Rome to Amalfi Coast: Train, Ferry, Car or Tour

Rome to Amalfi Coast: the short answer

The easiest way from Rome to the Amalfi Coast is a guided day tour. The do-it-yourself way is a Frecciarossa train to Naples, then a second train, a bus or a ferry. Trenitalia says the Frecciarossa between Rome and Naples takes a little over 1 hour, with more than 100 trains a day.

After Naples the coast needs one or two more legs. The Campania tourism board says Amalfi has no railway station, so you finish by bus, ferry or car. No official page gives one door-to-door time, so we do not invent one. Which way is worth it depends on your days: a tour is worth it if you have one day, and doing it yourself is worth it if you can sleep on the coast.

Pro Tip Book the return as carefully as the way out. Trenitalia's Frecciarossa page lists departures from Naples between 5:09 and 20:30, so plan to be back in Naples well before that last time.

Route: train and bus vs train and ferry

Train and bus is the route with the most official detail, and train and ferry is the pleasant one in good weather. Both start with the same Frecciarossa ride from Rome Termini to Naples. Trenitalia lists Frecciarossa departures from Rome between 7:00 and 22:35. The same page says the high-speed network runs normally, while the older line via Cassino is closed from 21 October for repairs.

From Naples you have two ways into the coast. You can go on to Salerno and take a SITA bus to Amalfi, which the tourism board says takes just over an hour. Or you can take the EAV train to Sorrento and continue by road or by sea. EAV says a train now runs every 30 minutes to and from Sorrento. The line also has new stops at Ercolano Scavi and Torre del Greco.

Ferries are the third way. Travelmar runs fast ferries from the tourist ports of the coast, and one small carry-on bag is included in the ticket. The tourism board says sea links run in the summer months from Salerno and Naples. Travelmar's own site says its service is available all year. Open the timetable for your date before you plan around a boat.

For a day tour that skips these changes, see our guide to an Amalfi Coast tour from Rome.

Time: public transport vs driving vs a day tour

A day tour is the longest way on paper, and public transport is the hardest to time. The tours we picked list 10 to 15 hours from start to finish. That includes the coach, the stops and the way back.

Driving is the only way with no timetable. The Campania tourism board gives about 1 hour 20 minutes from Naples to Amalfi by the A3 motorway and the SS 163 coast road. From Sorrento it says just over 60 minutes. It also warns of traffic on the SS 163 in peak season. We found no official drive time from Rome to Naples, so add that yourself. The same page calls the car the best way to reach Amalfi, and the pro is the freedom: no timetable, no changes, and your own stops. The cons are the peak-season traffic on the SS 163 and the extra drive from Rome. We found no official page on parking in Amalfi, so we do not give rules for it.

Public transport splits the day into parts you can check. The Rome to Naples part is a little over 1 hour. The Sorrento line has a train every 30 minutes. The Salerno to Amalfi bus takes just over an hour. The only parts missing are the waits between them. Put side by side: a day tour is 10 to 15 hours in one block, public transport is the Rome to Naples hour plus the bus or ferry plus waits with no official total, and driving is 1 hour 20 minutes from Naples plus the Rome to Naples drive.

Key Takeaway From Rome the Frecciarossa reaches Naples in a little over 1 hour, and Amalfi has no station. Every do-it-yourself route ends with a bus, ferry or car.

Price: do it yourself vs a Pompeii and coast day tour

A day tour from Rome starts at €69 per person, and the do-it-yourself price is the sum of several tickets. We did not find a fare for the train, bus or ferry on an official page, so we cannot add them up for you. Check each fare on the operator's page, then compare the total with a tour.

Things to Do in Rome's count of GetYourGuide listings in October 2026 found 5 day trips and tours that name Amalfi, Positano, Sorrento or Capri, from €69.

The Pompeii, Amalfi Coast and Positano day trip is run by City Wonders Ltd. From €109 per person, the trip takes 12 to 13 hours. GetYourGuide rates it 4.6 from 7,351 reviews, and the listing states free cancellation. Included are a guide, the coach with Wi-Fi, a skip-the-line ticket for Pompeii and free time in Positano. The coach leaves from Piazza del Popolo, near Flaminio metro on Line A. Group size is not stated. Hotel pickup, food, drinks and tips cost extra. The listing says it suits neither wheelchair users nor people with mobility impairments.

The Pompeii, Sorrento and Amalfi Coast day trip is run by Show Me Italy and costs from €69 per person for 10 to 12 hours. The rating is 4.5 from 316 reviews. You get return transport from Rome, the Pompeii entry ticket and a drink by the sea in Sorrento. The highlights name Pompeii and Sorrento, so this one gives you the coast road less than the first. Hotel pickup is not included, and the meeting point depends on the option you choose.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026.

If Pompeii is the main reason for your day, our Pompeii day trip from Rome guide covers that trip on its own. Our guide to day trips around Rome shows the easier options if the coast feels too far.

The cheapest ticket is the one that still gets you home the same night.

Effort: one long day vs a night on the coast

One long day is tiring, and a night on the coast gives you time to enjoy it. A day tour is 10 to 15 hours, and most of that is on the road. A train day needs you back in Naples before the last Frecciarossa listed at 20:30. That leaves little time to eat by the sea.

If you take the train, sleep near Termini the night before so the walk to the platform is short. The Royal Santina is about 200 metres from Termini station. The Domus Helena is a guest house about 200 metres from Vittorio Emanuele Metro. Our Rome public transport guide shows how to reach Termini by metro.

If you plan one night on the coast, go by train and bus, and skip the day tour. You give up the guide, but you keep your evening.

Capri: island day trip vs coast day trip

Capri is an island in the same bay, and it is not on the Amalfi Coast road. The Capri island day trip from Rome is run by Gray Line I Love Rome. Prices start at €174 per person for 15 hours, and the rating is 4.5 from 372 reviews. You get the coach from Rome to Naples, the ferry to Capri and back, and a tour leader on the coach and ferry. After you land, the day is free and no guide goes with you. Food, drinks and tips are not included. The meeting point is Viale Giorgio Washington. The listing says it is not suitable for people with mobility impairments.

Choose Capri if you want the island, the views and a free day. Choose the coast if you want the cliff towns and the drive.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026.

When each way is the wrong choice

Each way fails someone, so match it to your day. Public transport is the wrong choice if you have one day, because the changes and the 20:30 last Frecciarossa leave no slack. A day tour is the wrong choice if you want hours in one town, since stops are short. Driving is the wrong choice in peak season, when the tourism board warns of traffic on the SS 163. A boat is the wrong choice if the timetable for your date shows no sailing.

A private car with a driver also exists. One private tour for up to 4 people is listed from €850 per group, but it has one review so far, so we left it out of our picks.