Amalfi Coast and Paestum Extension: An 8-Day Itinerary

Eight days with a rental car is enough to cover the classic Amalfi Coast route and still extend south to Salerno and the Greek temples of Paestum, a combination that rarely fits into a shorter trip. The extension works specifically because of the car: Paestum sits outside the dense SITA bus network that serves the coast itself, so reaching it without a vehicle usually means multiple connections through Salerno. This itinerary treats the car as a tool for the long transfers between zones, not as a way to get around inside Positano, Amalfi, or Ravello, where it becomes a liability rather than a convenience.

Day 1-2: Arriving in Sorrento

Fly or take the train into Naples, then continue to Sorrento by car or by the Circumvesuviana train, the only rail link into this part of the region — the Amalfi Coast villages further along have no train station at all. Once in Sorrento, leave the car parked for the next two days and explore entirely on foot.

Travellers renting a car for the whole itinerary usually pick it up at Naples airport rather than in Sorrento itself, since parking and traffic in Sorrento’s center are easier to avoid on foot. The guide to getting from Naples airport to the Amalfi Coast covers the options for that first transfer, whether by rental car, private driver, or train and bus combined.

Spend the first afternoon in the historic center around Piazza Tasso and the old town’s narrow lanes, browsing inlaid woodwork and citrus-scented shops. On the second day, take a walking tour of Sorrento’s old town in the morning, then join a hands-on Sorrento Pizza School session — a good way to settle into the region’s food culture before the coast gets busier. Book a pizza-making class in Sorrento for an easy, low-effort evening activity that doesn’t require the car at all.

If time allows, walk through Sorrento’s terraced lemon groves on the edge of town, or take a short excursion into the wider Sorrentine Peninsula toward Massa Lubrense for coastal views without the crowds of the Amalfi side.

Day 3-4: Positano, on foot and by boat

Drive from Sorrento to Positano, but plan to park on the outskirts — central parking is limited, expensive, and subject to ZTL restrictions in high season. From the parking area, walk down into town or take a short SITA bus connection for the final stretch.

Positano rewards slow exploration: the stepped lanes down to Positano’s beaches, the boutiques along Via dei Mulini, and photo stops recommended in most Positano photo spot guides. On the second day, put the car aside entirely and take to the water instead, joining a Positano: Capri Boat Tour to see the coastline from offshore. Reserve a boat trip from Positano toward Capri for a different perspective on the cliffs than the road ever offers.

Evenings in Positano are best spent walking rather than driving — a sunset cruise or a quiet dinner overlooking the Spiaggia Grande beats trying to navigate the SS163 after dark.

Travellers with an extra morning and sturdy shoes sometimes trade a few beach hours for the Path of the Gods hike, which starts from Praiano’s side of the coast and rewards the climb with views back over Positano from above. It is a demanding half-day on foot rather than a quick stroll, so it only fits comfortably into this schedule by cutting into the boat-tour afternoon rather than adding to it.

Day 5: Amalfi and Ravello, without the car

This is the day to fully set the car aside. Take the SITA bus or a short ferry hop from Positano to Amalfi — the SS163 is narrow, prone to single-lane alternation in summer, and Amalfi’s own center is under ZTL control, so there is little practical benefit to driving in.

Spend the morning at the Amalfi Cathedral and the Amalfi Paper Museum, a reminder that papermaking, not ceramics, is this town’s craft tradition. A guided Amalfi: Uncovered tour is a practical way to see the highlights without wasting time figuring out logistics. Join a guided tour covering Amalfi’s highlights if you’d rather not plan the day yourself.

In the afternoon, take the bus up to Ravello, perched roughly 350 meters above the coast with no beach of its own — the shoreline belongs to Amalfi and Minori below it. Walk the gardens of Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo, both known for sweeping views rather than sand. A Ravello: Guided Walking Tour covers both villas along with the town’s compact center. Take a guided walking tour of Ravello’s villas and gardens to make the most of a single afternoon there.

Day 6-7: Salerno, where the car earns its keep

Retrieve the car and drive to Salerno, a regional hub with its own train station and a far more spread-out street plan than the cliffside villages. Unlike Positano, Amalfi, or Ravello, Salerno is a place where having a car genuinely helps — parking is more available, and the city itself sprawls enough that walking everywhere isn’t always practical.

Use the first day for a Salerno walking tour through the old town and waterfront promenade, and use the car for short excursions into the surrounding countryside — this area, part of the wider Cilento region, includes wine estates worth an afternoon detour. A tour like In the Heart of Cilento: Nourish Your Soul combines a countryside visit with local food and wine. Book a Cilento countryside tour with food and wine tastings for a change of pace from coastal sightseeing.

On the second Salerno day, consider a wine tasting near Paestum as a warm-up for the following day’s temple visit, or simply rest — this itinerary’s pace picks up again for the final excursion.

Day 8: Paestum’s Greek temples

Drive roughly 40 minutes south from Salerno to Paestum and Salerno’s wider area to see the three well-preserved Doric temples that make this one of the most significant Greek archaeological sites in Italy. This is exactly the kind of excursion where the car matters most: Paestum lies outside the SITA network that connects the Amalfi Coast villages, and reaching it by public transport from further up the coast would mean backtracking through Salerno and changing to a regional bus or train.

Follow the Paestum Greek temples guide for a self-paced visit, allowing time for the on-site archaeological museum as well as the temple complex itself. Return the car in Salerno before departure, or continue back toward Naples for a flight home.

Where to stay along the route

This itinerary works best with four separate bases rather than one hotel for the whole week: Sorrento for the arrival days, Positano for the coast’s most photographed stretch, a night or two further along near Amalfi and Ravello if the pace allows, and Salerno before the Paestum extension. Moving hotels this often is more effort than a single-base trip, but it keeps transfers short and avoids driving the SS163 after dark. For a broader comparison of bases and neighborhoods across the whole coast, see the guide to where to stay on the Amalfi Coast.

Packing light matters more on this route than on most Amalfi Coast trips, since luggage has to move between four bases and up and down stepped lanes with no vehicle access. The Amalfi Coast packing list is written with exactly that kind of multi-stop trip in mind — comfortable walking shoes for the steps in Positano and Ravello matter more than anything else on the list.

Timing also affects how smoothly this itinerary runs: summer traffic on the SS163 and crowding in Positano and Amalfi are heaviest in July and August, while shoulder-season months make both the coast and the drive to Paestum considerably easier. The guide to the best time to visit the Amalfi Coast breaks down the trade-offs month by month for travellers with flexible dates.

Planning notes for this route

Days	Base	Car use
1-2	Sorrento	Parked; explore on foot
3-4	Positano	Drive in, park outside center, walk/bus locally
5	Amalfi & Ravello	Left parked; SITA bus between villages
6-7	Salerno	Active use for city and countryside
8	Paestum (day trip)	Active use for the extension

The single rule worth repeating across this whole trip: the car is for connecting zones — Sorrento to Positano, Ravello to Salerno, Salerno to Paestum — never for getting around inside Positano, Amalfi, or Ravello themselves. Once inside those centers, switch to walking or the SITA bus and let the car sit.

For those considering whether eight days is the right length at all, see how many days you need on the Amalfi Coast or compare against a tighter one-week itinerary or an even shorter 5-day itinerary that drops the Paestum extension entirely. Drivers unfamiliar with the coastal road should also read the guide to driving the SS163 before setting out.

FAQ: Amalfi Coast and Paestum extension itinerary

Do I need a rental car for this itinerary?

A car is useful for the longer transfers — Naples to Sorrento, Ravello to Salerno, and Salerno to Paestum — but it should be left in a parking lot while exploring Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello, where the SS163 and ZTL restrictions make driving between village centers impractical.

Why extend the trip to Paestum instead of stopping at the Amalfi Coast?

Paestum’s Greek temples sit outside the dense SITA bus network that serves the coast itself, roughly an hour past Salerno by road. A car makes this extension straightforward, while reaching it by public transport requires several connections.

Can I drive into Positano, Amalfi, or Ravello with a rental car?

It is possible but discouraged. All three centers fall under ZTL traffic restrictions in high season, parking is scarce and expensive, and the SS163 becomes congested. Most visitors park on the edge of town and continue on foot or by SITA bus.

Is Sorrento a good base for the first days of this itinerary?

Yes. Sorrento has a train connection to Naples via the Circumvesuviana, making it a practical arrival point before switching to boats and buses for the Amalfi Coast itself, which has no railway station.

How is Salerno different from the Amalfi Coast villages?

Salerno is a larger, more spread-out regional city with a train station and a more conventional street grid, so a car becomes genuinely useful there, unlike in the cliffside villages further west.

What should I know before visiting Paestum?

Paestum preserves three well-preserved Doric temples and an archaeological museum. It is a day trip best reached by car from Salerno, since it lies outside the coast’s regular bus routes.