Driving the Amalfi Coast: The Complete Road Guide

Driving the Amalfi Coast is one of the most breathtaking road trips in the world, when not the most beautiful one. We often stay in Rome or Naples and make several day-trips along the Amalfi Coast roads.

Driving through all those pastel color villages and mountains with the turquoise water of the Mediterranean sea is once-in-a-lifetime experience. But Amalfi roads can be full of traffic, buses, fast drivers and not much parking space. Also there are some restrictions, that we wished we knew before traveling to Amalfi Coast.

What I cover in my post:

In my guide I’ll cover these topics:

• The Map of Amalfi Coast
• What the Amalfi Coast drive is really like
• Weather it’s dangerous to drive for the first-timers
• Where to rent your car
• Parking strategies by town
• Practical tips about the costs and hidden fees

Pro Tip: Check our guide if you’re driving from Florence to Amalfi Coast, or if you’re driving from Rome to Amalfi Coast. We have detailed guides for both.

The Map of Amalfi Coast

The famous Amalfi Coast Road with scenic Coastal views is called SS163 and it runs between Sorrento, Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, Ravello and ends at Salerno. There are more than 18 towns located along this beautiful road and the total distance is around 50 km (30 miles). Let’s dive in!

How Long is The Amalfi Coast Drive

We often stay in Naples and visit Amalfi Coast from there. But you can also take a ride from Rome or even from Florence. So here is a complete breakdown for both:

Drive from Naples to Amalfi Coast?

Take the A3 highway from Naples and exit at SS 163 towards Sorento. If you just drive through till the end, you’ll be in Salerno in around 3 hours. You should also consider that there’s a lot of day-traffic during the High-Season from May-October. So in that case the ride might take up to 6-8 hours.

Drive from Rome To Amalfi Coast?

We’ve done that several time, with no stop in Naples. It’s around 3-4 hours depending on the traffic. Check our full guide about How to get from Rome to Amalfi Coast.

Pro Tip: Best time for the Amalfi Coast Drive is early morning or after sunset. Although the roads are narrow, we normally come back at night, to skip the heavy traffic. But you should feel comfortable and safe to drive the road at night and decide for yourself.

Is driving the Amalfi Coast dangerous?

My short answer is: Yes, it can be dangerous, but not necessarily. I can’t count how many times I drove that road up and down and never had any issues.

But you should know that Amalfi Coast Roads are quite narrow, two-way roads and built on the mountains. Also there are restaurants and bikes along the road, you need to take care of.

I still love to drive the Amalfi Coast road by car rather than taking a ferry or a bus. Because the views are breathtaking and with your own car, you have more freedom and you can stop wherever you want and whenever you want it.

So if you’re well-prepared for the drive and you have the right car, you won’t have a problem. That’s why we have couple of tips for your safety.

How to Drive the Amalfi Coast Safely

Amalfi is almost every year on our list of September travels. We love to visit Amalfi during the shoulder season, because it’s more quite and the roads are better for driving up and down. So here are our best tips to drive the Amalfi Coast safely:

• Drive Slow and be patient: specially while passing through the small towns. Don’t worry, if locals want to drive faster, they will, so just let them.
• Take a break: whenever it’s needed. And believe me it’s normal to get tired after even 30 minutes. Also the views are breathtaking and you can enjoy your break. There are lot’s of lay bays along the way.
• Honk before blind curves: Yes, even locals does it and it’s not rude. There are some spots along the road, where you have no visibility, so just a short honk would help a lot.
• Give the buses some space: There are many bus tours on the way, so we always let them go or even sometimes stop to let them first pass by. Slow down early to give them some space, specially at the curves.

Tips for choosing your Car

We will discuss the General Tips for Renting an appropriate car for driving along the Amalfi in the section related to the Cars. Please see below. But in general Rent a small Car and get comprehensive insurance with a full coverage in general in Italy.

Also if you’re having motion sickness while driving in the mountains, don’t forget to take your medication with.

Is Driving the Amalfi Coast worth it?

Actually the answer to this question depends on 2 things. The time of the year, you’re visiting Amalfi Coast, how comfortable you are driving that road.

Best time to drive the Amalfi Coast is during the shoulder season for less traffic. If you’re visiting Amalfi during summer, I would rather take the ferry between the towns. We normally avoid driving the roads in summer, as we can get stocked in the traffic up to 8 hours.

If you’re not feeling comfortable driving tight spaces and mountain roads, then that might be a bit challenging for you. You should know that the whole road is tight and within the mountain.

My Top 3 Hotels in Amalfi Coast

• Luxury: Hotel Le Sirenuse Positano
• Mid-Range: Marina Riviera Amalfi
• Affordable: Hotel la Bussola
• Hotels in Amalfi Coast with private Beach: Hotel Miramalfi, Hotel Marincanto, Hotel Marina Riviera

But if you love to drive in the mountains and you’ve driven abroad, then you’ll enjoy the ride as much as I do. Yes you might get tired at night, but it’s definitely worth it.

Pros and Cons of Driving the Amalfi Coast

If your goal is to fully relax and sit back to enjoy your vacation time, we recommend to rather book a tour or travel by ferries. You can book day-trips from Sorrento or Naples to visit Positano, Amalfi and Ravello in one day.

Also Ferries are great ways to visit fabulous places like Capri Island, or to travel from Sorrento to Positano or Amalfi. Note that you can only reach Ravello by bus from Amalfi or by tour. Check more about how to travel between the cities in our guide here.

When is the best time to drive the Amalfi Coast?

I personally love the southern Italy during the shoulder season, because the weather is mild and the roads are not that busy. In summer it can be quite packed.

We normally visit Amalfi Coast in September or May. But if we travel to Amalfi Coast during summer time, we would rather take the ferry from town to town. The traffic is quite heavy during summer time and you might get stocked there for even up to 6-8 hours.

Also time of day matters a lot. Of course before 10 am and after 6 pm is less traffic. I really don’t recommend to drive the road during summer months specially in July and August, you might get stocked up to 8 hours.

Amalfi Coast Driving Restrictions 2025

The Campania Region in Italy, regulated the traffic on this beautiful coastal road with a new rule since last year. You need to consider this, when renting a car. It’s called the Alternating license plate system.

What is the Alternate License Plate Rules for SS163

That means on designated days from April till the end of October, , vehicles depending on the last digit of their license plate, can even drive on odd-days or even-days.

That being said the vehicles with odd-numbered plates can only drive on odd dates. Also even-numbered plates drive on even dates. This rule is valid from 10am to 6p,

Note: not all roads are affected, you can use that day to visit Ravello or Maiori from a provincial road called Chiunzi Pass. Also it’s not everyday from April through October. See the table below

Timetable for the Alternate License Plate rule

• April 13 -May1: Everyday
• June 1 – July 31: Only on weekends and public holidays
• August 1 – September 30: Everyday
• October: only on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays

Taxis and residents are allowed to drive everyday. Also if you’re staying in a hotel within this are, you can enter the area on arrival and departure days.

How we did it

We’ve had an odd-numbered plate, so we drove before 10am to Positano from Sorrento and spent the whole day there and went back after 6pm. You can easily spend a whole day in one town going on the beach and exploring the city.

Renting a car for Amalfi Coast Road

The most important thing in renting a car for Amalfi Coast drive, is the type of the car you’re renting. We highly recommend to rent a small compact car, because the roads are tight, parking is very limited and believe me you’ll feel more comfortable with a Volkswagen Polo rather than an SUV.

Tips to choose the best Cars for Amalfi Coast

• Choose small compact cars like Volkswagen Polo, Cupra or any Compact hatchbacks. For Instagrammers Fiat 500 is fantastic and you can definitely find better parking spots, but it’s just too small for me.
• Avoid SUVs. to have less stress. In general I don’t recommend big cars or very long cars, as you might have problem driving on the Amalfi Coast.
• Automatic cars will definitely bring you more comfort, as the roads are busy.
• I suggest to add a full coverage insurance, when renting your car.

Best Car Rental in Amalfi Coast: we book our rental cars in Europe through Discovercars. This is a car search where you can compare different rental car companies and their offers. Using this, we saved up to 70% on our rental cars till now and you can cancel your reservation for free. Book your car here!

Best Scenic Stops on Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is known for its scenic roads and charming towns, but if you have a limited time, you want to see the best spots. Here is a list of my recommendations for the best scenic stops along your route from Naples to Salerno:

• Sorrento: Take a half day to visit Sorrento city and it’s beautiful Cliffside. Take a ferry from Sorrento to Capri and visit Capri island. If you have more time take a tour to Capri and Blue Grotto with it’s unique caves and blue water.
• Positano: This is the most beautiful town in Amalfi Coast and it’s famous for its colorful houses. Positano is located higher on the cliffs and offers stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea. You need at least half a day in Positano.
• Amalfi Town: Amalfi is a mix of historical sites and views. In opposite to Positano the houses are all in white and quite simple. But that makes the city even more charming. You can visit the Amalfi Cathedral and enjoy a beach day.

Less Famous Scenic Stops along the Amalfi Coast

The above mentioned towns are the most famous towns on the Amalfi Coast, but there are so many others, that worth visiting too. We love to spend some time and explore the smaller towns along the Amalfi Coast. So if you still have time to see more, here are another 5 amazing towns on the Amalfi, you need to visit:

• Ravello: Honestly I love Ravello more than anywhere else, because of it’s nature with beautiful gardens. It’s quiet and a perfect place to relax. You can spend at least 3 hours to walk around and explore the Gardens.
• Praiano: Another fantastic place on your Amalfi Coast drive is Praiano. It’s great for hiking and a relaxed beach day without the crowd. And if you like to ride mopeds, Praiano offers more quite roads for a safer ride.
• Maiori and Minori: These towns are flatter and have a great promenade. You can easily walk along the beach with less crowd. They are located directly at the beach, with no stairs. We always make a 2- hour stop at Maiori and walk along the promenade.

Parking on the Amalfi Coast

Parking is limited around the Amalfi Coast towns, but still I always find one. Specially parking in Positano is a bit tricky, so here is a Town-by-Town guide for Amalfi Coast.

1- Parking in Positano

Positano is the most beautiful city and the busiest one in the Amalfi Coast. if you drive from Naples to Amalfi Coast, that’s the first town you’ll reach. Positano is not small and if you park at the first 3 parking you’ll reach, you’re still not in the center of the city, and you have to hike almost 40 minutes to reach the center.

We normally drive pass the city center and park at the last parking space, which is the 5th one along the way. It’s directly in the city and you can easily walk around.

Tips for parking your car in Positano

You’ll pay around 10 Euros per hour and the minimum stay ins 3 hours and there are also very rare street parking (blue lines) available, but we were never lucky to find a free one.

Here are our tips for parking your car in Positano:

• Do not leave any precious items in the car.
• Most of the parking spaces will get your keys, because they don’t have enough space, and they will park your car themselves. That’s normal.
• Arrive before 10 am if you can.
• If you’re staying at a hotel in Positano, it’s definitely worth it to pay for the parking at your hotel. Public Parking is expensive.

Top 3 Hotels in Positano

• Hotel Le Sirenuse Positano: This luxury hotel has the best view of Positano, but you have to book early. Book here!
• Villa Yiara: An adult only mid-range charming hotel in Positano. Get your Room here!
• Hotel Pupetto: located at the beach, a fantastic budget hotel in Positano. Book your room!

2- Parking in Amalfi Town

The second large city you’ll reach after Positano along the Amalfi Coast road trip, is the Amalfi Town. The good news about Amalfi town is that there’s a huge public parking in Amalfi right next to the main square.

The Luna Rossa Parking Garage is after passing the downtown, when driving from Naples to Amalfi Coast by car, on the left hand. It’s around 5 Euros/hour and there’s no minimum hours to park.

There’s also another garage called Porto Parking close to the seafront, but it’s quite small and we recommend to park at the Luna Rossa.

After parking there, you’ll just need to walk down the tunnel between the parking and the town to reach Amalfi main square. It only takes around 5 minutes and is quite easy.

Our Favorite Hotel in Amalfi

We normally stay at the Hotel Marina Riviera in Amalfi Town. This is a beautiful mid-range hotel with a prime location at the beach.

We always book the Double Room with sea view. But you need to book at least 6 months in advance. Check the availability and prices!

3- Parking in Ravello

Ravello is next large town, we suggest you to visit after Amalfi town and it’s located above the sea. It’s full of beautiful gardens and looks like a true paradise. Ravello is in general more quite than the other 2 towns before.

Parking in Ravello is definitely easier than in Positano or Amalfi town. Ravello is flatter and has more space. We normally park at the Piazza Duomo Parking, which is the main garage of the town right under the Piazza Duomo. It’s only around 2.50 Euros per hour and 15 Euros/day.

There are also some roadside paid spaces available near the auditorium and the center of the town, but we were never lucky with those either. You can recognize them from the blue lines.

Stays in Ravello

We love Ravello for it’s untouched nature and the views are breathtaking. Also it’s more quite than Positano and Amalfi Town.

If you like hiking and want to be away from the touristic areas, Ravello is the best place.

We love to Stay at the Hotel Palazzo Confalone: A mid-range historical hotel with breathtaking views. Check the availability here.

4- Parking in Maiori

All 3 cities mentioned above acquire a lot of ups and downs, but if you rather want to stay flatter, we recommend to stay in Maiori. Maiori is a beautiful town right by the water with a long promenade a lots of shops. We love it for it’s liveliness specially at night.

Maiori is less crowded and because it’s flat, it has a large open parking area close to the beach which is it’s central public lots. you can also park in Maiori and take the ferry to go to Amalfi or Positano.

Parking Color Codes You Should Know

The first time I’ve visited Amalfi Coast, I found it very confusing with the colored lines on the street, so here is a short breakdown of what they mean:

• Blue lines (Strisce Blu) are paid public parking and you can park there. But you must pay at the meter or machine.
• White lines are free parking spots but often reserved for residents.
• Yellow lines are reserved for service and you’ll get fines if you park there.

How to Get from Rome to Amalfi Coast

If you’re planing to go to Rome and travel from Rome to Amalfi Coast, check our full post about the best ways to get from Rome to Amalfi Coast.

Our guide is for both comfort travelers and budget-travelers.

Check our guide here!

ZTL or Limited Traffic Zone

ZTL means limited traffic zone and many historic town centers like Positano and Amalfi are traffic restricted areas, specially during the peak hours. If your hotel is located within those areas, make sure you have their authorization for your car’s license plate to drive to your hotel.

Best Direction to Drive Amalfi

Although many prefer the Salerno-Sorrento drive, but after driving the Amalfi Coast for so many times, we prefer the other side. We always drive from Naples to Amalfi Coast. Make a 4 hours stop in Sorrento to visit Capri and then head to Positano and Amalfi.

Those are the most beautiful towns in Amalfi Coast and Sorrento is closer to Positano than Salerno. So if you start from Salerno, you might spend so much time in other cities and reach Amalfi at the end. You’ll feel exhausted and miss the views of the best part. That’s the experience we had as a first-timer.

That’s why we always Drive from Sorrento to Salerno. We either stay overnight in Amalfi Town and visit Ravello, Minori and Maiori the next day. Or we drive back to Naples or Sorrento and visit them again the next day.

Where To Stay at the Amalfi Coast

Amalfi is beautiful but during the high season can be unreasonably expensive. So that why we normally stay either in Sorrento or in Naples. Also Amalfi Town, Atrani and Maiori offer budget-friendly hotel options to stay.

Ravello and Positano are the most expensive parts of Amalfi Coast with stunning views over the blue Mediterranean sea. But if you’re into luxury stays, those are the best places to stay.

PRO TIP: For am Ultimate Hotel Guide for Amalfi Coast, check our guide here. We’ve listed more than 12 Hotels in all the major cities along the coast, that we tried ourselves. It’s from Luxury to Budget. Read our Guide here!

Driving the Amalfi Coast Month-by-Month

The quick answer is that the best months for driving the Amalfi Coast road are either May, early June or September till the end of October. But we’ve been traveling to the coast almost all year round and here we’ll show you exactly what to expect each month by an Amalfi drive.

Driving Amalfi Coast in May

May is one of our favorite months to drive the Amalfi Coast and to go hiking. The weather is warm, roads are quite and you can easily find parking. The hotel prices are also still reasonable and you can enjoy coastal life as well. You can also swim, but might be refreshing.

Driving along Amalfi Coast in September

If you want warm summer weather, warm water and beach-life, September is fantastic in Amalfi Coast. The water is still enjoyable and although it’s still crowded, it’s better than Summer month.

Amalfi Coast in October

October is more quite in Amalfi Coast and the temperatures are still mild. But there’s no guarantee that you can swim, as some years the weather is colder. But you can definitely enjoy the beach during the day. Also you can go hiking as well. There’s definitely a big difference in Hotel prices as well as the amount of crowd.

Amalfi Drive Month-by-Month Overview

Driving the Amalfi Coast in July and august can be quite stressful, because of the traffic along the coast. On the other side during the winter months, the roads are quiet and the weather is still mild. Driving on the Amalfi Coast in November is definitely less traffic and more enjoying the views.

How to get to Amalfi Coast without a Car

If driving the Amalfi Coast is too stressful for you, there are several ways to visit this beautiful part of Italy. Although visiting Amalfi Coast by car gives you more flexibility, but as said before, we also prefer to use other transportation options during the high season to avoid losing time in Traffics.

You can get to Amalfi Coast from Sorrento, Naples, Rome or Florence easily with the following options. Also feel free to check our ultimate guides for more details.

• How to Get from Rome to Amalfi Coast
• Florence to Amalfi Coast – By Train, By Car, By Bus +Map (2026)

1. Reaching the Amalfi Coast by Train

Get the train from Florence or Rome towards Naples. Get the train/ferry or private transfer to Sorrento or Salerno. The Amalfi Coast Towns doesn’t all have train accessibility, that’s why the best way to reach Capri, Positano, Amalfi and Minori is by Ferry or by Bus.

If you’re heading to Ravello, after getting to Amalfi Town take the SITA Bus (local buses in Amalfi) to Ravello. You can also get the bus from Florence to Amalfi Coast or from Rome To Amalfi Coast, but the high speed trains in Italy are fantastic and will take less time to reach to Naples.

Pro Tip: we always book our trains and ferries using Omio.com. Specially if you’re visiting different cities, you might have delays and Omio gives you the possibility to cancel your tickets or change them without a fee. Book Your Tickets here!

2. Getting to Amalfi Coast by Ferry

Another favorite of mine to explore the Amalfi Coast is by ferries. You can take the best photos from the ferry. During spring and summer, ferries are working almost hourly between the cities and it’s very comfortable to get them from town to town.

Specially during summer months, we’re mostly using the ferries. Because the roads are too crowded and time-taking, while ferries are comfortable and fast. In winter they are not available as often as in summer, so you need to check their schedule at Omio.com.

How much cost a ferry ride in Amalfi Coast: Ferry prices are around 10 -15 Euros per ride. You can get the ferries from Naples to Sorrento. From Sorrento you can get ferries to Capri, Amalfi and Positano. There’s no ferry to Ravello.

The Cost and Time of Ferry Rides Between the Towns

• Amalfi -Positano: around €10-€15/ one- way and it takes around 25 minutes.
• Amalfi – Maiori/Minori: around €10//one- way and takes around 20 minutes.
• Salerno – Amalfi: €10-€15/ one- way and takes around up to 60 minutes.
• Sorrento – Amalfi: €15-€35/ one- way and takes around 1/5 hr.
• Naples to Amalfi: €27-€35/ one- way and takes around 2/5 hr.
• Naples to Positano: €30-€60/ one- way and takes around 2 hr.

Note: during the high-season the prices are much higher than the other times of the year. Also if you book early, you can get the better prices. Also the ride is almost always at least 15 minutes longer than what it’s written on the ticket.

3- Amalfi Coast by Bus

Getting to Amalfi Coast by Bus is the most budget-freindly option of transportation. It’s actually very easy, because there’s a local bus called SITA Bus that goes from town to town for only €2 per ride. You can also buy the daily travel pass for around €10.

The only downside of SITA Bus is that it takes much longer, because of the multiple stops and it might be quite busy during the summer time.

Where to buy the tickets: you can buy the tickets at some hotels, train stations, small cafes and newsstands. Also validate your ticket when boarding.

4- Amalfi Coast Boat Tours

As said before, exploring the Amalfi Coast with a boat is the most scenic way to visit the picturesque Amalfi towns. You can fin fantastic Amalfi Boat tours from Naples and Sorrento to Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. We tied a lot of tours during our visits and here are our favorite ones:

• Day Trip from Naples to Amalfi Coast in a small group: we loved it, because in a smaller group, we had enough time to take as much photos we wanted and ask many questions. We booked it through GETYOURGUIDE with free cancellation. Check the availability and prices here!
• Day Trip from Sorrento To Positano and Amalfi with Boat: this tour was great. You can see different towns along the way while drinks and snacks are also available on board. Also you can swim in the water and our guide was amazing. No wonder it was a 4.9/5. Check the details here.
• Another tour which is actually my most favorite one, is the tour from Sorrento to Capri with Blue Grotto. Capri is beautiful and Blue Grotto is once-in-a-life experience, so I highly recommend it with swim stops. Book your tour here!

5- Amalfi Coast Kayak Tour

another fun tour that we tried this time, was a Kayak Tour from Sorrento in a small group and it was so much fun. If you’re into Kayaking, you should definitely try this. It takes around 2 hours and the views are breathtaking. We loved it. You’ll get the Kayak, paddle and all you need. Check the availability and prices here.

6- Amalfi Coast day tours with Van

If you prefer to take the ride rather than the boat, there are also tours that take you with a smaller van around the Amalfi Coast. We normally take the van when we want to also visit Ravello. This tour takes around 9 hours from Sorrento with air-conditioned van in a small group. Book your tour here (Viator).

7- Vespa Tour Amalfi Coast

Another very cool tour if you’re into it, is taking the Vespa tour. We took it from Sorrento with a self drive option and you’ll visit Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi on a vintage Vespa. It’s so much fun, if you’re into a Vespa ride. For those who would rather have a driver, that option is also available. You can check the details here.

8- Hiking the Amalfi Coast

Another great way to see the scenic views of the Amalfi Coast is from the cliffs. We love to go hiking in the Amalfi Coast. Amalfi hiking trails are not as difficult as it might look like from the roads. Our favorite hiking path is the Path of the Gods Amalfi Coast.

This scenic path (sentiero degli Dei) is one of the most famous hiking trails on the Amalfi Coast and it starts in the village of Bomerano, which is very close to Sorrento. It ends above Positano in Nocelle. The views are unbelievable.

If you’re a solo traveler, there are also tours to feel more comfortable, doing this in a group. Check this tour for the Path of the Gods starting from Sorrento. The tour takes around 6 hours and is another very difficult.