Do you need a car in Salerno?
Salerno is the smart base for the Amalfi Coast precisely because you don't need a car for the coast itself — the Travelmar ferry reaches Amalfi and Positano directly, and the SS163 cliff road is famously one of the hardest drives in Italy. Where a car earns its keep is everywhere the ferry doesn't go: Paestum's temples (though the train covers that too), the wider Cilento coast, and flexibility once ferries stop running in winter. Since a new airport opened in Salerno itself in 2024, more travelers are landing here directly rather than routing through Naples.
- Salerno itself doesn't require a car — the historic center is walkable from the train station, and rental desks (Sixt, Avis, Hertz) sit about 200m from it.
- Ferries to Amalfi (about 42 minutes) and Positano (about 75 minutes) run 11 times a day in season — the smarter way to reach the coast than driving the SS163.
- The SS163 Amalfi Drive is widely rated one of Italy's hardest roads to drive — narrow, no shoulders, and up to 7 hours for 60 km at peak season.
- Salerno's own airport (opened 2024) now offers direct flights from 7 European capitals, an alternative to landing in Naples and driving 45-55 minutes.
A new airport changes the arrival math entirely
Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport became active in July 2024, with six airlines (easyJet, Ryanair, Volotea, Vueling, Wizz Air, British Airways) serving 18 destinations by summer 2025, including seven European capitals. That means many travelers can now skip Naples Airport (NAP) entirely — instead of a 45-55 minute drive from NAP, it's a few minutes from Salerno's own runway into the city. A longer runway and new terminal are planned through 2026-2027, so this option keeps expanding.
The train station puts rental desks within walking distance — no shuttle needed
Salerno's central train station has Sixt, Avis, Hertz, and AddCar all within about 200 meters, so if you're arriving by rail from Naples or Rome, picking up a car means a short walk, not an airport shuttle. It's a genuine operational advantage over Sorrento or Naples, where rental counters are more spread out or shuttle-dependent.
The ferry, not the car, is the recommended way to reach Amalfi and Positano
Travelmar runs 11 sailings a day (79 a week) from Salerno to Amalfi (about 42 minutes) and on to Positano (about 75 minutes). Every source we checked, including Rick Steves' own advice, recommends the ferry over driving into Amalfi or Positano themselves — there's no car ferry, so this only works if you're leaving the car behind in Salerno. Ferries run seasonally, typically not through the depths of winter.
The SS163 is genuinely one of the hardest roads in Italy — most sources say skip it if you can
The coastal road east from Vietri sul Mare toward Amalfi is described as one of Italy's toughest drives: blind hairpin turns, no shoulders, buses that need oncoming traffic to reverse, and folding side mirrors that sometimes get used for real. In peak season, the 60 km stretch can take up to seven hours. If you do drive it, a small car (think Fiat Panda or 500) is strongly recommended over an SUV or full-size sedan, and outside May-September is far more manageable.
ZTL and parking in the historic center — plan for a lot outside the gates
Salerno's medieval center has electronic ZTL gates with variable hours, and driving in unannounced risks an automatic fine. The practical answer is one of the car parks outside the restricted zone — Concordia, Vittorio Emanuele, or Lungomare — rather than trying to find street parking inside. Blue-zone street parking runs about €1.20/hour as of 2026, and central car parks run €18-25/day.
