The Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful parts of Italy. But it’s not the easiest to get to and around! Here’s my guide to exploring the Amalfi Coast in one day without a car.
The Amalfi Coast is understandly a famous and popular part of Italy to visit. It’s a stunning stretch of coastline. Steep green hills and cliffs tumble down into the blue water, with cute villages and houses clinging onto the edge. The famous Amalfi Coast road is an experience in itself as well. However, driving here can be very challenging. So I definitely recommend visiting the Amalfi Coast in one day without a car.
Getting to and around the Amalfi Coast without a car
The Amalfi Coast can be a very challenging place to drive. The road is very narrow and constantly twisting and turning. It’s right on the edge of the cliff, often with few barriers between the road and the sea far below. And the traffic can be extremely heavy – especially in the summer, but also in spring and autumn. All of these reasons make it not a nice place to drive. So I definitely recommend not trying to hire a car and drive yourself. So to explore the Amalfi Coast without a car, there are lots of different options, with varying costs.
I think the ideal option is to stay in one or two of the towns of the Amalfi coast. I think one night in Positano and one night in Amalfi would be lovely, to get to explore these towns and the surrounding area. You can take the bus or boat between these places. However, this option is fairly expensive as the hotels in Positano and Amalfi can be expensive. And staying for several days takes quite a lot of time. If you only have one day, then I recommend taking a day tour from Sorrento.
Getting to and around the Amalfi Coast without a car – day tour from Sorrento
If you want to see the Amalfi coast in one day without a car, then I recommend taking a day tour from Sorrento. This is what I did. Sorrento is about 1.5 hours on the train from Naples and has loads of accommodation options. There’s a range of hotels to suit all budgets. And from Sorrento, you can get to Positano in about 40 minutes in a day tour. A day tour will take you to multiple towns and viewpoints along the Amalfi Coast, without having to drive yourself.
There are buses and boats from Sorrento to Positano and Amalfi. However, these can get extremely busy. I visited in October, and there were still huge queues. So having a day tour means you don’t need to cram onto busy buses. A day tour is more expensive than taking the bus – but I think it’s worth it.
A day tour is especially worth it if you suffer from travel sickness. The Amalfi Coast road is extremely windy, with constant bends. It’s much better and more manageable in a small minibus rather than a crammed public bus! So to fully enjoy the Amalfi Coast in one day without a car, I recommend taking a day tour from Sorrento. Here’s what you can see in your day trip.
Positano
The first stop on most day tours of the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento is Positano. This small town is one of the iconic sights on the Amalfi Coast.
You’ll get dropped off at the top of Positano. You can then walk down the really pretty main street, down to the beach. The main street is lovely, as it’s lined with shops. There are lots of high end fashion shops. And also some lovely tourist-y shops selling beautiful artwork of the area.
The beach at Positano is nice. It’s not the most beautiful beach in the world. The sand is quite dark, and it’s quite crowded with parasols and sunbeds. But it’s still a nice beach. And the view from the beach back up towards the town is lovely.
The Church in Positano is nice as well. You can go inside for free, and it’s a pretty church.
I had about an hour in Positano. It was a nice amount of time to have a walk around the town, down to the beach and back up. It was also enough time to stop for a coffee and browse the shops.
Amalfi Coast road
After spending an hour in Positano, it was time to get back into the minibus and continue along the winding roads of the Amalfi Coast. The stretch of the Amalfi Coast road between Positano and Amalfi was my favourite. Although the winding roads are challenging when you suffer from travel sickness, the views make it worth it!
I loved taking photos out of the window of the minibus. Each turn opened up a whole new panoramic view. The land was green, with colourful houses dotted along the huge cliffs, looking down to the blue sea. It was just lovely. Even when exploring the Amalfi Coast in one day without a car, you can still enjoy the views from the roads when you take a day tour.
Boat trip from Amalfi
From Amalfi, I took a one-hour sightseeing boat trip. The boat went along the coastline of the Amalfi Coast in one direction. And then it turned back.
The boat trip from Amalfi was a great chance to see the beautiful scenery of the Amalfi coast from the sea. It gave a really different view of the area compared to the road. I think it was great to be able to see the Amalfi Coast from both the famous road and also the sea.
One of my favourite parts of the boat trip was the view back to Amalfi. It’s a really beautiful town. A lot of it is at sea level, but there are also houses impressively stacked into the cliff above.
Amalfi town
After the boat trip, I had some time to explore the town of Amalfi as well. It’s a really pretty little town. Like Positano, the town isn’t huge. But it’s cute, with narrow streets lined with shops, cafes and restaurants.
My favourite part of the town of Amalfi was the cathedral. It’s an impressive building, at the top of some steps from a piazza. The detail on the outside of the building is beautiful.
Ravello
The final stop of my day tour of the Amalfi Coast was the small town of Ravello. Ravello is situated high up in the hills above the Amalfi Coast. So it’s a fairly steep uphill drive from the town of Amalfi to get up to Ravello.
The main attraction of Ravello is the amazing view. Because it’s high up in the hills of the Amalfi Coast, the views from Ravello are just stunning. You can walk a short distance from the town to the best viewpoint. I took so many photos – it was just stunning.
Ravello is a nice town as well. It’s very small – there’s a main piazza in the centre, and then just a few side streets. It’s a lovely place to stop for lunch and a drink though. The piazza is filled with cafes serving a variety of different food and drink. Or you can head down one of the side streets for a takeaway panini if you prefer. Sitting and relaxing in the piazza in Ravello was the perfect way to end my day exploring Amalfi Coast in one day without a car.
Hope you enjoyed my guide to exploring the Amalfi Coast in one day without a car! Make sure you check out my guides to other things to do in this beautiful part of Italy. You can visit the islands of Procida and Capri, and also visit the famous ruins at Pompeii. You can also check out my guide to spending one week exploring Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. There are also lots of other great places to explore in Italy, including exploring Sicily without a car, visiting the Cinque Terre and Portofino.
