Updated Info and Tips - Summer 2025

Ferry and hydrofoil connections are still frequent at this time of year. The winter timetable comes into effect in early November. In October, rough sea days become more common, which can sometimes affect maritime connections.

Here are our tips:

• Check the weather forecast: In the weather app that you use, find the predicted wave activity and height so you know whether or not you should be concerned. If waves higher than 200 centimeters are predicted, you can expect cancellations. Here's a site you can use: Meteo Mare Capri

• Plan to leave Capri a day before your flight: It's wise to book your final night on the mainland so you don't get stuck on the island and miss your flight.

• Keep an eye on social media: The ferry companies tend to update their weather predictions at the last minute, so a more trustworthy source is this Facebook page.

• Ferries between Capri and the Amalfi Coast are the first to be canceled because there is no true port in Positano (just a pier) and boats can't approach the coast there if the sea is choppy.

• If the weather looks uncertain, book the Caremar ferry rather than the high-speed hydrofoils offered by other companies.

Hydrofoil and ferry timetables

Throughout the summer, the 13 municipalities of the Amalfi Coast will have restrictions on license plates according to this calendar:

• From June 1st to July 31st, alternate license plates are in effect on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

• From August 1st to September 31st, alternate license plates are in effect every day.

• From October 1st to 31st, alternate license plates are in effect on Saturdays and Sundays and on holidays.

On days with even dates, cars with an even-numbered last digit of the numerical part of the license plate CANNOT circulate.
On days with odd dates, cars with an odd-numbered last digit of the numerical part of the license plate CANNOT circulate.

Alternate license plate circulation is in effect from 10 am to 6 pm.

The ordinance is valid in all municipalities from Positano to Vietri sul Mare.

The following can circulate without restrictions: residents, taxis, private driver cars (NCC), cars with a disabled permit, employees in towns of the Amalfi Coast, hotel guests on the days of arrival and departure.

Traffic on the Sorrentine Coast and the Amalfi Coast is always a bit tricky and public transportation is often unreliable and running behind schedule. Heavy rains in the winter months only make this situation worse and the coastal road is often closed after storms due to falling rocks and landslides.

Our advice for dealing with traffic:

• Give yourself hours of extra time to reach your destination after heavy rains.

• Don’t visit with a rental car. The roads are narrow and winding, clogged with a mix of tour buses, scooters, and distracted tourists. Parking is scarce and expensive. These factors put together can mean a vacation-ruining headache.

• Consider renting a scooter to get around, but only if you have experience driving one.

• To get to and from the airport, book a private transfer in advance, especially if you are staying in Positano or Amalfi

• One of the most convenient ways to get between Sorrento and Naples is the Curreri shuttle bus.

Book a private transfer

Getting around by train: the Circumvesuviana

The Circumvesuviana is a local commuter rail line that connects Naples and Sorrento; it generally runs on time and there are frequent departures. Keep in mind, however, that it is often overcrowded so you may have to stand much of the way (about an hour). In addition, there's no assigned seating, and most trains don't have air conditioning. It’s an easy way to make the shorter trip between Sorrento and Pompeii, but it's not a great option to travel between Sorrento and Naples, especially if you have luggage with you. Opt instead for the Campania Express, the tourist train that runs less frequently on the same line but is faster and less crowded.

Circumvesuviana and Campania Express train schedules

Getting around by bus: Sita Amalfi Coast buses

Sita buses run between Sorrento and Positano, Amalfi, and the smaller villages located between the two. Since traffic is often snarled along the single coastal road, buses often run behind schedule and all seats are usually filled at the departure location, so those boarding afterwards must ride standing up. This is particularly true of buses departing from Positano in the afternoon to return to Sorrento. Long lines to board often form at the two Positano bus stops, and buses pulling in from Amalfi are already full and not boarding additional passengers.

Skip the bus and take the ferry from Positano to Sorrento in the afternoon; in the morning, you can easily find room on the buses departing from Sorrento and heading to the coast.

Amalfi Coast bus schedules

Capri is small, so the buses are small and the funicular is small. The crowds visiting the island, on the other hand, are huge and overwhelm the limited public transport available on the island, especially when trying to reach the Piazzetta (the heart of Capri) from the port. Lots of day trippers start visiting the island from April onwards.

Here are our tips for getting around Capri hassle-free:

• Once you disembark on Capri, head directly to the entrance of the funicular. Even if there's a line, it's still the fastest option to go up to the center because it leaves every 5 minutes carrying 80 people. The funicular has a tap&go system to pay by card.

• The funicular has a reserved lane for hotel guests.

• If you spot a long line at the funicular once you disembark at the port, keep walking towards the left to get to the “Banchinella” pier (molo 22). Public buses headed to the town center depart from here, and they are generally much less crowded. You can also take a taxi to the town center for about €20, port to Piazzetta.

• If you look at Google Maps, it will tell you that it takes about 15 minutes to walk to the Piazzetta from the port. While that's technically true, it doesn’t tell you that it’s an extremely steep 15-minute climb that is only suitable for those who are in great shape and aren’t arriving with luggage (or small children).

• The walk back down from the Piazzetta to the port, on the other hand, is easy and scenic.

• If you're headed to Anacapri, there is a direct route between the port of Marina Grande and Anacapri, with departures in both directions every 10-15 minutes.

• If you encounter a line to board the bus at the Piazza Vittoria stop in Anacapri, walk back along Viale Tommaso de Tommaso to board the bus at the preceding stop near Piazza Caprile.

Capri funicular and bus schedules

We always try to keep the opening hours updated on our websites, but in many cases it's really difficult!

On Capri, Villa Jovis and Villa Lysis don't have regular opening hours. It's also a long walk uphill to get there. So, to avoid being disappointed if the sites are closed, we recommend checking first at the information office in the Piazzetta or at the port to see if they are open.

Most hotels and restaurants on Capri and the Amalfi Coast remain open through October, then close for the winter and reopen around April. A handful of businesses do remain open all year round, however. In Sorrento, most hotels and restaurants stay open through the winter holidays and close the first week of January. Here is additional information about visiting Capri in the fall and winter. If you do decide to visit during this quiet winter season, we suggest using Sorrento or Naples as your base.

Everyone who comes to Capri wants to see the Blue Grotto, but if the weather is bad it might be closed, and there is often a long line to enter.

The best strategy to visit without waiting in line for hours is to be in front of the entrance when it opens, around 9 am. If you're staying overnight on Capri you can also get there on foot. If you're staying in Sorrento, you can consider the tours that leave from Sorrento early in the morning to be at the entrance of the Grotto when it opens.

On this page there's real-time information showing if the Blue Grotto is open or not:

Information on visiting the Blue Grotto