The train only gets you part of the way from Naples to the Amalfi Coast. The Circumvesuviana commuter line runs from Napoli Garibaldi to Sorrento in about 70 minutes, and from Sorrento a SITA bus continues along the cliffs to Positano and Amalfi. By road, central Naples to Positano is about 58 km (36 mi), roughly 65 minutes on a clear road by our routed estimate on the public OSRM network, with no changes and your luggage in the boot.
So the honest answer depends on who is travelling and with what. One or two people with small bags and a free afternoon will manage the train and bus, and it is part of the experience. A family with suitcases, a group, or anyone arriving tired from North America will find a private driver worth the money, and Naples' own fixed taxi fares sit between the two. Elly8.net fares start from US$280 in a business sedan from Naples Airport (NAP) to Positano.
Is a private driver worth it from Naples to the Amalfi Coast?
It is worth it for families, groups, heavy luggage and late arrivals: one vehicle, door to door, in about an hour on a clear road. For one or two light travellers with time, the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento and the SITA bus are far cheaper. Naples taxis charge a fixed €145 per car to Positano.
Three questions decide it. How many of you are there? How much luggage? And where exactly are you staying? Positano and Amalfi hotels are often reached by steps from the road, and the last stretch with suitcases is where the public route is hardest. If your hotel is in Sorrento itself, the train covers almost the whole trip.
See Amalfi Coast prices and reserve
The train and bus route, step by step
1. To the Circumvesuviana. If you arrive in Naples on a high-speed train, you are at Napoli Centrale on Piazza Garibaldi. The Circumvesuviana, run by the regional operator EAV, leaves from Napoli Garibaldi on the same square. Its line 1 runs from Napoli Porta Nolana through Garibaldi to Sorrento.
2. The commuter train to Sorrento. On the EAV timetable in force from 17 October 2026, trains leave Napoli Garibaldi every 30 minutes from 05:33, and the journey to Sorrento takes about 70 minutes. The last departure on the timetable leaves Garibaldi at 22:03 and reaches Sorrento at 23:13. It is a suburban railway that stops all along the Bay of Naples, at Ercolano for Herculaneum, at Pompei Scavi for the ruins, at Vico Equense and at the towns of the Sorrento plain.
3. The bus from Sorrento. Outside Sorrento station, SITA Sud buses run along the Sorrento peninsula and the Amalfi Coast to Positano and Amalfi. Timetables change by season; SITA published a new coast timetable from 2 November 2026. By road, Sorrento centre to Positano is about 16 km (10 mi), roughly 21 minutes on a clear road, and to Amalfi about 31 km (20 mi), roughly 42 minutes, by our routed estimates.
4. The last few hundred metres. The bus stops on the main road. In Positano, many hotels sit below or above the road and are reached on foot by steps or lanes. Ask your hotel how guests usually arrive.
Added up, that is a walk, a train of about 70 minutes, a wait, a bus along the cliffs and the final stretch on foot, with every change made with your bags. For the right traveller it is a fine way to arrive. For a family at the end of an overnight flight it is a long afternoon.
The ferry from Naples
In season, boats link the port of Naples with the coast. Alilauro, one of the operators based at Molo Beverello, lists Naples (Beverello), Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Capri among its ports. A boat lands you on the beach at Positano or at the harbour in Amalfi, which is a beautiful arrival with light bags.
The drawbacks are timing and weather. Sailings are seasonal and fewer than trains, the sea decides whether they run, and you still need to get from the pier to your hotel. From Naples Airport, the port at Molo Beverello is about 9 km (6 mi) away, and the city's fixed taxi fare from the airport to the port is €24 per car.
Naples taxis: the fixed fare to the coast
The City of Naples publishes fixed one-way taxi fares per car from the city to the coast, in force since 1 September 2024 and linked from its taxi service page. They include the airport supplement, night and holiday surcharges and luggage; motorway tolls and a €5 minivan supplement for more than four passengers are extra. You must ask for the fixed fare at the start of the ride, and the driver issues a receipt before setting off.
| From Naples, fixed taxi fare per car | Fare |
|---|---|
| Sorrento | €125 |
| Positano | €145 |
| Amalfi | €155 |
| Ravello | €160 |
That makes the licensed taxi a strong option for two to four travellers with ordinary luggage who are happy to take a car from the rank. What it does not give you is a booking made from home, a meeting inside arrivals, a fare in US dollars, child seats fitted before pickup, or one vehicle for seven people.
Straight from Naples Airport
If you fly into Naples rather than arriving by train, the choice shifts slightly, because the airport is already on the right side of the city. NAP to Positano is about 62 km (38 mi), roughly 70 minutes on a clear road, and NAP to Sorrento about 52 km (32 mi), roughly an hour. A train plan means getting into the city to Napoli Garibaldi first, with your bags.
The simplest public option from the terminal is the scheduled airport coach run by Curreri, a private operator, which boards at the airport bus parking area and lists fares of €13 to Sorrento and €20 to Positano per person. For the return, the operator advises taking the coach at least five hours before your flight, and warns that journeys can run longer in high season. A Naples taxi from the rank charges the same fixed coast fares as from the city, with the airport supplement already included. A pre-booked car is the only one of the three that is waiting inside arrivals with your name on a board when you walk out of customs.
Side by side: train, ferry, taxi and a private driver
| Option | Price | Time to Positano | Changes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circumvesuviana and SITA bus | Per-person regional fares | About 70 min train, plus waits and bus | 2 or more | One or two travellers, light bags |
| Ferry from Molo Beverello | Per-person, set by the operator | Seasonal, weather-dependent | Taxi to the port, walk from the pier | Light travellers in summer |
| Naples licensed taxi | €145 per car, fixed | About 65 min on a clear road | None | Two to four travellers, no booking |
| Elly8.net business sedan from NAP | US$280 per vehicle, fixed | About 70 min on a clear road | None | Couples wanting a fixed US$ price |
| Elly8.net business SUV from NAP | US$365 per vehicle, fixed | About 70 min on a clear road | None | Families of up to six with six bags |
| Elly8.net Executive Sprinter from NAP | US$730 per vehicle, fixed | About 70 min on a clear road | None | Groups of up to 12 with 12 bags |
Elly8.net prices are per vehicle, never per person. As arithmetic for comparison only, six travellers sharing a US$365 business SUV are paying for one car, while on the public route each of the six buys a train ticket and a bus ticket and carries a suitcase through two changes.
When the train and bus is the better choice
- One or two travellers with a carry-on each. The route is cheap, frequent in the daytime and straightforward.
- A hotel in Sorrento. The train takes you almost to the door, and the drive saves little.
- A stop at Pompeii or Herculaneum on the way. The Circumvesuviana stops at Pompei Scavi and Ercolano, so a light traveller can break the trip at a site and continue later.
- No fixed schedule. If you are in no hurry and enjoy local transport, the bay views from the train and the cliffs from the bus are worth having.
When a private driver is the better choice
- Arriving from North America. After an overnight flight and a connection, one car from the arrivals hall to the hotel is the simplest arrival on the coast. The chauffeur tracks your flight and waits with a name board; waiting after a tracked landing is complimentary.
- Families. Child and booster seats are fitted on request before pickup, and a business SUV takes the bends of the coast road more comfortably than a crowded bus.
- Groups and weddings. An Executive Sprinter with driver carries 12 passengers and 12 bags in one vehicle. See group transportation.
- Hotels in Praiano, Ravello or Conca dei Marini. These are further from Sorrento station and the bus is a longer ride.
- Late arrivals. The last train on the October 2026 timetable leaves Garibaldi just after 22:00, and buses beyond Sorrento finish earlier.
- A fixed budget. The fare is set in US dollars before you leave home, with standard gratuity included.
Arriving by train from Rome or Florence
Many North American itineraries reach Naples by high-speed train, and Napoli Centrale is one of the easiest places to be met. Give us your train number and arrival time when you book and the chauffeur meets you at the station; see train station transfers. The published reference fare is Naples Airport to Positano; for a pickup at Napoli Centrale, the port or a Naples hotel, enter the address in the web booker and the desk returns a fixed price per vehicle before you pay. If you are still deciding whether to take the train from Rome at all, our guide to Rome to the Amalfi Coast by car or train sets out both plans.
Booking a Naples to Amalfi Coast car
Rides on the Amalfi Coast and in Naples are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Those licensed cars are exempt from the alternating-plate rule on the coast road, which under the 2026 ANAS ordinance published by the Comune di Praiano covers taxis and NCC hire cars with driver.
- Pickup and drop-off. Enter NAP with your flight number, Napoli Centrale with your train, or any Naples address, and your hotel on the coast.
- Vehicle. Choose by passengers and bags using the fleet capacities: a business sedan carries three passengers and two bags; a business SUV six and six.
- Reserve. Press Reserve now on the Amalfi Coast car service page and pay by card in US$, or use the web booker. Confirmation arrives by email.
A round trip from NAP to Positano booked together costs from US$535 in a business sedan to US$1,390 in an Executive Sprinter, and airport fares are the same in either direction. Fares include the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet; tolls and parking are billed at cost. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; then 10%, 50% at 48 hours or less and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, as set out in the cancellation policy.
For the drive itself, with its two possible roads and the stops worth making, read Naples to Positano by car. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory; our travel partner BookingWorldwide.net handles flights and hotels, as the travel desk explains.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a train from Naples to Positano?
No. The Circumvesuviana commuter train runs from Napoli Garibaldi to Sorrento in about 70 minutes, every 30 minutes on the October 2026 timetable. From Sorrento, SITA buses continue to Positano and Amalfi. By car, central Naples to Positano is about 58 km (36 mi), roughly 65 minutes on a clear road.
How much is a taxi from Naples to the Amalfi Coast?
The City of Naples sets fixed fares per car: €125 to Sorrento, €145 to Positano, €155 to Amalfi and €160 to Ravello. They include the airport supplement and luggage; tolls and a €5 minivan supplement are extra. Ask for the fixed fare before the ride starts.
How much does a private driver from Naples Airport to Positano cost?
A fixed Elly8.net transfer costs from US$280 in a business sedan, US$365 in a business SUV, US$490 in a First Class Sedan and US$730 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle. It includes the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet. Tolls and parking are billed at cost.
Is there a ferry from Naples to Positano?
In season, yes. Ferry operators at Molo Beverello, including Alilauro, serve Positano, Amalfi, Sorrento and Capri. Sailings depend on the season and the sea, so keep a road plan in reserve and check the operator's timetable close to your travel date.
What if the train from Rome arrives late?
Give us the train number when you book. The chauffeur meets you at Napoli Centrale, and if the train is delayed, message the 24/7 desk and the pickup moves with it. For pickups at the station or a Naples hotel, the web booker gives a fixed price per vehicle before you pay.
Is the drive from Naples to the coast difficult?
It is short but slow: motorway along the bay, then the narrow cliff road with tight bends, buses and scooters. In summer the clear-road time of about an hour often stretches. A licensed driver also avoids the alternating-plate restriction that applies to private cars on restricted days.
