Florence to Positano: the FAST Way

Old Nov 26th, 2004, 10:23 AM
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GAC
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Florence to Positano: the FAST Way

The fastest way to travel from Florence to Positano by public transportation is as follows:

1. Eurostar Italia train to Salerno, CONNECTING at Rome Termini (4 hrs., 23 mins.), plus

2. Ferry boat from Salerno to Positano (1 hr., 6 Euros)

NOTE: If the ferry boat is not operating due to poor weather or being out-of-season, there is SITA bus service from directly outside of the Salerno train station, which however requires a bus change in Amalfi (2 hrs., not counting connection time, 3.10 Euros). The connecting time in Amalfi can be as much as 45 minutes.

If the ferry is not operating, you could also get off the train at Naples Centrale, take the Circumvesuviana commuter light rail to Sorrento (65 mins., 3.15 Euros), then the SITA bus to Positano (50 mins., 1.30 Euros).

If you take the 7:53 Eurostar from Florence, you'll arrive in Salerno at 12:16. There is a ferry to Positano at 14:10. Cost of the trains is 43.80 Euros in reserved second class.

If you take the 9:53 Eurostar from Florence, you'll arrive in Salerno at 14:16. There is a ferry to Positano at 15:30. Cost of the trains is 46.13 Euros in reserved second class (the train from Rome to Salerno is a "restyled" Intercity train, nearly equivalent to the Eurostar train).

NOTE: If you travel on any SATURDAY and book up to 60 days in advance, you can take advantage of the "Sabato di Trenitalia" promotional fare for only 30 Euros in reserved FIRST CLASS, all the way to Salerno.

NOTE: The ferry dock is approx. 400 yards from the Salerno train station, an easy 5-8 minute walk. It is the "Concordia" dock, NOT the "Manfredi" dock, which is across town by the Jolly Hotel.

www.trenitalia.com
www.salernocity.com (Ferry boat)
www.sita-on-line.it (SITA bus)
www.vesuviana.it (Circumvesuviana train)

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Old Nov 26th, 2004, 10:28 AM
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There's an even cheaper way to get from Florence to Positano:

On any SATURDAY ("Sabato di Trenitalia" promotional fare), take the DIRECT Intercity train which departs from Florence at 11:39 and arrives in Salerno at 16:43. You can then take the ferry boat to Positano at 17:15 (summer only). Train fare is 15 Euros in reserved Intercity FIRST CLASS. This is half the cost of the promotional fare for travel on the Eurostar Italia train.

Beware: if the IC train is running late, you could miss the last ferry boat, and need to proceed from Salerno to Positano by SITA bus, requiring a bus change in Amalfi. If you don't want to take this chance, take the earlier Eurostar trains out of Florence, which require a connection in Rome Termini (as noted in my original posting).
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Old Nov 29th, 2004, 06:13 AM
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CORRECTION: Please ignore the second of my postings above. I inadvertently reported info. about an Intercity (IC) train which operates only on Fridays.

To qualify for the "Sabato di Trenitalia" INTERCITY promotional fare of 15 Euros in reserved First Class, you should take the IC train which departs from Florence - Campo di Marte Station (NOT S.M. Novella) at 11:24 and arrives in Salerno at 16:09. There is a ferry boat to Positano (summer only - 6 Euros) at 17:15.

Alternatively, you could get off the train at Napoli Centrale at 15:24 and proceed on the Circumvesuviana commuter light rail to Sorrento (65 mins, 3.15 Euros), then the SITA bus to Positano (50 mins., 1.30 Euros).

If you're travelling out of season, or the sea conditions are poor, or your train to Salerno is running late, your best bet is to get off at Naples and proceed by land as above. It does not matter if you've purchased a ticket to Salerno, you can still get off sooner, and the promotional fare of 15 Euros is the same in any case.

If cost is not a factor, you could take the earlier departing Eurostar Italia train from Florence (as in my first posting above), at the "Sabato di Trenitalia" promotional fare of 30 Euros for a reserved First Class seat.
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Old Nov 30th, 2004, 06:00 PM
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....yeah...what they said...

In any case, Salerno is the way to go. If the sea is calm, go for the ferry. If not, don't knock the SITA bus -- the Amalfi plaza connection is really quite nice...
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Old Dec 1st, 2004, 08:33 AM
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If you're "stuck" in Amalfi waiting for the connecting SITA bus to or from Positano, don't fret: you can take a coffee or gelato break in one of the cafes overlooking the piazza, or go visit the superlative cathedral and cloister, a mere steps away.

You may end up waiting up to one hour for the connecting bus, one hour in paradise!

SITA buses along the Amalfi Drive operate year-round, even in the rain, whereas the ferry boat from Salerno is subject to cancellation due to poor weather, and service is reduced during the winter months.
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Old Apr 6th, 2005, 05:40 AM
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Update:

Now, you can travel from Florence to Salerno on an IC or ICplus train, ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, for as little as 15 or 30 Euros in First or Second Class, with the "Freedom to Travel" Trenitalia promotional rate.

Some IC or ICplus trains depart from Firenze Campo di Marte Station, rather than Firenze S. M. Novella Station.

You can also take any ES train from Florence to Salerno direct, ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, for as little as 29 or 39 Euros in First or Second Class, with the "Eurostar a 29/39 Euro" Trenitalia promotional rate.

The regular train fares, not requiring any advance purchase whatsoever, both IC and ES, are considerably higher.

Check the Trenitalia website for schedules. Be sure to enter the actual day of travel, as schedules are often different on weekends.

www.trenitalia.com
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