Where to Stay in Amalfi Coast, Italy | 10 Best Places to Stay

The best time to visit the Amalfi Coast is late spring and early fall. This means somewhere around late April through May and September through early October. These months provide visitors with the best weather and fun activities as the coast is teeming with life — residents and visitors alike.
Taking a trip to the Amalfi Coast during late spring and early fall affords visitors comfortable temperatures, typically in the mid-70s℉ during the day. Traveling during these months also guarantees that all the shops and restaurants in the area are open and accommodating visitors.
Many visitors may think that traveling during summer is the best time to visit the Amalfi Coast, but these months are incredibly hot and extremely crowded. The heat can be so bad during these months that you won’t want to spend more than a few hours outside, and the crowds make it even less enjoyable.

The easiest way to get around the Amalfi Coast is to rent a car when you arrive. Not only will this give you total freedom to travel wherever you want whenever you want, but it also means you’ll be able to travel the entirety of the Amalfi Drive. 

Like the hugely popular Pacific Coast Highway in the US, the Amalfi Drive is one of the most beautiful scenic drives anywhere in the world. It also connects all the major cities along the coast. So no matter where you want to go, driving the Amalfi Drive in a rental car is the best option.

Other popular methods of travel along the coast include public transport options like the bus and the ferry. Using these methods will take you to the most popular cities along the coast, but they simply won’t compare to the freedom of renting a rental car and enjoying the beautiful scenery at your own pace.

Amalfi Drive is the premier stretch of road that connects all the major cities of the Amalfi Coast. This roadway, also called Strada Statale 163, runs the length of the Amalfi Coast from the popular beach town of Positano in the west to the quaint town of Salerno in the east.

The Amalfi Drive runs for 50 miles (about 80 kilometers) along the Amalfi Coast and is the best way to experience the total length of the coast. Being only 50 miles long, it’s easy to see how staying anywhere along the Amalfi Coast still allows you to travel to any of the other towns nearby. You can drive from one side of the coast to another in only an hour or two. 

As mentioned above, Ravello is arguably the most romantic city along the Amalfi Coast. Set atop a mountain overlooking much of the coast, Ravello is the perfect place for a pair of newlyweds to wind down and enjoy the honeymoon of their dreams. 

From various viewpoints in Ravello, you’ll be able to relax with that special someone and take in some of the best views of the Amalfi Coast. If you want to get the best aerial view around, make the journey to Villa Cimbrone and take a moment to relax on the terrace overlooking nearly the entire coast.

Along the way, you’ll walk through incredible gardens and breathtaking villas to add to the romantic ambiance. For your honeymoon, consider staying at one of the romantic resorts that Ravello has to offer, such as the Belmond Hotel Caruso or Hotel Villa Fraulo.

Although beauty is subjective and in the eye of the beholder, it’s not hard to find beautiful cities along the Amalfi Coast. Choosing which one is the most beautiful, however, is a bit more of a challenge. But our picks for the most beautiful towns on the Amalfi Coast are Positano and Ravello.
It depends on what you’re looking for, but if breathtaking beaches and picturesque water views are your things, Positano is the place for you. With incredible stretches of sandy beaches and piercing blue waters, you won’t be disappointed by what you see in Positano.
Secondly, as mentioned just above, Ravello offers the most amazing views of the entire Amalfi Coast to those who visit. So, although you don’t have direct access to the beaches in Ravello, you do have access to views of the beaches you won’t get anywhere else. 

If you are traveling to the Amalfi Coast without a car and don’t plan on renting one, staying in the central hub of Amalfi is the best choice. As the biggest city on the coast, Amalfi has plenty to do if you want to relax and stay in town. But it also provides access to all the public transport along the coast, so you can still travel without a car.

If you want to make a day trip to any other amazing cities along the coast, you’ll be able to find a bus or a ferry to get there. Take a trip to Positano for the amazing beaches. Or take a bus to visit the ruins of Pompeii and absorb the area’s history. Then it’s just a simple bus or ferry ride back to Amalfi.

While some more popular destinations like Amalfi and Positano offer many bars and active nightlife, they may not be the best options for family trips. If you want to find a quieter place to stay and enjoy the perfect family vacation, consider staying in Maori or the nearby town of Minori.

As mentioned above, Maori and Minori are strangely less crowded than other destinations along the coast even though Maori is home to the biggest beach in the area. So you and your family can relax on the beach while avoiding the big crowds of the other popular towns. Minori is even quieter than Maori and is home to some of the best pasta restaurants in Italy, perfect for a family vacation.

Although most towns along the Amalfi Coast offer visitors access to amazing beaches, this one’s pretty easy: Positano. The coastal town of Positano is home to two of the best beaches anywhere on the coast Spiaggia Grande and Spiaggia Fornillo. And if those beaches aren’t enough, the town has transportation options to nearly anywhere along the coast.

Positano is a near-paradise for anyone wanting to spend their Amalfi coast trip soaking in the sun and enjoying the crystal clear waters that Italy has to offer. But expect to find the beaches crowded during the high season and expensive accommodations due to their popularity.

As two of the three most popular towns along the Amalfi Coast (the other being Sorrento), deciding where to stay can be a toss-up: Amalfi or Positano. It comes down to your preference and what you want to get from your Amalfi Coast vacation.

Amalfi is arguably the better of the two in terms of a central hub connecting to the rest of the coast. But Positano has the best beaches anywhere in the area. Even though each city is slightly better in these areas, both can do the other. Positano can be a great hub, and Amalfi has access to amazing beaches. So it comes down to personal preference. If you want a beach vacation, stay in Positano. If you want to travel to different places during your trip, stay in Amalfi.