Getting around the Amalfi Coast on a bus
Unfortunately, this region doesn’t have a lot of railway lines; therefore the most frequent and useful form of transport is by bus. However, given that the main road runs the length of the coast, it is very winding and narrow which often results in queues. Because of this, buses rarely arrive at the times indicated on a timetable. You could also consider travelling boat, motorboat or even by bike, if you are so inclined. It is better to avoid driving and leave your car in the car park.
Taking the bus is the simplest way of getting around the Amalfi Coast due to the number of bus stops. On the map, you will note that the various routes have been marked and only the stops that are useful for seeing the tourist attractions have been identified. Usually, the bus driver will announce the stops. What do we mean by useful stops? Take Positano for example. A lot of people make the error of hopping off the bus at “Nuova Chiesa”, this is in fact a bit of a mistake, given that it is rather far from the town centre! Instead, you would want to descend at “Positano Centro” or “Sponda”.
Read more on ‘Getting a boat’ and ‘Travelling by car’.
Amalfi Coast bus timetables and routes
All available routes can be found on the map at the bottom of this page. They cover the coast and the nearby small villages on the high ground. All line changes take place in Amalfi. For example, if you are looking to travel to Bomerano (the start point of the Footpath of the Gods) from Positano, then you will need to change in Amalfi. Aside from the four main bus routes, there is also the bus to Nocelle that departs Positano once per hour, or the bus from Amalfi to Pogerola from where you can easily reach the other beautiful places.
Depending on the season, the buses pass very frequently between the hours of 6:00am and 9:30pm (11:00pm on weekends). Bus times do change very often, however. Ensure you check the first and last bus times when you arrive. Don’t worry about the other times during the day, as frequently the buses don’t arrive when they are intended to due to traffic on the roads. All you need to do in this case is get to a bus stop and simply wait until one arrives. This equally applies to the line’s terminus where a bus might arrive late because of delays on its previous journey.
Bus ticket prices
It is worth knowing that bus tickets cannot be purchased from drivers, you are instead required to buy them in advance from tobacconists, news kiosks and bars. Prices depend on the ticket travel duration (you stamp the ticket on entry to the bus):
45 minutes: €2.00 (travelling from Amalfi, this will get you to Positano, Minori, Maiori, Ravello and Bomerano).
90 minutes: €2.90 (this will get you to all other destinations).
1 day: €8 (no limits for usage within a single day).
3 days: €18.
Journey duration
Remember that in summer (especially on weekends), the only road that runs the entire length of the coast is very busy. Buses will often become stuck in traffic and lose a lot of time meaning that they do not run to time.
Sorrento – Positano: 50 minutes.
Positano – Amalfi: 40 minutes.
Amalfi – Maiori: 20 minutes.
Maiori – Salerno: 60 minutes.
Amalfi – Bomerano: 40 minutes.
Amalfi – Ravello: 30 minutes.
Amalfi – Pontone: 20 minutes.
Amalfi Coast bus times
Buses run 7 days a week (all year-round) between the hours of 6:00am and 9:30pm (one hour to one hour and a half later on weekends). The frequency of the buses depends on the demand for public transport at the time. It doesn’t pay to continuously check the timetables. For starters, they will be different when you arrive and secondly, because of the traffic on the roads, they won’t run to time. Moreover, if there are a lot of tourists then more buses will be put into operation. To catch a bus, simply go to the nearest bus stop and wait - one will come along eventually. The most important thing to remember is not to miss the last bus back to your hotel.
Every bus has a large luggage area for you to place your heavy bags.
Bus drivers will announce the bus stops in the town. If you need to descend at one of these but are unsure where it is, ask the driver and (s)he will let you know when you need to get off.
Map of the Amalfi Coast bus routes with bus stops
Text printed from website www.amalfi.travel