5 Best Towns to Base on the Amalfi Coast

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If you’re planning a trip to the Amalfi Coast and are having a hard time picking which town you’ll visit, the good news is you don’t have to limit yourself! Many cities and smaller towns along this coastal region are incredibly well connected by road, ferry, or bus and you can easily visit multiple and get everything out of your vacation that you want to get. The only decision you’ll have to make is which area to base yourself in and this post will help you make that decision. While the towns listed here are all great destinations by themselves but what sets them apart as a fantastic place to base yourself is how well connected they are. Here are the five best towns to base on the Amalfi Coast.

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1. Sorrento

Sorrento is one of the northernmost settlements on the Amalfi Coast, famed for its gorgeous architecture as well as the production of Limoncello. The Amalfi Coast in general is well known for its delicious lemons, and this liquor is made from the zest of this tangy citrus fruit. The scenery is spectacular here, as it is across the region, and vistas of Naples and Vesuvius can be seen from Sorrento. The beautiful Marina Grande port is a must-see attraction and is a great spot for exploring some fresh cuisine and some of the most spectacular fish-based dishes you’ll ever have.

Located about an hour south of Naples and thirty minutes west of Positano, Sorrento is a great central point to explore the larger Amalfi coast area and is one of the best towns to base on the Amalfi Coast. There are also many smaller towns that you can explore nearby, and you can see sites such as the Bagni Regina Giovanna – these ruins of an ancient Roman villa are a fascinating site to see and you can also swim in the crystal clear water or relax on the beaches that are nearby.

Sorrento Travel Guide & Planning Resources:

Here you can find the best flightstrain tickets, buses, or rent a car for your trip to Sorrento and from Sorrento to other destinations on the Amalfi Coast.

Want to base yourself in Sorrento and looking for a place to stay? Check out some of our top hotels in Sorrento below:

2. Positano

Positano is a lovely getaway and one of the most popular Amalfi Coast cities to visit. It’s also a popular photography destination, and you’ve probably seen photos of the picturesque town online. The contrast between the warm colors of the buildings and the vivid greens and blues of the natural coastline creates a stunning and unforgettable scene. It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities in Italy.

Positano is one of the best towns to base on the Amalfi Coast and is perfect for travelers of all kinds and features luxurious elements, delicious cuisine, as well as an exciting nightlife. It’s specifically ideal for those who are visiting the Amalfi Coast for the first time. You can also spend your time in Positano relaxing on the beach and cooling off with lemon sorbet. It would be easy to spend weeks in Positano without getting bored but it’s easy to head to nearby towns like Naples, Sorrento, and Capri by using the local ferry.

Positano Travel Guide & Planning Resources:

Here you can find the best flightstrain ticketsbuses, or rent a car for your trip to Positano and from Positano to other destinations on the Amalfi Coast.

Want to base yourself in Positano and looking for a place to stay? Check out some of our top hotels in Positano below:

3. Ravello

This cliffside town has the best features of the Amalfi Coast – it’s located 265 feet above the sea, filled with incredible history, and dotted with lemon groves. Like many other towns and destinations along the Amalfi Coast, Ravello is an incredibly picturesque place with unparalleled views.

Ravello is great for many types of travelers, especially those that want a more quiet vacation. There is no beach in Ravello, so it doesn’t tend to draw the crowds that other towns will draw, especially in the warmer months. That said, there are plenty of beaches along the Amalfi Coast so if you have rented a car you can easily drive an hour away and find a stretch of sandy beach to relax on. While Ravello is one of the best towns to base on the Amalfi Coast if you have a car, getting around to other areas by bus is also possible.

Ravello Travel Guide & Planning Resources:

Here you can find the best flightstrain ticketsbuses, or rent a car for your trip to Ravello and from Ravello to other destinations on the Amalfi Coast.

Want to base yourself in Ravello and looking for a place to stay? Check out some of our top hotels in Ravello below:

4. Amalfi

The historic town of Amalfi is incredibly picturesque – the buildings are mostly white and neutral shades, which makes them pop against the lush greenery, the colorful flora, the bright blue water, and the other vibrant hues of this famed stretch of Italian coastline. In the 1920s and 1930s the town was a popular holiday destination for the British elite and while many other groups come to visit to this day, the magical quality that initially drew people to this region has never faded.

Like with many destinations along the Amalfi Coast, the town of Amalfi is well connected to other places by ferry and by road so it could easily be a stop along a larger trip. While it is one of the best towns to base on the Amalfi Coast perfect to explore the area, the town is beautiful all on its own. You can relax on the beach or spend time exploring the countryside further inland. There are several places to hike and you can also explore some local wineries that have been operating for decades if not centuries. While other towns on the Amalfi Coast are more popular with tourists, the town of Amalfi is a charming respite that you won’t regret visiting.

Amalfi Travel Guide & Planning Resources:

Here you can find the best flightstrain ticketsbuses, or rent a car for your trip to Amalfi and from Amalfi to other destinations on the Amalfi Coast.

Want to base yourself in Amalfi and looking for a place to stay? Check out some of our top hotels in Amalfi below:

5. Salerno

Salerno is the name of one of the provinces along the Amalfi Coast as well as its principal town. When you visit this thriving port town you can experience a beautiful and peaceful escape. The Old Town area is worth spending a few hours exploring as it’s considered to be one of the best-preserved historic old town areas.

The town overall provides a charming Mediterranean ambiance. It’s conveniently located within this coastal region and is very close to other ideal destinations such as Pompeii or Sorrento. It is also a short drive away from Naples. Salerno also one of the best towns to base on the Amalfi Coast if you are planning on visiting other towns by train, bus, or ferry. Another great thing about using Salerno as a base (instead of Sorrento or Naples) is the fact that you have some direct trains to other major destinations such as Rome, Florence, and Venice.

Salerno Travel Guide & Planning Resources:

Here you can find the best flightstrain ticketsbuses, or rent a car for your trip to Salerno and from Salerno to other destinations on the Amalfi Coast.

Want to base yourself in Salerno and looking for a place to stay? Check out some of our top hotels in Salerno below:

Video Guide: 5 Perfect Towns to Use as Your Home Base to Explore the Amalfi Coast

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Travel Resources for Planning a Trip to Amalfi Coast, Italy

To make planning your trip to Amalfi Coast easier, we included some of our recommended travel resources below. You can search and find the best flights, transportation options, hotels to stay in, tours/activities, and things you can do in each destination during your trip.

Flights: 

CheapOAir: You can find airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and vacation packages all on one site!

Kiwi.com: What we like about Kiwi is the fact that they are able to create combinations of flight, train, and bus tickets and offer them in a single itinerary. Also, Kiwi has what they called “Nomad” which helps you find the best way of visiting multiple destinations, saving you time and money.

JetRadar: You can search and compare airfares from 726 airlines and dozens of travel agencies and systems.

Hotels

Agoda: Agoda is one of the world’s largest online travel accommodation platforms with a network of over 2,000,000 vacation rentals and hotels worldwide.

Hotellook: They have more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with data from more than 10 online booking systems, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and others.

Transportations: 

Airport TransfersKiwiTaxiViator

TrainTrainline or RailEurope 

BusFlixbus: Very affordable (as low as $6) and convenient way to transfer between cities in Europe.

Car RentalsAutoEuropeEconomyBookings, or  GetTransfer (transfers & car rentals with a personal driver)

Bike RentalBikesBooking (Bikes & scooter rentals) 

Transportation ComparisonOmio (search, compare, and book tickets for buses, trains, and flights all in one site)

Tours & Activities:

TakeWalks (WalkofItaly): This is our favorite site for walking tours & day trips.

Tiqets: Great site for entrance tickets. It offers directly bookable, instantly available, and completely mobile tickets for museums, shows, and attractions all over the world.

Musement: They have good activities and tours in Italy and Spain, also many great day trips you can choose from.

GetYourGuide: A large number of tours, excursions, and other travel activities

Viator: The largest one. It has everything from tours, attractions, shore excursions, and private guides in over 2,700 destinations worldwide. It also has many transportations and transfers options and some unique experiences we didn’t find anywhere else.

Need help planning a trip to Amalfi Coast, Italy?

Want to plan a trip to Europe to see these beautiful places on Amalfi Coast but don’t know where to begin? Finding the best towns to base on the Amalfi Coast can be confusing if this is your first time visiting. If you find this type of trip planning to be too complicated to plan on your own, we’re here to help!

At MultiCityTrips, multi-destination travel and complicated itineraries such as a trip visiting multiple destinations in Europe are our specialties. Contact us today to learn more about how one of our experienced travel experts/destination specialists can personalize your multi-city vacations at the best price.

Don’t want to start from scratch and need some trip inspiration? Check out our marketplace for customizable pre-designed packages available right now for many amazing destinations.

To learn more about how our process of trip planning works in detail, please see our “How It Works” page or check out our video on “How to Plan a Multi-City Trip to Europe in  5 Easy Steps”  here.

Have questions for us? Schedule a FREE Call with us here or contact one of the travel experts/destination specialists at [email protected], call/text us at (888)223-2316 today.

Private Travel Coaching & Consulting Call

Want to plan and book your upcoming trip yourself? If this is your first time traveling to any of the European destinations or you are new to multi-city, multi-country travel but prefer to manage every part of your trip on your own, this option is for you! 

For just $150 per hour, our destination expert can answer any questions you might have as you plan and book your dream trip. From assisting with route planning, and destination selection, recommending the best areas or places to stay, the best transportation options, things to do and see, saving tips and so much more! 

Ready to plan your trip with our help? Book your private coaching session with our destination expert now and we’ll confirm your appointment within 24 hours!

Travel Resources for Planning Your Own Trip

To make planning your European trip on your own easier, in addition to what already mentioned in our travel guide, we included some of our recommended travel resources below. You can search and find the best flights, transportation options, hotels to stay in, tours/activities, and things you can do in any destination using these travel resources:

European River Cruises:

Uniworld River Cruises: The world’s best and most awarded luxury river cruise line—offers itineraries in spectacular destinations throughout Europe, Russia, Egypt, Asia, and Peru. The company’s European fleet features luxurious ships with an average capacity of 120 guests, the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the river cruise industry, enticing shore excursions, world-class gourmet cuisine, impeccable hospitality, and numerous other all-inclusive benefits.

Pre- and Post-cruise/Tour Extensions: Uniworld curated pre-and post-cruise/tour extensions make it easy to add a few days to the front or back end of your trip while leaving the planning to them

The packages include a variety of hotel options, transfers, and a dedicated destination expert to escort you along the way.

Flights: 

Agoda: Search thousands of destinations around the world & quickly compare prices to find amazing deals on the best flights.

CheapOAir: You can find airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and vacation packages all on one site!

Kiwi.com: What we like about Kiwi is the fact that they are able to create combinations of flight, train, and bus tickets and offer them in a single itinerary. Also, Kiwi has what they called “Nomad” which helps you find the best way of visiting multiple destinations, saving you time and money.

JetRadar: You can search and compare airfares from 726 airlines and dozens of travel agencies and systems.

Hotels

Agoda: Agoda is one of the world’s largest online travel accommodation platforms with a network of over 2,000,000 vacation rentals and hotels worldwide.

Hotellook: They have more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with data from more than 10 online booking systems, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and others.

Airport Transfers & Transportations: 

Airport Transfers: GetTransfer offers both airport transfers & car rentals with a personal driver. Other airport transfer options are KiwiTaxi and Viator.

TrainEuroRailTrainline, or RailEurope are all great sites for train tickets as well as Rail Passes if you would like to add more flexibility to your trip. They are good for most trains throughout Europe. For trains in Italy, we like and recommend ItaliaRail. As for Portugal, you will need to go to the official website for Comboios de Portugal (the Portuguese train company) to book your train tickets when traveling in Portugal.

BusFlixbus: Very affordable (as low as $6) and convenient way to transfer between cities in Europe.

CarRentalsAutoEuropeEconomyBookings, or  GetTransfer (transfers & car rentals with a personal driver)

Bike RentalBikesBooking is a great site for bikes & scooter rentals

Transportation ComparisonOmio (search, compare, and book tickets for buses, trains, and flights all in one site)

Tours & Activities:

TakeWalks (WalkofItaly): This is our favorite site for walking tours & day trips.

Tiqets: Great site for entrance tickets. It offers directly bookable, instantly available, and completely mobile tickets for museums, shows, and attractions all over the world.

Musement: They have good activities and tours in Italy and Spain, also many great day trips you can choose from.

GetYourGuide: A large number of tours, excursions, and other travel activities

Viator: The largest one. It has everything from tours, attractions, shore excursions, and private guides in over 2,700 destinations worldwide. It also has many transportations and transfers options and some unique experiences we didn’t find anywhere else.

Travel Insurance:

Travel Guard:  Their comprehensive travel insurance programs, starting at $30, include per-trip & annual plans, coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, medical expenses, baggage loss & more! Travel Guard provides 24/7-customer service with a personal touch through its World Service Center.

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links, MultiCityTrips may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Trip by Travel Experts

Need help planning a trip and find the best vacation package for your multi-city trip to Europe? If you find this type of trip planning to be too complicated to plan on your own, we’re here to help!

At MultiCityTrips, multi-city, multi-country European vacations, and complicated itineraries are our specialties. Contact us today to learn more about how one of our experienced travel experts/destination specialists can personalize an amazing multi-city trip to your dream destinations in Europe.

Ready for a trip? Check out our planning options and get in touch with us today!

Featured Pre-Designed Packages

These air-inclusive, pre-designed multi-city European vacation packages can be personalized to suit your needs!

Private Travel Coaching & Consulting Call

Want to plan and book your upcoming trip yourself? If this is your first time traveling to any of the European destinations or you are new to multi-city, multi-country travel but prefer to manage every part of your trip on your own, this option is for you! 

For just $150 per hour, our destination expert can answer any questions you might have as you plan and book your dream trip. From assisting with route planning, and destination selection, recommending the best areas or places to stay, the best transportation options, things to do and see, saving tips and so much more! 

Ready to plan your trip with our help? Book your private coaching session with our destination expert now and we’ll confirm your appointment within 24 hours!

Schedule a FREE Consultation

Not sure or can’t decide which planning option is right for you? Schedule a free 30-minute call with one of our travel experts to discuss your travel needs today!