This is a summary on bus transportation around Praiano on the Amalfi Coast. It is based on our two weeks stay in Praiano at the end of May 2016. I usually study and get the schedules before travelling. However, for the Amalfi Coast I was not able to sort everything out to a satisfactory extent. It wasn't until being there to fully understand how everything works.
If transportation was simple and if you just needed to buy a ticket to get from A to B, I would not need to post this here. Others obviously had their difficulties, too: we saw it again and again that people did not know how to use the buses. They were getting on a bus with no ticket or with the wrong ticket, getting off or waiting at the wrong bus stops. Maybe this helps to save you some time preparing your trip:
--- TOURIST INFORMATION in Praiano ---
The tourist information office in Praiano has a website: http://www.praiano.org/
Under 'come spostarsi how to go' you find all bus schedules. You might as well get yourself a printed version on arrival at the office. They can explain to you which are the bus stops and ticket offices nearest to your place.
'ORARI IN VIGORE DAL AL ' on a schedule means 'schedule valid from to '.
Standing on the main street, which is the coast road 'Amalfitana', called 'Via Capriglione' in Praiano: the tourist information is opposite of the church 'San Gennaro'. Glass front with green frame and an ATM (Bancomat) at the right.
--- BUSES ---
There are three types of bus services:
- SITA Sud bus (for Amalfi, Ravello, Bomerano, and as alternative for Positano)
Color: light blue or dark red
We had the information that they don't sell tickets on the bus. In Ravello it was possible to buy tickets on the bus. However, the bus driver did not change money. - Mobility Amalfi Coast bus (for Positano, Praiano; former name 'Flavio Gioia bus service')
Color: white with an orange banner
It's the narrowest bus type you see.
In Positano you see two other destinations for this bus service: 'Montepertuso-Nocelle' and 'Interno Positano'. - Interno Praiano bus (for Praiano only)
Color: white with some blue (I am not sure if that blue was a banner)
A bit bigger than the Mobility Amalfi Coast bus, smaller than the SITA Sud bus. We didn't use it.
It seemed that buses 2 and 3 use the same bus stops numbered from #1 to #29 in Praiano.
--- PRAIANO BUS CONNECTIONS (May 2016) ---
For Amalfi -> SITA Sud bus
Praiano-Amalfi: bus to 'Amalfi'
Amalfi-Praiano: bus to 'Sorrento'
For Positano -> Mobility Amalfi Coast bus
To and from Positano: bus 'Praiano-Positano' and vice versa
To Ravello -> SITA Sud bus
Praiano-Amalfi-Ravello: change bus in Amalfi to 'Ravello-Scala'
Ravello-Amalfi-Praiano: change bus in Amalfi to 'Sorrento'
Bomerano (Path Of The Gods/Sentiero Degli Dei) -> SITA Sud bus
Praiano-Amalfi-Bomerano: change bus in Amalfi to 'Agerola'
Back to Praiano:
1. option: If you walk the path all the way to Positano -> Mobility Amalfi Coast bus.
2. option: Bus in Nocelle or in Montepertuso to Positano -> Mobility Amalfi Coast bus AND another Mobility Amalfi Coast bus to Praiano (requires a 2nd ticket)
--- Mobility Amalfi Coast BUS ROUTE ---
Don't get confused on the Mobility Amalfi Coast bus when it appears to take the wrong way. Getting on the bus to Positano i.e. at Hotel Margherita (bus stop #26) it goes down and first turns left towards Amalfi. At Marina di Praia it turns around to head for Positano.
More important when returning from Positano: In Praiano the bus goes first all the way up to a dead end and then comes back the same street to arrive at Hotel Margherita. We repeatedly saw people being confused about the bus not going directly towards Hotel Margherita. Either they got off at the next possible stop or at the dead end. After the bus turned we passed them again.