Rome to the Amalfi Coast: train to Salerno or Naples, then ferry, SITA bus or driver. 2026 times and fares, luggage, best base, winter and accessibility.
The easiest way from Rome to the Amalfi Coast is a high-speed train to Salerno (from about 1 hour 26 minutes) or Naples (about 1 hour 10 minutes), then a ferry, a SITA bus or a private driver for the last stretch. Door to door, count on about 3 to 5 hours depending on the season and the town you stay in. A private driver straight from your Rome hotel takes about 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours, and it is the only option that brings your suitcases to the hotel door, which on this coast matters more than anywhere else in Italy.
| Option | Route | Time door to door | Price range (2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train and ferry | Roma Termini to Salerno, ferry to Amalfi or Positano | about 3 to 4 h | advance train fares from about €15 (about $17); Salerno to Positano ferry €17 (about $20) in 2026 | Most of the year, light luggage |
| Train and private transfer | Train to Salerno or Naples, driver to your hotel | about 3 to 3 h 30 min | train fare plus a transfer quoted on request | Most of our travelers |
| Train, Circumvesuviana and SITA bus | Rome to Naples, local train to Sorrento, bus along the coast | about 4 h 30 min to 5 h or more | the cheapest, a few euros per leg after the train | Budget, very light bags |
| Train and hydrofoil | Rome to Naples, hydrofoil from Molo Beverello to Positano | about 3 h 30 min | hydrofoil €32 (about $37) in 2026 | April to early November, a sea arrival |
| Private driver from Rome | Hotel to hotel, with an optional stop at Pompeii | about 3 h 30 min to 4 h without stops | quoted on request | Families, luggage, limited mobility |
There is no train station on the Amalfi Coast itself, and no airport. Every route ends with a boat or a car on the coast road.
The ferry is the arrival we like best: you see Positano rise from the water, and you skip the coast road entirely.
The fastest train from Rome to Naples takes about 1 hour 10 minutes. From Napoli Centrale, three ways continue.
We do not recommend driving yourself. The SS163 coast road is narrow, with tour buses meeting on blind bends, parking in Positano and Amalfi is scarce and expensive, and on peak days an alternate license-plate rule keeps non-resident cars off the road by date. In 2026 it was reported for March 30 to April 6, April 24 to May 2, and weekends and public holidays in June and July; ANAS sets the dates each year, so we check them for your trip. Taxis and licensed private-hire vehicles are exempt.
A private driver solves all of this. From a Rome hotel, the drive is about 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours to Positano without stops, and many of our travelers break it at Pompeii, which sits right on the way, with a licensed guide for two hours. The other approach we book often: the train to Naples or Salerno, with a driver waiting on the platform. From Naples, the transfer to Positano takes about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, and from Salerno to Amalfi about 45 minutes to 1 hour, more in summer traffic.
The Amalfi Coast is built on cliffs. In Positano, cars reach the upper road and a few hotel entrances, and then it is stairs. Ferries include one hand bag and charge for extras: NLG includes a bag up to 50 x 30 x 15 cm and 5 kg and charged €5 for each extra piece in 2026, and Travelmar includes a carry-on up to 45 x 35 x 20 cm and charges €3 per suitcase. A full SITA bus leaves almost no room for a suitcase.
Our rules: one medium suitcase per person, a driver whenever you carry more than that, and a porter or the hotel's own luggage service booked for Positano. If you return to Rome at the end of the trip, leave the big bags at your Rome hotel and travel south with a small case.
Our Amalfi Coast travel guide compares the towns in more detail.
| Leg | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale | from about 1 h 10 min | Frecciarossa and Italo |
| Roma Termini to Salerno | from about 1 h 26 min | about 25 direct trains a day |
| Naples to Sorrento (Circumvesuviana) | a little over 1 h | about every 30 minutes |
| Sorrento to Positano (SITA bus) | about 40 to 50 min | full in summer |
| Sorrento to Amalfi (SITA bus) | about 1 h 40 min | via Positano |
| Salerno to Amalfi (ferry) | about 35 min | all year, fewer sailings in winter |
| Salerno to Positano (ferry) | about 70 min | stops in Amalfi |
| Naples to Positano (hydrofoil) | check the timetable | daily April to early November, weekends in winter |
| Rome to Positano (driver) | about 3 h 30 min to 4 h | without stops |
From November to March the coast changes. Travelmar keeps a reduced ferry service between Salerno, Amalfi and Positano, weather permitting, the Naples hydrofoil runs only on weekends, and many hotels and restaurants in Positano close until spring, while Amalfi, Ravello and Sorrento keep more open. SITA buses keep running on a reduced timetable. In winter we book the train to Salerno and a driver, base travelers in Amalfi or Ravello, and plan the days around Christmas lights, nativity scenes and long lunches rather than beaches. Our guide to the best time to visit Italy weighs the seasons.
Rome, Naples and Salerno stations are in RFI's Sala Blu network, which provides free boarding assistance on request: book at least 3 working hours ahead through the SalaBlu+ app or SalaBlu Online, or on 800 90 60 60 toll-free in Italy (+39 02 32 32 32 from abroad); RFI asks travelers from abroad to send requests preferably 24 hours ahead. Italo passengers book through Pronto Italo (+39 06 07 08) at least 36 hours before departure. High-speed trains have wheelchair spaces. Beyond the train it gets harder: ferry gangways have steps, the Circumvesuviana and SITA buses are not a realistic option for wheelchair users, and Positano is almost entirely stairs. Amalfi's seafront and lower town and the center of Sorrento are the most manageable, and we plan the whole transfer by adapted vehicle; our wheelchair-accessible Italy guide covers the rest.
On the trips we design, this day is handled from start to finish: a driver at your Rome hotel, a guided stop at Pompeii if you like, and arrival in Positano or Amalfi in time for an aperitivo, with the luggage carried up the stairs for you. Door-to-door transfers are quoted on request. Our Amalfi Coast and Rome honeymoon is built around this journey, our 14-day Italy grand tour ends on the coast after Venice, Florence, the Cinque Terre and Rome, and our 14-day Italy itineraries show other ways to fit it in. For the city before you leave, see our Rome travel guide, and for the train network in general, Italy by train.
If you would like a designer to plan the transfer around your hotel and your dates, tell us about your trip.
More guides: Getting around
For most travelers, a high-speed train to Salerno and then a ferry to Amalfi or Positano, which runs all year with fewer sailings in winter. In rough weather, or with more than one suitcase each, take the train to Salerno or Naples and a private transfer. A driver from your Rome hotel is the simplest option for families and anyone with limited mobility.
About 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours by private car without stops. By public transport, count on about 3 to 4 hours via Salerno and the ferry, and 4 hours 30 minutes or more via Naples, the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento and the SITA bus, once you add waiting times between connections.
Salerno, in most cases. The ferry pier at Piazza della Concordia is across from the station, Amalfi is 35 minutes away by boat, and you avoid the crowded Circumvesuviana. Naples makes sense if you are staying in Sorrento, if you want the hydrofoil to Positano, or if your driver collects you there.
Organized tours do it, but you would spend seven hours or more traveling for a few hours on the coast, mostly in Positano at its busiest. We advise at least three nights, ideally four, so you have a day for Amalfi and Ravello, a boat day along the coast or to Capri, and time to simply stay put.
Yes, on a reduced timetable. Travelmar sails between Salerno, Amalfi and Positano all year, with four to six departures a day from Salerno in November 2026, and NLG's hydrofoil from Naples runs on Saturdays and Sundays from November 2026 to March 2027. Sailings are cancelled in rough seas, so in winter we often pair the train to Salerno with a private transfer; SITA buses also keep a reduced timetable.
Be inspired by our European itineraries, then let our local travel designers tailor your journey to your interests, preferences and pace.
A honeymoon between Rome and the sea: private visits of the Colosseum and the Vatican, three nights in Positano with a private boat day to Capri, then two quiet nights in Ravello above the coast. 5-star hotels.
Price on request
Italy from north to south by train and private car: Venice, Florence and Tuscany, the Cinque Terre villages, Rome and the Vatican, then three nights on the Amalfi Coast with a boat day to Capri. 4-star hotels throughout.
Price on request
Rome and Florence planned step by step for wheelchair users and travelers with reduced mobility: an adapted vehicle with a ramp, accessible routes at the Colosseum and the Vatican, train assistance and checked hotel rooms.
Price on request
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