7-day road trip along the Amalfi Coast

Check out the 7-day, 6-night road trip we took along the Amalfi Coast and discover with your own eyes one of Italy's most beautiful and famous spots. 

And, along the way, find out how to avoid crowds and keep to a budget that fits your pocket while visiting this paradise on earth.

Ready?

The Amalfi Coast PDF Guide

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• Choose when, where, and how.
• Tailor your budget to suit your wallet.
• Live your own adventure.

Sounds good? Then click here to grab it for just €1.95.

Amalfi Coast, with or without a car?

This is the first question you should ask yourself when organizing your Amalfi Coast route:

Should you drive your own vehicle?

It depends on when you visit this region of Italy.

If you go in the low or shoulder season, having a car will give you a lot of freedom of movement. We were on the Amalfi Coast during the first week of June in 2017, and we didn't run into too many traffic problems (I said too many, not none, just to be clear…).

Although, truth be told, we also took every possible precaution:

• We booked accommodations with a parking space included.
• We avoided driving into Positano on 4 wheels.

If you are traveling during peak season (from late June to early September), it would be best to leave the car at home. Why?

• The road that runs along the Amalfi Coast is very narrow and gets gridlocked during these summer months.
• Parking spots are scarce and quite expensive, along with the price of hotels.

Alternatives? Travel by boat, bus, or on foot (as in the case of the Path of the Gods). Or, if you prefer to be motorized, which I get, how does renting a scooter sound? 

Without a doubt, the best option of all for taking a road trip along the Amalfi Coast is to travel in the low season.

Our route

The itinerary you are about to read in a few seconds is just part of a longer trip around Italy in our own car. Therefore, it does not include flights or vehicle rental.

Shall we go?

Day 1: Arrival and visit to Ravello

After breakfast, we leave our accommodation next to the Maremma Natural Park in Tuscany and head towards Ravello, one of the towns with the best views of the Amalfi Coast.

After about 4 hours of driving, we leave the A30 at Nocera/Pagani to cross the Lattari Mountains. But before heading into the mountain road, we stop to fill up the tank, do some grocery shopping (we barely found a supermarket open), and grab a bite to eat.

By chance, we stumbled upon the Boomerang restaurant-pizzeria. Since they didn't fire up the pizza oven at lunchtime, we opted for a caprese salad to share plus a plate of seafood pasta each. However, when we saw the portion sizes on the other tables, along with the size of the mozzarella they set before us, we canceled one of the pastas. Even so, we almost burst trying not to leave anything behind. And by the way, it was delicious and only cost us €20, in total!

We climbed the Lattari Mountains and were amazed by the beauty of the vegetation, the rock walls, and the views of Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, and Naples from up there. Too bad we had the sun right in our faces. The photos don't do it justice.

Shortly after, we arrived in Ravello and left the car in the parking area of our accommodation: Dimora Sveva. What views! Goodness me…

We dropped off our bags and headed out on foot to visit the town and the most famous villas on the entire Amalfi Coast: Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, each more beautiful than the other.

Just as the sun was about to set, we headed back home to enjoy the terrace overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea while having a light dinner. Without really knowing why, some fireworks enlivened our evening once night fell.

If you want to know more about this town, check out the post dedicated to Ravello and its villas.

Day 2: The Tre Calli loop

The next morning, we set off for Bomerano, a fraction of Agerola.

On the map they may seem relatively close, but it took us 1 hour or more to reach our destination. If you do the same as us, on leaving Ravello you'll come across a traffic light regulating traffic on one side of the mountain. Don't despair, it takes quite a while to change color because the narrow stretch is pretty long, you'll see.

The owner of B&B A 2 passi dagli Dei let us park the car, and even check into our room, at 11 in the morning. A saint! She treated us wonderfully.

We dropped our bags, packed water into the backpack, the sandwiches we had made in the morning, bananas, walnuts, and all our batteries charged to the max. Maddalena helped us a bit with directions to reach the Tre Calli loop, and off we went.

The climb was demanding, though the reward… is priceless! And if you don't believe me, take a look at the photos and the video I posted in the entry where I explain how to hike the Tre Calli loop.

After the trekking session overlooking the Amalfi Coast, we had dinner at the restaurant recommended by our host, La Selva (€25 in total), and off to sleep, as we had truly earned it.

Day 3: The Path of the Gods

We got up early, packed a change of clothes into the backpack (don't forget your swimwear!) and, after a delicious breakfast at B&B A 2 passi dagli Dei, we left our belongings, the car, and the keys with the B&B owner.

At 8:30 in the morning, we set off along the Path of the Gods accompanied by a bit of rain and dense fog. However, after an hour of walking, the sky cleared and allowed us to see the spectacle:

The Amalfi Coast at our feet.

And, truth be told, the shade provided by the clouds for a large part of the route was a godsend. We would have been very hot if they hadn't been there.

We weren't sure whether to take the high or low trail, but a large group, accompanied by a loud guide, made the decision for us: they went towards the low, we went towards the high, and problem solved. 🙂

After a refreshing lemon granita and a well-deserved sandwich at the Nocelle viewpoint square, we decided to take the stairs leading down to the Amalfi Road right from there. Watch your knees!

When we reached the bottom, we walked right along the edge of the road (because there wasn't really a shoulder to speak of) and entered Positano, completely amazed.

What a beauty!

After a great photo session and exploring almost the entire town, we reached our accommodation: Casa Maresca, a beautiful villa with sea views in the quietest area of Positano.

We slipped into our swimsuits and jumped right in!

Positano's small beach is located at the foot of Casa Maresca, down some stairs (no!, not more stairs…). It was absolute bliss, as we had it almost to ourselves at that time of the afternoon.

We headed back to our room (yes, up the stairs, yes… Ouch!).

We showered, got dressed up (meaning, put on a clean t-shirt), grabbed our cameras, and went out to wander around Positano!

We picked a great corner to catch the sunset. And we clearly made the right call, because we ended up surrounded by some very pro photographers.

We decided to have dinner somewhere a bit different (we live in Italy, so we already know the pizza and pasta are amazing), so we tried the delicious tapas at La Brezza Net Art Café.

And afterwards, we kept exploring Positano under the stars. If you visit this town, stay at least one night. It's totally worth seeing it under this light too.

Day 4: A beach day in Positano

The next day, we grabbed our backpacks, checked out at Casa Maresca, and treated ourselves to renting sun loungers and an umbrella at Positano's main beach (25€).

A delightful day of sunshine, dips with privileged views of Positano, beachside pizza, and wind, lots of wind! So much so that, at times, they made us close the umbrella to stop it from blowing away. This was a bit annoying and, even though we knew it wasn't the lido owners' fault, the 'umbrella guy' earned himself a rather unflattering nickname (which I'd better not share here).

At around 4.30 pm, we packed up and walked over to the pier to catch the 5.00 pm boat heading to Amalfi (8€/person).

It's an absolute must to sail along the Amalfi Coast at some point during your trip. The views are truly something to behold. And this was our chance.

Once in Amalfi, we passed the time visiting the cathedral and grabbing an ice cream (of course!), until the bus to Bomerano arrived. I was surprised by just how comfortable the bus was.

And once back at B&B A 2 passi dagli Dei, Maddalena gave us the very same room. Our car was right where we had left it, bags inside. So, shower, dinner (25€ at La Selva), and finally some rest, because the beach really tires you out. 🙂

Day 5: Beautiful Amalfi and Atrani

After enjoying another incredible breakfast at the B&B in Bomerano, we drove down to Amalfi, where our accommodation, Hotel Floridiana, let us park before check-in time.

And from there, we set off on foot towards Atrani, where we fell head over heels for its postcard-perfect skyline.

We grabbed some freshly made sandwiches in Atrani's main square, and continued on to the gorgeous Castiglione cove, where we spent most of the day enjoying the sun, the turquoise sea, and the shade cast by the cliff behind us.

Mid-afternoon, we headed back to the hotel to drop off our bags and wash off the salt. We visited the stunning Cloister of Paradise and set off for Atrani once again to catch the lights turning on after sunset.

Plus, somehow, we managed to snag a table without a reservation at the restaurant L’Abside for dinner. Mmmm! What a cherry on top of a perfect day.

By the way, strolling through Amalfi at night also has its own special charm.

Day 6: Cetara, the final stop

After a delicious breakfast at Hotel Floridiana, which rivaled the one we had at the B&B A 2 passi dagli Dei in Bomerano in both quality and quantity, we set off for Cetara, the last stop on our Amalfi Coast road trip.

Our accommodation, B&B La Sorgente, was located at the very top of the village. They advertise free parking, and they did deliver, but the spot we took was a tight space right on the main street, which didn't look private anyway.

However, they let us check in early and upgraded us to a room with an en-suite bathroom. So we were very comfortable.

We headed down to Cetara beach, although the sea of paid loungers and the crowd of swimmers right in front of the village put us off a bit. We decided to have some fried fish for lunch, but that didn't turn out to be our best choice either.

In the end, we walked to the outskirts of Cetara for a swim in a nearby cove overlooking Salerno (you can find it on the map at the bottom of this page). If you make it out here, don't expect anything quite as spectacular as Castiglione cove in Atrani.

After a shower, we strolled over to the pier to snap a pretty farewell postcard. And once the sun went down, came the highlight of our visit to Cetara:

Punto e Pasta restaurant.

It's a tiny slow-food spot serving traditional Cetara dishes, with very few tables and partly plastic cutlery (this eco-unfriendly detail was its only drawback).

We followed the recommendations of the waiter, who enthusiastically ran through the menu in full detail, and enjoyed a delicious dinner for 15€/person. If you find yourself in Cetara, definitely give this place a try. And above all, trust their suggestions. 🙂

Day 7: Headed to the Adriatic

Breakfast at B&B La Sorgente was decent, though it paled in comparison to what we had enjoyed at the B&B in Bomerano or Hotel Floridiana right in the heart of Amalfi. Above all, it lacked savory options.

We paid 70€ a night for 2 people, breakfast included, and set off for the Foresta Umbra in the Gargano National Park, right off the Adriatic Sea coast.

And what a coastline! You won't believe your eyes.

To be continued…

Budget

• Accommodation: 572€/6 nights/2 people (47.7€ per person per night).
• Food: 361.5€/2 people (30.1€ per person per day)
• Sightseeing (villas, boat/bus, lido, cloister, etc.): 78.6€ (39.3€ each)
• Petrol: 40€.

In total, during our 7-day, 6-night Amalfi Coast road trip, we spent 1052€, 526€ per person.

Flying to Italy?

I like starting my flight search on Trabber because the price it shows is final (it includes card fees and other taxes). That said, I always check the deals on eDreams and Momondo too.

You never know who will have the best deals! 😉

When to buy your flights

For international flights, it's worth searching across the 4 search engines above 6-8 months in advance.

However, for domestic flights or flights within Europe, I recommend waiting until about 2-4 months before your trip to buy (unless you spot deals that are too good to pass up).

Vueling, for instance, often launches budget promotions every now and then.

Useful links

• Bus timetables running along the Amalfi Coast.
• Ferry schedules connecting the main coastal towns.
• Our apartment with a view at Dimora Sveva, Ravello.
• B&B A 2 passi dagli dei, in Bomerano.
• Stay at Casa Maresca, Positano.
• Hotel Floridiana, right in the center of Amalfi.
• B&B La Sorgente, Cetara.
• Flight deal search engines: Trabber, eDreams, Momondo, and Vueling.
• 5% discount on your IATI travel insurance.

And so you don't miss a thing, here are the highlights of each leg:

• Ravello and the villas with the best views on the Amalfi Coast.
• The Tre Calli loop, an alternative route above the Amalfi Coast.
• The Path of the Gods, descending into Positano from the heights.
• Positano, one of the most gorgeous towns in all of Italy.
• Amalfi (and Atrani) in 24 hours.

Want to know more about planning a road trip along the Amalfi Coast? Leave a comment below and I'll be happy to help.

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