Amalfi Coast travel advice

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Amalfi Coast travel advice

Eating tips

Emily Chrystie, tour leader with our supplier Exodus:

“There’s so much food that you can pick while you’re walking. Wild strawberries in the woods, chestnuts that you can just fill your pockets up with – then somebody will roast them for you in the evening. Walnuts fall off the trees all the time and we’re given a lot of lemons. Prickly pears as well that you can pick while you’re walking, or wild mushrooms which are very seasonal. If we pick mushrooms there’s a really nice chap in the village who we can take them to and he’ll cook them up for us”.

Read a more detailed interview with Emily here, about being a guide on an Amalfi coast walking vacation.

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Eating tips

Getting around

Melanie McAnaw from our supplier Headwater:

“Parking comes at an absolute premium in most of these picturesque towns and villages on the Amalfi Coast. With a public transport system that is both regular and efficient, it’s much better to leave your car at home and use the local bus, ferry and Circumvesuviana rail service to bob about the area”

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Dodging the crowds

June Zaft from our Amalfi walking vacations supplier, Country Walks:

“A favourite spot which is unknown to most travelers is the little fishing village of Atrani, Amalfi's little sister. You can reach it on a half hour walk from the center of Amalfi through a series of twisting medieval tunnels and stone steps. Also, to fully enjoy the unmissable ancient sites of Pompeii or Herculaneum, go with a private tour and guide. Coach excursions stop at numerous hotels, factories etc. Arrive as soon as the sites open at 9am.”

Dodging the crowds

Accommodation tip

Andrew Appleyard at our leading Amalfi Coast vacation supplier, Exodus Travels:

“We use a hotel on the Amalfi coast that has been in the same family for three generations. It is hugely important to the small village community of Bomerano and without that family hotel, local people would head off to work in somewhere like Naples. It employs many people from the village, and it also sources all its produce locally.”

Transport tip

“We use a lot of local transport including local buses. The train network there is also fantastic, so many of our guests do back to back trips, spending time on the Amalfi Coast then taking a train from Naples up to Tuscany for some walking there, for example. “

Transport tip

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Health & safety on the Amalfi coast

HEALTH

To call an ambulance or for mountain rescue on the Amalfi coast use 118. Find out where the nearest hospital and pronto soccorso (A&E) is situated just in case of medical or dental dramas. A responsible walker is an insured walker, so make sure you update your travel insurance before you go. And bring your EU EHIC card as well, if applicable. The Amalfi Coast healthcare service is pretty good and you’ll usually be seen quickly and efficiently with plenty of English speaking staff. The most common mistake by tourists is simply to come unprepared. This is a maritime climate after all, so bring your layers, rain gear, sun hat and plenty of water. Most villages have public water fountains, but you don’t want to risk being dehydrated. Check out the therapeutic spas on the island of Ischia, where the volcanic terrain has all sorts of geothermal treatments on tap. Even though it is the coast, there are mosquitoes during summer months, especially if you are staying inland. Take all necessary precautions, covering up at night, keeping lights off if your windows are open and using a good repellent. Bring blister treatment if you are on a walking vacation and even if you don’t usually use walking poles this may be the time to consider using them. There are a lot of steep pathways to negotiate.

SAFETY

The roads are narrow and vertiginous and best suited to experienced drivers only. Be careful when crossing the road, too. Even at zebra crossings cars won’t feel obliged to stop, so approach with caution but be assertive when stepping out at a designated crossing area. Some parts of the Path of the Gods walking trail are pretty vertiginous, so watch where you are going and try not to be too transfixed by the view. One of the big mistakes is to take a photo, and then scroll through your shots while walking. The train between Naples and Sorrento is quick and easy, but has a bit of a reputation for pick-pockets. So do wear a money belt and keep an eye out. Be very careful if you are unlucky enough to experience a period of sudden, heavy rain. The nature of Amalfi’s geology means that it is prone to landslides and flooding. Snakes are present in rural areas. They often come out to bask in the sun or may hide beneath tarpaulin or in long grass during the autumn before preparing to hibernate. In the main, they are harmless and will be a lot more scared of you than you are of them. However, venomous vipers, asp and horned varieties do exist. If you’re bitten then seek professional medical help as quickly as possible. Best advice, no matter which snake you encounter, is to walk slowly and quietly away, never run and never antagonise it. There was a 4.0 magnitude earthquake on the Island of Ischia in 2017. Southern Italy is prone to earthquakes, and so it is good to know what to do in case of emergency. Here are some good earthquake tips from Red Cross. The emergency telephone number for the Carabinieri (police) is 112.

Amalfi Coast travel advice

At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.

We have selected some of the most useful Amalfi Coast travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation.

Be sure to bring hiking poles

-Terry Manon

“We didn’t buy bottled water instead we used our own bottles and filled it with water. There are lot of public taps available…also, the crowd will be on the older side.” – Deepa Kadam

“I went out of season, early April, when restaurants were very quiet. I think it definitely helps to spread the tourist impact over a wider part of the year. Biking on the Amalfi coast is definitely a good option, as the traffic there is very severe.” – Wendy Pillar on a cycling vacation. Read a full interview with Wendy here.

"The combination of mountains and coast means that you can experience every sort of weather in one day. So apply sun cream first thing, dress in layers, and have an umbrella or pakamac in your pocket. When walking in the hills or up Vesuvius, think skiing – if you let anything slip it could quickly be lost forever, so I had my glasses on a chain and used the wrist strap on my camera, etc. And keep 50c coins handy for automated public toilets!” - Juliet Dunn

Prepare well for all the stairs you will have to climb and descend and don't forget calf stretching exercises at the end of the day!

- Jane Murdoch

"Be prepared for hundreds of steps but well worth the climb up and down as every view is stunning - he views from the last two walks were spectacular - Valle delle Ferriere and Sentiero degli Dei” – Hannah Wilson.

"Go early or late in the season (we went in early May) as I imagine it gets rather too hot to walk comfortably in high summer. Take an early bus to Ravello and you will be rewarded with glorious peace and quiet before the crowds arrive. Read the walking directions thoroughly and take up the recommended restaurants en route. You really will not regret it” - Anne Hazzard

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Written by Catherine Mack

Amalfi Coast travel advice

Amalfi Coast travel advice

Eating tips