I'm just curious here. I keep seeing so many posts about people going by train from Rome to Naples and then getting a private car or other transportation to Positano or Amalfi or Ravello. Is that wise? Wouldn't it make more sense to take the train to Salerno and then get transportation from there?

I've never done this, we drove, but it just seems so odd to me. We will be going from Ravello to Rome and was just assuming we'd get transportation to Salerno from Ravello and then take the train. Doesn't that make a whole lot more sense that finding transportaion all the way to Naples to catch a train?

If your destination is Ravello or Amalfi, you should definitely train to Salerno. If your destination is Sorrento, you should definitely train to Naples. If your destination is Positano, it's nearly a toss of the coin (although I would still go to Salerno).

If you're going from Ravello to Rome, going to Salerno makes sense. There will be lots of trains heading north all day and evening. It's going the other way that gets tricky. We drove to Salerno then tried to get to Positano by boat but missed the last public boat, which left at 3:30pm, and didn't want to take a bus (lots of luggage and I get car sick). Ended up spending lots of money to hire someone to boat us to Positano.

Question: Is the last stop on SITA bus from Amalfi-Salerno actually at the Salerno train station?

When I took the bus in Nov 03, that's what I assumed. After the bus got into the city, an Italian woman tapped on my shoulder to tell me, in broken English, to get off at the next stop for the train station (which wasn't the last stop for the bus). That bus stop looked like middle of nowhere, but the woman pointed to a direction. I got off and walked 2 blocks and found the train station. I never found out where I would have ended up in if I were to stay on the bus till the last stop.

Anybody knows the answer?

Also, the local Italians (at my hotels in AC) found it strange that I wanted to go to Salerno to take the train back to Rome. They all suggested taking the bus from Amalfi to Naples, then train to Rome. I'm not sure why they think that's a better way.

yk: the Italian woman on the bus gave you correct directions. On the RETURN trip (Salerno to Amalfi), the bus does indeed stop right in front of the Salerno train station. INBOUND to Salerno, you get off at Piazza della Concordia, two blocks from the Station.

Taking the SITA bus from Amalfi to Naples, and then the train to Rome is not much different from taking the SITA bus to Salerno and then the train. However, there are MANY, MANY more buses between Amalfi and Salerno (hourly) than between Amalfi and Naples (5 daily Monday through Saturday).

GAC & Patrick-

Thanks for bringing up this question and giving me answers! I have been bothered by this for the last 3 months. I feel so much better now! This site really is a psychotherapy site...

GAC- 2 more questions. Where is the last stop for the bus in Salerno and how far is that from the train station (if I were to miss my stop at Piazza della Concordia next time)? Is the Piazza della Concordia stop the 2nd last stop?

yk: the last stop is somewhere on Via Vinciprova, 750 yards further southeast from the Train Station in Salerno. I don't know how many stops between Piazza della Concordia and Via Vinciprova, as I've never gone that far!

GAC, You are awesome !