Florence to Amalfi Coast – By Train, By Car, By Bus +Map (2026)
Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. If you’re planning to travel from Florence to Amalfi coast on your next visit in Italy, we’ll show you the best ways to do that. We’re frequently traveling to Tuscany and Amalfi and this is one of our favorite routs when doing road trips in Italy.
There are several ways to travel from Florence to Amalfi Coast. We tried out trains, car, bus and ferry and here we’ll give you the pros and cons for each of them. Also we’ll give some tips how to book the Florence to Amalfi Coast high-speed trains or how to travel to Amalfi on budget.
If you’re staying in Florence, make sure you’ll check our free guide for where to stay in Florence: Best Areas & Best Hotels and the 20 Best Restaurants in Florence. (You don’t want to miss that!)
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Map Of Amalfi
Amalfi Coast is located in southern Italy and is a true paradise. We love it for it’s scenic cliffside views, cute villages and lemon trees. Amalfi Coast has many small towns, but here are the major ones in the order you reach them from Sorrento: First comes Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, Ravello, Minori, Malori.
It’s hilly and coastal, so you can’t reach all the towns in Amalfi Coast by train or ferry. The best gateways to Amalfi Coast are the cities of Naples, Sorrento (closest to Amalfi Coast) and Salerno. We’ll show you now how to choose the best way to travel from Florence to Amalfi Coast.
Starting in Florence
Florence is like an open museum and is our favorite city in Italy after Rome with a fantastic Tuscan Cuisine. After enjoying this materpiece. While Florence is located in Northern Italy, Amalfi Coast is at the South Coastline with breathtaking views on the hills.
Note: There is no direct route from Florence to the Amalfi Coast and you need to make a stop in eaither Naples or Sorrenot, if you’re taking the public transport. Also in most of the cities along the Amalfi Coast there are no train stations. But getting there is easy and here is how!
Getting to Amalfi Coast
Amalfi Coast has different cities and villages starting from Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and some other less popular areas. In our opinion, the best way to travel from Florence to Amalfi Coast, is to take the high-speed train from Florence to Naples or Sorrento and take the ferry or rental car from there to other parts of the Amalfi Coast.
In Our guide we will show you the fastest way go from Florence to Amalfi Coast, the more budget-friendly way and the most beautiful way. So let’s dive in!
Fastest Way to get from Florence to Amalfi Coast
Train + Car: Duration around 4.5 hours
The Fastest way to reach Amalfi Coast (Positano or Amalfi town) is to get the high-speed train from Florence to Naples, which is departing from Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station. In almost 3 hours you’ll be in Naples’s train station called Napoli Centrale which is directly i the Naples Historical center.
The trains are coming frequently and they are very comfortable. We love them for the long-distance rides in Italy. We normally book our trains in Europe with Omio, as we can easily cancel or compare the prices. Here is the link, if you want to check the trains.
From there the fastest way is to either rent a car directly at the train station, or get a taxi to Amalfi coast. The ride is scenic and you won’t believe your eyes and is around 1.5 – 2 Hours. Check the rental car options here.
Cons and Pros of Private transfer (Rental Car)
Cons
Here are things you need to know before renting a car:
- The road has some narrow parts, Also driving in Italy is a bit different than the rest of Europe.
- During the high season, there’s a lot of traffic on the roads and you can get stocked.
- Parking options are limited and expensive in Positano and Amalfi. So make sure your hotel offers a parking space.
Pros
- It’s more convenient to have a car in the Amalfi Coast, as you can easily visit the other other villages and cities around.
- Amalfi Coast has many remote areas like Praiano, Ravello or inland villages that can be harder to reach by public transport or buses.
- If you’re a family, that’s definitely more cost-effective as Ferry tickets for 4-5 people can also be high during the high-season.
By Train + taxi: Duration around 5 Hours
We love to take a rental car and drive down to the coast and enjoy that breathtaking views. But if you don’t feel comfortable driving to the coast with your private car, the fastest way to go from Naples or Sorrento to Amalfi Coast is to get a Taxi. If you’re driving by car, Check our complete guide how to drive the Amalfi Coast and which car to rent.
You’ll pay around 180-250 Euros from Sorrento to Positano and around 250 Euros from Sorrento to Amalfi. We did it in our last year visit to Amalfi, as we were on a run and just wanted to stay in Positano. You can easily book your taxi online on Kiwitaxi.com in advance and see the prices.
We suggest booking much earlier in advance, as the prices can vary, if you book closer to your trip. Also you can get the train from Florence to Salerno (another city in southern Italy). It’s almost the same distance and prices. If you want to get the taxi at the train station, we suggest to fix the rate to your hotel in advance!
Tip: Sorrento is beautiful and it’s close to the wonderful Capri Island. If you have time, we suggest to stay a night in Sorrento to visit the Capri island or make a day-trip to Capri Island, before heading to Amalfi Coast. For more affordable stays, Sorrento is the best place. Check our Ultimate guide for Sorrento to get more details.
Cons and Pros of Private transfer (Rental Car)
Cons
- You don’t have the stress of driving a new road and it’s a door-to-door convenience.
- Pre-booked taxis are having a fixed prices and are trustable.
- No parking needed, so you’ll save a bit here as well.
Pros
- We personally found it expensive. I mean we’ve booked a car for 2 days at almost the same price. (well you need to book early)
- Also with taxis you might have traffic delays during the rush hour and high-season.
Cheapest Way to get from Florence to Amalfi Coast
By Bus & Ferry: Duration around 7 – 7.5 hours
If your budget is limited, it’s not a problem at all, because you can get the long-distance bus in Florence for as low as 15 Euros. But you definitely need to book early and you can only go to Salerno. From Salerno you need to get a ferry for around 12 Euros to go to Positano or Amalfi.
If you want to go from Florence to Amalfi Coast by bus, I recommend to check the buses in advance at OMIO. That’s because some buses are going from Florence to Amalfi Coast directly, while others make a stop at Naples and definitely take longer.
Also the direct buses are not riding every hour, but you can find at least 3 per day. There are lots of other buses departing almost every hour from Florence to Amalfi Coast, but some might do a stop in Naples that might take longer. Check the prices and availability here!
How to travel from Salerno to Amalfi/Positano
The cheapest way to travel from Salerno to Amalfi or Positano is by public buses called SITA. It takes around an hour to Amalfi and 2 hours to Positano. But you’ll pay only 3 Euros.
The Faster option (and we recommend this one) is to take the ferry from Salerno to Amalfi or Positano. It takes 40 minutes from Salerno to Amalfi and an hour and half from Salerno to Positano. It costs around 14 Euros and you can also book online on Omio.
there’s also a cheaper option to travel from Salerno to Amalfi, Positano or Ravello. You can get the SITA public buses along the Amalfi Coast. Although they are really cheap (around 3 Euros), but the ride is longer than taking the ferries.
How to travel from Salerno to Ravello
There are no ferries and trains to Ravello, so you’ll need to go by bus or ferry to Amalfi. From Amalfi you can take the public bus SITA to Ravello, which takes around 30 minutes and costs around 3 Euros. They also run frequently, but we found it very crowded during summer months, specially with luggage.
Cons and Pros of getting a Bus from Florence to Amalfi Coast (Rental Car)
Pros
- Normally is cheaper than other options, but always check the trains as well for your luck.
- We traveled often with Flixbus and Itabus and they are very comfortable with reclining seats.
- You’ll get more form the beautiful scenic views, as traveling by train.
Cons
- It takes longer than with high-speed-trains. (around 7 hours)
- Some buses are not direct and need at least one transfer in Naples.
- Bus seats are of course not as comfortable as trains.
- During the high-season, you can get stocked hours in the traffic.
The Most Scenic Way to get from Florence to Amalfi Coast
Train + Ferry: Duration 4.5 to 5.5 hours
After traveling from Florence to Amalfi so many times, using different things, this year we’ve decided to explore the Amalfi Coast mostly with Ferries. We love to do photography as you can see above and we realized that you can get the most scenic views in Amalfi Coast by ferries.
Also it can be even cheaper and faster than cars, specially during the high-season with so much traffic in Amalfi coast along the road. if you’re traveling during the high-season.
As said above you can just take the high-speed train from Florence (see the details above) to one of the these towns: Naples, Sorrento or Salerno and from there taking the ferry to Positano, Amalfi or other towns.
How to Travel to Amalfi Coast by Ferry
From Naples to Amalfi Coast
- You can take the Ferry from Naples to Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano and Capri.
- From Naples to Amalfi takes around 2 hours, to Positano 1,5 hour and to Sorrento & Capri around 45 minutes.
- There are less Ferries to Amalfi and Positano during the low-season. But you can find more ferries to Capri and from Capri you have more ferries to Positano or Amalfi
We recommend to book your ferry in advance to save more. You can also buy the tickets at the station, but we found it more expensive than online tickets. You can check the ferry prices from Naples to Amalfi Coast here.
Also if you have time and want to travel from Naples to Amalfi Coast, we recommend to make a stop at Capri. This Island is so beautiful and definitely worth a half-day visit at least.
Pro Tip: Also if your plan is to stay overnight in Naples and looking for a hotel, we stayed at Eurostart’s Hotel Excelsior and the view you see above is from our room. It’s an affordable luxury hotel with fantastic rooms. Here you can check the availability and prices.
From Sorrento to Amalfi Coast by ferry
You can definitely find more options to travel to Amalfi Coast from Sorrento by ferry. During the high-season, you can almost find one every half an hour till 5pm. In winter the options are very limited with ferries, so you need to check online in advance.
Sorrento is closer to Amalfi Coast and it’s 35 minutes to Capri, 1 hour to Positano and around 1,15 hour to Amalfi. Sorrento itself is a wonderful city and beautiful cliffside views. It’s also a great option, if you want to stay close to the Amalfi Coast on a budget.
Tip for Amalfi Coast on budget: During summer, we normally stay in Sorrento and take a car/tour to Amalfi Coast. Because the hotels in Amalfi Coast are insanely pricy during summer, even if you book long in advance. Sorrento is only 30 minutes drive to Positano, and you’ll save a lot of money. Check our guide to Sorrento for more details.
From Salerno to Amalfi Cost by ferry
If you’re planning to go directly from Florence to Amalfi Coast through Salerno, which is more south, you also have good ferry options. As said before, in winter you don’t have many ferry options, so check online before traveling in winter.
It’s almost the same distance as Sorrento to Amalfi Coast but from the southern side. So it takes around 30 minute to Amalfi and about an hour to Positano. Capri is a bit further from Salerno around 2 hours.
If You’re Driving the Amalfi Coast by Car, Check out my full guide about all the rules and regulations.
Also I’ve packed all the tips and tricks about what kind of car to rent and how to drive the roads.
The Road on the Amalfi Coast are narrow and a bit different.
Tips for getting to Amalfi Coast by car
- During summer months, Amalfi Coast has a high traffic jam and although we prefer to ride in Amalfi, but not during the high-season. You can get stuck in a traffic jam for hours (specially during weekends) and although it’s very scenic but we normally take ferries during summer months.
- But if you’re traveling in spring or fall and love to drive scenic roads, I highly recommend to do so, as it’s one in a kind experience. You can’t miss that!
- Also you need to be careful as the roads are quite packed and the driving is a bit different. But it’s definitely worth it. Read our guide for Driving tips.
- For photographers: there are some look-outs for photography, where you can hold shortly for a quick photo. Don’t miss those!
Distance from Florence
If you want to drive directly from Florence to Amalfi Coast, it will take around 6 hours, but normally there’s traffic and might take longer. But the views are breathtaking, specially as you get closer to Amalfi Coast. You can check the map here.
Must-Visit Amalfi Coast Towns
They are all beautiful and have their own charm, but Positano is of course the most beautiful town in the Amalfi Coast, as it’s located higher on the cliffs and gives you stunning views with colorful houses.
Our next favorite is Amalfi (town), which is the heart of the Amalfi Coast and is the home to the beautiful Amalfi Cathedral as well. If you want to have a more quite place with more nature, then Ravello is a perfect town for you. We love to do a day-trip to Ravello and just enjoy it’s breathtaking nature.
Best time to travel from Florence to Amalfi Coast
The shoulder seasons are the best time to visit. We normally visit Amalfi Coast during the fall or spring, as the weather is still warm and amazing, but less crowd. September and May are both fantastic months to enjoy the weather, the water and the towns with fewer crowds.
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.
Final Words!
There are many ways to go from Florence to Amalfi Coast and we highly recommend to visit this paradise. Actually I always say that, if you want to visit only one place on earth, then that should be the Amalfi Coast.
I hope our guide will help you through your next journey to Amalfi Coast. If you’re short on-time and want us to plan your full trip, we would be more than happy to do so. Just send us and email and we’ll contact you!
We love Italy and we’re traveling a lot to this beautiful Country, here you can read more guides here:
Rome Guides
- The Ultimate Rome Itinerary (2025): By a Frequent Traveler
- Best Areas to Stay in Rome: A Complete Guide
- 14x Best Day Trips from Rome – By a Travel Expert!
