Distance from Rome to Amalfi Coast (+How to Get There)
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Before Italy, I was convinced that because I saw so many people visiting the Amalfi Coast it must be pretty easy to get to. I knew it was close to Rome, but I didn’t truly appreciate the geography of Italy and how spaced out everything was until I got there.
While getting from Rome to Amalfi Coast isn’t quite as easy as I initially thought it would be, it’s also pretty close and a common itinerary for many people visiting Southern Italy.
I’ll walk through how far these two spots are, the best ways to get there, and then I’ll talk through the fastest and cheapest ways to get there. I sure wish I had this guide before I went on my trip, but at least you’ll have it for yours!
What is the Distance from Rome to Amalfi Coast?
So how far exactly is Rome from the Amalfi Coast? Well, it depends on where you’re heading on the coast as well as how you get there.
The Amalfi Coast actually covers a pretty large area and is made up of lots of towns, not just Capri or Positano. As a general rule of thumb it’s about 277km or 176 miles from one to the other.
Here are some popular towns and the distance:
- Sorrento – 264 km or 164 miles
- Positano – 273 km or 169 miles
- Salerno – 266 km or 165 miles
- Amalfi (town) – 277 km or 172 miles
Best Ways to Get from Rome to Amalfi Coast
There are several ways to get from Rome to the Amalfi Coast area, and it depends mainly on where you’re headed and what your budget looks like. Here are some of the best ways to get there.
By Car
🏆Easiest & Fastest Way
This is the easiest and probably most convenient way to get to the Amalfi Coast from Rome. However, notice I said easiest but I didn’t say the cheapest!
Self Drive
First, you can rent a car and drive down yourself from Rome, but I do not recommend this option. The roads are windy and the traffic can be crazy, not to mention all of the motorcycles or vespas winding in and out of traffic. If you do decide on a car, I recommend DiscoverCars to find the best deals and to make sure you get your international driver’s permit!
If you do drive yourself, you’ll also have to worry about parking. Not many places offer parking, especially not free parking. You might even have to park outside of the town area so it might end up being more of a hassle to have a car than it’s worth.
Car Transfer
The other option is to book a private transfer from Rome to Amalfi. This could be a semi-private or private option. Both will pick up you (and your luggage) from wherever you’re staying and take you from door to door.
While this is an expensive option, it’s definitely the easiest. It’s the option I used when I visited Positano this year, and I’m glad that I did with my massive checked bag and our Airbnb that was far from town.
Note: If you get motion sick even a little bit in a car, you will most likely get sick on this route. I wish I’d known how windy the roads are and how crazy people drive ahead of time. I was so nauseous and thankfully my driver stopped for me. Make sure to take your motion sick meds beforehand!
Pro-Tip: Take the train from Rome to Naples and hire a private transfer from here as it’ll be a lot cheaper than from Rome! This is what I did. You can also take the train to Sorrento and use a local car service as well.
By Train & Ferry
🏆Best Budget Option for Peak Season
For anyone who’s a little more comfortable with making several connections on public transportation and wanting to find a more affordable way to get to Amalfi, I’d recommend this train and ferry option.
Not only is it a great way to save some money, the ferry is also a really cool way to see the Coast – so it’s two for one.
Train
You can take a high speed train from Rome to Salerno or you’ll take the high speed train to Naples and then stop there to get on another train to Sorrento.
You’ll need to take the Campania Express train or the Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento which will cost you €15 or €4,90 and take about 1 or slightly over 1 hour.
The high speed train from Rome to Naples will cost you about $30-$60 and 1-2 hours.
The high speed train from Rome to Salerno will cost you around $34 to $60 and take 2 hours.
I recommend using Italo and Trenitalia sites to book your high speed train tickets (either in advance or the day of). You can also use Trainline to find the best prices across all sites.
Ferry
Ferries generally only run from April through October and are very much weather dependent, meaning they could be canceled at any point when it’s deemed unsafe.
Once you arrive in either Salerno or Sorrento, the ferry ports are generally anywhere from a 7-12 minute walk from the station but can vary depending on what ferry you take.
Use the Ferryhopper site to search for ferry tickets in advance from both of these locations. There are different ferry lines that run so it’s important to do a little research on which might be a better fit for you. Tickets will run you anywhere from €9-20. Time will also vary depending on your starting point and destination but could be up to 2 hours.
If you can, I’d choose the ferry over the bus any day. However, just note that if you’re taking the ferry you are dropped off at the port and not near where you might be staying. If you’re staying far from the ferry port this might be an issue.
Note: Not all towns on the Amalfi Coast can be accessed by ferry. Popular towns like Positano, Sorrento, Capri, and Amalfi are in the clear but other towns might not have a ferry that runs there.
By Train & Bus
🏆Best Budget Option for Shoulder Season
This option is a good budget friendly option for anyone who is willing to navigate the multiple connections and craziness of the bus system on the Amalfi Coast.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of taking a bus if you’ve already made multiple connections via train but it’s a more affordable option to save money over a car transfer and during the months the ferries aren’t running (November through March).
Train
For directions on trains, see the above section as the directions and costs/times will be the same.
Bus
Buses are a great option for getting from town to town when ferries aren’t running or for the hill towns like Ravello. There are several routes that run along the Amalfi Coast and the bus company is called SITA.
Buses run regularly daily but are frequently late due to traffic and the winding roads along the Coast, especially during the peak season. You can use this site to check the bus schedules by various lines, but just note that all buses stop and transfer in Amalfi. There isn’t a direct bus from Salerno to anywhere past Amalfi and vice versa.
Prices will run you about €2.90 one way. You can also get a daily pass for about €10.
While I think buses are super convenient to get inland and to hill countries, I’d recommend using the ferries when possible. Overall though, they’re pretty easy and convenient to use but are often late and will most definitely cause some extreme motion sickness.
Salerno vs. Sorrento
Since Salerno and Sorrento are the only places where the trains run to from Naples and Rome, you might be wondering which city is best for your trip. The answer will depend on where you’re headed on the Coast.
I personally think it also depends on whether you’re interested in taking multiple trains to get to the Coast or if you’d prefer to just take one train straight from Rome to Salerno and then use the private car, ferry or bus option.
Sorrento is popular because it’s closer to some of the most popular spots on the Coast – Capri and Positano.
If it’s in the April through October timeframe when ferries are running, I’d say Salerno is a great option because it requires only one train and then a transfer to the ferry. If ferries aren’t running, I’d generally prefer Sorrento.
Especially if you’re staying anywhere on the western side of the coast, if you have to take the bus it’ll require yet another connection through Amalfi.
Other FAQs about Rome to Amalfi
How long is the high speed train from Rome to Amalfi Coast?
How long the high speed train is depends on if you’re going to Salerno or Sorrento. Generally it’s about 2 hours to both but Sorrento requires stops while Salerno doesn’t which could mean a longer travel time.
Is it hard to get to Amalfi Coast from Rome?
The Amalfi Coast from Rome is slightly harder to get to because there aren’t any “direct” train options like other places in Italy. It requires planning ahead with either a car service or multiple forms of transportation and stops.
How much is a train ticket from Rome to Amalfi Coast?
The cost of a train ticket from Rome to Amalfi Coast depends on whether you’re going to Sorrento or Salerno. For Sorrento it might be anywhere from €30-60 (plus the train ticket from Naples to Sorrento) while Salerno is around €34-60.
Final Thoughts: Rome to Amalfi Coast
If you’re trying to figure out how to get to the Amalfi Coast from Rome, hopefully this information has put you at ease a bit more. It’s not as difficult as you think it might be but it does require a bit of planning and knowledge upfront.
The Coast is such a beautiful area and it makes a great little weekend trip or even a week long trip if you’re in the Southern Italy area and looking to explore. Hope you have the best time and let me know how things went or if you have any other tips along the way!
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