Seeing Amalfi Coast by boat or guided car service

Traffic moves so slow, its hard to imagine getting motion sickness.

Its not like you would be going 50 mph on a winding road with lots of lateral motion.

I did the boat along the Cinque Terre and the view from the water was quite impressive. I suspect it would be similar along the Amalfi coast ( which I drove). Got to see a lot more from the boat.

I get bad motion sickness in cars and had a really hard time with riding in taxis on the Amalfi Coast. Going slow due to traffic is actually worse - the stop/start movement is torture. I don’t get motion sickness on boats and used the ferries to move about no problem. So I’d recommend the boat! YMMV depending on what triggers your motion sickness.

Thanks Margaret and Joe

take the hydrofoil and play it safe

not far down the tracks from Pompei is Hurculaneum ... it to was buried and its closer to the western shoreline ... impressive and its below ground level ... Youtube it ... Youtube anything and everything ... cities .. towns ... festivals aerial .. drone

Thanks Jo. I will look into the hydrofoil.

My friend got very car sick on the drive to Amalfi, hired a private driver had to turn around and go back to Sorrento. I would say take the boat or take medication.

The boat gives you a lovely view of the coastline and provides beautiful photo ops. Being stuck in that traffic would tenfold my anxiety. The ferry ride is slow, leisurely, and unless it is unusually rough weather conditions, a solid ride.

You know, this board has reported illness both from the road and from ferries. I believe the ferries to Positano are smaller boats than to Amalfi. There are multiple ferry companies and boat size is adjusted to seasonal passenger loading! What month of the year is your trip?

I agree that you have to know the specifics of your personal situation. My mother is also deathly afraid of heights, which could be a problem with the drive. We chose a car service from our Sorrento hotel's land partner for 8 hours, because we wanted 1.5 hours free time in each of three towns, Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/amalfi-coast-day-trip

Is price a factor?

Take the ferry to the AC. Then buses between the towns . Do not miss the gem way up high, Ravello with it’s incredible views.

Price is not a factor. I think a bus would be worse than a car. We are going the middle of May so I will check what ferries are available.

Thanks to everyone for your advice.

Definitely take the ferry! I got very car sick on a van ride from Naples to Sorrento and Positano. The roads to Positano were very winding and hilly. We really enjoyed the ferry to Amalfi and then took a short open air City Sightseeing bus to Ravello for the views and Villas there. The ferry from Sorrento to Capri was nice also. Now I have learned to take meclizine (non-drowsy Dramamine) and wear wrist bands and stay hydrated to avoid motion sickness. The Amalfi Coast is definitely worth seeing from the boat, and the sunsets in Sorrento near Villa Communale park are gorgeous. We went in May and the weather was beautiful.

Do they still run in Mid-late October?

Another vote for the ferry. I was positively green in a van just from Sorrento to the Naples airport. I can't imagine how desperately miserable I would have been (in ANY sort of vehicle) on the Amalfi Coast roads. The boats should all be running in mid-May but they can cancel them if the weather is nasty enough or the sea rough enough to make sailings/dockings unsafe. Cancellations due to unsafe docking applies more often to Positano than the other ferry stops.

We have used the ferry system many times and have found it to be a scenic, relaxing way to see the Amalfi Coast. The sea is usually calm just offshore where the ferry runs, and if the seas are rough, they usually cancel the ferry - so if it's running, you shouldn't get seasick.

The ferry stops at more AC towns now than in years past, so it's easy to hop on / hop off and make a day of it. One recommendation for lunch would be Cetara, which not many tourists visit, and Aquapazza restaurant just off the Cetara beach area.

Thank you so much for your lunch idea!

I should have noted that Cetara is the anchovies capital of the Amalfi Coast. If you like anchovies, be sure to try the colatura di alici (drippings from curing anchovies) over spaghetti at Aquapazza. If you don't think you like anchovies, try them fresh with olive oil at Aquapazza and you'll change your mind. Last time we were there Aquapazza opened at 1 PM for lunch, but get there a little before 1 PM to get a table outside.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colatura_di_alici

https://www.acquapazza.it/