Updated August 2026 · every route · with the cheaper alternative
Transfers from Salerno — every route, and when not to book one.
Salerno is the best-connected base on this coast, which means a private car is often the most expensive way to do something a train or a ferry does better. Here is every route with a real price, and an honest note on where the cheaper option wins.
Three questions that settle it.
You do not need to compare twelve options. You need to answer these.
Is there a boat, and is it running? Scheduled ferries operate roughly April to October. If your route is Amalfi or Positano and the season is open, the boat is almost always the right answer: a fraction of the price, no traffic, and it lands you in the middle of town rather than on a road above it.
Is there a direct train? Pompeii, Naples and Paestum all have one, and they are cheap and frequent. Sorrento does not — that route needs two changes through Naples, which is exactly why the car wins there and nowhere else.
What are you carrying, and what happens if you are late? This is the question that overrides the other two. Two suitcases and a toddler, or a cruise ship leaving at five, and the per-vehicle price stops looking expensive.
Transfers from Salerno, priced.
Private transfers are per vehicle. The cheaper alternative column is per person.
| Route | Private transfer | Drive time | Cheaper alternative | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naples airport → Salerno Most booked | €191 ($219) | ~1 hr | Train + Alibus ~€13–20 | Compare → |
| Salerno → Naples | €137 ($157) | ~1 hr | Train ~€8 | Compare → |
| Salerno → Amalfi | €211 ($243) | ~45–60 min | Ferry $16, Apr–Oct | Compare → |
| Salerno → Positano | €130 ($150) | ~1 hr 15 | Ferry $22, Apr–Oct | Compare → |
| Salerno → Sorrento No train | €211 ($243) | ~90 min | Rail = 2–3 hrs via Naples | Compare → |
| Salerno → Pompeii | $97 guided | ~40 min | Train ~€3 | Compare → |
| Salerno → Ravello | €211 ($243) | ~1 hr | Bus to Amalfi, then up | Book |
| Ravello → Salerno | €116 ($133) | ~1 hr | No boat — Ravello has no port | Book |
Each route has its own page with the full comparison, seasonal notes and live availability.
Six things that catch people out.
The three most booked routes — live dates.
Per-vehicle pricing, drivers track flight numbers, free cancellation on most bookings.
Ravello to Salerno transfer — the town no boat reaches.
Ravello sits 350 metres up. Every other route on this page has a ferry alternative; this one does not.
Ravello is the exception that makes the rest of this page make sense. It is a hilltop village above Amalfi with no harbour, no railway and no way in except the road. So the usual advice — take the boat, it is cheaper and faster — simply does not apply here.
The cheap route is a ferry to Amalfi and then the SITA bus up the valley, which works and costs a few euros, but it is a winding climb on a full bus and the timetable thins out in the evening. A private transfer runs about $133 coming down to Salerno and rather more going up, which reflects the climb.
If Ravello is the whole reason for your day, the land day trip that includes it alongside Positano and Amalfi is usually better value than a transfer each way — you get a driver, three towns and someone else watching the clock.
Questions answered.
What is the cheapest way to get around from Salerno?
Trains for anything inland — Naples, Pompeii, Paestum — at a few euros a leg. Ferries for the coast between April and October, from about $16 to Amalfi. Private transfers are the premium option and make sense mainly for luggage, groups and fixed schedules.
Are transfers priced per person or per vehicle?
Per vehicle, almost always. That is the detail that changes the decision for families and groups: one price covers everyone and the bags, so four people often pay less than four separate tickets plus the connections.
Do I need a transfer if I am staying in Salerno itself?
Only from the airport. Salerno is compact and walkable, the cruise terminal is ten minutes on foot from the old town, and the ferry pier is central. Inside the city you will not need a car at all.
Which routes have no train?
Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast towns — Positano, Amalfi, Ravello. None of them are on a railway. In season the ferry covers the coast; out of season it is the bus, a taxi or a private transfer.
Will a driver wait if my flight is delayed?
Most operators ask for your flight number and track it, adjusting pickup automatically. This is the main practical advantage of pre-booking over joining the taxi rank on arrival.
Is a transfer worth it from Salerno to Amalfi?
In season, usually not — the ferry does it in 35 minutes for a fraction of the cost. It becomes worth it in winter when the boats stop, with heavy luggage, or if you are continuing up to Ravello where no boat goes.