Seven days means six nights and five full sightseeing days
For a first Amalfi Coast week, book six nights in central Amalfi and use separate days for Amalfi and Atrani, Ravello, Positano, and Minori or Maiori. Keep the fifth full day flexible for weather, beach time or a missed outing. Days one and seven are transfer days, not two extra full sightseeing days.
This is an editorial itinerary for a traveller who wants coast towns without changing hotels. It does not require a car, a mountain hike or a Capri crossing. Choose a property with a manageable route from the waterfront: six nights in a room above a long stairway means repeating that climb throughout the week.
Day 1: arrive through Salerno and settle into Amalfi
If coming by rail from Rome, compare a direct train to Salerno and an onward coast connection. Use the Travelmar departure labelled Piazza Concordia for the station-side pier, unless your actual ticket specifies Molo Manfredi. The October timetable gives 35 minutes for the usual Salerno–Amalfi crossing; the marked stopping service takes 60 minutes. Add station-to-pier time and boarding time.
After reaching your room, keep the rest of the day local: the waterfront, Piazza Duomo and dinner in Amalfi. Do not prepay a timed Ravello attraction for arrival afternoon. If your train or flight reaches the area late, a road transfer or first night in Salerno may be more sensible than trying to catch the final boat. Night 1: Amalfi.
Travelmar: October timetable, Salerno piers and crossing timesDay 2: Amalfi and Atrani without a long transfer
Start at Piazza Duomo and decide whether to visit the cathedral complex, allowing separately for admission. Continue through the central lanes, with time for lunch rather than immediately boarding another boat. In the afternoon, visit neighbouring Atrani if the pedestrian route suits your walking ability, or stay around Amalfi’s waterfront.
Atrani gives you a smaller square-and-beach stop, not another major transfer day. Do not assume a route following the coast road is a comfortable footpath. Travelmar’s current timetable advertises its Atrani stop from June 2027, so an October 2026 visit cannot rely on that ferry. Night 2: Amalfi.
Italia.it: Amalfi, Atrani and coast-town geographyDay 3: Ravello, with one or two garden visits
Take the Amalfi–Ravello bus to the hilltop town. Start around Piazza del Vescovado and Villa Rufolo; after lunch, continue through town towards Villa Cimbrone if you want a second garden visit and the walk suits you. Choose one villa for a shorter outing rather than rushing through both. Their admissions are separate.
Return to Amalfi by road before dinner. Ravello’s centre is above the coast, not beside a ferry stop; a coastal Castiglione address is a different location from the hilltop villas. Give the day to Ravello instead of adding Positano after lunch. Night 3: Amalfi.
Italia.it: Ravello’s centre, Villa Rufolo and Villa CimbroneDay 4: Positano, with a waterfront arrival
When sea services operate, take a morning Amalfi–Positano boat. The October Travelmar grid gives a scheduled 25-minute crossing. Spend the morning around Marina Grande and Santa Maria Assunta, then choose a lane walk, MAR archaeological museum visit or the Fornillo side according to your interests and walking range.
Choose the return before extending the afternoon. Positano’s beach, upper road and rooms occupy different levels; bus stops at Sponda and Chiesa Nuova are not the ferry quay. A boat out and bus back can mean a substantial climb. If sea conditions disrupt this day, exchange it with day six rather than paying for a private solution just to preserve the original order. Night 4: Amalfi.
Italia.it: Positano sights, beaches and stairwaysDay 5: Minori and Maiori, or one longer beach stop
Head east rather than making another cross-coast journey west. Minori suits a smaller seafront stop with Roman-villa interest; Maiori suits time around its longer main beach. You can visit both, but one town with lunch and a longer waterfront break is a complete day too.
Travelmar’s October timetable lists Amalfi–Minori at 10 minutes, Amalfi–Maiori at 15 minutes and Minori–Maiori at five minutes. Those are sailing durations, not total outing times. Use the boat or road connection between the towns; this plan does not depend on the Lemon Path being open or suitable. Night 5: Amalfi.
Travelmar: October eastern-coast connectionsDay 6: keep one flexible day instead of a compulsory extra island
Use this day for the outing displaced by weather, another local beach visit or a second look at Amalfi. If all four town days went to plan, a slower day is the point of having a full week. Beach time depends on the season and conditions; the itinerary does not assume swimming in late October.
Capri is a possible replacement for one coast day only when a suitable outward and return service actually runs from your chosen port. It is not included in this base plan: travelling across the peninsula to Sorrento and adding a sea crossing consumes much more time than a local coast day. Pompeii likewise deserves its own journey rather than an evening add-on after Ravello. Night 6: Amalfi.
Day 7: depart with a road alternative and connection margin
For a Rome train, return to Salerno with enough room for the pier-to-station walk, boarding and disruption. Do not treat a scheduled 35-minute sea crossing as the complete hotel-to-train journey. A road alternative exists along the coast, but congestion means it is not a guaranteed fast rescue after a missed ferry.
For an early flight from Naples, adapt the night plan before booking: move night six closer to the airport or departure route, and use day six as the transfer day. That is still seven days and six nights, but no longer six nights in Amalfi. Do not book the published final boat as your only path to a flight.
Transport costs and dates that affect this itinerary
Travelmar’s 2026 full adult fare is €10 each way Amalfi–Positano, €5 Amalfi–Minori or Maiori, and €3 Minori–Maiori. A Positano return plus an Amalfi–Minori–Maiori–Amalfi circuit totals €33 per adult. Add €24 for Salerno–Amalfi return if both arrival and departure use those boats: €57 in these specified ferry legs, before applicable luggage extras. This is not the total holiday budget; rail, Ravello buses, accommodation, food and admissions are separate.
SITA’s currently linked coastal timetable covers 5 October–1 November 2026. Use the replacement for later dates. Travelmar’s October grid can change with weather and technical disruption. Neither timetable establishes a guaranteed departure or a reserved seat.
Travelmar: 2026 ordinary fares and separate extras