A 7-Day Rome, Naples & Amalfi Coast Itinerary (2026)

Before you go: the route and the transport

Three decisions shape this trip more than any single sight. Get them right and the route below runs like clockwork — no car required.

Fly ‘open-jaw’, go car-free

Book an open-jaw ticket — into Rome (FCO) and out of Naples (NAP) — so you never double back. And skip the rental car entirely: trains and ferries reach everything, and on the Amalfi road a car is a liability, not a convenience.

The transport chain

Frecciarossa Rome → Naples (~1h10), then the Circumvesuviana (or the air-conditioned Campania Express) Naples → Sorrento (~65 min, via Pompeii), then ferries and SITA buses along the coast. Book the Rome train and the Colosseum/Vatican tickets ahead.

Base in Sorrento; ferry, don't drive

Base in Sorrento, the coast's transport hub, and take the seasonal ferries (roughly April–October) along the coast rather than the gridlocked SS163 road. The Amalfi Coast is a summer place — much of it winds down November–March.

Days 1–3 · Rome

Rome: the ancient city, the Vatican and the piazzas

Start in the capital. Rome layers three thousand years into one walkable centre — the imperial ruins, the Vatican's art, and baroque squares with fountains on every corner — and it has the longest must-see list of the trip, so give it three full days before you head south.

Getting there
Fly into Rome Fiumicino (FCO). The Leonardo Express reaches Roma Termini in 32 minutes (€14). Book your Colosseum and Vatican Museums timed tickets before you arrive — they sell out. From Roma Termini, the Frecciarossa to Naples takes just 1h10, so you keep Rome as your base until the last morning.

Ancient Rome
The Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill in one archaeological zone (book the Colosseum ahead; the Arena/Underground upgrade is worth it), plus the perfectly preserved Pantheon and the Capitoline Hill. The heart of the ancient world.
Vatican City
A country within the city: the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel (book 6+ weeks ahead — the most likely sight to sell out) and St Peter's Basilica (free, but expect a security queue; climb the dome). Dress modestly or you'll be turned away.
Baroque Rome & Trastevere
The free half of Rome: the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori, all linked by an easy evening walk, then dinner across the river in atmospheric Trastevere. For a full day-by-day plan, follow the Rome itinerary and the free-things guide.

The Colosseum and the Vatican Museums need timed tickets booked weeks ahead in high season — the single most common Rome mistake. Much of Rome's beauty is free from the street; keep an eye on your belongings on the metro and around Termini.

Day 4 · Naples & Pompeii

Naples & Pompeii: raw energy and buried Rome

Take the 1h10 train south to Naples — loud, vivid, unpolished, and the gateway to Pompeii and the coast. Give it a full day (two if you can) for the city, the birthplace of pizza, and the ruins that Vesuvius froze in time.

Getting there
A Frecciarossa or Italo reaches Napoli Centrale from Roma Termini in about 1h10 (from ~€20–30 booked ahead). For Pompeii and the coast, switch at Naples to the Circumvesuviana commuter line — or the air-conditioned Campania Express — which runs to Sorrento via the ruins.

Historic Naples & the pizza
The UNESCO-listed historic centre — the dead-straight Spaccanapoli, the churches and street shrines — and the National Archaeological Museum, which holds the greatest treasures dug from Pompeii. Then the city's gift to the world: a true Neapolitan pizza margherita in its birthplace.
Pompeii & Vesuvius
The Roman city buried by Vesuvius in AD 79 sits about 35 minutes from Naples on the Circumvesuviana (get off at Pompei Scavi) — a vast, shadeless site, so start at opening to beat the midday heat. Herculaneum, smaller and better-preserved, is the quieter alternative one stop closer.
On to Sorrento
The Circumvesuviana continues to Sorrento — about 65 minutes from Naples — the transport hub for the Amalfi Coast. A ferry from Naples is the scenic alternative. Sorrento's cliff-top old town, with its views across the bay to Vesuvius, is worth an evening in itself.

The Circumvesuviana is a cheap local commuter line (~€4.50) — but crowded, hot and pickpocket-prone; the Campania Express (air-conditioning, reserved seats, luggage space, but a limited timetable) is the comfortable upgrade. Start Pompeii early — it's enormous and offers almost no shade.

Days 5–7 · the Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast: Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and Capri

The Amalfi Coast — Positano's vertical pastel houses, Amalfi's striped cathedral, Ravello's gardens — strung along a cliff road above the bluest sea in Italy. Base in Sorrento, let the ferries do the work, and give it three days including Capri.

Getting there
Base in Sorrento — ferries, the train and the coast buses all leave from here. No train serves the coast towns: reach Positano and Amalfi by seasonal ferry (roughly April–October; Sorrento–Positano ~30 min, Sorrento–Amalfi ~75 min) or the SITA Sud bus along the SS163. Do not rent a car — the coast road is a gridlocked, single-lane clifftop with nowhere to park.

Positano & Amalfi by ferry
Positano cascading down the cliff to its beach, and Amalfi with its dramatic striped Duomo and lemon-grove lanes. Take the ferry to see the coastline from the water — it's the trip's most spectacular hour. (The earliest buses run before the first ~9 a.m. ferry, so bus out early and ferry back.)
Ravello
Up the mountain from Amalfi by SITA bus (~25 min, €1.30), 350 m above the sea: the gardens of Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, cooler and quieter than the towns below, with the finest views on the whole coast. A serene half-day away from the crowds.
Capri (or the Path of the Gods)
A fast ferry from Sorrento (~25 min) to glamorous Capri — the funicular up to Capri town, the chairlift up Monte Solaro, and the Blue Grotto if the sea allows. Or, instead, hike the Path of the Gods high above Positano. Don't try to cram both Capri and the hike into one day.

Sorrento is the smart base for first-timers — ferries to Capri, Positano and Amalfi and the train to Naples all leave from here, and it's cheaper and far easier with luggage than the cliff towns. Ferries run roughly April–October (the coast largely shuts in winter); in summer they beat the gridlocked road. Buy SITA bus tickets before boarding (tabacchini or the station), not on the bus.

Getting around, car-free

Trains and ferries are the spine of the trip. Here are the legs, the 2026 fares, and the airport transfers at each end.

Leg	Time & fare (2026)
Rome → Naples (high-speed)	~1h10, Roma Termini → Napoli Centrale, every 30–60 min. Frecciarossa / Italo. From ~€20–30 booked ahead, up to €120 last-minute.
Naples → Sorrento (+ Pompeii)	~65 min, Circumvesuviana, ~€4.50, stops at Pompei Scavi (~35 min) & Herculaneum. Campania Express = AC tourist upgrade (limited timetable).
Amalfi Coast — ferries (~Apr–Oct)	Sorrento → Positano ~30 min (€15–20), → Amalfi ~75 min (€15). First ferry ~9 a.m. Faster & far better than the road.
Amalfi Coast — SITA bus (year-round)	Along the SS163: ~€2.60 a leg, €10 for a 24h pass; slow & cramped in traffic. Amalfi → Ravello ~25 min (€1.30). Buy tickets before boarding.
Capri	Fast ferry from Sorrento ~25 min (€20–25 return); from Positano ~45 min. A half- or full-day trip.
Airports → centre	Rome (FCO): Leonardo Express to Termini, 32 min (€14). Naples (NAP): Alibus to Napoli Centrale / the port, ~€5.

The other quiet upgrade is context. A Pompeii street or an Amalfi cathedral you understand is one you remember — so before the ruins or the coast, it helps to have the story in your ears rather than reading a sign in the heat.

Plan it with HipiMind

Plan this trip by talking

A trip with a high-speed leg, a commuter-train transfer, seasonal ferries and a menu of day trips is exactly where a planner earns its keep. That is what HipiMind is built for. It is a voice-first AI travel assistant: describe your trip out loud — “a week in southern Italy, Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast, no car” — and it turns the conversation into a day-by-day itinerary with every stop, the trains and the ferry legs placed on a map. Because it maps the whole route, you can see how many days each place really needs, why Sorrento is the base, when to take the ferry over the bus, and how the seasonal timing and the timed Rome tickets fit — and fix the plan before you book.

For each place, ask HipiMind to generate a long-form audio guide — the fall of Pompeii, the story of Naples, the making of the Amalfi Coast — and listen hands-free as you go. It is interruptible: pause to ask a question, get an answer, and resume where you left off. It plans and narrates in the language you speak, across 32 languages, right in the browser — no app to install.

The free tier includes 3 voice sessions and 1 audio guide per calendar month. HipiMind Plus is $7.99/month ($59/year) with 60 voice sessions, 20 audio guides, and full trip memory across journeys. HipiMind plans and narrates — it does not book flights, trains, ferries, hotels, or timed-entry tickets, and it is not a GPS-triggered on-site tour; confirm times, fares, and reservations with the provider.

Plan your southern Italy trip free See pricing ->

Rome, Naples & Amalfi Coast itinerary FAQ

How many days do I need for Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast?

A week is the sweet spot — about three days in Rome, a full day in Naples with Pompeii, and three on the Amalfi Coast based in Sorrento. Rome has the longest must-see list, so it earns the extra days; Naples and Pompeii fit into a day (two if you love either); and the coast needs at least three full days — one to settle in, one for Positano and Amalfi by ferry, and one for Capri or Ravello. With ten days you could add nights in Sorrento and Naples and slow the whole thing down. Don't try to see all five coast towns in a single day — you'll spend it on boats and buses.

How do I get from Rome to the Amalfi Coast without a car?

Entirely by train and ferry, which is the best way. Take a high-speed Frecciarossa or Italo from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale (about 1h10, from ~€20–30 booked ahead), then switch at Naples to the Circumvesuviana commuter train — or the air-conditioned Campania Express — to Sorrento, about 65 minutes, stopping at Pompeii on the way. From Sorrento, ferries and SITA buses reach Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and Capri. You actively do not want a car on the Amalfi road: it's a single-lane cliff route with terrible traffic and no parking.

Where should I base on the Amalfi Coast — Sorrento, Positano or Amalfi?

Sorrento, for most first-timers. It's the transport hub — ferries to Capri, Positano and Amalfi and the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii and Naples all leave from here — with hotels at every price point and easy arrival with luggage. Positano and Amalfi are more scenic and atmospheric, but smaller, more expensive, and genuinely awkward to reach and stay in with bags (Positano is a near-vertical staircase of a town). Sorrento gives you the whole coast as a set of easy day trips without the premium or the logistics.

Should I take the ferry or the bus along the Amalfi Coast?

The ferry, whenever it's running — it's faster, far more comfortable, and the coastline from the water is the highlight of the trip. Ferries operate roughly April to October, with the first departures around 9 a.m., and cost about €15–20 a leg. The SITA Sud bus along the SS163 is cheaper (about €2.60 a leg, or €10 for a 24-hour pass), runs earlier in the day and year-round, and is a memorable ride in itself — but it's slow and cramped and stuck in the coast-road traffic. The classic move is to take an early bus out and a ferry back. Buy bus tickets before boarding, at tabacchini or the station.

When is the best time to visit the Amalfi Coast, and is it open year-round?

Late spring and early autumn — May, June and September — are the sweet spot: warm sea, running ferries, and fewer crowds than the August peak (when the coast is hot, packed and priciest). The Amalfi Coast is fundamentally a summer destination: the ferries and many hotels and restaurants operate roughly from Easter to October and largely close from November to March, when the coast is quiet and the ferry network thins out. If you're travelling in winter, weight the trip toward Rome and Naples, which run year-round. (See our best-time-to-visit-Italy guide for the wider seasonal picture.)

Can I day-trip to Pompeii and Capri from this route?

Yes — both are built in. Pompeii sits directly on the Circumvesuviana line between Naples and Sorrento (about 35 minutes from Naples, 30 from Sorrento), so you can visit it on the way south or as a half-day from your Sorrento base; start at opening to beat the heat and the crowds. Capri is a 25-minute fast ferry from Sorrento (about €20–25 return) — a half- or full-day trip for the funicular, Monte Solaro and, sea conditions permitting, the Blue Grotto. Just don't try to combine Capri and the Path of the Gods hike in one day; each deserves its own.

How can HipiMind help me plan a Rome–Naples–Amalfi trip?

A trip with a high-speed leg, a commuter-train transfer, seasonal ferries and a menu of day trips is exactly where an AI planner earns its keep. HipiMind is a voice-first AI travel assistant: describe your trip out loud — 'a week in southern Italy, Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast, no car' — and it turns the conversation into a day-by-day itinerary with every stop, the trains and the ferry legs placed on a map. Because it maps the whole route, you can see how many days each place really needs, why Sorrento is the base, when to take the ferry over the bus, and how the seasonal timing and the timed Rome tickets fit — and fix the plan before you book. It can also generate long-form audio guides for each place. It plans and narrates but does not book trains, ferries or tickets, so make those reservations yourself, early.

Sources

Train and ferry times, fares, seasons and opening rules in this guide were grounded in the following official and authoritative sources (checked August 2026). Fares, ferry seasons and museum days change — verify before you travel.

A 7-day Rome, Naples & Amalfi Coast itinerary