The Amalfi Coast is one of the most stunning places in Italy. I could describe this stretch of coastline in so many ways: beautiful, magnificent, captivating, appealing, alluring, gorgeous, and wonderful.
As you know by now, the Amalfi Coast is my favorite place in Italy, hard as it is to decide on just one spot. Each time I have visited Italy, I have chosen to go to the Amalfi Coast, and I never tire of it. As you might expect, it is almost always on my itinerary whenever I return to Italy. I have compiled some travel tips from my experiences there that I hope will be helpful.
Situated along Italy’s southwestern coastline in the region of Campania, the Amalfi Coast offers stupendous views, wonderful food, tempting shopping, and relaxation.
Beginning at the southern end of the Sorrentine peninsula, and ending at Salerno, the Amalfi Coast offers some of the most beautiful scenes combining cliffs and the Mediterranean Sea below. It is truly a photographer’s dream. Each time I visit I learn something valuable to make travel there a little easier, and here are a few travel tips, based on my personal experience along the Amalfi Coast.
• Take a bus ride along the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento to Amalfi. The SITA bus is accessible at the bus station next to the train station in Sorrento and makes a stop in Positano along the way to Amalfi. For the best views, sit on the right side of the bus for this hair-raising experience. You can board other buses from Amalfi if you choose to ride farther along the coast to the towns of Minori, Maiori and Salerno.
• Be sure and taste some limoncello in Sorrento as this liqueur is made from the very large fresh lemons grown in this area. It is very refreshing especially on a hot day, and there is no problem finding it anywhere in Sorrrento. Be sure and taste some limoncello in Sorrento as this liqueur is made from the very large fresh lemons grown in this area Click To Tweet 
• Buy some hand-painted ceramics in the shops of Sorrento, Amalfi, or Vietri. The prices are lower than what you will find in Positano.
• Get off the bus in Positano and walk down the winding streets to la spiaggia, the beach, to get a real feel for the town and the people of Positano. This was one of the filming locations for the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, and you can have lunch on the beach at the famous restaurant Buca di Bacco, just like Diane Lane did in the movie.
• Take a day trip to the island of Capri on a hydrofoil or ferry boat from Amalfi. You will experience breathtaking views of Positano and Amalfi from another perspective. Capri can only be reached by boat and it is worth the trip. You can also get to Capri from Sorrento, Positano and Maiori as well.
• Avoid visiting the Amalfi Coast in July and August as these months are the most crowded as well as having the hottest temperatures. Most Italians take a vacation in August and it’s next to impossible to navigate the roads. As one guide told me, the buses cannot even stop sometimes at their destinations because of the congestion, and what takes an hour and a half normally would take twice as much time driving the coast. 
• For a quieter experience, go to the hilltop town of Ravello which is situated five km above Amalfi. You can take a 20-minute bus ride there from Amalfi, and you will experience a complete change of pace and sound from the busier more touristy towns of Positano and Amalfi. The views are spectacular from this high, as Ravello overlooks the Amalfi coast towns of Maiori and Amalfi. I was able to capture stunning shots with my camera from this vantage point.
• Watch the experienced artisans in Sorrento as they create by hand the beautiful music boxes made of inlaid wood called Intarsia Sorrentina. You can purchase these at excellent prices in the shops here as well. The shop owners are happy to give you a deal, just for the asking, especially is you but more than one item. You have a choice of music to put inside the box you purchase.
• Consider staying in one of the smaller towns of Minori or Maiori if you just want some relaxation. The pace is slow and the beach is inviting, not to mention the stunning views. Both towns are on the bus line for easy access to Positano, Amalfi or Sorrento.
Once you go to the Amalfi Coast you’ll never forget it. When I’m there, I find myself wishing I could stay forever. It’s no wonder the Amalfi Coast is one of the most popular places in southern Italy. These travel tips are just a few suggestions based on my memorable experiences in this little piece of heaven called the Amalfi Coast.
Have you visited the Amalfi Coast? I’d love to hear your travel tips. Please leave a comment.
Grazie and Ciao
Have you read my best-selling book? My Amalfi Coast Love Affair is now available, in paperback, kindle, and audiobook. https://amzn.to/39hfddp
stellalucentellc
Beautiful photos! Have saved your tips for my next dream vacation in Italy!
margieinitaly
Grazie mille!
Joanne Vicioso
The Amalfi Coast, Positano , Sorrento, Tuscany has been my dream vacation for years! Ever since watching Under The Tuscan Sun. I’m traveling alone for the first time so I’m a little apprehensive about going solo. How could I reach out to you offline with questions?
margieinitaly
Thank you Joanne… a woman after my own heart…I love that you have been dreaming about the Amalfi Coast…Please email me at margieeee49@gmail.com with specific questions/concerns.
Joanne
We are planning our first trip to Italy next April and are thinking of spending 3 days in the Amalfi Coast. and want to see Pompeii. Any suggestions of where to stay and the “must sees” would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
margieinitaly
Hi Joanne,
Thank you so much for following my blog and commenting.I am thrilled to hear you are going to the Amalfi Coast! I know you will love it. April is a great time to be there, although some of the beach concessions do not open until later in the month, and this year,it was even into May due o all the rain. I love Positano but I think basing yourself either in Sorrento or Amalfi makes it easier to get around. I’d make time to get to the quieter town of Ravello, as I mentioned in this blog post. Feel free to email me with specific questions. margieeee49@gmail.com Grazie
dishaa singhal
hi Margie. loved reading your post. thanks. am travelling to Italy in late september oct this year. can i take you advice on the itinerary. please share your email id.
margieinitaly
Sorry for the late reply, Dishaa…Great to hear that you are traveling to Italy!!
Please contact me at margieeee@comcast.net
Snapshots from Italy: A Wish List | Prayers and Piazzas
[…] it was such a long time ago that seeing it again would likely be like seeing it for the first time. Margie in Italy is my go-to site for all things […]
suzette008
Great tips, Margie, thank you again. Heading there soon and fingers crossed the weather will be decent. From all indications, there also shouldn’t be any crowds in October…
PinaySkattebasse
visiting next month. will remember the driving tips in amalfi coast. 🙂
Angela
We are heading there December 19, where would you recommend staying ? Have you ever been in December ?
margieinitaly
Hi Angela
A lot of places close after October so be sure to check whether the hotel you want is open. I’ve stayed at Hotel Pupetto in Positano and highly recommend it. Also Hotel Residenza in Amalfi. I think that Amalfi makes a great hub for the Amalfi Coast. Also Sorrento
Angie
I love reading your posts and seeing the places you have traveled to. I love all of Italy as well. Every year I bring my Daughter Kara 31 and Son Jamie 30 somewhere for the Holidays, other than China, we always go somewhere warm. Because of my great love for Italy, I said who cares if it’s in the 50’s, let’s go back to Italy. So for 3 weeks we will be in Southern Italy. I’m thinging a week on the Amalfi Coast or near it, a week in Matera and surrounding areas, and a week in Sicily. I’m renting a car and I’m thinking maybe we can get an apartment in those 3 areas.
Love to get your advice.
Thanks.
Angie
margieinitaly
I’d be happy to discuss this with you Angie. I’ll send an e-mail. Your trip sounds wonderful
Top 5 Italian Travel Blogs to Read Before You Visit Abroad
[…] Author of Memoirs of a Solo Traveler-My Love Affair with Italy, Margie Miklas is the mind behind the blog Margie in Italy. In the blog, Margie shares her expert advice on how to travel throughout the various regions in Italy such as the Amalfi Coast and Verona. The blog also features guest posts from other travel experts. Check out her post on “Travel Tips for Visiting the Amalfi Coast in Italy.” […]
Teresa Di Iorio
Don’t miss Positano and Ravello, my favorites
http://www.yourrometour.com
Nicole
We visited amalfi coast for the first time last sept (this was our fourth visit to italy). We stayed in Atrani, just a ten min walk to Amalfi. It was amazing. Ravello was by far our favourite (my mom joined my husband and I for her first taste of italy)…I even have that same shot of the church steeple and the trees…lol. The classic amalfi coast shot. We only had three nights, had a private day tour arranged so got a taste of sorrento and Positano the first day, and spent half the next day on Ravello and recovering from doing the hike from Ravello to atrani. The drive was a little hair raising on the bus (and stomach churning, as some poor soul had motion sickness on the way to sorrento! If you are susceptible to motion sickness, take a gravol!). I can’t wait to return some year and explore a little more…
luxurycolumnist
I’m actually going to Ravello for a wedding in September so your tips are great. Will definitely try to visit Positano and Capri
Suze | LuxuryColumnist
timelessitaly
Margie, I don’t think I can wait!! I’m dreaming of Amalfi through your exotic photos!
imarancher
Ah Margie, the day is coming when you will be writing the American blog for Italians who are visiting America because you will living in Italy! Wherever your boots end up, take me with you on the pages of your blog and books.
Greg Speck
I think that one of the highlights is hiking up from the center of Amalfi on one of the trails. I almost made it to one to the other towns, but a lightning storm motivated me to retreat. The mile and a half that I walked was amazing. Lemon groves and a old factory and some amazon wildflowers. Take the trail that goes by the paper museum and continue on up. Make sure you have water.
Saana / Always Abroad
I’m so in love with the Amalfi Coast! Next time I really want to go somewhere higher up on the hills for better views so Ravello could be on the list. Funny how your photo from the main piazza of Amalfi looks identical to the one in my Amalfi Coast post! 🙂
Greg Speck
We left our heart in Amalfi. There is so much to do and see it could take a lifetime. By chance we arrived on the day of the feast of St Andrew and sat down for an early dinner at the Ristorante Pizzeria St Andrea directly in from of the church. As is custom we had the table for the night, and watched the amazing procession from the church and later through the town. Music and fireworks filled the evening. This feast takes place on June 27, something not to be missed. Thanks again Margie for bringing back memories of the Amalfi Coast!!! Ciao.
lorapat
Your post took me back 15 years! In addition to the unparalleled beauty, I remember the feeling in my stomach looking down from the “right” side of the bus. The hydrofoil ride to Capri in rough seas was worth it. Thanks for reviving memdories.
margieinitaly
Thanks so much for commenting on my blog!! Glad I took you back to a good time in your life!
Diana
Great tips, I have a lot of friends visiting Amalfi this year…I will pass on your blog! Fab pics too!
margieinitaly
You are the best Diana..Thank you so much!
jennyandstephenmilan
Margie, we are planning a trip to the sout of Italy in April. Your tips will come in handy, especially the idea for a bus trip up to Ravello and I think I’ll explore your idea of staying in one of the smaller towns. Many thanks.
margieinitaly
Thank you Jen and Stephen..Have a wonderful trip!
Debra Kolkka
I lived in S’Agata sui due Golfi many years ago and I agree that this is one of the most beautiful places in the whole world. I love that bus ride along the coast. My son was born in Sorrento so it will always have a place in my heart.
margieinitaly
Thank you Debra! I know that you will always have a special love for Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast..I like that bus ride too…Such views!
Donna
We stayed in S’Agata for two weeks and we fell in love with this quiet little village. My heart aches to go back.
Andrew Petcher
Good tips. I’ll never forget my drives along the Amalfi Coast!
margieinitaly
Thank you Andrew..One of the most incredible and beautiful scenic drives anywhere in the world! Glad you experienced it on more than one occasion.
Andrew Petcher
1976, it was my first time travelling abroad – I couldn’t believe it! First time out and I got the Amalfi Drive!