How to Get to the Amalfi Coast from the Salerno Train Station

Whether it's for a day-trip or a stay, getting from the Salerno train station to the Amalfi Coast is straightforward

Positano, on the Amalfi Coast

First off, welcome to the south of Italy. Really, once you get to Naples, you're in the south, but in Salerno you're in a place that isn't used to much tourism, despite being (what I call) the "Gateway to the Amalfi Coast".

Taxi

As with any article like this I write, I'll go ahead and get the taxi option out of the way. For about 200-300 euros, depending on how many bags you have, how many people you're traveling with, and how far along the coast you're going (Vietri sul Mare vs. Positano, for example), you can find a taxi at the train station to bring you to your hotel or bed and breakfast.

Rental Car

Likewise, if you want to a rent a car, you absolutely can since the train station in Salerno is about a street away from what I dub the "rental car street" which is a not-so-clever way to refer to the strip of Avis, Europcar, Hertz, etc. that you will find there.

Keep in mind, if you want to drive on the Amalfi Coast that you don't drive on the days you're not allowed to drive, going by your license place. Odd-numbered license plates can't drive on even days, even-numbered plates can't drive on odd days.

Between the headache that is "which day can I drive on and which can I not" and the exciting nightmare that is the Amalfi Coast road, I can't actually suggest that anyone drive on the Amalfi Coast unless you're really confident in you're driving ability and you have some Italian insults ready to go.

This leaves the main mode of transportation.

Bus

There's essentially one bus company that runs people from Salerno to the Amalfi Coast and it's called "SITA Sud". Their prices are based on the regional standard, so even though it's easily seen as a "tourist bus", they have to charge what they would locals, which is 1.50 to 3.40 euros depending on how long your trip is (in kilometers), unless you're going to Sorrento, which is 4.00 euros. (Check out their up to date prices here.)

Buying the ticket

Tickets for the SITA Sud cannot be purchased on board because you're in southern Italy now, welcome. Instead, you can buy them pretty much anywhere else including but not limited to: a tabaccheria (where they sell tobacco products), an edicola (a newspaper/magazine stand/store), a cafe, bars, and a scattering of different stores aimed at tourists that sell tickets as well. If you see the SITA Sud logo in the window, you can buy them there.

The ticket must be validated when you get on board by stamping them in the little [usually] yellow machine. Yes, you will hold up the line, and yes, it won't always stamp the first time. But a ticket controller sees a bus full of Amalfi-bound tourists and a place to pass out tickets like hotcakes.

To buy the ticket, you can look inside the train station for vendors, or go get a coffee near the station and buy one there.

Catching the bus

To catch the bus, you leave the Salerno train station and, without crossing over into the piazza in front of you, go right, along the sidewalk, past the post office, until you get to the end of the sidewalk where you will see little signs marking that corner as the SITA Sud stop. There might even be other buses there, which helps figure out where you're going.

(If you like to use Google Maps, here is a link to the stop, which also shows you what the bus looks like (blue and white): https://maps.app.goo.gl/4YbrnVUZ8jrrCV516)

Something to keep in mind that, in the summer, you will be surrounded by a ton of other people trying to get on board and it is not a bus that takes reservations. It's done by first-come first-served, so you might be waiting for a bus or two to get on, especially if you're in a larger group.

Insider Tip: You think I'd let y'all wait in line for an hour for a bus to the Amalfi Coast? Perish the thought! What most people don't know is that the bus to the Amalfi Coast doesn't originate from the Salerno train station (as one would assume) but a five-minute walk away on Vinciprova (Google Maps link here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/d87tgswLutQnNdaS7).

While this might not be worth it if you and your travel buddies have like 3 bags each, it's a great way to be the first people on board if you're traveling fairly light. This is the top of the route (or capolinea) for the bus to the Amalfi Coast, which means you will get first dibs on seating, plus an easy place to buy a ticket (the main office is there).

Second Insider Tip: I know, y'all feel spoiled, but get ready for this. On the way out of Salerno (towards the Amalfi Coast) try and sit in any of the seats on the left side of the bus (behind the driver's side) and on the way back in, try to sit on the right side (not behind the driver's side). This way, you have a view of the ocean, the beaches, and even some of the towns. Sitting on the other side means you get a view of some bushes as you go whizzing past them, and maybe some bits of town. But due to how steep the side of the road is on that side of the bus, you can't see much beyond rock and shrubs where the other side of the bus gets to ohhh and ahhh over the sea and towns.