Planning a Trip

Getting There

The bus is the best and fastest option, with SITA (tel. 081-5522176; www.sitabus.it) offering frequent service from Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, Vietri, and Salerno (for information on fares, see "The Unico Travel Pass). For the best views, get a seat on the right side of the bus when you are traveling from Sorrento and the left side from Vietri, Amalfi, and Salerno.

In fair weather, April through September, Positano is also well served by ferry and hydrofoils: Metrò del Mare (tel. 199-446644; www.metrodelmare.com) offers regular service to Positano from Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, Salerno, and other harbors along the coast; fares vary depending on the distance, from 9€ from Amalfi to 16€ from Pozzuoli. Amalfi-based Cooperativa Sant'Andrea (tel. 089-873190; www.coopsantandrea.it) offers regular service from Amalfi, Capri, Minori, Salerno, and Sorrento, as well as special cruises and excursions; fares range from 6€ from Amalfi to 16€ from Capri. Lucibello (tel. 089-975032 or 089-811164; www.lucibello.it) offers regular service to and from Capri for 17€. Alicost (tel. 089/811986; www.lauroweb.com/alicost.htm) maintains regular aliscafo (hydrofoil) and motonave (motorboat) service from Capri and Ischia to Positano; fares are 20€ from Capri and 26€ from Ischia (you must reserve at least 24 hr. in advance).

Travelmar (tel. 081-7041911; www.travelmar.it) maintains routes to Positano from Salerno, and LMP (tel. 081-5513236; www.consorziolmp.it) offers regular hydrofoil and boat service between Positano, Capri, and Sorrento. Prices range between 10€ and 18€ for both companies.

From Naples or its airport, taxis offer a flat rate of 120€ to Positano. Car services also offer transfers from Naples's Capodichino Airport or train station. Alternatively, Curreri Viaggi (tel. 081-8015420; www.curreriviaggi.it) offers a shuttle service from Capodichino for 150€ for one to three passengers and 12€ for each additional passenger.

If you are traveling by train (tel. 892021 in Italy; www.trenitalia.it), the closest station is Vietri sul Mare, on the local line between Naples (where you'll change trains if you are coming from the north) and Salerno (if you are coming from the south).

By car, take autostrada A3 toward NAPOLI-SALERNO to the exit for VIETRI SUL MARE. Follow the signs for VIETRI, MAIORI, AMALFI, and POSITANO; they will lead you to the famed SS 163, the coastal road that meanders from Salerno to Positano and a bit beyond. You can also reach SS 163 from Castellammare di Stabia, Piana di Sorrento, Vico Equense, and Sorrento heading east and following signs for POSITANO and AMALFI. Note: Because of the solid traffic here in summer, local authorities have occasionally limited car access to SS 163; check with the tourist office and your hotel before making your plans.

Getting Around

The simplest and cheapest way to move between villages along this coast is the bus: SITA offers regular service from Positano and its hub in Amalfi. In Positano, the orange town buses make the loop of Viale Pasitea, Via Cristoforo Colombo, and Via G. Marconi (SS 163), stopping several times along the way. They run every half-hour, saving your tired knees from some of the town's endless steps. You can purchase the 1€ ticket onboard.

Ferries are a convenient alternative to slogging along the local road. You can also hire a boat, with or without a captain, to take you to secluded beaches. A boat service links Marina Grande to Fornillo during the summer, with departures every half-hour (about 5€).

To reach other towns and villages, hiring a taxi tel. 089-875230 or a car service with a chauffeur makes sense, especially if you plan to stay here only a day or two; plus, an experienced local driver can double as a guide.

Renting a car is an option we don't recommend, especially in summer, but you can do so from major national and international companies as well as from Rent a Car, Viale Pasitea (tel. 089-811777), or one of the companies in Sorrento. You can rent a motor scooter at Positano Rent a Scooter, Viale Pasitea 99 (tel. 089-8122077) for about 40€ per day at the height of summer.

Visitor Information

The AAST tourist office (tel. 089-875067; www.aziendaturismopositano.it) is at Via del Saracino 4, 84017 Positano. It is open Monday to Saturday 8:30am to 2pm, with additional hours (3:30-8pm) in July and August.

Fast Facts

You'll find a pharmacy (tel. 089-875863) on Viale Pasitea. For an ambulance, dial tel. 118. You can call the police at tel. 113 or 112. The post office (tel. 089-875142) is at Via G. Marconi 320 (SS 163), at the corner with Viale Pasitea; it is open Monday to Saturday 8am to 2pm. You will find several banks with ATMs, including Banco di Napoli, Piazza dei Mulini 18 (tel. 089-8122367). The exchange office (tel. 089-875864) is in Piazza dei Mulini. You can get Internet access at Dimensione Servizi, Via San Sebastiano 8 (tel. 089-811993).

Special Events

Summer Music is an international chamber music festival that takes place from the end of August to the beginning of September every year (2007 marked its 40th anniversary). The Festival of the Assunta is a lively event held August 14 and 15, when the violent attack of the Saracens and the Madonna's miraculous intervention are reenacted, accompanied by much noise and fanfare by Positanese of all ages. The histrionics include a fake fire and colorful historic costumes.