A Romantic Amalfi Coast Road Trip Itinerary

Authentic terraced hill villages, unpredictable winding roads where Italians race like they are participating in Monaco’s Grand Prix and the turquoise water: An Amalfi road trip definitely gives you one of Italy’s most scenic and good fun coastline drives! In this post, we share our Amalfi Coast road trip itinerary. You are welcome ♡

Anything sounds better than a romantic road trip on the Italian Amalfi Coast? In the Indian summer of last year, we decided to explore the Amalfi Coast in Italy by car. We have compiled the perfect Amalfi Coast road trip itinerary, that hopefully helps you with organising your road trip and renting a car.

The Amalfi Coast drive is considered as one of the most scenic road trips in Italy and maybe even in Europe. Since 1997 the area has been on UNESCO’s world heritage list, which is fully justified! According to UNESCO the Amalfi Coast is ‘an outstanding example of the Mediterranean landscape, with exceptional cultural and natural scenic values resulting from its dramatic topography and historical evolution’. We couldn’t agree more.

Capri on the Amalfi Coast in Italy is my ultimate holiday destination.

Vidal Sassoon

Amalfi Coast Road Trip Itinerary

Choose your starting point based on time and budget

In short,  you have two options: Rome or Naples. Rome is 275 kilometres from the Amalfi Coast, Naples 70 kilometres.

Our 10-day Amalfi Coast itinerary started with a fabulous city trip in Rome. Yes, we know Rome is not on the Amalfi Coast, but we decided to combine the best of both worlds for our 14 day trip to Italy. That turned out well! It was great to eat Cacio e Pepe in Trastevere, feel like an ant in Vatican City and admire the traditional like Colosseum and Forum Romanum. Spending a few days in Rome before you hit the road southwards, I only recommend if you have time. Unless you don’t mind being overwhelmed take 4-5 days to discover the Italian capital.

Another good starting point for your Amalfi Coast road trip is Naples. Naples might be closer, but it might be cheaper to get an affordable flight to Rome. Keep in mind your budget, your time and remember that distances always look shorter on the map than they actually are.

Discover the Amalfi Coast from one base or have multiple stops?

This comes down to personal preference and again budget. Some towns, like Positano, have expensive accommodation. We decided to start our road trip at the south end of the peninsula, passing by Vietri sul Mare. We had our first overnight stop in Minori. The Amalfi Coast has 13 Italian towns to reveal, all with their own characteristics. After three nights in Minori, we drove towards Sorrento. During our road trip, we stopped at the typical Italian towns. After three nights at Sorrento, we headed back to Rome and stopped at two famous places: Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius.

Amalfi Coast Road Trip Itinerary day by day

I created two road trip itineraries:  A starts in Naples, B in Rome. We choose to stay in Minori and Sorrento. Are you looking for tips for affordable accommodation? Check out our post about budget tips for hotels on the Amalfi Coast, including where we stayed in Minori and Sorrento.

Itinerary A – Naples (1 week)

• Day 1-4: Drive from Naples to Minori. Stay in Minori for 3 nights and explore Minori, Maiori, Ravello and Amalfi.
• Day 4-7: Drive from Minori to Sorrento (3 nights). Stop at Praiano, Positano and  Fiordo di Furore.
• Day 7: Drive back from Sorrento to Naples and stop at Pompei and Mt. Vesuvius.

Itinerary B – Rome (2 weeks)

• Day 1-5: Discover the beauty of Rome. Spend 4 nights in the capital of Italy.
• Day 5-8: Drive from Rome to Minori. Stay in Minori for 3 nights and take your time to explore Minori, Maiori, Ravello and Amalfi.
• Day 8-11: The last part of the road trip from Minori to Sorrento, stay here for 3 nights. Stop at Praiano, Positano and  Fiordo di Furore.
• Day 11-14:
  • If you have up to 14 days, drive to Gaeta. It’s a great beach town between Sorrento and Rome where we spend a few days just relaxing on the private beach of a luxurious hotel.
  • If you have less days available, just drive back to Rome!
  • Whatever you decide, stop at Pompei and Mt. Vesuvius.

Towns to visit on the Amalfi Coast

All these gorgeous towns are worth a visit during your romantic road trip on one of the most beautiful Italian coasts.

Vietri sul Mare

Vietri sul Mare is known for its ceramics and is the perfect starting point for what will just be an amazingly scenic road trip. In almost every hotel and restaurant on the Amalfi Coast you will come across the locally produced pottery with Mediterranean colours.

Minori

We loved Minori! It doesn’t have the fashionable Amalfi style but Minori has its own identity. The village has a small sandy beach where the Italian ladies have an afternoon swim and share the latest gossip.

Ravello

Breathtaking views, this is an amazing stop during your road trip. Picturesque gardens with fountains, palm trees and flowers.

Amalfi

The busiest town on the Amalfi Coast is nestled between the sea and the mountains. Amalfi is a busy place with many tourists buying their souvenirs and taking photographs of the Arab-Norman cathedral. We had a stop at Amalfi for a morning walk and coffee, enjoying the tiny streets

Marina di Furore

This tiny bay is one of the most authentic pebble beaches on the Amalfi Coast. Without any facilities like beach chairs or umbrella’s but with local Italians, fishermen and a cute little restaurant where you can have great fresh fish!

Positano

Posh, exclusive and wealthy. That is what we read about Positano. This is the most touristy Amalfi Coast village. With this in mind and the impossible mission to find a parking spot, we decided that we can easily have a happy life if we don’t check on the rich and famous. Ate to much pasta? Do some exercise in Positano: train your calf muscles on the many stairs in town! Quickly after leaving Positano, you will see a Maria statue and a lemon juice stand: take a moment to have some juice, walk down the stairs and enjoy your view!

Sorrento

We guess Sorrento has lost its identity since touring cars and group tours have taken over. Still, it is a nice town to visit. Walk towards the sea, take the elevator down to the water and go for a fresh dive!

Although not officially situated on the Amalfi Coast, the Vesuvius volcano and Pompei are both iconic highlights that are worth a visit when you are driving back to Naples or Rome.

Mt Vesuvius

This touristic point of interest seems to be a ticking timebomb. The next volcanic eruption is a matter of time. 3 million inhabitants will be affected if Mt. Vesuvius decides to come to back to life. Prepare yourself for a little bit of exercise before you can admire the crater! The entrance is € 8 and it’s only an easy hike if you are in good shape.

Pompei

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site in this post! An ancient Roman city close to Naples that was destroyed and buried under ash after the eruption of the Vesuvius in 79 AD. Pompei is a known touristic destination for over 250 years. The day we were there it was packed with people, I guess it’s like that every day, which had spoiled my enthusiasm and with to see Pompei inside out. It’s worth a visit but you won’t be the only one there!

What to expect on the Amalfi Coast roads?

Prepare yourself for some narrow roads and some nausea if you are not that good with tight curvy roads and hidden secrets around the rocky corners. You will pass by the gorgeous small towns of Ravello, Minori, Maiori and Positano along the way. Then beyond Positano, the road heads inland towards Sorrento through a more hilly landscape. Take into account that the roads are packed with cars on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

Car Rental Tips your Amalfi Coast Road Trip

1. Make sure you have your info straight. We’d recommend booking your car beforehand and ab-so-lu-tely check what is included in the price. The car rental company staff’s job is to upsell, upsell and upsell again. So if you have no clue and keep saying ‘yes’ to all additional – complete nonsense – options, you will pay too much.
2. Keep your reservation papers and all stuff you sign when you pick up your rental car. We received an incorrect debit on my Visa 7 months after our trip.
3. Also definitely check if the person’s credit card on the reservation is actually the person who drives the car. In some European countries there is different law and legislation where this will not be a problem. However, in Italy – and we believe in Spain and France as well – if person A drives the car, the credit card should be on person A’s name.
4. Don’t go big: the precipitous roads are easier to manage if you have a middle sized car. Do you need to compensate for some personal issues? Opt for a full package car insurance because Italians will not pay as much attention to your shiny posh rental car as you do.

Next time we visit

We took it easy on our Amalfi Coast road trip. Our trip had the perfect balance of driving and relaxing. I don’t like rushing around on one of the best roads in the worlds. These things we keep for our next road trip:

• Capri. The most famous rocks in Italy. These three rocks on the Napoli coast even have their own names: Mezzo, Stella and Scopolo. And we would like to visit Capri to admire the white grotto. You can only get here from the water and via a narrow winding path to villa Casa Malaparte.
• Ischia
• We had our doubts about Naples. I absolutely believe the city has its charm, but the unmistakable charm of Italy’s Amalfi Coast made us choose to skip Naples. And honestly, I think we will do so again next time 🙂 Have you been to Naples? Let us know what we missed!

Feel free to share your thoughts on this article, the Quokka website, the Amalfi Coast in Italy or anything else by using our comment box. Happy Travels ♡

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This article includes a link that help me pay the bills. This is not a sponsored post, I genuinely loved these accommodations and paid for my stays with my very own credit card.