Trains to the Amalfi Coast
How to get to the Amalfi Coast by train and the Circumvesuviana commuter trail line from Naples
First of all, it helps to understand the lay of the land and to know that, while the Amalfi Coast itself is not serviced by train lines, its two gateway cities are.
So get yourself to one of the two main gateways to the Amalfi Coast: Sorrento at the western end, or Salerno to the east.
Tip: If you intend to explore the Amalfi Coast by bus (recommended) or by car (not recommended), start in Sorrento. (If you start in Salerno, you'll be on the wrong side of the road for all the spectacular views.)
How to get to Sorrento from Naples
Follow signs for the "Circumvesuviana" regional commuter line, which runs underneath Naples' train station.
Your first order of business is to get from Naples to Sorrento, the gateway to the Amalfi Coast.
If you're arriving in Naples by rail, the Napoli Centrale station is where most trains arrive. From here, you have to switch to the twice-hourly EAV/Circumvesuviana train (Eavsrl.it), a clattering old commuter rail line the runs to Sorrento (66 min, €3.60–€4.50; see "Which Ticket?" below for details).
However, finding the EAV/Circumvesuviana—which runs underneath Napoli Centrale train station—can be a bit tricky.
Beware of pickpockets every step of the way. The Naples train station is the black hole of Italian
pickpockets, and they love to work the tourist-packed EAV/Circumvesuviana train as well.
Head toward the train station's main exit, but just before you get there, look to the left for a staircase leading down.
Follow "Circumvesuviana" signs, but partway along the hall stop at the ticket windows on your left to purchase your tickets
Which ticket: Corso Semplice or Biglietto Integrato?
The two kinds of public transit tickets are explained more fully below, under "Tickets" in the "Tips" section, but you do have a decision to make in the Naples train station.
- If you plan to stop and spend time in Sorrento, get the cheaper (€3.60) Corso Semplice ticket from Naples to Sorrento.
- If you are planning to use Sorrento merely as a transfer station—hopping off the train and directly onto the next bus down the coast)—buy a Biglietto Integrato all the way to your final destination on the coast (Positano, Amalfi, etc.). This is a more expensive ticket, but it allows transfers between transport types—in this case, from the train to the bus—within a defined time frame (90–190 minutes, distance depending). It will, in the end, be cheaper. For example, to get from Naples to Amalfi with two Corso Semplice tickets would cost €6.30; the single Biglietto Integrato ticket costs €5.50.
- Do not bother with the Campania Express ticket. This seasonal tourist train is marginally faster (by 5-10 minutes), with A/C and confirmed seating, and only stops at Herculaneum, and Pompeii before Sorrento. And it is heavily marketed to tourists—largely to cheat you out of money. It only runs three times per day (versus 33 regular trains), and costs far more (€15 roundtrip—€10 with the Campania Artecard sightseeing pass—versus €8.20–€9.50 if you just bought corso semplice tickets on the regular train).
Finding the right platform; boarding the right train
The binario (platform) for the Sorrento-bound trains will be displayed. That part is easy.
However, several different commuter lines will use the same platform, so ask around to be sure the train pulling in is bound for Sorrento before stepping on board.
(Over the years, I've probably stopped at least 50 fellow tourists from getting on the wrong train—and those were just the people who happened to be standing next to me on the platform.)
How to get to the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento
How to get to the Amalfi Coast from Salerno
If, for some reason, you want to do the Amalfi Coast "backwards"—leaving from Salerno—you have three options:
Tips & links
Buying tickets
Nearly all local public transit in all of Campania—city bus, tram, Metro, funicular, regional bus, commuter train—is now serviced by the centralized Unicocampania.it.
That means pretty much every form of local transportation (except state railways and things like private airport buses) within Naples and Campania's other cities, between those cities, and around the Bay of Naples, all use the same tickets—which is pretty darn convenient.
As of 2015, there are no longer daily or weekly passes, but the good news is that the cost of individual tickets has come down.
Throughout the system, there are two types of tickets:
- Corso Semplice ("Aziendale") - Whenever buying a public transit ticket—for a Naples tram, the EAV/Circumvesuviana train, Amalfi Coast bus, etc.—you almost always want this cheaper Corso Semplice.
This is a one-way ticket, good for good for a journey on one form of transportation (i.e. the bus) with one company (just the ANM in Naples, or the EAV/Circumvesuviana train, or the SITA Amalfi Coast bus) between any two stops.
Contrary to some advice out there, you can transfer buses with this ticket. They just have to be buses operated by the same company, and the transfer required to get from point A to point B. That means you can use one, say, to travel the entire Amalfi Coast from Sorrento to Salerno—or get from Positano to Ravello—even though both of those journeys require a change in Amalfi.
If you plan to get off an explore at each major sight or town along the way, buying a series of CS tickets is the best way to go.
- Biglietto Orario ( "Integrato") - These tickets cost about 15–20% more but allow you, within in a set period of time (90–190 min, depending on the distance to be traveled), to make unlimited transfers, even betwen types of transport—for example, from the Circumvesuviana train to an Amalfi Coast bus to get from, say, Naples to Amalfi, or from Pompeii to Positano.
These are most useful (for our purposes) in order to combine a ride on the Circumvesuviana train (from Naples or Pompeii) and the Amalfi Coast bus, only pausing in Sorrento just long enough to make the transfer.
However, since a Bilglietto Orario also allows you to hop on and off as much as you'd like within that time frame—so long as you stay headed in the same direction (no round-tripping)—it could be handy for those intending to pay just a quick visit to one town en route to another (say, pausing in Positano for 15 minutes before continuing on to Amalfi). However, you''d have to study the schedules so that they line up just right, since the time validity of the ticket is often barely enough to get you to the end of the line.
If you plan to spend an hour or two at a transfer point (say, to hang around in Amalfi), it is best simply to buy two seperate "Corso Semplice" tickets.
You should also look into the Campania Artecard, which covers unlimited rides on all local transport, as well as admission to most major sights in Naples (40 sights) and 80 sights across Campania (including Pompeii, Herculaneum, the villas and Duomo in Ravello, Paestum, the Reggia di Caserta, the wood inlay museum of Sorrento). If you are visiting just the Amalfi Coast, this card would not worth it; but if you plan also to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum—and especailly if you intend to do some sightseeing in Naples—it might be a big savings.
Transportation links
- Airport transfers (Rome):
- Bus (total: €28–€30; 5+ hr): Marozzivt.it (bus Sorrento-Roma Tiburtina; €20–€22; 4 hr) + Trenitalia.com (train Tiburtina-airport; €8, 48 min)
- Private (€65–€120; 3 hr): Viator.com (note: Rome airport or hotel to Sorento or any Amalfi Coast town)
- Regional rail & access points
- Circumvesiviana train (Naples-Sorrento): Eavsrl.it
- Italian rail (Naples-Salerno): Trenitalia.com
- [The Amalfi Coast itself has no rail service, only bus and boat. Sorrento is the closest train station to the most popular A.C. towns, and the over-the-sea Sorrento-Salerno bus ride is more spectacular than the cliff-hugging Salerno-Sorrento reverse route.]
- Car resources
- Emergency service/tow: tel. 803-116
- Highway agency: Autostrade.it (traffic info, serivce areas, toll calculator, weather)
- Italian automotive club (~AAA): Aci.it
- ZTLs: Ztl-italia.blogspot.com (lightly outdated, but handy, links to cities' traffic-free zones)
- Ferries & hydrofoils
- Alicost.it (Sorrento-Positano-Amalfi; Capri-Positano-Amalfi-Salerno)
- Travelmar.it (Positano-Amalfi-Salerno; Amalfi-Minori-Maiori)
- Alilauro.it (connecting Sorrento and Naples, Amalfi, Positano, Capri, or Ischia; also connecting Amalfi, Positano, or Salerno with Capri or Ischia)
- Gescab.it (connecting Capri with: Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Salerno)
- Coopsantandrea.com (Sorrento-Positano-Amalfi-Minori-Maiori-Salerno; Amalfi-Capri)
- Caremar.it (Sorrento-Capri; Naples-Capri)
- Private boat transfer (Naples-Sorrento, Naples-Amalfi)
- Viator.com
How long does the Amalfi Coast take?
Planning your time: Budget at least a day for the Amalfi Coast. Simply to drive the coast without getting out (except to change buses in Amalfi) takes at least five hours—that's three hours touring the coast from Sorrento to Salerno, plus another hour on each end to get to and from those gateway towns.
If you do want to pack it all into a single day—and actually stop and get out in a few towns—it might be best to just book a tour that picks you up at your hotel, gives you time in each of the main Amalfi Coast towns, and returns you to your hotel 6–9 hours later:
- From Sorrento, group tours start from $40, private drivers from $60, and private tours from $90. » book
- From Naples, group tours start from $97, private drivers from $55, and private tours from $85. » book
Otherwise, it makes far more sense to spend at least one night on the coast.
If, however, your schedule doesn't have that much leisure time, might I suggest riding the first leg—from Sorrento to Positano to Amalfi—taking a quick spin around Amalfi town, then catching a ferry either back up the coast to Sorrento or over to Capri.
» Amalfi Coast itineraries
Amalfi Coast tours
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