Discover boutique hotels in the Amalfi Coast, Italy

When to go

The coast road can be crammed with coaches in the summertime, but the pay-off is the palpable buzz in the air during this time of year. March–May and September–October are quieter periods, and often the weather is still good. Winter can be romantic, although some hotels are closed in the low season.

Getting there

• Planes

  British Airways, BMI, EasyJet and Alitalia all fly into Naples airport.

• Boats

  In high season, you can catch one of the regular hydrofoils to Positano from Naples in high season. There are two harbours: Beverello harbour, just steps away from Piazza Municipio, or Mergellina harbour, 300 metres from the railway station of the same name. A travel tip: if you're lugging large cases you'll need to buy a ticket for each piece of baggage beforehand and present it when you board. See www.metrodelmare.com for more info.

• Trains

  A wide range of rail links lead from Naples to an assortment of destinations in Italy, including useful Amalfi Coast gateways such as Salerno and Sorrento.

• Automobiles

  Car rental is a sensible option for travelling from Naples to the Amalfi Coast and exploring the coastline's winding roads. Avis has a branch at the airport (www.avis.com). Praiano is a two-hour drive away.

• Taxis

  Hotels can organise a road or boat taxi for you depending on your destination. For the return journey, either go down to the village dock, where there's usually a boat taxi stand awaiting your custom, or call the hotel to arrange a return by road. In Positano, the road taxi rank is at the top of the village, the boat taxi down at the right hand side of the dock. Boat taxi's aren't an option in inland Ravello – the road taxi rank is right in the centre.