How Do I Get From Rome to Positano? Breaking Down Your Options

If you’re in Italy on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, you’ll want to make the most of your visit by exploring a variety of destinations; from Venice to Tuscany and Rome to the Amalfi Coast. Positano, on the Amalfi Coast, is a real highlight, with the colourful town being perched on the side of a cliff overlooking the sea. But how easy is it to travel from the Italian capital to Amalfi, and what are the best ways of getting from Rome to Positano? Read on to find out about day trips and travel options from Rome to Positano.

How Do I Get From Rome To Positano?

There are a variety of ways of getting from Rome to Positano including hiring a car, taking a direct bus (in summer), getting the train to Naples or Salerno and then taking onward travel to Positano, or taking a tour for a day trip or two to the Amalfi Coast.

You’ll need to weigh up what is most important to you: speed, money, flexibility or scenery en route, in order to choose which transportation method from Rome to Positano will work best for you.

Here I’ll walk you through the various options of getting from Rome to Positano to make your decision easier, so you can start planning your trip to this stunning part of the world!

Rome to Positano By Bus

If you’re planning on travelling from Rome to Positano in summer (from June 1 onwards), the cheapest and easiest option is to take the direct bus that runs from Rome Tiburtina to Positano. This journey takes around 4h30 and costs around €22 if booked in advance. Tickets can be booked online via the Marozzi website.

The bus usually runs once a day in summer from Rome Tiburtina to Positano, leaving at 7 am and arriving in Positano at 11.30 am.

Travellers will need to head to Rome Tiburtina bus station which can be found around 300m from the Rome Tiburtina metro/train station. If you walk out of the metro station and under the overpass, you’ll be able to see the bus station clearly in the distance.

Alternatively, if you arrive later than 7 am or somehow miss the early bus, you can opt to take a bus from Rome Tiburtina to Sorrento and then connect to the SITA bus that travels from Sorrento to Positano. The bus from Rome Tiburtina to Sorrento takes just under 4 hours, and the bus from the SITA station in Sorrento to Positano takes an additional 35 minutes. Of course, you will need to allow extra time for transferring between buses and in case of delays.

Tickets for the SITA bus cannot be purchased on-board so you’ll either need to have booked online in advance first, or allow yourself time to pop into a nearby Tabaccherie or café that sells SITA tickets.

A Train From Rome to Positano

If you suffer from travel sickness, need a faster route, or you’d just simply rather not take the bus, then you might want to consider catching a train from Rome to Positano. Again, there are a few options for catching the train from Rome to Positano: Rome to Naples, Rome to Salerno or Rome to Sorrento.

1. Rome – Naples – Positano

The first option for catching the train towards the Amalfi Coast is to take the direct service from Rome to Naples. This service only takes 1h30, but from Naples, you will then need to take a taxi for the onward part of your journey. This can be where the price adds up. Trains from Rome to Naples can cost anywhere between €10-65 one way depending on how far in advance you book them, and a taxi from Naples to Positano is likely to set you back around €130. This is OK if you are travelling as a family or group, but it can get quite expensive if you’re travelling solo.

Alternatively, you can take the train from Rome to Naples, connect to an onwards train from Naples to Castellammare di Stabia (only an additional €2-3 one way) and then take a taxi for the last part of the journey (approx. €35-40). This will, of course, take longer but will allow you to save some extra pennies!

2. Rome – Salerno – Positano

The second option for getting from Rome to Positano by train is to catch the train from Rome to Salerno – which is on the Amalfi Coast – and then connect to a ferry for your onward journey to Positano. The train from Rome to Salerno can take between 2 and 3 hours depending on the route and can cost anywhere between €15-85 one way.

Once you arrive in Salerno, you will need to connect to a ferry to Positano. These are operated by two ferry companies: NLG and Travelmar. The NLG service is the fast ferry which takes around 35 minutes but only runs seven times a week. The Travelmar ferry runs much more frequently (around eight times per day) but takes 1h10 to reach Positano. Either option is a wonderful way of viewing the Amalfi Coast as part of your journey and will be a magical way of entering the picturesque seaside town of Positano.

3. Rome – Naples - Sorrento – Positano

The last option is a combo journey, taking the train from Rome to Naples, a second train (Circumvesuviana) from Naples to Sorrento and then an onward bus or ferry from Sorrento to Positano. This is really only a good option if you plan on stopping off at each destination en route as otherwise it can be a lot of travelling and transferring in one day.

The whole journey can be completed in around 5h30 (if you time the connections right!) and if booked in advance is can work out as a cheaper option (can be as little as €26 for the whole trip), so it may be a decent choice if you’re a backpacker travelling with little money but lots of time!

Rome to Positano by Car (With a Driver or Self-Drive)

The drive from Rome to Positano takes around 3-3.5 hours door-to-door assuming you don’t stop off on the way. However, as you’re likely to want to take pitstops and stop for photo ops, it’s best to give yourself a little more time to enjoy the journey.

While hiring a car is definitely not the cheapest option, it can be a great choice if you’re travelling with family or friends. The road trip will add to your travel experience, and you’ll have freedom and flexibility to stop where you want en route and also to explore Positano and the surrounding areas on the Amalfi Coast once you arrive.

Driving from Rome to Positano is also a fantastic choice if you plan on travelling in spring, i.e. before the direct transportation options are up and running. The drive at this time of year is beautiful as you can admire the wildflowers and enjoy Positano before the crowds arrive.

It’s also possible to hire a car and driver to take you from Rome or Naples to Positano. This is by far in a way the most expensive option (approx. €400 one way), but it allows you the luxury of sitting back and enjoying the view without having to focus on driving in a new country!

Rome to Positano by Plane (really?)

You can also take a plane from Rome to Naples (approx. €100 one way) before connecting to one of the above methods for reaching Positano from Naples. However, although the plane ride is shorter than the quickest train journey (around 50 minutes one way), you’ll need to allow extra time for transferring or checking-in at the airport which can make it just as long (if not longer!).

Unless you want to head straight to Positano upon arriving by plane in Italy, travelling from Rome to Positano (via Naples) by plane doesn’t seem to be the best option. You don’t get to enjoy the scenery en route, and it probably won’t end up being faster or cheaper!

A Day Trip From Rome to Positano

If planning all this transportation from Rome to Positano sounds like too much hard work, you can let someone else do all the planning by taking an organised day trip from Rome to Positano. Most group tours from Rome to Positano will still use the high-speed train to Naples in order to reach Positano, but the tickets will be organised for your, and there will be a minivan awaiting your arrival to whisk your group straight off to the coast.

While taking a day trip means you’ll only have a few hours to explore Positano, it’s still worth seeing, and if you’re pushed for time this can be a fantastic way of adding the Amalfi Coast into your trip!

Now you have all the information you need to help plan your trip to Positano, one of the most beautiful towns on the whole of the Amalfi Coast! Let us know in the comments below if you’ve been or if you’re planning to visit.

Here are some other related articles you might find useful:

If you liked this post please share it on:

Hannah Champion

Hannah was bitten by the travel bug early in life with numerous family holidays to the south of France and even an epic round-the-world voyage to visit family friends at just the age of six. Ever since then her wanderlust has continued to be the focal point of her life. Although she studied French and European Film at university, Hannah moved straight into the world of travel when it came to getting a job. She began her career by helping people organise their gap year adventures before moving on to content and communications for a luxury safari company. Hannah has now combined her passion for travel with freelance work so that she can travel around the globe working as she goes. Her main loves are beaches, food, temples and wildlife and if she can find somewhere that ticks all those boxes, even better! Having travelled to 40 countries so far Hannah has been lucky enough to have a taster into a huge range of cultures and communities, but there are still so many to uncover. Each time she meets a new person on the road it seems there is yet another destination to add to her never-ending bucket list!

How Do I Get From Rome to Positano? Breaking Down Your Options

How Do I Get From Rome To Positano?

Rome to Positano By Bus