Amalfi Coast Guide
Fifty kilometres of cliff road where the distance between two towns is measured in hours, not miles.
The coast is seasonal in the strictest sense: many hotels, restaurants and clubs open in April and close in late October. Travel by ferry wherever possible — the SS163 coast road is single-lane in places and summer traffic can double a journey. Base yourself in one town and take boats out from there.
Positano to Ravello, town by town
Illustrated
Drawn by hand for the KEY2 Amalfi Coast guide
Where to stay
Hotels
The KEY2 list
Happy Hour
Daylight
Hotel Pools & Pool Clubs
Eat
Best Food
Mornings
Breakfast & Brunch
Recover
Health & Wellness
After dark
Nightlife
Arenas
Sports
Tonight
Concerts & Comedy
Say it here
Weddings
Book the room
Event Spaces
Experiences
100 Other Things To Do
Amalfi Coast explained
Hour-by-hour plans drawn by hand — pick one and follow it from first coffee to last call.
One Perfect Day on the Coast
Ridge trail at dawn, a boat to lunch, candles at dinner.
Positano, Amalfi, Ravello
Three days, three towns, and the ferry between them instead of the road.
Amalfi Coast travel guide
The practical layer: when to come, how to arrive, how to move, where to base yourself and what it costs.
Best time to visit
Late May to June and September are ideal — warm sea temperatures and clear coastal views without the gridlocked SS163 road traffic and packed ferries of the July–August peak.
Getting in
Naples International (NAP) is the closest airport, about 1–1.5 hours by car or shuttle to Sorrento, the coast's usual gateway; alternatively, take the Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento (around €4, 70 minutes) and connect onward by ferry or SITA bus. A private transfer from Naples airport to Positano costs roughly €120–150.
Getting around
The coastal road is narrow, cliffside and famously congested in summer, so hiring a car is often more stressful than useful; SITA buses link the towns but run tightly packed and can be delayed for hours in high season. Ferries (Positano–Amalfi–Salerno–Capri routes, roughly €10–20 per hop) run April to October and are the fastest, most scenic way to move between towns, weather permitting.
What it costs
Mid-range hotel doubles run €180–320 a night in high season; dinner for two at a seafront trattoria is €70–110; a ferry hop between towns is €10–20, and a short taxi ride within a town is €15–25.
Where to stay
- Positano
- The postcard cliffside town, glamorous and steep, best for a splurge stay near boutique beach clubs.
- Amalfi
- The coast's namesake town with the cathedral and a working harbour, more affordable and better ferry connections.
- Ravello
- Hilltop and quieter, with villa gardens and clifftop views, best for those prioritising calm over beach access.
- Praiano
- A smaller, less crowded base between Positano and Amalfi, good value with sea access and easy bus links.
Traveller tips
- Book ferries and popular restaurants days ahead in July and August — capacity is genuinely limited on this stretch of coast.
- Beach clubs (lidos) charge €25–50 per person for a sunbed and umbrella; free public beach access exists but is limited.
- The SS163 coastal road closes intermittently for landslide repairs or accidents — check local news before driving.
- Many hillside towns involve hundreds of steps between the road and sea level; pack accordingly if mobility is a concern.
- Cash is useful in smaller family-run trattorias and for tipping (rounding up or 5–10%), as not all accept cards.
- Plugs are the two-round-pin Europlug (Type C/F/L) at 230V, so UK and US visitors need an adapter.
The Amalfi Coast calendar
The dates that actually move prices, crowds and opening hours.
April
Season opening & Easter processions
Hotels reopen, Good Friday processions in Amalfi and Praiano, cool clear days for walking.
June
Ravello Festival opens
Concerts on the Niemeyer belvedere stage above a 1,000-foot drop, running through September.
June
Regata delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare
Amalfi hosts the historic maritime regatta once every four years; the town fills for it.
August
Peak season & Ferragosto
The busiest, priciest weeks; the coast road can be at a standstill by mid-morning.
September
Lemon and swim season together
Warm sea, thinner crowds, and hotels still fully open — the best month on the coast.
October
Closing weeks
Beach clubs and Positano nightlife shut down progressively; check dates before booking.
Seasonal highlights
- Spring (Apr–May)
- Wildflowers on the Path of the Gods, comfortable hiking, sea still cold.
- Summer (Jun–Aug)
- Everything open, everything full; boats beat cars in every direction.
- Early autumn (Sep–Oct)
- Warmest water of the year and calmer towns — the local recommendation.
- Winter (Nov–Mar)
- Most hotels and restaurants closed; Salerno and Sorrento stay open year-round.
Off-peak intel
- Late April to mid-May and all of October give you the coast at two-thirds the price.
- Stay in Praiano or Minori instead of Positano — same ferries, far lower rates.
- Take the 8:00am ferry to Capri and return mid-afternoon to skip the day-trip crush.
- Walk the Path of the Gods from Bomerano downhill to Nocelle, not the reverse.