Past the queue in Amalfi on a two-wheeler
From our editorial team
The Amalfi Coast is spectacular, famous the world over - and that is precisely why it is not an uncomplicated destination. Those who know this in advance will travel in a more relaxed way.
A holiday on the Amalfi Coast doesn't start at the hotel. It begins with the journey there - and that usually requires patience. The coastal towns are only connected by a narrow, single-lane coastal road. This turns short distances into time-consuming journeys, especially in the warmer months - but also an experience. It's better to get around on a two-wheeler. You can reach Amalfi even faster by ferry, but then you miss out on the spectacular view of the coast.
Every place works differently
The coast is a mosaic of different places. Positano has a monumental feel with steep steps, narrow buildings and little room for retreat. Amalfi is the transport hub, lively and practical. Minori and Maiori are flatter, more suitable for everyday life, with a rhythm that is closer to the life of the locals. Ravello lies above the coast, quiet, distant, with a wider view than most of the other towns.
The beach is not the centre
The coast offers bathing bays, platforms, jetties, often only narrow access to the water, larger strips of sand are the exception. Swimming is part of the Amalfi Coast, but the coast is not a destination for classic beach holidays. Instead, everyday life as a tourist is characterised by movement, walking and climbing stairs: paths between towns, walks through villages, views from above. This coast has more to do with landscape than with deckchairs.
Less programme, more location
A common mistake on a first visit is trying to see as much as possible. But the Amalfi Coast wins if you give it time. Two places can be enough for several days. Day trips can be planned, but don't have to be. Many impressions are created in passing: on a terrace in the morning, while waiting for a ferry, on a narrow path between houses. The coast is not revealed by checklists, but by simply looking around. And yes, if you want to eat an Amalfi lemon with lemon ice cream, you can pay 15 euros for it.
The season characterises the stay
Everything is there in summer: Ferries, restaurants, events - but also lots of people. In spring and autumn, the movement is easier and the routes more manageable. Winter shows a different side. Ferries run less frequently, some hotels and restaurants close, but there is space and peace and quiet.
Organise expectations
The Amalfi Coast is dense, steep and sometimes exhausting. It is not always comfortable, not always quiet, not always favourable. At the same time, it offers an unusual concentration of landscape, architecture and everyday life. You are not travelling to a postcard motif, but to a region with its very own logic. And that is precisely the attraction - especially the first time.
At Easter, in the warm months and in early autumn, the Amalfitana is open from 10 am to 6 pm: On even days, only vehicles with an even final number may drive, on odd days only vehicles with an odd final number. Exceptions apply to holidaymakers who have booked accommodation on site.
For vehicles that are longer than 10.36 metres, higher than 4 metres or wider than 2.55 metres, a Driving ban.
There is a year-round driving ban from 6.30 a.m. to midnight for Motorhomes, caravans and for vehicles towing caravans or trailers - regardless of their dimensions.
