How to Get Around the Amalfi Coast: Car, Bus or Ferry?

The Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful drives in the world and one of the most stressful. A single cliff-hugging road, the SS163, threads all the towns together, and in summer it’s packed with buses, scooters and drivers reversing on hairpins. Whether you should drive it, take the bus or hop on a ferry depends entirely on how you plan your trip. Here’s how to get around without losing a day to traffic — or a fine to the ZTL.

The one road: the SS163 Amalfitana

Everything runs along the SS163, the coastal road linking Vietri sul Mare, Amalfi, Positano and on towards Sorrento. It’s spectacular and slow. In high season (roughly June to September) it clogs badly, and parking in the famous towns is scarce and expensive.

That single fact shapes every decision below.

The ZTL and the fines

Several towns enforce ZTL (Zona a Traffico Limitato) restrictions, monitored by cameras. Enter without authorisation and the fine — typically €80–160 — reaches you via your rental company or your home address.

The big one: in summer, Positano closes its centre to traffic from around 9:00 to 18:00 (ZTL). Only residents and hotel guests can drive in. Praiano, by contrast, has no ZTL and decent parking, in a great central spot on the SS163 — about 15 minutes from Positano and 25 from Amalfi by bus.

The smart strategy: park and ride

The approach that saves the most stress: leave the car at an accessible point and use buses or ferries to hop between the towns.

• Salerno — cheap or free parking (around €5/day in spots like Piazza della Concordia), then a Travelmar ferry to Amalfi, Positano and Capri.
• Sorrento — park at a garage (from a couple of euros an hour) and take the SITA bus or a hydrofoil.
• Praiano — no ZTL, available parking, central location — an underrated base.

This way you get the views without circling for a parking space or risking the ZTL.

The SITA bus

The SITA bus is the local lifeline along the coast. From Salerno it reaches Amalfi for around €3.40 on a 75-minute ticket, with frequent services in peak season. It’s cheap and scenic — but it gets crowded and you’ll sometimes wait or stand. Buy tickets in advance from tabacchi shops, not on board.

The ferry: the best-kept secret

In the warmer months, ferries and hydrofoils connect Salerno, Amalfi, Positano, Sorrento and Capri. They’re faster than the bus, far more comfortable, skip the road traffic entirely and give you the coast from the water. For getting between the main towns in summer, the ferry is often the best option of all.

So, should you rent a car at all?

• Yes, if you want to explore beyond the main towns — inland villages, Ravello, or arriving and leaving the wider region on your own schedule. Just base yourself somewhere with parking (Praiano, Salerno, Sorrento) and don’t drive into the ZTL towns at peak times.
• Not really, if your trip is only the headline towns in peak summer — the bus and ferry will be less stressful than the SS163.

If a car suits the rest of your Italy trip, you can compare rental prices and book flexibly, then lean on buses and ferries for the town-to-town hops.

The bottom line

On the Amalfi Coast, the winning move is rarely “drive everywhere.” Park the car somewhere sensible — Praiano, Salerno or Sorrento — keep out of Positano’s daytime ZTL, and use the SITA bus and ferries to move between the towns. You’ll see more, stress less and avoid the fines that the cameras hand out all summer.