BrowsingRome Blogging about my experiences and sharing my thoughts about Rome, Italy and beyond
Last month when Gillian told me that she would be taking the bus from Rome to the Amalfi Coast, it sure got my attention. I usually only go to Positano with Luca by car and had never thought of alternatives as they seem too complicated.
I was keen to hear about Gillian’s experience because if it is positive, it means the opportunity for me to venture down to Positano during the weekday and to be joined by Luca at the weekend. I had asked Gillian if she could write a guest post on her experience which gives a whole range of options on getting to the Amalfi Coast.
Here’s her guest post and thanks again Gillian!
From Rome to the Amalfi Coast
There are lots of ways to get to the Amalfi coast from Rome.
My favorite route is with my affectionally dubbed husband, Marco the driver. I roll down the windows and ooh and aww and beg for him to drive faster. He is always saying. through slighted gritted teeth, “I can’t look at the view, I am driving.” Since Marco the driver has a pesky day job, this is not the most practical option for anyone other than me.
Fast Trains, Hydrofoils and Hired Drivers
The most well known method is to take the train down to Naples (The Frecciarosso and the swish new Italo take just over an hour to Napoli Centrale.)
This route involves a slightly clumsy step of getting to the nearby Port ( Beverello or Mergallina by taxi or metro. The upshot is you can make a quick stop for pizza or a sfogliatella
The jet-set version is take a fast train to Naples and then have a car and driver meet you and whisk you straight to Positano.
Swift and Economical
This past trip I discovered an easy, affordable, fast option. There is a bus that goes straight from Rome to Positano (and beyond all the way to Amalfi) This option skips Naples all together.
Operated by Marozzi, the air-conditioned, comfortable bus leaves Rome’s Tibertina bus station (directly across the road from the Tibertina Train station – There are no signs) at 7:00 am every morning.
There is very little information at the Bus station, Go to the main ticket booth and confirm which stallo the bus is leaving from. I left from Stallo 6. It was pretty easy to figure out which bus was mine, the group gathered was a mix of young honeymooners, Asian tourists and Italians in Positano shirts and sandals.
There is a quick coffee/bathroom break at an Autogrill after about an hour. By 10:25 you catch your first glimpse of Vesuvius and the sea. If you love a view, make sure you get a window seat on the right side of the bus. We changed to a slightly smaller bus in Sorrento and by noon I was sitting on the terrace gazing at the turquoise sea.
Frecciarossa from €29 – 50 one way
Italo from €20-43 one way
Marozzi Bus €21 one way
Ferry/Hydrofoil from €18 one way
All photos courtesy of Gillian
Speaking as the afore-mentioned ‘jet setter’, the hired car is actually pretty affordable, especially when you split it between three or four people. We had a car pick us up at the Naples train stain and drop us off in Positano for 100 Euros. Air conditioned comfort, with a view and great music playing on the car stereo. Well worth every cent from my jet set pocket.
Hi Elizabeth, thank you for the clarification! When you split it by 4 people it’s worth the comfort that you described. Which car service company did you use?
Hi Elizabeth,
Did you pre-book a car hire or did you just do it when you got to the Naples Train Station?
Any recommendations for company you trusted?
Thank you
Hi Gillian,
I also believe there is a Bus leaving Rome at noon now too. I went to the Marozzi Bus Line website but it is all in italian and I cannot figure it out. Do you know where I can find the schedule for it? Did you pre-purchase your ticket before arriving at the Bus Station?
Thanks,
Aaaaw. What wonderful pictures! I think that once you get to the Amalfi, you can also take the SETI buses everywhere. This is great information!
@barbara – The SITA buses are a great option – though a word to the wise – They can be more crowded and may not be air-conditioned.
Here is a link with the schedule.
http://www.sitasudtrasporti.it/public/tpl/campania/5070.pdf
Thanks Gillian for that additional piece of advice. Air-conditioning makes a world of difference especially in the summer.
Hi Barbara, this is really helpful information for me as it means I can take the bus and spend a few more days in Positano than usual and who wouldn’t want that 🙂
Thank you for the great tips! When we visited the Amalfi Coast in 2003, we got absolutely fleeced by our taxi going from the Naples airport to the port. The driver took one look at us — jet lagged honeymooners — and tried to shake us down for over €100! (We told him we didn’t have that much cash — but we still parted with €40). It’s VERY useful to know about these other options!
Hi Ann, glad you find this useful. Similar to places which are tourist destinations, everyone tries to make that quick buck from tourists. That’s the intention of this post and BrowsingRome in general – to ensure you have the information to make the right decisions and not be ripped off.
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long
as I provide credit and sources back to your webpage?
My website is in the exact same area of interest as yours
and my users would definitely benefit from some of the information you provide here.
Please let me know if this okay with you. Cheers!
Not at all. As long as credit and sources are provided you are more than welcome to quote my articles.
My personal favorite to get to Amalfi town is to take the train all the way to Salerno and after a short walk to the port, take the smaller ferry. You want to sit on the right side here as well or you’ll have everyone’s heads in your pictures. 🙂
Hi Robbin, thanks for your tip! Do you know if the ferries run year-round or just during the summer months?