24 Hours on the Amalfi Coast: Sorrento, Positano & Ferry Guide
This Amalfi Coast travel guide covers 24 hours around Sorrento and Positano, including how to reach the coast from Naples Airport, which ferries to check, what to eat, where to stay, and how to keep the day from becoming a transportation punishment.
The Amalfi Coast is beautiful, dramatic, crowded, expensive, and absolutely not built for people who think travel logistics should be emotionally gentle.
For this route, Sorrento works as the base. You can get there from Naples, stay the night, take a ferry to Positano, eat something by the beach, stare at the cliffs, and get back before the last ferry turns your “quick day trip” into a much more expensive problem.
Is One Day on the Amalfi Coast Enough?
One day on the Amalfi Coast is enough to see Sorrento and Positano, but not enough to see the whole coast.
If you only have 24 hours, do not try to visit every town. Pick a simple base, keep the ferry schedule in mind, and accept that the coast is better when you are not sprinting through it like Google Maps has personally challenged you.
Sorrento to Positano is a strong short-trip route because it gives you a real Amalfi Coast view without asking you to solve every bus, ferry, and cliffside road problem in one day.
The One-Day Itinerary
Land at Naples Airport.
Take the Alibus to Napoli Centrale.
Take the Circumvesuviana train toward Sorrento.
Check in near Sorrento.
Walk to Marina Piccola.
Take the ferry to Positano.
Explore the beach, lanes, shops, and cliffside views.
Stop at Blue Bar Positano.
Return by ferry to Sorrento.
Dinner at Da Peppino.
Train back toward Naples the next morning.
Getting There
Fly into Naples Airport (NAP). From there, the Alibus connects the airport with Naples city center, including the Central Station area.
From Napoli Centrale / Garibaldi, take the Circumvesuviana train toward Sorrento. It is not glamorous, but it works. That is sometimes the entire personality of European transportation.
Once you reach Sorrento, the town is walkable enough for a short stay, and Marina Piccola is the main port area for ferries.
Useful Links
Naples Airport
Official airport information for arrivals, departures, and ground transportation.
https://www.aeroportodinapoli.it/en
Alibus Naples Airport Shuttle
Airport bus connection between Naples Airport, Central Station, and the port area.
https://www.anm.it/s/alibus?language=en_US
Circumvesuviana / EAV
Train operator for the Naples to Sorrento route.
https://www.eavsrl.it/web/
Alilauro Gruson Ferries
Sorrento, Positano, and coastal ferry options.
https://www.alilaurogru.it/
NLG Ferries
Ferry routes around Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Positano, and the Amalfi Coast.
https://www.navlib.it/
Positano Jet
Ferry options for Positano and the Amalfi Coast.
https://www.positanojet.com/
Alicost Ferries
Ferry routes along the Amalfi Coast and nearby destinations.
https://www.alicost.it/
Ferries
If you are doing Sorrento to Positano in one day, the ferry schedule matters more than your fantasy itinerary.
Check times before you go, especially if you are traveling outside peak season or later in the day. The last ferry is not a suggestion. It is the difference between a smooth return and suddenly becoming a person who is researching taxis on a cliff.
The ferry is also part of the reason to do this route. The views from the water are ridiculous. The coast looks fake in the way only expensive, dramatic places can.
Stay Here
Central Plaza Sorrento Coast
This is the stay featured in the episode.
Sorrento is a practical base because you can get there from Naples, reach the port on foot, and use it as a launching point for Positano without trying to sleep directly in one of the most expensive towns on the coast.
https://www.booking.com/hotel/it/central-plaza-sorrento-coast.en-gb.html
Food + Drinks
Blue Bar Positano
This was the Positano stop featured in the episode. It is right in the main beach area, which makes it useful if you are doing a quick ferry-in, ferry-out visit.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/CEj6PpZ9ULmK55cK8
Da Peppino Ristorante Pizzeria
This was the dinner stop back near Sorrento. After a full ferry-and-cliff day, pizza is not a backup plan. It is a survival strategy.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/BjE9kRfxu3DgqL186
Quick Tips
Buy or check ferry tickets early.
Stay based in Sorrento if you want easier logistics.
Wear real shoes. Positano is not built for your cutest bad idea.
Bring water and small cash.
Do not overpack the day. Sorrento and Positano are enough.
Check the last ferry before you relax too hard.
Grocery stores can save your budget, especially if the coast is doing that thing where every snack feels like it has a view surcharge.
More Italy Travel Planning
Naples vs. Capri vs. Ischia: Which One Should You Choose for One Day?
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/blog/one-day-naples-capri-or-ischia
One Day in Capri, Italy
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast/one-day-capri-italy
One Day in Ischia, Italy
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast/one-day-ischia-italy-guide
About This Episode
This episode is part of the Maxwell’s Kitchen Euro Trip series, where I visit cities, islands, and short-stay destinations to figure out what is worth your time, money, and effort.
The Amalfi Coast is not the easiest 24-hour trip, but Sorrento and Positano make a strong short route if you keep the plan simple and respect the ferry schedule.
