Public transportation around Naples and the Amalfi Coast

You could also look into taking the regular train to Salerno and then take the ferry to Positano. The considerations here are luggage on the ferry and when the water is rough sometimes the small dock on Positano is closed. On the plus side the AC is most beautful seen from the ocean and the ferry approach from Sorrento surveys the entire coast line.

The Circumvesuviana is creaky, run down and can be a hazard. Keep a hand on your bags at all times. The biggest danger is when the train stops thieves will grab something and jump off just as the doors close knowing you have no way to react in time. I rode it last October without any incidents but friends who travelled around the area in season reported seeing this more than once.

Pompeii is close enough to Sorrento I would also look into buses or transfer services if you want to avoid the Circumvesuviana completely.

The lines for the buses can be long in season so have a plan that you may need to wait for the next one. Middle of May seems early for AC "season" but someone else will need to confirm the actual fever pitch.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

Well, the Circumvesuviana - Sorrento - Positano definitely works. Idk if it’s the absolute best option, but it’s pretty much a guarantee you’ll get there. You don’t need to purchase ahead for these tickets. A ferry would be my preferred choice. Depends on the timing and weather, but it looks like there are a few that run between Naples and Positano. A ferry from Sorrento would also be nice. Approaching Positano by sea was a highlight. This time of year you should be able to buy a ferry ticket on the spot without issue.

The Circumvesuviana is both that bad and not that bad. It’s a commuter train, so depending on time of day, the platform and train can be jammed until you get past Pompeii. I felt like the last 30min the train was pretty empty and I could sit. This is definitely high alert territory. Money belt, phone in your money belt, protect your bags especially at stops.

As Tod suggests, going via train to Salerno is also a nice option.

The lines for the buses can be long in season so have a plan that you
may need to wait for the next one. Middle of May seems early for AC
"season" but someone else will need to confirm the actual fever pitch.

We were there in 2023 the last 2 weeks of April and the line for the bus in Sorrento was down the block at 8 in the morning. On another day as we drove through Positano while on a group tour at about 4pm there were so many people waiting for the bus that they were spilling into the road turning a narrow 2 lane road into a tight one lane road. It's not the Circumvesuviana that I'd be concerned about, it's the wait for the bus and having space for your luggage on it.

You don't purchase tickets in advance for the Circumvesuviana or bus. It's a commuter system like any bus or subway line at home.

I'm sure there are pickpockets on the Circumvesuviana but I never encountered them. But I'd stay close to your luggage. We sat it on our laps on the way back to Naples.

You didn't mention if your flying home the same day that you leave Positano. I wouldn't, transportation is too unreliable in the region. I'd be in Naples the night before.

While the Circumvesuviana has been known for old trains that has seen better days, it's getting better. https://www.railwaygazette.com/traction-and-rolling-stock/circumvesuviana-fleet-modernisation-gets-underway/67616.article