Where to Stay on the Amalfi Coast: 7 Bases Compared

Home › Campania › Amalfi Coast › Where to stay

The Amalfi Coast is a line of small towns along one road, so the town you sleep in decides how you move for the whole stay. For a first visit of two to four nights, Amalfi is the most practical base without a car, Positano is the one people picture, and Sorrento and Salerno are the bases with a railway station.

At a glance

Best all-round base without a car: Amalfi, where the two coastal bus sections meet and most ferries call.
For the view and the look of the place: Positano. Expect steps everywhere.
For quiet evenings and gardens: Ravello, on a hill at 350 meters, with no beach.
Between Positano and Amalfi, with fewer day visitors: Praiano.
For a flat seafront and a long beach: Maiori, with Minori next door.
With a railway station: Sorrento (for Pompeii, Naples and Capri) and Salerno (for high-speed trains and ferries).
How long: see how many days to plan for the Amalfi Coast.

How the coast works before you choose

The coast road is the SS163 Amalfitana. The ferry operator Travelmar describes it as about 50 km of curves and hairpin bends with one lane in each direction. There is no railway on the coast. Everything moves on that road or by boat.

SITA Sud runs the public buses in two sections. One runs from Salerno to Amalfi through Vietri sul Mare, Cetara, Maiori, Minori and Atrani. The other runs from Amalfi to Sorrento through Praiano and Positano. A trip that crosses Amalfi means a change of bus there. A separate line climbs from Amalfi to Ravello and Scala.

Travelmar ferries link Salerno, Vietri sul Mare, Cetara, Maiori, Minori, Atrani, Amalfi, Praiano and Positano. The main ferry season runs from about April to late October. Winter service is reduced, and boats are suspended when the sea is rough. Ravello is on a hill and has no port.

A base with a ferry pier gives you a second way out when the road is jammed. A base with a station saves a transfer on arrival day. The coast has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, and the listed area takes in 15 municipalities; see the UNESCO guide to the Costiera Amalfitana. The wider picture is in the Amalfi Coast guide, and the split between the two halves is covered in which side of the Amalfi Coast to choose.

Positano

Positano is built on a slope that rises from sea level to more than 400 meters. Houses are stacked above two beaches, Spiaggia Grande and Fornillo.

Who it suits: couples and first-time visitors who want the classic view from the room.
On foot: both beaches, the church of Santa Maria Assunta with its tiled dome, the ferry pier and the lanes of shops between them.
Transport: ferries to Amalfi, Salerno, Capri and Sorrento in season. SITA buses on the Amalfi to Sorrento section stop on the main road above the center, not at the beach. Local buses climb to the hamlets of Montepertuso and Nocelle.
Drawback: steps. The walk from the road to the beach and back is long and steep, and a hotel high in the town means that climb several times a day. Ask the hotel how many steps there are from the nearest road.

Day visitors crowd the lanes from late morning to late afternoon. Read is Positano overrated? before you book, and compare it with its neighbor in Positano vs Amalfi town.

Amalfi

Amalfi lies at the mouth of a ravine, with a small center around Piazza Duomo and the 11th-century cathedral of Sant'Andrea.

Who it suits: travelers without a car, and anyone who plans to see several towns. This is the transport center of the coast.
On foot: the cathedral, the harbor and beach, the paper museum up the valley, and Atrani, the small village next door.
Transport: the two SITA sections meet here, so you can reach Positano, Praiano, Maiori, Minori and Salerno without a change, and Ravello by the hill line. The port has ferries to Positano, Capri, Maiori, Minori, Cetara and Salerno.
Drawback: the center is small, and it fills with day visitors arriving by bus and ferry in the middle of the day. There is one main street, so the crowd is hard to avoid until evening.

Ravello

Ravello sits at 350 meters above the sea, on a ridge above Atrani.

Who it suits: people who want quiet evenings, gardens and music more than swimming. Day visitors leave in the late afternoon.
On foot: Villa Rufolo, founded in 1270, and Villa Cimbrone with its Terrace of Infinity. The Ravello Festival has been held in summer since 1953.
Transport: the SITA line Amalfi, Ravello, Scala. The 2026 timetable shows a ride of about 25 minutes, with the last bus up from Amalfi at 22:00 and the last bus down from Ravello at 22:25. No ferry.
Drawback: no beach, and every trip to another town starts with the bus down to Amalfi. A late dinner in Amalfi or Positano has to be planned around the last departure.

Ravello works as a second base of one or two nights after a base on the sea. More in is Ravello worth visiting?

Praiano

Praiano is on the road between Positano and Amalfi. It includes the hamlet of Vettica Maggiore.

Who it suits: travelers who want sea views and a slower village, and walkers. It has fewer day visitors than its two neighbors.
On foot: the churches of San Luca and San Gennaro, small coves below the road, and a steep staircase up to Colle Serra, where it joins the Path of the Gods.
Transport: SITA buses on the Amalfi to Sorrento section, in both directions. Travelmar lists Praiano among its ferry stops.
Drawback: the village is spread along the road and up the hillside, with no single center. You depend on the Amalfi to Sorrento buses, which are crowded in high season.

Maiori and Minori

These two towns are east of Amalfi, on the Salerno section of the road. Maiori has the longest unbroken beach on the coast and a flat seafront. Minori is smaller and a short distance west.

Who it suits: families with young children, anyone with limited mobility, and travelers who put the beach first.
On foot: in Maiori, the beach and the promenade. In Minori, the remains of a Roman seaside villa from the 1st century AD, the basilica of Santa Trofimena, and shops selling local pasta shapes such as ndunderi.
Transport: SITA buses on the Salerno to Amalfi section and Travelmar ferries. For Positano you change in Amalfi, by bus or by boat.
Drawback: Maiori is a beach resort with a modern seafront and does not look like Positano. If the cliffside view is the reason for the trip, you will commute to it.

The best beaches on the Amalfi Coast compares the beaches town by town.

Sorrento, a base outside the coast

Sorrento is not on the Amalfi Coast. It faces the Bay of Naples on the other side of the Sorrentine Peninsula.

Who it suits: travelers who want to combine the coast with Pompeii, Naples and Capri, and those arriving by train from Naples.
On foot: a larger town center around Piazza Tasso, on a terrace above the sea.
Transport: Sorrento is the end of the Circumvesuviana line from Naples, run by EAV. The line is 47 km long with 35 stops, and the scheduled journey takes 68 minutes. It stops at Pompei Scavi. Ferries and hydrofoils run to Naples, Capri and Ischia, and in season to Positano and Amalfi. SITA buses run to Positano and Amalfi.
Drawback: every visit to the Amalfi Coast is a day trip. The bus to Positano and Amalfi is crowded in season, and Ravello or Maiori require a change in Amalfi.

Choose Sorrento if the Amalfi Coast is one of several things on the list. Choose a coast town if it is the main reason for the trip. See Sorrento vs Amalfi, the route from Sorrento to Positano and the Circumvesuviana guide.

Salerno

Salerno is a working port city at the eastern end of the coast, just past Vietri sul Mare.

Who it suits: travelers arriving by high-speed train and anyone who prefers a city with a morning ferry to the coast.
On foot: the seafront promenade, the old town and the cathedral. The ferry pier is about ten minutes on foot from the railway station.
Transport: Frecciarossa and Italo trains from Rome, Naples, Florence, Bologna and Milan stop at Salerno. Travelmar ferries leave for Amalfi and Positano, and SITA buses start here for the Salerno to Amalfi section. Salerno Costa d'Amalfi airport is at Pontecagnano, outside the city.
Drawback: you are not on the coast. In winter, or on a day of rough sea, the ferry does not run and the bus is the only way in.

Salerno is the simplest arrival point from Rome. See Rome to the Amalfi Coast and trains for the Amalfi Coast.

Places and choices to think twice about

A room high in Positano with heavy luggage. Nocelle, the top hamlet, is about 1,500 steps above the town. Confirm how bags get from the road to the door.
A hotel on the SS163 between two towns. The road has one lane each way, and walking along it to dinner is unpleasant. You will depend on the nearest bus stop or on taxis.
A rental car in high season. Travelmar's visitor site warns that parking is scarce, often full in summer, and can cost up to 12 euros an hour at peak times. An Anas order also restricts traffic on the SS163 between 1 April and 30 September each year. In 2026 an alternate number plate rule applied from 10:00 to 18:00 during Easter week, from 24 April to 2 May, on weekends and holidays in June and July, and every day in August and September. Hotel guests were exempt on arrival and departure days with proof of booking. Confirm the current rule with your hotel. If you still want a car, read driving the Amalfi Coast.
Ravello for a beach holiday. Each swim costs two bus rides.
November to March. Ferries are reduced. Check that the hotel is open. See the best time to visit the Amalfi Coast.

Booking and arrival notes

SITA tickets are not sold on board. Buy them at tobacconists, newsstands and bars, or in the UnicoCampania app under "Sita Sud - Campania". A 24-hour COSTIERASITA ticket covering the coastal lines was listed at 10 euros in 2026. Check the current fare before you travel.

Each municipality sets its own tourist tax, paid at the accommodation. Ask the hotel for the rate or check the website of the municipality.

From Naples airport or station, the options are a ferry, the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento, a train to Salerno or a private driver. They are compared in Naples to the Amalfi Coast and transfers to the Amalfi Coast.

For hotel types by town, go to Amalfi Coast hotels by area. For costs, read is the Amalfi Coast overpriced?. A base of three nights fits the 3-day Amalfi Coast itinerary.

Questions travelers ask

Which town is the best base on the Amalfi Coast for a first visit?

Amalfi is the most practical. The two SITA bus sections, Salerno to Amalfi and Amalfi to Sorrento, meet there, the bus to Ravello starts there, and its port has ferries to Positano, Capri, Maiori, Minori, Cetara and Salerno. Positano has the better-known view but far more steps.

Can you stay on the Amalfi Coast without a car?

Yes. SITA Sud buses cover the whole road from Salerno to Sorrento, with a change in Amalfi, and Travelmar ferries link nine ports from Salerno to Positano in season. Bus tickets are not sold on board, so buy them at a tobacconist or in the UnicoCampania app first.

Is Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast?

No. Sorrento is on the Bay of Naples, on the north side of the Sorrentine Peninsula. It is the end of the Circumvesuviana railway from Naples, a scheduled 68-minute ride, and has SITA buses and seasonal ferries to Positano and Amalfi.

Is Salerno a good base for the Amalfi Coast?

It is a good base for a short stay by train. Frecciarossa and Italo high-speed trains stop at Salerno, and the ferry pier for Amalfi and Positano is about ten minutes on foot from the station. Ferries are reduced in winter and stop in rough sea.

Is Ravello too far from the sea to stay in?

Ravello is at 350 meters and has no beach or port. The SITA bus from Amalfi takes about 25 minutes by the 2026 timetable, and the last departures were 22:00 from Amalfi and 22:25 from Ravello. It suits a quiet stay more than a beach holiday.

Keep planning: Best things to do in the Amalfi Coast.

Sources

More Amalfi Coast guides

Author: the TourLeaderPro.com editorial team, a network of tour leaders and registered tourist guides in Italy.

Plan your Italian trip, free

Build my itinerary →

Where to stay on the Amalfi Coast: seven bases compared