How to get around Campania

Campania works best when the itinerary follows its transport corridors rather than a list of scattered landmarks.

The easy spine

National and regional trains link Naples, Caserta and Salerno. EAV’s Naples–Sorrento line serves the Vesuvian corridor, including Herculaneum and Pompei, while other EAV lines cover the Phlegraean area. Tickets may be operator-specific or integrated; buy the right product, activate it as required and do not assume one app covers every boat or private service.

Coasts and islands

SITA buses connect Salerno, Amalfi Coast towns and Sorrento-area communities. Scheduled boats can be the clearest coastal option when seas and seasonal timetables allow. Ferries and hydrofoils link Naples and other mainland ports with Capri, Ischia and Procida. Recheck the operator timetable close to travel: services change by season and weather.

Where a car helps

A car is useful for Irpinia, Sannio, inland Cilento, rural wineries and combinations that cross mountain ridges. It is a poor tool in central Naples, on Capri, and for a peak-season circuit of the Amalfi Coast. ZTL cameras, limited parking and narrow roads can turn a short map distance into the hardest part of the day.

Plan by base

• Naples: city, Caserta, the Phlegraean Fields and Vesuvian archaeology.
• Salerno: the eastern Amalfi Coast, Paestum and the gateway to Cilento.
• Sorrento: the peninsula, the western Amalfi Coast and island connections.
• Inland base: rent a car and keep daily routes within one valley or mountain area.

How easily, and at what cost, can you combine the region’s main destinations?

Cost compares the options for each route rather than quoting a fare: inexpensive means the price is not a factor in planning, moderate cost means a real line in the budget, and the expensive option is one worth weighing against the alternative. Fares change from year to year; the ranking between them does not.

Tickets and validation

UnicoCampania integrates many bus and rail products, but not every journey in the region uses the same fare or sales channel. EAV offers app, QR-code and contactless options on selected rail and metro gates. SITA uses the regional tariff system and also sells a 24-hour CostieraSITA product for its participating coastal routes. Read the conditions, activate or validate as instructed, and keep the ticket until the journey ends.

Rail choices

Trenitalia handles the national and much of the regional spine. EAV handles the Naples–Sorrento, Cumana, Circumflegrea and other local lines. Campania Express is a reserved-seat visitor service on the Vesuvian corridor, but the ordinary local service remains the flexible option. Check accessibility for the exact station; older stations and trains do not all offer the same step-free route.

Buses and boats

SITA publishes routes through the Amalfi Coast and between Salerno, Naples and inland points. Timetables distinguish school days, holidays and seasonal periods. Travelmar publishes coastal boat schedules and 2026 fares; other operators cover islands and different ports. A boat ticket is not a guarantee against weather cancellation, so avoid a tight connection to a flight or long-distance train.

Driving

Use a car to connect villages, wineries, mountain parks and inland archaeological sites. Avoid driving into signed ZTLs, confirm parking with the accommodation, and keep luggage out of sight only while moving—not stored in a parked car. On coast roads, distance is a poor estimate of time. Do not plan several cross-region drives simply because the map looks compact.