaches below

• Visit of Amalfi

• Ravello visit

• Boat trip on Procida
• Or Visit of Pompeii and ascent of Vesuvius
• or a canyoning trip

We hope to have helped you with the organization of your road trip on the Amalfi Coast. Do not hesitate to comment if you liked the article or to ask us additional questions ! 

This article contains affiliate links. If we’ve helped you organise your trip or you’d just like to support us, please consider booking your activities and hotels on the Amalfi Coast by clicking on our links. We’ll earn a small commission and the price stays the same for you, of course. 🤍