13 tips for a chic, effortless Amalfi Coast trip—without the crowds
The Amalfi Coast and Capri are undeniably stunning—dramatic cliffs, turquoise waters, and sun-drenched piazzas straight out of a dream. But without thoughtful planning, your trip can quickly turn into a chaotic and crowded experience. This isn’t the place to show up and wing it. If you’re someone who’s willing to spend a little more to travel comfortably—booking the private boat, reserving the beach club lounger, or avoiding peak-hour ferry lines—this guide is for you. These 13 tips will help you experience the Amalfi Coast and Capri in a way that feels elevated, effortless, and (mostly) crowd-free.
Budget: If you’re willing to spend a little more for comfort, privacy, and ease, the following advice will really resonate with you. The reality is, the more you spend, the more “effortless” and crowd-free your trip will feel. We traveled in July—peak season—and never felt overwhelmed by the crowds.
Where to stay: We chose to stay in Positano because that’s where all the restaurants I wanted to try were located. As a steadfast rule, I always say: stay where you want to eat. If most of the restaurants you’re eyeing in Paris are just north of Le Marais, stay in that area. If you’re heading to the Amalfi Coast and plan to dine in Positano most nights, stay there. While the decision was simple for us, it’s not always that straightforward—it can be a more nuanced choice depending on your priorities. Check out my blog, Where to stay on the Amalfi Coast, Italy, for more on this.
Transportation: We avoided public buses and ferries for the most part, as this is one place where you’ll really feel the crush of the crowds. Instead, we opted for private transportation whenever possible. I know private tour options are always way more expensive, but if you can swing it, they’re worth it. Booking private often enables you to customize your experience—and avoid crowds entirely. We only took the ferry once during our 10-day trip—and when we did, our hotel guided us through the entire process to ensure everything felt smooth and stress-free.
Avoid Positano and Amalfi in the middle of the day: If you want to steer clear of the crowds, skip visiting Positano or Amalfi during peak daytime hours. Instead, go early in the morning or later in the evening. Since we stayed in Positano, we explored before and after dinner, when the streets were quiet. During our private Vespa tour, we arrived in Amalfi early in the morning and avoided the crush of tourists.
Book everything ahead of time—and do it early: We booked our flights for our July trip in January, and that same month, we also secured our hotels, activities, transportation, beach clubs, and restaurant reservations. Some things weren’t available to book yet, but I still reached out to get on their radar, so that I was ready when bookings opened. The Amalfi Coast is a highly sought-after destination, so if you want the best options, book as early as you can.
Triple check every reservation: Nearly every reservation I made was through calls, emails, or WhatsApp. To ensure their records matched mine, I booked most things in January and followed up again in May to confirm everything—and sometimes again just a few days before. It’s worth the extra step.
Luggage: The Amalfi Coast is 100% vertical—meaning, lots of stairs. I’m not someone who can travel carry-on only, especially with the strict weight limits on European airlines (e.g., 18 lbs on Lufthansa). To avoid lugging heavy bags through the heat and crowds, we booked a hotel close to the main road in Positano. When it was time to leave via private boat, we hired a luggage porter to bring our bags to the port. The hotel owner recommended Positano Luggage (+39 331 229 0636), and they were great. Just WhatsApp them with details, and for €15 per bag, they'll handle the haul.
Book taxis ahead of time: We arrived in Capri with all our luggage after a full-day private boat ride. Rather than wait in the heat for a taxi, I messaged five taxi drivers via WhatsApp before our trip. One responded with a fair price and met us at the dock, helping with our bags, and driving us straight to our hotel. Totally worth it. This also helped when we arrived at the Naples airport, which was chaotic when we landed. Having a driver greet us with a sign, made everything seamless.
Let your hotel help with ferry logistics: If it’s your first time taking a ferry in Italy, choose a hotel that offers complimentary transfers to and from the port. Ferry terminals are hectic, signage is minimal, and docks can change without notice. Having the hotel staff guide us through it at the ferry port made a huge difference; they literally stayed with us until we boarded the ferry.
Don’t combine transportation with your tour (if you can help it): I learned this the hard way. I booked a private boat tour to Capri that also doubled as our transportation from Positano. Big mistake. The captain was 30 minutes late, and it took nearly two hours just to get to Capri due to choppy seas and a slower boat. That delay cut significantly into our time to actually enjoy Capri. In hindsight, I would have taken a private water taxi over in the morning, settled in, and booked the boat tour for another day once we were already on the island. Keeping your transportation and tours separate—when possible—gives you far more time to enjoy the tour.
Always choose the restaurant for your private tours: I know it takes a bit more effort, but every time we didn’t choose the restaurant ourselves, it ended up being a tourist trap.
Plan your outfits (yes, really): I started planning outfits two months in advance and added photos of each look to our itinerary. It made packing and getting dressed during the trip effortless, especially on busy days when decision fatigue was real.
You don’t need a whole new wardrobe: I know, I splurged on clothes too. But the truth is, by the end of full, fun, and hot days, I wanted simple and comfy outfits for dinner. Mix-and-match staples won out over unique statement pieces more than I expected.