7 Days in Amalfi Coast on a Budget
Cliffside villages, ferry-hopping, and the best €10 lunches on the coast: a full week built for travelers who want the Amalfi views without the five-star price tag.
Cliffside villages, ferry-hopping, and the best €10 lunches on the coast: a full week built for travelers who want the Amalfi views without the five-star price tag.
Sorrento is half the price of a Positano base and just as close to the ferries. Take the Curreri airport bus or train via Naples Centrale.
🚌 ~75 min to Sorrento 💵 ~€15 🕐 Arrive early, book aheadCheck in, wander Corso Italia, and grab a lemon granita to beat the heat.
🚶 walkable town center 💵 Free 🕐 Mid-afternoonA quick ferry over for the postcard view from the marina at sunset, then back to Sorrento to sleep.
⛴️ ~25 min by ferry 💵 ~€20 round trip 🕐 Golden hourBuy your ticket at a tobacco shop before boarding. The bus doesn't sell them onboard.
🚌 ~50 min by SITA bus 💵 ~€5 🕐 Buy ticket before boardingA ~5-mile ridge trail with the coast's best panoramas, ending above Positano. Pack lunch: there's nowhere to buy food en route.
🥾 ~3.5 hr hike 💵 Free 🕐 Start before midday heatTired legs, low-key dinner: a slice of pizza al taglio does the job.
🚌 ~40 min by bus 💵 ~€3 🕐 Check last bus timeFaster and cheaper than the bus in summer. Grab a seat on the top deck.
⛴️ ~35 min by ferry 💵 ~€10 🕐 Morning departureClimb the cathedral steps, then hike the free waterfall trail just outside town.
🚶 15 min to trailhead 💵 ~€3 (cloister entry) 🕐 Early afternoonSkip the seafront menus with photos: the family-run spots one street back are half the price and better.
🚶 short walk inland 💵 ~€20 🕐 8-9 PMA steep, switchback climb with the coast's most dramatic views from the window seat.
🚌 ~25 min from Amalfi 💵 ~€3 🕐 Morning for clear viewsSmall entry fee, worth every cent: the Terrace of Infinity at Cimbrone is the coast's best view, full stop.
🚶 10 min between villas 💵 ~€10 combined 🕐 Late afternoon lightThen the bus back down to Amalfi and ferry home to Sorrento.
🚌 + ⛴️ ~1 hr total 💵 Free 🕐 SunsetThe first crossing of the day is consistently the cheapest fare.
⛴️ ~20 min by ferry 💵 ~€20 round trip 🕐 First ferry of the daySkip the pricey chairlift: the free viewpoint near Punta Cannone gets the same view of the sea stacks.
🚶 walkable from port 💵 Free 🕐 Early afternoonBook it before you land: the final crossing sells out fast in peak season.
⛴️ ~20 min by ferry 💵 included above 🕐 Book the last ferry earlyPhotograph the fjord from the road bridge, one of the coast's most photographed views, and free.
🚌 ~35 min by bus 💵 ~€3 🕐 Morning for photosA small, low-key public cove between the bigger towns: no entry fee, far fewer crowds.
🚶 10 min down from the road 💵 Free 🕐 Late afternoonPack up for tomorrow's departure.
🚌 back to Sorrento 💵 ~€18 🕐 8 PMSeveral small groves around Sorrento offer free tastings of their own limoncello and lemon products.
🚶 walkable from town 💵 Free 🕐 Late morningCeramics from Vietri, limoncello bottles, and one final granita.
🚶 town center 💵 Varies 🕐 Early afternoonSame bus/train route in reverse. Leave a comfortable buffer for traffic.
🚌 ~75 min to the airport 💵 ~€15 🕐 Leave 3 hrs before flightHalf the price for a room with the same ferry access to every town on the coast.
Cheaper than individual tickets if you're hopping between three or more towns in a day.
Often faster and not much pricier than the bus, especially in summer traffic.
The quiet endpoint of the Path of the Gods hike, a fraction of Positano's foot traffic, same views.
A small free cove between the big towns that most day-trippers skip entirely.
One of the coast's most photographed spots, and it costs nothing to see from the road.
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