Stage 1
Vietri sul Mare to Amalfi
The eastern approach
The quieter half. Tight, cliff hugging and with the best sea views of the whole road. Start here and you are ahead of the traffic coming the other way.
Italy, Amalfi
The Amalfi Coast Road
Distance
78 km
Time
2h 40m
Driving score
8.4
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Editorial
Why drive it
The SS163 was blasted into the cliff in 1852 and has barely widened since. That is the whole point. You drive it in second and third, reading the road through mirrors and horn blasts, with the Tyrrhenian dropping away a car's width from your left front wheel.
Timing is everything. Leave Sorrento in the dark, watch the light come up over Positano and you get an hour of near empty tarmac. Arrive at ten and you get a coach park with a view. Small cars win here, and a classic with the roof off wins outright.
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Road width
- Narrow, with blind rock overhangs and bus passing places
- Surface
- Good, patched in places above Positano
- Best direction
- Sorrento to Vietri sul Mare
- Best time of day
- Before 07:00 or after 18:30
- Best season
- April to June, then late September
- Elevation
- 340 m maximum above Praiano
- Community rating
- 4.6 / 5
Proprietary scoring
The numbers
Driving enjoyment8.4
Scenery9.9
Road quality8.2
Traffic (higher is quieter)5.4
Grand touring8.6
Sports car8.2
Classic car8.8
Convertible9.9
The journey
Route highlights
Start
Sorrento
Espresso on Piazza Tasso before the town wakes
Viewpoint
Colli di San Pietro
First proper look down the coast
Photo Spot
Positano Overlook
The postcard, best in early light
Coffee
Praiano
Quiet terrace, no coach parking
Historic Village
Amalfi
Cathedral steps and paper mills
Detour
Ravello
Climb inland for gardens and cooler air
Finish
Vietri sul Mare
Ceramics and a calm harbour lunch
The full guide
Driving the The Amalfi Coast Road, stage by stage
The SS163 is narrow, busy and absurdly beautiful. Driven at the right hour it is still one of the great coastal roads, and here is how to get that hour.
Everything written about the Amalfi Coast road is true. It is too narrow for the buses that use it, too busy in season and lined with drivers who fold their mirrors in as a matter of habit. It is also carved into a cliff above the Tyrrhenian Sea and there is nothing else quite like it.
The trick is time of day. Between five and eight in the morning the SS163 belongs to you, the light is soft and low, and the road becomes the drive people imagine when they book the trip.
- Road
- SS163 Amalfitana
- Length
- 50 km
- Open
- All year
- Tolls
- None, restricted zones apply
- Best hours
- Before 08:00 and after 19:00
Stage 2
Amalfi to Positano
The famous section
The postcard stretch, with Praiano and the Fiordo di Furore bridge in between. It is also the most congested. Do this part before eight or after seven in the evening.
Stage 3
Positano to Sorrento
Over the ridge
The road climbs away from the coast and crosses the peninsula. Faster, greener and a useful escape when the coastal section gridlocks.
Stage 4
The Ravello detour
Seven km of switchbacks
A steep climb inland to the best terrace views on the coast. Well worth the parking hassle.
Planning notes
What drivers ask about the The Amalfi Coast Road
What is the best time of day to drive the Amalfi Coast?
Before eight in the morning or after seven in the evening. Between ten and five in summer the road is effectively a queue.
Are there driving restrictions?
Yes. In peak summer an alternating plate system restricts access on certain days, and several towns have restricted traffic zones. Check the current rules before you set off and note that fines arrive by post months later.
Is a large car a problem?
Anything wider than about 1.9 metres will be uncomfortable. The passing points are tight and the coaches will not move for you.
Where should you park?
Use hotel parking wherever possible and book it with the room. Public parking in Amalfi and Positano is expensive and full by mid morning.
Guide last reviewed August 2026 by the Drivers Atlas road team.
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