Where to Stay

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How to Get to Positano, Italy

If you’re planning a trip to the Amalfi Coast, you’ve probably seen photos of the picturesque town of Positano and dreamed of staying there. Positano is one of many small towns on the Amalfi Coast and this past summer, I stayed here with my husband during our honeymoon. Positano can be a very expensive place to stay, but it doesn’t have to be. In this post, I share where to stay in Positano, Italy on any budget.

Want to take some incredible pictures in Positano? Check out our Best Views of Positano list.
Need more Positano tips? Our comprehensive Amalfi Coast Itinerary is coming soon!

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Where to Stay in Positano
How to Get to Positano
TBP Insider Tips

A ferry pulling up to the dock in Positano.

Where to Stay in Positano

There are many benefits to staying in Positano. It’s centrally located on the Amalfi Coast and has water taxis and ferries you can easily ride to neighboring towns. It has a lot of accommodation options, which I share below. It is a very popular tourist town, which means there are shops, restaurants and a nice beach to relax on. This also means, however, that it can be extremely crowded during the peak summer months (July & August). In addition, Positano is literally a cliff town, meaning the higher up you stay, the harder it is to get to. Positano is also a very expensive town to stay in. However, there are alternate accommodation options like Airbnb that can fit any budget.

We chose to stay in Positano for four nights before spending a few nights on the island of Capri. We were able to find a perfect Airbnb that was affordable and had amazing views of the town. It was also only about 3 flights of stairs from the beach, so we were able to walk up and back without having to take the bus. We also explored some hotels while we were there and I’ve put together a list of the best places to stay in Positano.

Airbnb

Hotels in Positano are expensive, so we chose to go with an Airbnb. We found the most amazing Airbnb apartment that had an incredible view without being too far of a walk from town. It was under $200 a night, and right near hotels that cost over 1000 euros a night. If it’s available, book it! If not, here is a curated list of other Airbnb listings in Positano. This includes options under $100 and up to ~$1000. There are a huge variety of options on Airbnb so it’s important to research each individually before you book. When I book Airbnb listings, I also pay attention to the type of accommodation to make sure I know if I’m booking a private home/apartment, private room in a home or shared room. Shared and private rooms are usually the cheapest, but there are many affordable private apartments to choose in Positano. I also recommend paying attention to where the listing is located. Positano is a cliff town, so when you look at a map, the farther away from the beach, the steeper the walk to get there.

If you’ve never used Airbnb before, here is an Airbnb Discount link to book.

Hostel

Hostel Brikette

For a more affordable option, you can also stay at Hostel Brikette. Depending on when you go, you can plan to pay anywhere from $50-100 a night. This hostel is about a 20 minute walk from the beach.

Hotels

If you’re open to splurging on your stay in Positano, check out these hotel options.

Le Sirenuse

Le Sirenuse is the most instagrammable hotel in Positano. It’s an easy walk from town, has an incredible view and a gorgeous pool area. The downside it that it will cost you over 2000 euros per night! If you can’t afford staying here (like me), you should definitely go to Franco’s Bar overlooking Positano and order yourself a martini.

Hotel Covo dei Saraceni

Right next to the beach, no walking required! This hotel is the best location for beach and town access, but it will cost you upwards of 1500 euros a night. If staying here is out of the budget, I recommend stopping by for dinner at their pizza restaurant, The Brasserie. This was the best pizza we had on the Amalfi Coast.

Hotel Covo is the closest hotel to the dock in Positano.

Hotel Poseidon

This hotel was located right across the street from our Airbnb. The walk up from the beach isn’t too far, and it’s close to one of the best restaurants in Positano, Da Vincenzo Positano. Staying here over the summer will cost you upwards of 1000 euros a night.

Casa Angelina

Okay, so this hotel isn’t in Positano but it is in the next town over, Praiano. It’s located right on the beach and is home to the best beach club in Positano, One Fire. They have options that are just under 1000 euros a night, so this is a more affordable hotel than those directly in Positano, but you still get an incredible view.

How to Get to Positano

Getting to Positano takes some advance planning. Positano does not have a train station or airport, and traffic can be very heavy in the high seasons so we don’t recommend renting a car. In my opinion, the best way to travel to Positano is by ferry from either Naples or Salerno.

From Salerno

We traveled to Positano by train and ferry. We spent a week in Tuscany prior to our Amalfi Coast trip (here’s a link to our Tuscany post) and took a train from Florence to Salerno. It cost about 50 euros per person and took four hours. You can also train from almost any major city in Italy. We booked through Trenitalia. Once we arrived in Salerno, we took a quick ~10 minute walk to the ferry docks and bought tickets for the next ferry to Positano. It is possible to buy tickets in advance but we don’t recommend it. If there are delays to your train or the weather isn’t cooperative, you risk losing your money. The ferry ride takes just about an hour from Salerno and makes a quick stop in the town of Amalfi.

From Naples

The closest airport from Positano is Naples. You can also travel by train to Naples from any other city in Italy. From the train station or airport, you’ll need to take a taxi or bus to the ferry dock. We chose to take a taxi and it was super easy.

Once there, you can purchase ferry tickets to Positano but will most likely need to stop in Sorrento (one ticket from Naples to Sorrento, then Sorrento to Positano). The total trip should take you about an hour and a half. You don’t need to book the ferry in advance but if you do, you can use the direct ferries website.

View of the town of Maiori from the ferry.

TBP Insider Tips

>If you want to book an Airbnb but have never used the site before, here is an Airbnb Discount link for you! Make sure to read the reviews before booking and pay attention to how far from the beach the listing is. Since Positano is a cliff town, listings that are farther from the beach and straight up the cliff so be prepared to break a sweat or take the bus.

>When you arrive to Positano by ferry, there will be luggage porters waiting at the dock to offer to take your luggage to your accommodation. I highly recommend using the service if you have a far walk to where you’re staying. You’ll just need to tell them where to bring the luggage. If you’re staying in a hotel, this is easy. If you’re in an Airbnb, ask the host in advance to recommend a hotel or restaurant that you can mention and wait there for your luggage.

>I recommend making restaurant reservations for Positano in advance. Chez Black and Da Vincenzo are both great options. Order spaghetti with clams at least once while you’re in Positano. It’s a very popular dish there.