Top 5 things to know before going to the Amalfi Coast
Positano was our favorite town!
We absolutely loved the Amalfi Coast, however there were a lot of things we learned. Here are the main takeaways:
It’s best to stay in one of the towns and do day trips from there. We stayed in Positano and did day trips to Capri, Fiordo Di Furore, and Amalfi. We did a boat tour to Capri and the SITA bus to the other two spots. Fiordo Di Furore is absolutely worth a visit! We got there about 11:30am because the sun doesn’t start popping through until about 11:00am and it’s too shady and cold to go before then. You let the bus driver know you want to stop at Fiordo Fi Furore and he stops literally right on the bridge for it and then the stairs are directly right there across the street to walk down to the beach. Plan to bring euros cash because there is a guy that rents chairs with a nice face shade for 10 euros and they are very worth it with how rocky the beach is.
The best place to take pictures here is half way down the stairs to the beach where you can see the water and bridge and have the person taking the picture stand on the steps up above and then once you get down to the water go over to the right in the water and take it off to the side.
2. The bus and ferry system is insane! Plan lots of extra time to be waiting in queues. We opted to take the bus between towns instead do the ferry after seeing how crazy the lines were over by the ferry station in Positano. However the buses are beyond packed with standing shoulder to shoulder and most of the time they won’t stop because they are so full, and when they do stop only around 5 or so people can get on. Some stops don’t even have a designated line, so people will jump in that just got there even if you’ve been waiting for an hour or so.
This was where we had to stand in line for the from Fiordo Di Furore to Amalfi. The bus stops in the middle on the bridge so if you are standing by the bus stop you will miss it, so a few of us were brave to stand on the bridge until we could catch a bus. We waited an hour and 45 min for a bus.
3. A boat tour/day trip is a must! However, these can be SO expensive. The private ones can easily be over $1000. So we opted to doing a shared small group boat tour to Capri out of Positano. I would do a different one if you have the option. We were the last to be picked up since everyone else was picked up in Amalfi and we didn’t care for Capri. We only got 3 hours, which the way the island is laid out is kind of overwhelming and not doable in a short time. It was a waste of time and way too expensive! I still think going out on a boat to get some fab pics is a must. But skip Capri!
4. Amalfi is a very doable day trip because it’s smaller and easy to see. It’s worth it to go get the viral lemon sorbet and walk around the town and enjoy cheaper prices for food compared to Positano and Capri. The beach there is a nice beach to walk along and relax at, but probably not the best for swimming. We did see people swimming, it just looked a little gross compared to Positano and Fiordo Di Furore.
5. Positano is such a lovely charming and hilly city, you need more than a day there! It is still worth it to see if your only option is a day trip. However, we thought it was worth the extra money to stay in Positano and really immerse ourselves in the town. You do a lot of walking up and down the hill - but you get used to it! However if you have mobility issues or knee problems, this is not the place for you. It would be best to take a ferry in and only stay down by the beach where it’s flat and then get back on the ferry. On the main beach Positano Spiaggia, there is a free section where you can lay your towel down on the sand or you can go where the famous blue chairs and umbrellas are and it’s 25 euros a person for the whole day. With this you have free access to the nice restrooms and 15% off lunch at the restaurant right there. There are so many lovely photo options in Positano. You can check out my separate blog post for details on best photos spots!
