Positano Ferries: Travel by Ferry from Positano to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast:
Riding the Positano to Sorrento Ferry
When we visited Positano on a quick tour from Sorrento, we travelled by mini-bus. Our tour guide did not mention that we could easily return to Sorrento by ferry and so after a quick two-hour stay in Positano everyone went back to Sorrento with her, except us. As we were exploring the beach area, we saw the ferry landing at the western end of the beach and discovered that there was a Positano to Sorrento ferry service, which gave us more time in Positano.
Positano Ferries and Excursions
Next to the SITA buses, travelling by ferry is one of the more convenient methods of transport in the Amalfi Coast during the summer season when the ferries are operational.
There are a number of operators offering ‘Capri Speciale‘ and you’ll see their booths on the beach. These are day excursions to Capri and their boats depart from the beach area.
The Positano ferry services, as well as some excursions, operate from the concrete landing a little further along. You’ll see the ticket booths for ferry trips to Amalfi, Capri, Salerno, Sorrento and Napoli.
Positano Ferry Ticket Booths
There are two types of services, the faster hydrofoil and the slow ferry and they depart at different times. The departure times and fares are clearly displayed on the booths.
Trip from Positano to Sorrento
Not having done any prior research on these services, I checked with a couple of the ticket sellers to be sure that the Sorrento ferries would be running as advertised. We did have to be back in Sorrento that evening as our tour departed early the next morning. We caught the slow ferry at 3:40 pm and the one-way fare was €11.00 (August 2012) with the faster ferry costing €15.50. The ticket sellers didn’t speak English, or were reluctant to do so, and when you asked for information, they would point at the information on the posters. There were a lot of people using these ferry services and overall they seemed to run smoothly.
Suntan on the Ferry
The boat trip was relaxing and enjoyable and gave us the opportunity to see the coastal scenery along the Sorrentine Peninsula. The people in the know got on very quickly and secured their seats in the sun. They also had their swimsuits on and enjoyed sunning themselves on the trip to Sorrento. I was envious as we had come unprepared.
Ferry from Positano to Sorrento
Arriving at Marina Piccolo in Sorrento
The boat trip from Positano to Sorrento was supposed to take 60 minutes, but with the strong currents and choppy waters, it took us more like 90 minutes to get to Sorrento. So, if you’re catching the ferry, be aware that it can take a little longer than the advised time. The boats moor at the Marina Piccolo in Sorrento and from there you can catch the local bus up to Piazza Tasso, the main square in Sorrento. To find your way back to your hotel, make sure you know where your hotel is in relation to this square.
See more photos of our Positano to Sorrento ferry trip Here.
For more about Positano, see our Positano Trip Planner Here.
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Dear helen
Can I get a ferry from sorrento to Positano and other places such as Amalfi and Ravello as I have heard that the sita bus service is terrible along the coast.
Hi Michael,
As you can see from the above post, we travelled by ferry from Positano to Sorrento and you should be able to do it the other way round.
During the summer months, there are regular services from Sorrento to various destinations. Ferry services are operated by SNAV, NLG and Alilauro.
Kind regards,
Helen