How to Travel from Rome to Sorrento, Capri & the Amalfi Coast

How to travel from Rome to Sorrento, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast can be confusing at first. There’s no single train that takes you from Rome all the way to Positano or Sorrento. Getting there involves a mix of trains, transfers, and sometimes a rental car, depending on your budget and how much flexibility you want once you arrive.

We’ve made this trip twice, in two very different ways. The first time, traveling as a family on a tight budget, we took the regional train from Rome to Naples, then the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento. It was hot, slow, and crowded. Knowing what we know now, we’d take the Campania Express instead, which didn’t exist yet on that trip. The second time, we had a rental car for the whole drive south.

In this guide, we break down every option for getting from Rome to Naples, Naples to Sorrento, and on to Capri and the Amalfi Coast, so you can choose what works best for your trip. Once you’ve arrived, here’s how to get around the Amalfi Coast itself.

Table of Contents

Quick Answer: How to Get from Rome to Sorrento, Capri & the Amalfi Coast

There’s no single train that takes you directly from Rome to Sorrento, Capri, or the Amalfi Coast. Every route starts with a train from Rome to Naples, then a second leg from there.

For Sorrento, take the Campania Express or Circumvesuviana train. For Capri, take a ferry from Naples. For the Amalfi Coast, hire a private driver, take the bus from Sorrento, or drive yourself.

If you’re flying in rather than taking the train from Rome, Naples International Airport is the main gateway, though Salerno Costa d’Amalfi Airport (opened in 2024) is now a closer option if the Amalfi Coast is your main destination.

Route	Best Option	Alternative	Travel Time
Rome to Naples	High-speed train (Frecciarossa or Italo)	Regional train (cheaper, slower)	About 1 hour by high-speed train
Naples to Sorrento	Campania Express	Circumvesuviana (cheaper, more crowded)	About 1 hour 10 minutes
Naples to Capri	Ferry	—	40–80 minutes
Naples to Amalfi Coast	Private driver	Ferry to Sorrento + bus, or rental car	1.5–2+ hours depending on option

How to Travel from Rome to Naples

Rome to Naples: By Train

Whether your final destination is Sorrento, Capri, Positano, or Amalfi, you will first have to travel to Naples. The best way to do this is by train.

This journey takes between 60 minutes to three hours, depending on the train you choose.

Trenitalia

Trenitalia, Italy’s national rail service, has three classes of trains. The frecce trains (frecciarossa, frecciargento, and freccebianca) are the fastest, with travel times of around one hour or slightly longer. These are the most expensive Trenitalia trains. These trains need to be booked in advance.

Intercity trains take about 2 hours and reservations are recommended.

Regionale trains take about 3 hours and do not have seat reservations.

How to book your Trenitalia tickets online:

Trenitalia.com is the main website. The website is offered in English but you will have to input city names with their Italian spelling (Roma for Rome and Napoli for Naples).

Italiarail.com is easier to use than Trenitalia (no Italian names necessary) but there is small booking fee for using this website.

Italo

Italo is a private company that operates high-speed trains in Italy. Travel times and prices are similar to Trenitalia’s frecciarossa trains. From Rome to Naples, it takes 1 hour and 15 minutes and there are many trains throughout the day.

Book your tickets on the Italo here.

About the Train Stations in Rome

Roma Termini is the main train station in Rome. Most trains will leave from this station. However, there are two more stations in Rome, Roma Ostiense and Roma Tiburtina. These are located farther from the city center.

When booking your train, it is very important that you note the departure station in Rome. Both Trenitalia and Italiarail list the names of the stations when you are choosing your tickets. Roma Termini is the ideal station to leave from because it is centrally located in Rome and easy to get to with public transportation.

Most, but not all, trains from Rome will arrive in the Napoli Centrale station in Naples.

Positano

Rome to Naples: By Car

It takes approximately 2.5 to 3 hours to drive from Rome to Naples. On our second trip, we had a rental car for the entire drive south, which gave us a lot more flexibility than the train, but if Naples is just a waypoint on your way to Sorrento, Capri, or the Amalfi Coast, keep in mind that driving in and parking around Naples itself can be a hassle, and the train is usually the easier choice for this particular leg.

Rome to Naples: By Plane

Yes, you can fly from Rome to Naples. Don’t expect it to save you time over the train. You have to factor in transport to and from two airports and airport security time. It can take between 3 to 4 hours to travel between these two cities by plane.

It only makes sense to fly to Naples if you are already at the Rome airport (for example, you just landed in Rome and are traveling to Naples).

A newer option, if you’re not starting in Rome: Salerno Costa d’Amalfi Airport (QSR) reopened for commercial flights in 2024 and is now the closest airport to the Amalfi Coast. It’s about an hour’s drive to Amalfi and 1.5 hours to Positano. It’s served by budget carriers like easyJet, Ryanair, and Volotea on seasonal routes from other European cities. There are no direct flights from the US, so it only works if you’re connecting through Europe rather than flying straight from Rome, but if that fits your itinerary, it lets you skip Naples.

How to Travel from Naples to Sorrento

Naples to Sorrento: By Train

From Naples, take the Circumvesuviana train or the Campania Express train to Sorrento.

The Campania Express is a special tourist train that runs along the same route as the Circumvesuviana but makes fewer local stops. It costs a little bit more (€15 one-way and €25 round trip) but travel times are slightly reduced and there is guaranteed seating (if you purchase your ticket in advance), air conditioning, and luggage storage. It runs from April through October. Outside of these season, you will have to ride the Circumvesuviana.

For the Campania Express, we recommend booking your tickets in advance.

The Circumvesuviana is a local train, similar to a New York City subway train, that makes many stops between Naples and Sorrento. There is no A/C, it tends to be hot, crowded, and late, and pickpocketing is common. Sometimes it can be standing room only.

We rode the Circumvesuviana, since the Campania Express did not exist when we made this trip. We highly recommend taking the Campania Express over the Circumvesuviana.

The Circumvesuviana is much cheaper. There is no need to book this ticket in advance. You can purchase tickets at the ticket office located next to the platform or at the newspaper/tobacco shops in the train station.

Make sure you validate your ticket before getting on the train.

It takes about an hour and 10 minutes to travel between Naples and Sorrento.

On the Circumvesuviana

TRAVEL TIP #1: If you are traveling with luggage on the Circumvesuviana, it’s best to put it in the overhead luggage racks or stand with your luggage in the standing areas near the doors. If you put your luggage between you and the wall, this will help deter pickpockets.

TRAVEL TIP #2: Napoli Garibaldi station is the name of the Circumvesuviana platform located inside of Napoli Centrale, the main train station in Naples. This is stop #2 on the Circumvesuviana route and Campania Express route. Most people board the train at this stop so it can be very difficult to get a seat. If you don’t mind walking, you can exit Napoli Centrale and walk 8 minutes to the Porta Nolana station, which is the first station on the Circumvesuviana line and Campania Express line. Doing this will almost guarantee you a seat and an overhead luggage spot.

While traveling between Naples and Sorrento, you have the option to visit Pompeii. Get all of the details here:

How to Visit Pompeii when Traveling between Rome and Sorrento

Sorrento

Naples to Sorrento: By Car

If you have your own car, it takes one hour to drive between Naples and Sorrento. On the way you will pass Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii. Consider spending several hours here.

If you don’t like the idea of taking the Circumvesuviana and don’t have a rental car, consider hiring a private driver. This costs much more than the train, but it is a more comfortable way to travel and you do not have to worry about standing over your luggage during the one hour journey on the Circumvesuviana.

Here are several transfer options from Naples to Sorrento.

Private Drivers & Transfers

Naples to Sorrento: By Ferry

You can take a direct ferry from Naples to Sorrento, which takes 35 to 45 minutes. The route runs year-round, but departures are far more frequent in high season, as many as 8 a day, and drop to just a handful per week in winter. Click here to learn more.

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How to Travel from Naples to the Amalfi Coast

There’s no train from Naples to the Amalfi Coast towns, including Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, Atrani, and the rest. To get there, you’ll need to rent a car, hire a driver, take the bus, or travel by ferry.

You can also take the train to Salerno or Sorrento first, then use local transportation from there. For a full breakdown of every option once you’re on the coast itself, see our guide to getting around the Amalfi Coast.

Positano

Hire a Private Driver

This is the easiest way to travel around the Amalfi Coast. The road can be difficult to drive, with hairpin turns and distracting but gorgeous views along the coast. Add in the traffic of tour buses and many other cars, especially during the summer months, and this drive begins to feel more like work than a fun road trip. And you haven’t even tried to park your car yet (the closest spots you may find are a mile or farther from town).

A private driver is the most expensive option but it’s also the one we recommend the most. If you plan on enjoying your experience here at the Amalfi Coast, hire a private driver.

Sorrento Silver Star has private drivers and you can use this transfer service from Naples airport to Positano.

By Ferry

Direct seasonal ferries now run from Naples to Positano (about 1 to 1.5 hours) and Amalfi (about 2 hours), typically from April through October.

Visit ferryhopper.com for more information.

By Bus

You can take a SITA bus from Sorrento to the Amalfi Coast, including the towns of Positano, Praiano, and Amalfi. This is the most economical way to get around the region.

We did this in July 2014. It was a nightmare. Catching the first bus from Sorrento to Positano was great, no problems. After touring Positano, our plan was to catch a SITA bus to take us to the next town of Praiano. We waited and waited at the bus stop. After 45 minutes, no bus had arrived, and now a huge number of people were also waiting along with us. A private company offering a hop-on-hop-off bus tour arrived. We paid a hefty fee to take this to Amalfi, but it was better than waiting in the hot sun.

Later, the exact scenario repeated itself in Amalfi. Buses failed to show up and once one finally did, it was almost a pushing match to get a spot on the bus because so many of us were in the same situation. This is not a pleasant way to spend your vacation and this tainted our experience of visiting the Amalfi Coast.

Maybe things are better now. But I recommend hiring a driver or getting around by ferry.

By Tour

If you plan to stay in Naples, there are several day trips to the Amalfi Coast that get great reviews. On this full day tour, travel by bus, van or car, depending on the group size you choose, and visit Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello.

Naples to Capri

The most economical way to get from Naples to Capri is by ferry (you can travel by helicopter if you have money to burn and want to arrive in style).

Ferries take between 40 to 80 minutes, depending upon the speed of the ferry and whether or not it stops at Sorrento en route to Capri.

Ferry routes and prices change frequently. Check out this post on Capri.net that explains all of your options.

If you plan to stay in Naples, you can visit Capri on a day trip. On this full day tour from Naples, cruise across the Gulf of Naples and take in the view of Mount Vesuvius. Once at Capri, you can make an optional swimming stop at the Faraglioni Rocks. Spend 4 hours on Capri before traveling back to Naples.

For information on how to plan your visit to Capri, read our article Best Things to Do in Capri.

Capri

Putting it All Together

I’ve explained all of your options, but what really is the best way to travel in this region? Here is what we recommend:

Rome to Sorrento: High speed train to Naples, private driver to Sorrento (comfortable and convenient) or Campania Express or Circumvesuviana (for budget travelers)

Rome to Capri: High speed train to Naples, ferry to Capri (but that helicopter sure sounds nice, doesn’t it?)

Rome to Amalfi Coast: High speed train to Naples, private driver to the Amalfi Coast

Getting to Sorrento, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast can be a hassle. However, it’s worth it. With picturesque towns perched on the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the chance to visit the historical site of Pompeii, and one of the most beautiful drives in the world, it’s easy to see why this is one of the most popular destinations in Italy.

Plan Your Amalfi Coast Trip

Deciding what to do once you arrive? → Our Amalfi Coast Itinerary guide covers everything from a quick 2-day visit to a full week.
Not sure where to stay? → Our Where to Stay on the Amalfi Coast guide breaks it down by town and budget.
Considering driving yourself once you’re there? → Our Driving the Amalfi Coast guide covers what to expect and whether it’s worth it.
Adding Capri to your trip? → Our Best Things to Do in Capri guide covers the island’s highlights.
Spending time in Sorrento? → Our Best of Sorrento for First Timers guide covers the town and its best day trips.
Planning the rest of your Italy trip? → Our Italy Travel Guide covers Rome, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, and more.

If you have any questions about planning a trip to Italy, comment below!

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How to travel from Rome to Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Positano, Amalfi, and the Amalfi Coast. All of your options explained.

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