Day Trip from Rome to Positano/Amalfi Coast

[jerseygirl3]

We will be in Rome next year for 3 nights prior to boarding a TA.  We've been to Rome several times, so we are considering a day trip to Positano.  We'd most likely take the high speed train to Salerno and then the ferry to Positano.  To anybody who has done this as a day trip, was it doable?  Exhausting?  Not recommended?Thanks!

[Labanos]

Not recommended, the distance is to far. A day trip from Napels to Positano is needed let alone from Rome.

[marazul]

@jerseygirl3

Well, it can be done easily.  There are frequent high speed trains from Rome that take 1.5 hours.  The ferry pier is by Piazza della Concordia, about a 10 minute walk away from the train station.  If you work the connections right, you could be in Positano by 10 am. Spend time there and then take the ferry to Amalfi if you wish. Then ferry to Salerno and back by train.  You can easily be back in Rome by 7 or 8 pm.  It is a long day, but it avoids all the road traffic if going by car.  So, why not?  

[euro cruiser]

When is your TA?  It's an easy day trip, after all you can nap on the way down and back if you need to.  I don't know if I would bother if your TA is deep into November, much along the coast will be closed down by then.  However, if it's an earlier crossing that would allow you to make this day trip in late October, go for it.

[jerseygirl3]

15 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

When is your TA?  It's an easy day trip, after all you can nap on the way down and back if you need to.  I don't know if I would bother if your TA is deep into November, much along the coast will be closed down by then.  However, if it's an earlier crossing that would allow you to make this day trip in late October, go for it.

Our TA starts Oct 22 so this would be a couple of days prior 

[jerseygirl3]

16 hours ago, marazul said:

@jerseygirl3

Well, it can be done easily.  There are frequent high speed trains from Rome that take 1.5 hours.  The ferry pier is by Piazza della Concordia, about a 10 minute walk away from the train station.  If you work the connections right, you could be in Positano by 10 am. Spend time there and then take the ferry to Amalfi if you wish. Then ferry to Salerno and back by train.  You can easily be back in Rome by 7 or 8 pm.  It is a long day, but it avoids all the road traffic if going by car.  So, why not?  

Thank you for that info!  Really appreciate it!

[euro cruiser]

Here is the link for the ferry service between Salerno and the coast.  Check again shortly before your trip to be sure you have the latest timetable.

 

Travelmar ferry timetables - Fast ferries on the Amalfi Coast

[euro cruiser]

Also, be sure to check both high speed train operators to find the best combination of timing and pricing for your trip.

 

You can save quite a lot on the price of the tickets if you purchase in advance but note that discounted tickets are difficult or impossible to exchange or get a refund on if you change your mind later.  Consider, for example, if if was pouring down rain on the day you planned to go to the coast.  Would you still go?  If so, saving the money with the advance purchase ticket may make sense for you.  If not, you might want to wait and pay the higher price but preserve your flexibility.  It is extremely unlikely that these trains would sell out, the worst thing that is likely to happen is that you can't get the class you want, or you can't get seats together.

 

If you do purchase in advance, buy directly from the train operators (links below), not from third party sales sites.  Also note that there is no financial benefit to purchasing both tickets from one operator, so find the two best train times for you, regardless of who runs them.

 

EN - Trenitalia

 

Italo, italian high-speed train | Book no service fee | italotreno.it

 

For the longest possible day on the coast, you would take the 6:00 Italotreno from Rome Termini to Salerno.  This allows you to catch the first ferry from Salerno to Positano at 8:40, arriving just before 10 AM.

 

At the other end of the day, assuming you've moved on from Positano to some of the other villages, the last ferry from Amalfi to Salerno departs at 19:10 and arrives at 19:45, which would allow you to get the 21:28 Italotreno back to Rome.

 

Of course there are earlier return options, but those are the two that give you the longest day on the coast, about twelve hours.

[jerseygirl3]

On 2/21/2024 at 11:34 AM, euro cruiser said:

Also, be sure to check both high speed train operators to find the best combination of timing and pricing for your trip.

 

You can save quite a lot on the price of the tickets if you purchase in advance but note that discounted tickets are difficult or impossible to exchange or get a refund on if you change your mind later.  Consider, for example, if if was pouring down rain on the day you planned to go to the coast.  Would you still go?  If so, saving the money with the advance purchase ticket may make sense for you.  If not, you might want to wait and pay the higher price but preserve your flexibility.  It is extremely unlikely that these trains would sell out, the worst thing that is likely to happen is that you can't get the class you want, or you can't get seats together.

 

If you do purchase in advance, buy directly from the train operators (links below), not from third party sales sites.  Also note that there is no financial benefit to purchasing both tickets from one operator, so find the two best train times for you, regardless of who runs them.

 

EN - Trenitalia

 

Italo, italian high-speed train | Book no service fee | italotreno.it

 

For the longest possible day on the coast, you would take the 6:00 Italotreno from Rome Termini to Salerno.  This allows you to catch the first ferry from Salerno to Positano at 8:40, arriving just before 10 AM.

 

At the other end of the day, assuming you've moved on from Positano to some of the other villages, the last ferry from Amalfi to Salerno departs at 19:10 and arrives at 19:45, which would allow you to get the 21:28 Italotreno back to Rome.

 

Of course there are earlier return options, but those are the two that give you the longest day on the coast, about twelve hours.

Thank you so much for that info.  I will print it out!