Sorrento to Amalfi Day Trip 2026: Free Parking Guide

Driving from Sorrento to Amalfi: A Road Trip Adventure

During my stay in Sorrento,

I decided to take a day trip to Amalfi and Positano

by rental car.

However, renting a car brought with it a big concern:

parking.

So, I'm going to share some detailed information about free parking spots.

1. From Sorrento to Amalfi

Amalfi and Positano are often considered the highlight (or challenge?) of a trip to Southern Italy.

Since I was staying in Sorrento, I started from there, heading first to Amalfi, which is a bit further, and then stopping by Positano.

I went by rental car, but honestly, if your schedule allows, I'd strongly recommend going on a day tour from Rome instead.

Haha...

From Sorrento, I set off after a very, very early morning walk around the town.

I came out bright and early as the sun was just rising, and in the distance, you can spot Mount Vesuvius.

After the walk, I grabbed a quick breakfast in town and then we were off to Amalfi.

The road we took was a winding one, carved into the mountains.

The scenery is truly breathtaking, but the roads are incredibly, incredibly narrow.

Italians tend to drive small cars, and there's a good reason for that: the roads are tight, and parking spaces are tiny too.

On those narrow roads... Italians don't slow down, even on sharp curves.

It was absolutely terrifying........

From April through summer is peak season for this region, and I heard these already narrow roads get incredibly congested with cars.

We stopped by the roadside to buy some grapefruit juice, or something similar, but it was ridiculously expensive – I felt a bit ripped off.

Still, I managed to spot a cute cat, so I'll just take comfort in that...

2. Free Parking Information for Amalfi

After a considerable drive, we finally arrived at the parking lot!

You can find this parking lot by searching Google for Poggerola Free Parking.

They said you need to go early in the morning to get a spot, so we left Sorrento extra, extra early.

We arrived at the parking lot around 9 AM, and it seems we found a spot because it was slightly off-peak season. For the peak season, I'd guess you'd need to arrive around 8 AM or earlier to guarantee a space.

The parking lot isn't particularly large, by the way.

This parking lot is located quite high up and is a fair distance from the center of Amalfi.

Because of its remote location, it's a very small mountain village parking area, meaning it's highly unlikely to have car break-ins.

Our car was safely waiting for us when we returned. Good job, little car!

Now, from here, you need to take a bus down to Amalfi.

Of course, if this whole process sounds too inconvenient, you can always use the paid parking lots in the center of Amalfi.

However, these tend to be crowded, often with long waits, and cost upwards of 3 euros per hour (prices vary by season), so...

Choose what suits your preferences!

Before hopping on the bus, you'll need to buy your bus ticket first.

According to what I found, tickets could be purchased at a cocktail bar, but it was closed.

I took a quick look around the neighborhood and spotted a small convenience store-like place with a "Bus Ticket" sign, so I went in and successfully purchased my tickets!

You can search for the shop name, Cose Di Casa Di Cuomo Rita e Cuomo Carlo, and it's located right near the parking lot after you come down.

We'll be taking the bus you see there, number 5120.

The bus stop is literally right next to it. If you look to the right from the bus stop, you'll see a wall, and the parking lot is just above that.

The stop name is POGEROLA.

Buses run approximately every 30 minutes.

You can refer to the picture below for the Amalfi - POGEROLA bus schedule.

The letters above the times mean: G for daily service / F for weekday service (excluding Sundays and public holidays) / H for holiday service / S for school days only (no service during school holidays).

So, make sure to check carefully!

Oh, and halfway along the road to Amalfi, some sections are just single-lane... only wide enough for one car, you know?

Cars honk their horns around those curves to signal their presence, as you need to give notice that you're approaching.

After about a 20-minute bus ride, you'll arrive in Amalfi.

The current ticket price is 1.5 Euros for a one-way trip.

As you take in the sights of the town and marvel at the driver's skills, you'll arrive in no time.

From Amalfi, you can then take another bus heading to POGEROLA.

The bus station in Amalfi feels somewhat like a terminal, quite large in scale.

3. Amalfi Rental Car Travel Review

*Amalfi Cathedral

Amalfi isn't a huge town, so you can explore it quite quickly.

Starting from the cathedral and heading slightly uphill, it's a joy to discover the small, charming shops, alleyways, and buildings.

It's not... something extraordinarily grand, but it was a lovely place to briefly stop and explore.

The alleyways are quite narrow, so I imagine walking around wouldn't be easy during peak season.

We had lunch slightly outside of this rather expensive town.

I'll do a related post about that next time.

By the way, isn't the scenery in the photos absolutely stunning? I actually preferred Amalfi over Positano!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe trip!