Walking the Amalfi coast

At minimum it’s an 8 mile walk

There is only one two-lane paved road through Positano, and there are no shoulders or dirt beside most of the road, nor guardrails. It is not safe to walk on this road. This entire coastline is largely rocky, with pebble beaches in the tiny sections that are swimmable. You cannot walk along the coast. I have NOT done The Path of The Gods, but it is not a complete path, and is widely elevated from the coast. I think some people get to the trailheads by bus (?) Are you aware that there are, no exaggeration, hundreds of paved stairs in Positano, the occupied, developed city?

Is your luggage an issue? Have you reckoned with how isolated the coast is. I simply mean that Sorrento and Salerno are the ONLY places with really good daily public transit excursion ability. Are you going to Capri-that would be another ferry schedule question.

I mean this in a perfectly nice way, but I think you are making unwarranted assumptions about a very rough, isolated place. I don't mean that this is like hiking in Alaska. I mean that hiking the full itinerary you want is not regularly done by anyone. Have you looked online and in the library for southern-Italy hiking guide books, maybe?

It is not safe to walk on this road.

It is not safe to walk from the bus stop- just a few feet --to get off that road and head down into the town.

Aaron- I wouldn't count on the ferry at all. You will also be adding a step- from the train station in Sorrento you need to get down to the ferry dock- about a 15-20 min walk.

The bus is a perfectly good option from Sorrento to Positano and back and it stops right in front of the station.

Hello aaron.nunley,

Some thoughts on your plan - the earliest fast train from Rome is at 7 arriving in Naples at 8:12 and then probably onto Pompeii about 9:00. (Pompeii doesn't open until 8:30 so there's no point in trying for earlier.) Pompeii is easily a place that you could spent all day exploring but even if you cut your visit to a short 4 hours and grab some lunch you would get into Sorrento about 3:00. That leaves you about 3 hours of daylight left to hike since the sun sets around 6:00pm in March in Sorrento.

I can't see any clear path from Sorrento to Positano. The peninsula south of Sorrento has some undeveloped parts but towards Positano it is pretty developed. The coastal road I would rate as an absolute never, ever possible route even if it was lightly travelled as opposed to the heavy bus and car traffic.

Most people who hike to Positano start in Bomerano. If you really want to do this I would look to ride the circumvesuviana train a few stops south of Pompeii to Via Nocera, take hour bus to Bomerano and then make the ~5mile hike in the rest of the daylight. I still think this would be a real hustle and when the risk is hiking down a steep path in the dark I'd be cautious.

Honestly I would take a long day at Pompeii and plan on staying in Sorrento that night. The next take the ferry (if possible) or the bus to Positano the next day and then reverse the hike if that's what you want to do.

My $.02,
=Tod

Thanks, all. This was what I was guessing…. 2 lane roads with no sidewalk or guardrails. I will definitely not try this. It was just a thought/hope. Tim, thanks for the tip about Path of the Gods. Part of the reason we are considering overnighting in Atrani is that there is relatively quick bus service to Bomerano the next morning. Tim, I was aware of the stairs which is why we plan to end in Positano instead of starting there… we are actually pretty excited about them, but I’d rather go down than up. 🤣

Tim, I believe you helped me in my previous post and it was partially due to your recommendation that we are overnighting. Luggage shouldn’t be an issue as we have a hotel in Rome (from our travel package) where we can leave the bulk of our belongings. The plan for this portion of the trip is to bring backpacks with the necessities… change of clothes, toiletries, water bottles. We plan to grab breakfast and a packed lunch when we set out in the morning in Atrani and eat dinner in Positano before returning to Rome.

Thanks all! If you have any other thoughts, they will be much appreciated.

Aaron, just a reminder to have a Plan B in mind? As previously mentioned, I wouldn't count on the ferries running in late March - or not between Sorrento and Amalfi or Sorrento and Positano anyway - and you don't want to take on POTG if the scheduled day turns out to be a wet one.

Good plan to scrap Sorrento>Positano on foot. Just out of curiosity (I'm a hiker too), I spent some time digging for any info on a potential trail route and came up with nothing. A virtual 'walk' along the narrow road you'd likely be taking was, well, I think you'd be happy that you didn't try and take it on. :O)

Thanks, Kathy!
I played with googlemaps a bit myself and couldn't find anything with good sidewalks or a just walking paths. I considered the hike from Pompeii down as well, but didn't have much better luck. Once you reach Positano, there seem to be a variety of options for getting from there the to other coastal towns. I'm looking at spending Friday evening in Positano (instead of Saturday afternoon) taking Path of the Gods the other direction (towards Atrini), overnighting and then taking the bus out to Paestum on Saturday. It will probably need to remain a flexible schedule dependent on how early we make it to Positano. I really don't want to be on Path of the Gods after sunset. :) I don't know the local rules about pitching a tent up there either. :)

Obviously it's not too hot in Pompeii in March. But it is still a very spread-out, huge site. I'd expect to walk minimum three miles there in four hours, even if you don't adopt an "encylopedic" visit plan. And the walking, on stone roads with uneven joints and chariot-ruts, is challenging even for those without mobility problems. You could easily have a mild ankle twist by the time you leave Pompeii. Pompeii is essentially level, however.

That leads back to my question about Capri. The reason I asked isn't because I agree with the 98% (?) of this board that considers Capri an absolute must-do. It is a really nice place, but it's a time-consuming visit. A full daylight day is barely enough. But it's a highly-pedestrianized place. You could easily walk 4-5 95% paved miles on a visit to Capri, with hills. Some of the attractions (Villa Jovis, perhaps a beach or the Blue Grotto from LAND, probably unpaved ? haven't done it) require backtracking. But many long walks can be one-way, like the Phonecian Steps.

I don't think it fits into your program, and it's amateur walking. But I have posted here before about the nice, scenic, 99% paved, 100% steep downhill walk from Sant' Agata sui dui Golfi to Sorrento. 1.25 hours for you, I think. Bus up from Sorrento Circumvesuviana station. The bus stop is "across the street" from the station, on the right as you face the station.

Aaron, here are a few other walks/hikes.

https://www.tripsavvy.com/best-hikes-on-the-amalfi-coast-4779532

Tim,
I hadn’t really looked into Capri much since the original plan was a day trip, now expanded to an overnight. If you were to choose between Capri and Paestum, which would be preferable? I don’t know that the schedule allows for both.

Thanks, Gerri!

aaron, indeed, I failed to make the connection with your old one-day trip discussion. Capri and Paestum are not comparable trips, and where you start from makes a difference. (I have NOT been to Paestum. We decided it was just too far from our 5 nights in Sorrento, despite a specific desire to go.) It's an inaccurate, dumb comparison, but Paestum is more like Valley of the Temples or The Roman Forum, while Capri is "like" Positano with less paving and many more square miles. (In fairness, the least attractive part of Capri is the same endless international fashion boutiques you can see anywhere. But that's a small part of Capri and a big part of Positano. And the "setting" of the boutiques is much more attractive on Capri.)

I'm not sure of your use (just above) of the term daytrip. Do you mean "Capri from Rome" or "Capri from Sorrento/Salerno/Amalfi"? Both of our Capri visits were "daytrips", once by ferry from Sorrento, sleeping in Sorrento. The other was a day-stop on a small cruise ship, which tendered in at Sorrento one day and Capri the next.

I mentioned Capri mainly because it requires so much walking, and walking seems to be a strong desire of yours. I wasn't arguing "... add Capri to your itinerary or the trip is a waste!"

Don't take this too personally, but I am uncomfortable with this discussion since you have added the overnight. That's because it is still an illusion that the outing from Rome can be "complete" simply by adding a sleepover. I don't mean that unkindly, I just mean that I made a conscious decision not to urge you to sleep-over, in the first place. That decision is consistent with my statements that five nights in Rome are not too many.

Aaron, choosing between Paestum and Capri would depend on your interests as they are very different places. Paestum is all about the temples; Capri is a better choice for hikers/outdoor lovers, outside of the luxury shoppers and folks who don't get much further than the piazzas. That's not to say it's without its archeological treasures: the 'hike' (more of a long walk, really) up to Villa Jovis was fun, and the views from there are expansive. You could also take the chairlift up to the top of Mt. Solaro and hike down, or hike it both ways, and we did the scenic Pizzolungo route too.

https://www.capri.com/en/e/the-villas-of-tiberius
https://www.capri.com/en/e/pizzolungo-2
https://www.capri.com/en/e/monte-solaro-high-drama
https://www.capri.com/en/e/migliera-to-monte-solaro

The Phoenician Steps previously mentioned:
https://www.capri.com/en/e/the-phoenician-steps

More here; NO guided tours needed. just follow the instructions, and buy a good map at the visitor center when you arrive:
https://www.capri.com/en/l/hiking-and-walking-trails-capri

Ferries run from Sorrrento to the island all year long and only cancel for REALLY foul weather. Here's the current schedule; note that they don't run operate in the dark so to make the most of your day, I'd get on the first boat out. End of March, before the Easter holiday, might be a good time to go as with some restaurants and whatnot still closed for winter, it should be reasonably quiet. We stayed 2 nights on the island one October, and enjoyed our stay very much.

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/t/sorrento/capri

Could you clarify this- are you flying out of Rome on Saturday?
No matter what time your flight is you need to be IN Rome the night before.

The trip is in late March. We arrive on a Sunday morning and depart
the following Saturday.

> That gives me 5 days.

I'm looking at spending Friday evening in Positano (instead of
Saturday afternoon) taking Path of the Gods the other direction
(towards Atrini), overnighting and then taking the bus out to Paestum
on Saturday. It will probably need to remain a flexible schedule
dependent on how early we make it to Positano.

I’m sorry Aaron- just have to say you are trying to fit 10 pounds of sand into a 5 pound bag. You are trying to turn your Rome trip into an Amalfi Coast trip but don’t really have the time to do that.

We spent 9 nights in the Sorrento/Amalfi region. Most people spend at least 3 nights there. You have MAYBE one night.

Paestum is a 30 min ride from Salerno. Salerno is 23 min train ride from Pompei— the town not the excavation site.
It is absolutely fantastic site and worth the trip but not if you are coming from Sorrento or Atrani or Positano or wherever you intend to over nite.

If you want to visit Paestum- and I do think a 14 yo would get much more out of that visit than Positano or Capri- then stay in Salerno. The temples are very “ instagrammable”
At least you are on a train line and can get back to Rome easily. The travel logistics of adding Paestum are a lot easier/more straight forward than all your other ideas.
I think you are underestimating how much of a toll your Pompeii exploration will take on you. It is brutal walking.

Rome to Pompeii- visit for 3-4? hours
Train Pompei to Salerno (a very nice real Italian town- not a resort town at all).
From Salerno take the bus or ferry -if running- to Amalfi (town). Positano will take a lot longer to get to especially if by bus.
Visit Amalfi, be sure you don’t miss bus back to Salerno- check schedules closely.
Spend night in Salerno. There are some very good, cheap restaurants here and the evening passegiatta is one of the best. So fun. There is also lovely waterfront with great views of the Amalfi Coast.

In the am- take train to Paestum- spend a few hours, have lunch. Paestum requires a good bit of walking as well but it is flat.
Check train schedule carefully-there is a lull mid day with no trains. Buy your return ticket in Salerno as there is no counter at Paestum station only a ticket machine that was out of order when we were there.
The station is about a 15 min walk from the site.
Regional train back to Salerno to catch a fast train to Rome.

I am only suggesting this plan IF you overnite on Thursday and can be back in Rome Friday night for your flight out on Saturday

Yikes, good catch, Christine. According to the original schedule, they'd need to be back in Rome Friday night. Aaron, the Amalfi coast is too far away from Fiumicino to risk a transport snag the day of a transatlantic flight. Yep, the Rome trip has morphed into something altogether different. What day did you buy your Pompeii tickets for?

LOL, as the original schedule wasn't published in this thread's query, I'd forgotten all about it!!

Don't suppose I could entice you with a long walk on the Appia Antica instead (probably not but it was the personal high point of our days in Rome)? Lots to see.
https://www.parcoappiaantica.it

OK, never mind.....

I literally just typed our schedule and deleted it. SMH....
Anyway, this may help you see our plan...

Saturday, March 18 -- overnight flight to Rome
Sunday, March 19 -- AM arrival, DaVinci to Termina, Termina to hotel (bus)... walk town, Trevi, Navonna, Spanish Stair and maybe Capuchin Crypt
Monday, March 20 -- Vatican early entry tour with museums Possibly add dome climb. Maybe add Castel Sant'Angelo if time/energy allow. Possible walk/bus to Trastevere. Pizza and gelato?
Tuesday, March 21 -- Colosseum Underground tour with Forum, no scheduled afternoon. Possible catacombe, appian way and/ mamertine prison.
Wednesday, March 22 -- Tickets for Papal audience (maybe-- pretty early). No scheduled activity-- Borghese?, visit churches or monuments
Thursday, March 23 -- High Speed Rail to Napoli Centrale, then train to Pompeii. 2 hour tour. Train to Sorrento. Decide what to do next.... Path of the Gods (start in Positano) or bus to Amalfi. Overnite in Atrini.
Friday, March 24 -- Path of the Gods from Bomerano to Positano and work our way back to Rome. OR Amalfi to Paestum and then back to Rome.
Saturday, March 25 -- hotel transfer or taxi to airport for early flight home.

The first part of the trip seems pretty leisurely to me, but I recognize that I have no context. When I asked my son, he said he wanted to "do a lot" vs "sit and relax" so I am trying to balance that out with what he really wants (since teenagers don't always know and overestimate what they can do. My thought was that by the end of Wednesday, he will be ready for a full day. We view the high speed rail as "an activity" since we haven't done it and added the overnight since a lot of the feedback has been that we are cramming too much. My hope was that Paestum would be an easy side-trip since we have to make it back to a major rail hub regardless. Salerno v Sorrento... from Amalfi I can't see that it makes a lot of difference. My hope is that the high speed rail lines will be pretty reliable if I can be close to one on Friday. My thought was to get a 6:00 or 7:00 pm ticket to Rome on Friday since the cost is low (buying early) and my son travels for free. The guidebook seems to say that I need to get a bus from the Paestum Archeological park to the Paestum rails station by bus, but after that the regional or Frecciarossa train can be in Rome in about 2.5-3.5 hrs.

Again, I am here for advice so ANY and ALL input is appreciated. I have deliberately left out Capri, blue grotto and Florence (yes...I know... LOL!) so we weren't rushing. Someone asked if this would be my son's only trip... maybe not, but it may be the only one he/I do together (without Mom and little brother) so I am trying to gear it toward him. He is not one to linger so I didn't include more museums ("I don't think I need more statures of naked people." was his input. SMH). He is a big mythology fan which is why, when I realized Paestum was so close and so nice, I thought about adding it in. We almost did an Athens trip instead of Rome, but this one lined up better.

Again, please keep the advice coming! It is a huge help and I am already getting a better feel for what to expect. Only a few things are set in stone and a lot my activities have free cancellation. Thank you all so much!

Be sure you are spelling things correctly
Termini
Atrani

Sunday, March 19 -- AM arrival, DaVinci to Termina, Termina to hotel
(bus)... walk town, Trevi, Navonna, Spanish Stair and maybe Capuchin
Crypt

I believe you said you are staying in historic district- I assume near Pantheon?
Do yourself a favor and take a taxi from the airport. Leonardo Express is 15 euros now I think and 14 yo is not free. A taxi from airport to your lodgings is a fixed rate 50 euros. if you take LE to Termini you still need to get a cab to your lodgings- probably 10 euros and just a bit too far to walk IMO on arrival day. So a taxi is only 10 euros more.

Walk outside the terminal get in the taxi line- hand driver your address and 50 euros. Sit back and relax.
Do not go with anyone offering you a ride- only use the official taxi line.
.

My hope was that Paestum would be an easy side-trip since we have to
make it back to a major rail hub regardless. Salerno v Sorrento...
from Amalfi I can't see that it makes a lot of difference. My hope is
that the high speed rail lines will be pretty reliable if I can be
close to one on Friday.

It is an easy side trip FROM Salerno. Not from Sorrento. There is a huge difference in time and transportation options. From Salerno it is a 30 min train ride.
From Sorrento to Amalfi it is almost 2 hours on the bus. Then a transfer to Salerno 1hr 15 min. then train to Paestum.

OR Amalfi to Paestum and then back to Rome.

As I posted above there is a lull in trains from Salerno to Paestum.
There is a 9:35 train, next is 12:22. You will want to be on the 9:35 train to get the most out of your day. Suppose it could be done from Amalfi but it’s risky. (8:00 bus Amalfi to Salerno- arrives 9:15 IF bus is on time. You have 20 min to get to train station (I think bus is behind the train station-10 min walk) get train tix unless purchased in advance and to find your train.

https://www.positano.com/en/bus-schedule?route=amalfi_maiori_salerno#section-schedule-result

Check train schedules very carefully. Do not rely on Google maps or rome2rio or anywhere else to plan this adventure. Go to the actual train site.
https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html

The guidebook seems to say that I need to get a bus from the Paestum
Archeological park to the Paestum rails station by bus, but after that
the regional or Frecciarossa train can be in Rome in about 2.5-3.5
hrs.

I’m not sure what he’s talking about here. The station that is near the Archeological site is 11 min walk according to Google- we walk slow so it took us maybe 15. It takes you right smack to the middle of the temple grounds. If you look at Google maps you can see the station and the walk along SP168- thru some fields basically.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Paestum,+SP168,+Paestum,+SA,+Italy/Paestum+Museo+Archeologico,+Paestum,+SA,+Italy/@40.4223918,15.0084005,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x133bfd73fccf98ad:0x6e18a54d987f3b3e!2m2!1d15.0147232!2d40.4216979!1m5!1m1!1s0x133bfd5068302e99:0x8b88ef683f84d69a!2m2!1d15.0069595!2d40.4232275!3e3

From that station you can take a train to Salerno or Naples to catch your fast train to Rome. (There are more fast train options from Napoli Centrale)
Sorrento is NOT on a fast train line. Requires that extra step on Circumvesuviana.

JMO- but I try to keep all transits as simple possible. Choose the most direct/easiest transit routes. The fewer transfers/changes the less likely you are to miss one or encounter delays, etc. Allow plenty of time to make those transfers as well.

Getting to and around the Amalfi Coast is not a simple thing not even when you have several nights to work with.

He is a big mythology fan which is why, when I realized Paestum was so
close and so nice, I thought about adding it in. We almost did an
Athens trip instead of Rome, but this one lined up better.

^^This right here would be my #1 reason for going to Paestum and dropping all thoughts of Positano, Path of Gods etc.

Your days in Rome are quite full. Vatican visit and Colosseum visits can be exhausting and both take a good half day or more.

On Wednesday I would absolutely skip the papal audience and leave the day free. Maybe sleep in then go up to Borghese park and have some fun renting bikes.

Lots of helpful stuff here!
I had two questions.
Is the 8am the earliest bus out of Amalfi? I saw earlier buses, but I wasn’t able to find the exact date. I can work on that.

Does the Bimini Gratis rate not apply to 14 year olds? That is why my son was riding trains free….

Bus schedules
https://www.positano.com/en/bus-schedule?route=amalfi_maiori_salerno#section-schedule-result

Leonardo Express info
https://www.trenitalia.com/en/services/fiumicino_airport.html