travel
Salerno: The Charming and Affordable Gateway to Italy’s Amalfi Coast
The vibrant port city offers a more relaxed and budget-friendly base for exploring this beautiful coastline by train and ferry.
TL;DR
- Salerno is a more affordable and relaxed base for exploring the Amalfi Coast compared to towns like Positano or Ravello.
- Public transport, including trains and ferries, makes day trips to Amalfi towns, Capri, Pompeii, Paestum, and Sicily convenient from Salerno.
- Salerno offers a more authentic experience of local Italian life, with a pleasant promenade, historic sites like Salerno Cathedral and the Schola Medica Salernitana, and a focus on food.
- The author recommends Salerno for its accessibility and lack of traffic congestion, contrasting it with the stressful driving experience on the Amalfi coast.
- Key excursions from Salerno include ferries to Amalfi town, trains to Vietri sul Mare for ceramics and beaches, and trains to the ancient ruins of Paestum.