What is the best mode of transportation from Sicily to the Amalfi area air or train?
If, I fly out of Cantina to Naples and take a bus to Amalfi. What is the total travel time (arrival at the airport, waiting for plane, waiting for luggage, etc)? Vs leaving Taormina via train/ferry/train to Salerno travel time? I will be traveling at the end March in 2023.
Boat service is not an option for me as I get motion sick.
We did something similar, from Syracuse to Sorrento. We chose air...Bus to Catania Airport, Ryanair flight to Naples, Taxi to Naples station, Circumvesuvia to Sorrento. Due to covid requirements, we left plenty of time, but I recall being in Sorrento mid to late afternoon, probably could have done it as follows...Bus to airport 1 hr, check-in/security/wait 2 hours, flight 1 hour, getting to Sorrento 1.5 to 2 hours...so maybe 6 hours. That slog from Naples to Sorrento seems really slow, but you could head to Salerno and head up the Amalfi coast that way, and probably save time, or arrange a driver from the airport.
You could probably do that trip from Taormina in a little over 6 hours by train and taxi, you save by being a bit closer to Messina, plus can reach Amalfi via Salerno rather than going through Naples. Timing may also play an issue, late March is a bit off peak season, so trains and planes may be a bit more infrequent, meaning having to wait at changes.
I’d estimate a minimum of 5 hours by plane and three buses - one in Catania, one in Naples, final one from Cetara to Amalfi. Train from Taormina is 7-8 hours and then a bus for 1 1/4 hours. Any way you do it, it’s a looong day.
We took the train the other direction from Paestum to Messina and then on to Milazzo. It was a pleasant trip a lot of it along the coast. The ferry across the Straights of Messina was very cool. The ferry is ±30 minutes and very stable. No airport security, boarding cattle call etc.
Brad
I start looking for routes using rome2rio.com. It gives approximate travel time but you need to follow the links to the actual providers to verify schedules, prices and, of course, to book.
There is no single bus to the Amalfi Coast from Naples. From the airport I believe there are buses to Sorrento, but it would be a long trip. You could take a bus or taxi to the Naples Central train station, then the metro (Circumvesuviana) to Sorrento and get a bus there that goes to Amalfi via Positano. No one can predict how long it will take to get your luggage at the airport when you land.
Taking the train (incl. ferry) looks to be the best option. The short transfer across the water is pretty short. Salerno is a good base to explore the coast. While most lodgings and many restaurants in the villages may be open by late March, since Easter is fairly early (April 9), buses will still be on the winter schedule. If you stay in one of the villages, you may be stuck eating dinners in that village every evening. Salerno is the terminus for the bus that goes to Amalfi, so it's very convenient to use as a base. It has a lovely historic center and lots of good restaurant choices, as well as the seaside promenade for a little exercise before or after dinner.
After reading everyones insight I am leaning towards taking the ferry and train from Messina to Salerno. Taormina train to Messina 1.5 hours, ferry 30 minutes and train to Villa San Giovanni to Salerno 3.5 hours. Hopefully, I can match up all the schedules and pray for the trains not to be on strike. Once we arrive in Salerno we might spend a night or two to see the area then head towards Amalfi or Sorrento for 4/5 nights. Long day but it is about the experience and meeting people.
