For years, the standard answer to “Which airport do I use for the Amalfi Coast?” was simple: fly to Naples.
That answer needs updating, ha-ha!
Since scheduled passenger flights returned to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi Airport, visitors now have a much closer airport on the eastern side of the coast. Naples still offers far more flights and onward connections, while Rome can make surprising sense for travellers arriving from farther away.
So I would not choose by looking at the map alone.
A direct flight into Salerno can work very well for Amalfi, Maiori or Minori. Naples often fits Positano and Sorrento better. And if you are arriving from North America or another long-haul destination, a direct flight to Rome followed by a fast train south may be easier than changing planes again.
In this guide I will do my best to compare Salerno, Naples, Rome Fiumicino and Rome Ciampino — where each one works well, where it can make your arrival harder, and the small things I would check before buying the flight.
Which airport makes sense for your trip?
Last checked: October 3, 2026
Salerno QSR: check it first for Amalfi, Atrani, Maiori, Minori, Cetara, Vietri and Ravello. It is closest to this side of the coast, but only useful if the flight itself suits you.
Naples NAP: still the easiest all-round choice for most visitors. More flights, more onward transport and usually my first search for Positano or Sorrento.
Rome Fiumicino FCO: worth comparing for long-haul travel. A direct flight to Rome followed by a fast train can be easier than changing planes again.
Rome Ciampino CIA: mainly interesting when a low-cost European flight is considerably cheaper or better timed.
My tip: compare the journey all the way to your hotel. I would happily land a little farther away if it removed two changes with luggage.
First, one thing that causes a lot of confusion
There is no airport in Amalfi, Positano or Sorrento.
I mention this because you will still see phrases such as “Sorrento airport transfer” when searching online. Usually that means a transfer between Sorrento and Naples Airport.
For most trips, you are really choosing between Salerno, Naples and Rome.
The airport question has changed
A few years ago, Naples was the obvious place to start. Salerno Airport simply did not matter much for most travellers.
That has changed.
Salerno is now worth checking, especially if you are staying around Amalfi, Maiori or Minori. But I would not choose it just because it sits closer on the map.
If the Naples flight is direct, arrives at a better hour and gives you an easier transfer afterwards, I would take Naples without thinking twice.
For me, the most useful question is “Which route gets me to the hotel with the least hassle?”
Salerno Costa d’Amalfi Airport (QSR)
Salerno is the new part of this conversation.
Scheduled passenger flights returned to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi Airport, and that gives the eastern side of the coast a much closer airport than Naples.
If you are staying around Vietri, Cetara, Maiori, Minori or Amalfi, the location is excellent.
But I would still check the flight before getting excited about the map.
Salerno has a much smaller network than Naples. If the only option from your city involves a poor connection or lands at an awkward hour, the advantage disappears quickly.
Getting from Salerno Airport to Amalfi
The current SITA airport service runs towards the coast with main stops including:
Salerno Airport → Vietri sul Mare → Maiori → Amalfi
That is quite a useful little route if your hotel sits on this side of the coast.
You can also go towards Salerno city and continue by ferry when services are running, by bus, taxi or private transfer.
For Ravello, remember that you still have the climb after reaching the coast. There is no ferry sailing up the mountain, unfortunately.
If I were staying in Ravello with two large suitcases after an evening flight, I would at least price a direct transfer before deciding to do the whole journey by public transport.
Where Salerno makes most sense
I would check QSR particularly for:
→ Vietri sul Mare
→ Cetara
→ Maiori
→ Minori
→ Amalfi
→ Atrani
→ Ravello
For Praiano and Positano, I would compare Salerno and Naples properly. You are starting to get far enough west that “closest airport” becomes less useful as a rule.
Naples Airport (NAP)
Naples is still the airport most people will use.
Not because it is the closest anymore, but because it gives you room to change your plan.
There are more flights. There are more buses. You can go through Naples, through Salerno or towards Sorrento. If one route does not suit the time you land, there is usually another one to look at.
That matters more than it sounds when you arrive tired and discover the ferry you had saved on your phone does not run that evening.
Getting from Naples Airport towards the coast
Naples Airport does not have a mainline railway station in the terminal.
The Alibus takes you towards Napoli Centrale and then continues towards the port.
From there, you can build the journey in several ways.
For Amalfi, one route I often like on paper is:
Naples Airport → Napoli Centrale → Salerno → ferry or bus → Amalfi
It sounds like a lot of names, but the long middle section is straightforward by train.
There are also direct road services and private transfers, and seasonal direct buses towards Amalfi.
For Positano and Sorrento, the Naples side is usually the more natural way in.
We already have a full guide for this, so I would not repeat twenty transport combinations here:
↗ Also read Naples to the Amalfi Coast — ferry, train, bus and private transfer compared.Rome Fiumicino (FCO)
Rome is where I would ignore the map for a moment and look at the flight itself.
If you are flying from somewhere in Europe and Naples has a simple direct connection, I would normally take Naples.
If you are coming from the US, Canada or another long-haul destination, the calculation changes.
A direct flight to Rome can be easier than landing somewhere else, changing planes, waiting again and finally arriving in Naples several hours later.
From Fiumicino, the Leonardo Express takes you directly to Roma Termini. From there, high-speed trains continue towards Naples and Salerno.
So a route such as:
Fiumicino → Roma Termini → Salerno → Amalfi
is not as strange as it first looks.
I would not call it short. It is still a travel day.
But if I had the choice between one comfortable direct flight to Rome or two flights to Naples, I would compare them before deciding.
When I would seriously consider Rome
Rome starts to make sense when:
→ the flight is direct
→ Naples requires another connection
→ you are spending time in Rome anyway
→ the fare difference is large
→ you arrive early enough to continue south without rushing
One thing I would avoid is creating a beautiful chain of tight connections after a long-haul flight.
Your plane does not care that the train to Salerno leaves nine minutes after baggage claim.
Rome Ciampino (CIA)
Ciampino is simpler to explain.
Use it if the flight is worth it.
That usually means a low-cost European route that is much cheaper, much better timed or simply does not exist to Naples or Salerno.
From Ciampino you first connect towards Rome, then continue south by train.
It works.
I just would not add that extra stage to the trip to save €20.
If the saving is €150, we can have a different conversation.
Where are you staying?
Choose your base. This is where I would start the airport search — not a rule if another flight is much better.
I’ll show you where I would start looking.
Which airport would I choose for each town?
Positano
I would start with Naples.
Positano sits on the western side, and the journey from Naples usually fits the geography better.
Salerno is not wrong. If you find a beautiful direct flight there while the Naples options are terrible, take it seriously.
I just would not choose Salerno for Positano automatically because somebody told you it is “the Amalfi Coast airport”.
Sorrento
Naples, in most cases.
Sorrento is actually on the other side of the peninsula from Amalfi and faces the Bay of Naples.
This one is usually quite simple.
Praiano and Furore
Here I would open both Naples and Salerno in two browser tabs and compare the actual day.
These towns sit between the two sides, so a convenient flight and a sensible arrival hour can matter more than twenty or thirty kilometres on the map.
Amalfi and Atrani
I would now check Salerno first.
That is the biggest change compared with the advice you would have read a few years ago.
If there is a direct flight at a useful time, QSR can be very convenient.
If not, Naples is still perfectly good.
Ravello
Compare both airports, but pay attention to the last part.
Ravello sits above the coast, so even after you reach Amalfi you still need to go uphill.
This is one of those journeys where I would think about the suitcase before the ticket price.
Maiori, Minori, Cetara and Vietri
This is the easiest case for Salerno.
If QSR has a direct flight from where you live, I would look at it very seriously.
↗ Also read Amalfi Coast SITA Bus Guide 2026 — routes, tickets, luggage and the buses you will actually use.Your arrival time matters more than people think
A flight landing at 13:00 and the same flight landing at 22:00 can lead to two completely different journeys.
In the afternoon, you may still have trains, buses and ferries to play with.
Late at night, the coast becomes much less flexible.
This is exactly the sort of thing I would check before paying for the flight.
A €60 cheaper ticket is not much of a bargain if the only realistic way to finish the journey is a €180 transfer.
And sometimes the sensible answer is simply to spend one night in Naples or Salerno and continue the next morning.
I know that does not sound exciting when you are booking an Amalfi Coast holiday, but arriving in daylight with a coffee in your hand is not the worst start either.
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Ferry, bus, train or private transfer?
There is no train running through Amalfi, Positano or Ravello, so every airport journey eventually becomes a road or sea journey.
Train is excellent for the long part between Rome, Naples and Salerno.
Ferry is one of my favourite ways to finish the journey when the season, weather and timetable cooperate.
SITA bus is cheap and useful, especially for towns and villages the ferries cannot reach.
Private transfer starts to make much more sense with children, several suitcases, a late flight or a hotel somewhere awkward above the road.
I would not decide that one is always better.
Look at the date, the time you land and where the hotel door actually is.
That last detail can save you a very long evening.
What about Bari, Brindisi or Milan?
You can get to the Amalfi Coast from almost anywhere in Italy. The better question is whether it is worth making the journey harder than it needs to be.
Bari and Brindisi can make sense if you are also visiting Puglia or Matera. If Amalfi is the main plan, though, I would probably not cross half of southern Italy just to save a bit on the flight.
The cheap ticket can look less cheap once you add trains, transfers and a few extra hours on the road 🙂
Milan Malpensa, Linate and Bergamo are similar. They are completely fine if Amalfi is one stop on a bigger Italy trip. But if your first hotel is already on the coast, I would usually look for a simpler way south.
↗ Also read Amalfi Coast Ferry Guide 2026 — routes, ports, tickets and when travelling by sea actually makes sense.A few things I would tell a friend before booking
→ Check Salerno now. It is no longer the airport I would skip without looking.
→ Do not force Salerno because it is closest. If the flight is poor, use Naples.
→ For Positano and Sorrento, start with Naples.
→ For Amalfi, Maiori and Minori, give Salerno a proper look.
→ If you are coming from far away, compare Rome before dismissing it.
→ Check the trip home too. People spend an hour planning the arrival and ten seconds looking at a 07:00 departure.
→ Keep the last part simple. I would rather arrive half an hour later than spend the entire journey changing vehicles and watching the clock.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest airport to the Amalfi Coast?
Salerno Costa d’Amalfi Airport (QSR) is now the closest scheduled commercial airport to much of the coast.
That does not automatically make it the easiest one. Flight availability still matters.
What is the main airport for the Amalfi Coast?
For most international visitors, Naples International Airport (NAP) is still the main gateway.
It has a much larger flight network and more ways to continue towards the coast.
Which airport is best for Amalfi town?
I would check Salerno first if there is a useful direct flight.
If not, Naples is still a very normal and practical choice.
Which airport is best for Positano?
I would usually start with Naples.
Which airport is best for Ravello?
Both Naples and Salerno can work.
I would pay more attention to the final uphill journey than to a small difference between the airports themselves.
Is there an airport in Sorrento?
No.
Naples is normally the airport used for Sorrento.
Can I fly to Rome for an Amalfi Coast trip?
Yes.
For long-haul travellers in particular, it can make good sense if Rome gives you a direct flight.
Is there a train directly to Amalfi?
No.
Amalfi, Positano and Ravello do not have railway stations.
Salerno is one of the most useful rail gateways before continuing by ferry, bus or road.
Amalfi Coast airport cheat sheet
Naples Positano, Sorrento
The bottom line
For most trips, the choice is fairly simple.
If you are staying in Amalfi, Maiori, Minori, Cetara or Vietri, check Salerno first.
If you are heading to Positano or Sorrento, start with Naples.
If you are flying long-haul and Rome gives you the best direct flight, Fiumicino can work very well too.
I would choose the route that feels easiest from the airport door to the hotel door.
A smooth arrival is worth more than saving a few kilometres on the map.
Hi, I’m Marco.
I spent 28 years on the Amalfi Coast. I write AmalfiMap to share the beaches, roads, transport and small practical details I would tell a friend before they came here.
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