Amalfi Coast itinerary: 5 days, no car needed

You make the most important decision about the Amalfi Coast before you book: car or no car. The famous coast road, the SS163, is only about 7 metres wide according to the local tourism portal positano.com, and on many days in season you may drive it only on alternating days by number plate. So buses and boats aren't a compromise here, they are the sensible default. This route works without a car and runs in one direction: in via Pompeii and Sorrento, along the coast through Positano to Amalfi, then out by boat to Salerno.

The route at a glance

Boat times come from a Travelmar timetable for March 2026, and bus times are read from the SITA winter timetable valid from 2 November 2026. In summer, traffic can hold the buses up far longer. The train from Naples is covered in our day trips from Naples.

1. Naples
2. Pompeii
3. Sorrento
4. Positano
5. Amalfi
6. Ravello
7. Salerno
8. Paestum

Base map: Natural Earth

With a car or without?

Here is what the official sources say about the number-plate rule on the SS163. The city of Amalfi announced for 2026 that, under Anas ordinance no. 340 of 2019, it applied from 30 March to 6 April and from 24 April to 2 May, from 10:00 to 18:00 each day. On odd dates, cars with an odd last digit may not drive; on even dates, those with an even one may not. For October 2026, positano.com lists weekends and public holidays. In 2024, according to the city of Amalfi, it applied at weekends and on public holidays in June, July and October, and every day in August and September. We did not find an official calendar for summer 2026 or for 2027, so check the city of Amalfi or Anas before you travel.

Who is exempt: according to the same notice, residents of the 14 coastal towns, vehicles with a disabled badge holder on board, taxis and hire cars with a driver, emergency services and police, non-resident homeowners with a certificate, and hotel and guesthouse guests with a valid booking, but only for arrival and departure. An ordinary self-drive hire car is not on the list. Motorbikes and scooters are not affected.

Our advice: go without a car while you are on the coast. If you want to reach Paestum and Pompeii by car, collect it on the last day in Salerno or return it on the first day in Sorrento. Those are pure driving times from OpenStreetMap, so add about a third, and more in summer. If you do drive, compare car hire from Naples^* in advance.

Day 1: Pompeii and on to Sorrento

From Naples airport the simplest way into town is a transfer from Naples airport^* or the airport bus; see Naples airport to the city centre for details. The Circumvesuviana continues towards Sorrento and stops at Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri, right by the main entrance. Pompeii was buried when Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site today.

Note that tickets are personalised with your name, and the park sets a daily limit of 20,000 admissions. So get a ticket for Pompeii^* or use the official sales channel ahead of time. Sort out your luggage in advance too, and ask the park about its current rules. In the evening continue to Sorrento and stay there.

If you want more time in Naples itself, see how many days in Naples.

Day 2: the coast ride to Amalfi

Today the journey is the sight. Take the SITA bus from Sorrento via Positano to Amalfi and sit on the right, because in this direction the sea is on your side. That is also why the route runs this way round. In high season the buses can be full, so get to the stop early.

Get off at Positano. The village tumbles down the slope to the beach, and practically every path is a staircase. Half a day is enough. From the jetty the boat takes you on to Amalfi, in 25 minutes according to Travelmar. If the weather allows, do take the boat, because the coast looks completely different from the water. But Positano has only a landing dock and no sheltered harbour, so rough seas cancel sailings, especially from November to March.

Day 3: Ravello and Atrani

Amalfi is the best base for this trip because the lines meet here: buses to Ravello, Agerola, Sorrento and Salerno, and boats to Positano and Salerno. The town and its cathedral take you about an hour. Then the bus climbs in about 25 minutes to Ravello, which UNESCO names with Amalfi for its architectural and artistic works of great significance. The terrace gardens of Villa Rufolo are the reason to go. For the way back you can walk down to Atrani, right next to Amalfi.

Day 4: the Path of the Gods

The Sentiero degli Dei, or Path of the Gods, is the day you see the coast from above. From Amalfi the SITA bus takes about 40 minutes to Bomerano in the municipality of Agerola. The classic trail to Nocelle is about 7.8 km and takes 3 to 4 hours, mostly downhill or flat. From Nocelle about 1,700 steps lead down to Positano in 30 to 45 minutes. The path is narrow in places with some exposed cliff edges, so wear hiking shoes, carry plenty of water and skip it if you have a serious fear of heights. Sections can close after heavy rain or landslides, so ask at your accommodation first. The boat brings you back from Positano to Amalfi in 25 minutes.

If hiking isn't for you, this is the day for Capri, which is covered in our day trips from Naples.

Day 5: Salerno and Paestum

The boat from Amalfi to Salerno takes 35 minutes according to Travelmar, and the bus about 1:15 hours by the SITA winter timetable. The stop at Piazza della Concordia is close to the railway station, so you can carry straight on.

If your flight home isn't until the evening, head to Paestum, 50 km south of Salerno, whose Greek temples are part of the Cilento World Heritage Site. With a train, luggage and the return to Naples, that makes a long day, so it is only an option. Otherwise take a regional train from Salerno to Naples directly. Trenitalia has the times.

Where to stay

• Sorrento (1 night): on the peninsula rather than the Amalfi Coast proper. According to positano.com it offers a wider choice of hotels and restaurants in winter than the coast does.
• Amalfi (3 nights): the best base without a car, thanks to the lines. Atrani and Minori are handy too.
• Positano: beautiful, but a lot of steps with luggage. Choose it only if the view matters more to you than short walks.

When to go

May, June and September. Daily highs in Amalfi are then 22 to 27 °C, the sea is warm enough and the towns are less crowded than in high summer. July and August are hot and full at about 31 °C. November is the surprise: at 223 mm it is by far the wettest month, and rough seas keep cancelling boats. See the best time to visit Italy for the whole country.

Climate in Amalfi: 2015–2024 averages from the ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo), rounded.

Good to know before you go

• Roadworks on the way in: according to positano.com, work has been under way since 19 October 2026 on the San Marco viaduct near Castellammare di Stabia, expected to last until the end of the year or early 2027. Traffic backs up on the SS145 towards Sorrento and Positano. For a flight from Naples during that time, allow plenty of extra time.
• Bus tickets: buy them in advance from sales points, and see SITA Sud for notices and timetables. The timetable changes with the season.
• Entry and mobile data: Italy is in the EU and the Schengen Area. If your plan doesn't cover Italy, see our eSIM comparison for Italy.
• Flight: a direct flight from London to Naples takes about 3 hours.

How YesTrip helps with this trip

Set the five days up as a trip in YesTrip. The app shows Pompeii, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Salerno on the map, suggests day plans with AI and shows the weather for your travel days, which matters for boats and the hiking day. The packing list follows the forecast. The offline map helps on the Path of the Gods, and Naples has a ready-made city plan if you stay longer there.

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