This blog post was updated on May 12, 2020.
Snaking along the coastline of southern Italy is the famous Costiera Amalfitana. The Amalfi Coast enjoys a rich reputation in more ways than one. Not only is it one of Italy’s and Europe’s most beautiful stretches of coastline, but it is also a land of luxury, where the hotels, restaurants and attractions don’t come cheap. Since the rich and famous have been coming to the Amalfi Coast for decades, the area has become synonymous with glitz, glamour and money. Even if you don’t have the biggest of budgets, you can still enjoy this photogenic part of the world.
Avoid Parking Charges By Taking The Bus: One of the biggest budget drainers on the Amalfi Coast is parking. From town to town, parking by the hour ranged from 3 euros to 5 euros, just for 60 minutes. If you want to actually explore towns like Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, you could pay a premium price just to park for a few hours. Even if you have a car, you can ditch your wheels and take the bus where you want to go for a few euros round-trip. Travelers should look out for hotels that offer parking in their room rate so that you don’t have to worry about parking wallet drainers.
Stay Outside of Positano: Positano is the most expensive town along the Amalfi Coast. While it might look appealing to stay in this photogenic spot, your wallet will take a beating. Hotel prices in Positano are often the most expensive along the coast. In order to afford staying along the Amalfi Coast, you should look to neighboring towns like Praiano, Atrani, Amalfi and Ravello for more affordable options. If hotels prices are high in these towns as well, you can stay in Salerno or Sorrento and bus into the Amalfi Coast if you need to during the day.
Visit Outside of Summer: Most travelers want to visit the Amalfi Coast in the summer. However, the prices are often inflated along the coast, from cafes to hotels. You will also pay double in many cases compared to rates in the spring or the fall. While you could visit in the winter, much of the coast shuts down, leaving little reason to be here. Shoulder seasons like fall and spring are best for scoring more wallet-friendly deals.
Research in Advance What You Want To See and Pay For: When I visited the Amalfi Coast last week, I didn’t research too heavily what I wanted to see. When I arrived, I was game for everything. However, not having a plan or an idea of what I wanted to see ending up costing me a lot of money. There are dozens of churches and gardens to see along the Amalfi Coast, some are free to enter, others costs at least 5 euros for admission. Some of these attractions were worth the price while others were not. Even guidebook information would be out of date, saying this church or that garden were free when in fact they were not. If you do your research in advance, you will know what you don’t want to pay for and what you do.
Photo: jemphotog
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