Where to Stay in Positano
In Positano, where you stay is really a question of how many steps you are willing to climb, and where your days out start. For an Amalfi and Ravello tour from Positano with a pickup at your door, a room the road reaches is worth more than a sea view.
Positano is a staircase, so pick your level
The town falls from the coast road to the beach in terraces, and every level trades something. Low down you are close to the pier and the beach and a long way from the bus; high up you are close to the bus and the road and a long climb from the sea. Decide which you will cross more often.
Near Spiaggia Grande
For: boat days from Spiaggia Grande, the beach and evenings in the lanes. Trade-off: the most steps to the bus and the road, and the busiest area in summer. Tip: book a porter for your luggage, since cars cannot reach most of it.
Fornillo and the western side
For: a quieter stay near Fornillo, a smaller beach, linked to the main beach by the cliff path. Trade-off: a walk to the pier each boat morning. Tip: check how far your door is from the loop road.
Chiesa Nuova and the top of town
For: the SITA bus, taxis and early Pompeii pickups. Trade-off: a long walk down to the beach and back up again. Tip: the local bus loops the town road if the climb is too much.
Montepertuso and Nocelle
For: views, silence and, from Nocelle, the Path of the Gods on your doorstep. Trade-off: the local bus or the long stairway every time you want the sea. Tip: suits walkers more than beach days.
Luggage, arrival and the stairs
The day you arrive and the day you leave are when the steps hurt most. Before you book, ask the hotel three things: how far the door is from the nearest road, whether a car can stop there, and whether they arrange porters. A private transfer from Naples can usually stop on the loop road, and porters meet the bus stops and the pier to carry cases down the lanes for a fee agreed in advance. If you arrive by ferry you land at the foot of the town, which is easy for a hotel near the beach and a long climb for one near the top. Travel light if you can: a small case you can carry up forty steps is worth more here than an extra outfit.
The tourist tax
Positano charges an imposta di soggiorno from 1 April to 31 October, per person per night, set by the class of your accommodation. Children under ten are exempt.
| Where you stay | Per person, per night |
|---|---|
| Five-star hotel | €5.00 |
| Four-star hotel | €4.00 |
| Three-star hotel | €3.00 |
| Everything else, from B&Bs to holiday apartments | €2.50 |
Basing yourself outside Positano
Praiano, the next town east, is a short drive along the coast road and usually quieter. Sorrento, on the other side of the peninsula, has the railway and is where many Capri boats and Pompeii days start. Naples puts you at the airport and the stations, with the coach days that run all year. Each works if you accept a bus or boat ride to Positano itself.
Which base for which tour
| If your tours are… | Stay in |
|---|---|
| Coast boats from Positano | Positano, near Spiaggia Grande |
| Capri boats from Positano's pier | Positano, near Spiaggia Grande |
| Pompeii days with hotel pickup | Anywhere in Positano the road reaches |
| Capri and Pompeii days that start in Sorrento | Sorrento |
| Coach days that start in Naples | Naples |
The boat days that board on the beach are on Positano boat tours, the island days on Capri tours from Positano, and the road days with hotel pickup on Pompeii tours from Positano. Each card says exactly where its day begins, so check it against the address of the room you are about to book.
Booked your room?
Now check which tours start closest to it: every card says where the day begins.
Next: work out arrival on how to get to Positano, or compare every tour on Positano Tours.