# Lemons, temples and Saracen towers – by motorhome from Naples via Sorrento and Paestum into the Cilento > 7-day road trip of about 273 km (170 mi) with 14 stops, from Naples to Padula. About 3 h 47 min of driving in total. Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/rf-022-amalfi-coast-cilento/ **At a glance:** 7-day road trip of about 273 km (170 mi) with 14 stops, from Naples to Padula. About 3 h 47 min of driving in total. Around 390 km from Vesuvius across the Sorrento Peninsula and Agerola, high above the Amalfi Coast, to the temples of Paestum and down the Cilento coast to the Certosa di Padula – a journey on which the motorhome parks sensibly and ferries, local buses and hiking boots take over the narrowest road in Italy. | | | |---|---| | Distance | 273 km (170 mi) | | Driving | 3 h 47 min | | Suggested days | 7 | | Stops | 14 | | Route | Naples → Padula | | Countries | Italy | | Updated | April 29, 2026 | *Around 390 km from Vesuvius across the Sorrento Peninsula and Agerola, high above the Amalfi Coast, to the temples of Paestum and down the Cilento coast to the Certosa di Padula – a journey on which the motorhome parks sensibly and ferries, local buses and hiking boots take over the narrowest road in Italy.* ## The spirit of the route This route begins in the noise of Naples and ends in the silence of a Carthusian monastery. In between lie Pompeii's paving stones with the ruts of Roman carts, lemon groves under black netting, terraces glued to sheer limestone walls and the Tyrrhenian Sea in every shade of blue. You experience the Amalfi Coast from the ferry deck and the Path of the Gods, not from behind the wheel – and that is its charm. From the sliding door in Agerola you see the lights of Positano far below in the evening. Beyond Salerno the land opens out and grows quieter: buffalo pastures, three Doric temples in the evening light, then the Cilento with olive groves, watchtowers against the Saracens, fishing villages and bays reached on foot or by boat. Travel slowly here and you eat fresh mozzarella for breakfast and anchovies from Pisciotta for dinner. ## Stage-by-stage plan ### Stage 1: Naples to Pompeii (approx. 25 km) - **The drive:** Not through the city but around it: from the A1 or the Tangenziale di Napoli (toll road) onto the A3 Napoli–Salerno, past Vesuvius via Ercolano and Torre Annunziata to the Pompei Scavi exit. The motorway is narrow, busy and has short merging lanes; allow about 30 minutes without traffic, considerably longer at rush hour. You visit Naples' old town by Circumvesuviana train, or by train from the campsite. - **Highlights & must-sees:** - Excavations of Pompeii: Forum, Stabian Baths, Villa dei Misteri – allow at least half a day and start early in the morning. - Herculaneum (Ercolano): smaller, with better-preserved wooden beams and upper floors, about 20 minutes from Pompei Scavi by Circumvesuviana. - Naples' Centro Storico with Spaccanapoli and the National Archaeological Museum, which displays the mosaics and frescoes from Pompeii. - **Official campsite or RV park:** Camping Zeus on Via Villa dei Misteri, a few metres from the entrance to the excavations and the Circumvesuviana station Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri: shaded pitches under citrus trees, electricity, sanitary facilities, service point for filling and emptying, usually open all year. Camping Spartacus (Via Plinio) also lies right by the excavations. Both sites are the most practical base for Pompeii, Herculaneum and day trips to Naples. - **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Around Naples free camping is not an option: there is a risk of break-ins, plus car park operators and checks at all the sights. The guarded car parks around the excavations take motorhomes during the day for a fee; for overnight stays use the campsites. - **Insider tip for campers:** Pompeii sells personalised tickets, a daily limit of 20,000 visitors applies, and in high season a time slot as well – book online in advance and bring photo ID. The centre of Naples is divided into several camera-monitored ZTL zones; you should avoid the city with a motorhome anyway. Sort out water and the cassette at the campsite before moving on: there are hardly any public service points on the Sorrento Peninsula. ### Stage 2: Pompeii to Sorrento (approx. 25 km) - **The drive:** On the A3 to Castellammare di Stabia, then on the SS145 Sorrentina through the Galleria Pozzano and along the cliff edge via Vico Equense, Seiano and Meta to Sorrento. The road is wide enough but winding, with tunnels, village streets and lots of scooter and bus traffic; in summer allow an hour or more. Beyond Sorrento the Via del Capo runs narrow to the campsites. - **Highlights & must-sees:** - The view from the Villa Comunale in Sorrento across the gulf to Vesuvius, with the bathing jetties of Marina Grande below. - Bagni della Regina Giovanna: rock pools with the remains of a Roman villa at Punta del Capo, reachable on foot from the campsite. - Vallone dei Mulini: the overgrown mill gorge in the middle of the town. - **Official campsite or RV park:** Two campsites west of the centre on the Via del Capo: International Camping Nube d’Argento, about 1 km from the centre, and Villaggio Campeggio Santa Fortunata with terraces down to the sea and its own bathing area. Both have electricity, sanitary facilities and waste disposal; the terraced pitches are in part tight and steep to approach, so large motorhomes should announce themselves beforehand. Season usually spring to autumn. - **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** On the Sorrento Peninsula, staying overnight outside campsites is practically out of the question: parking is scarce and expensive, car parks have height barriers, and municipalities such as Sorrento and Massa Lubrense take action with fines against camping behaviour. Book the campsite in advance. - **Insider tip for campers:** In season, ferries and hydrofoils run from Sorrento to Positano and Amalfi and to Capri – this is the most relaxed way to reach the Amalfi Coast. Individual municipalities on the peninsula also restrict traffic on local roads in season; the SS145 itself serves as a through road, but still heed the signs. Sorrento's centre with the Corso Italia is a camera-monitored ZTL in season (2026: 1 April to 25 October) in the evening and at night (7:30 pm to 4 am, on public holidays also in the morning). ### Stage 3: Sorrento to Agerola (approx. 45 km) - **The drive:** Back on the SS145 as far as Castellammare, then on the SS366 via Gragnano and Pimonte in tight hairpins through chestnut woods up to the Agerola plateau (a good 600 m). The road is narrow and tight in the village streets of Gragnano and Pimonte, but without the cliff sections of the SS163. About 1.5 hours. - **Highlights & must-sees:** - Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods) from Bomerano to Nocelle above Positano: about 8 km, 3 to 4 hours, with views of Praiano, Positano and Capri; return by bus. - Amalfi with its cathedral and the Paper Mill Museum, by local bus from Agerola down to the coast. - Ravello: Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone with the Terrazza dell’Infinito, by bus from Amalfi. - **Official campsite or RV park:** Campeggio Ostello Beata Solitudo on the piazza in Agerola-San Lazzaro: a small, simple site with a hostel and terraced, shaded grass fields, sanitary facilities and electricity, suitable for panel vans and compact motorhomes. Be sure to phone beforehand and state your vehicle length. Buses run from here down to Amalfi, with connections there to Positano and Ravello. - **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** In Agerola and at the hiking car parks in Bomerano, staying overnight outside the campsite is not permitted; in summer the car parks are full of hikers. On the Amalfi Coast itself there is no way to leave a motorhome overnight legally. - **Insider tip for campers:** The Amalfi Coast stays off limits for your motorhome: ANAS ordinance 337/2019 restricts driving on the SS163 for motorhomes, caravan combinations, long buses and lorries – for motorhomes daily from 6:30 a.m. to midnight, regardless of length; violations are checked and penalised. For cars, the “targhe alterne” (alternating number plates) also apply in 2026 between Vietri and Positano (10 am to 6 pm; daily at Easter and around 25 April/1 May, in August and September; at weekends and on public holidays in June, July and October). So: leave the camper behind, use SITA buses and ferries, and buy tickets before boarding. Allow a buffer day, because the buses are full in summer. ### Stage 4: Agerola to Paestum via Salerno (approx. 100 km) - **The drive:** The SS366 back to Castellammare, then along the A3 past Pompeii and Nocera to Salerno – the inland bypass of the Amalfi Coast. From Salerno take the coastal road (Litoranea) through pine woods and buffalo pastures along the coast to Paestum, or the quicker SS18. About 2 hours, flat and relaxed after Salerno. - **Highlights & must-sees:** - Salerno: the Lungomare Trieste and the Cathedral of San Matteo with its crypt, plus the Giardino della Minerva, a medieval medicinal herb garden. - Vietri sul Mare with its ceramics shops and the tiled dome of San Giovanni Battista. - The three Doric temples of Paestum and the museum with the Tomba del Tuffatore. - **Official campsite or RV park:** Several sites lie by the sea at Paestum-Licinella: campsites such as Camping Villaggio dei Pini plus several motorhome parks near the beach. Electricity, sanitary facilities and service points are standard; many sites close in late autumn, some stay open longer – check the season in advance. - **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** On the pine strip between Salerno and Paestum, wild overnighting on the coast is monitored in season, and many beach access roads carry prohibition signs. The car park at the Paestum archaeological area admits motorhomes for a fee – for parking, not for camping. - **Insider tip for campers:** Salerno is (seasonally, roughly April to October) the ferry port for Amalfi and Positano if you did not visit the coast from Agerola. The centre is ZTL; motorhomes are best left on designated parking areas outside the centre – check the current situation in the apps. The combined ticket for the Parco Archeologico di Paestum e Velia includes Velia, which lies on stage 6. Buy mozzarella di bufala directly from the caseifici along the SS18, ideally in the morning. ### Stage 5: Paestum to Castellabate (approx. 30 km) - **The drive:** Via Agropoli, past the harbour and old town, then on the coastal road SS267 in bends up to Santa Maria di Castellabate and on to the Borgo on the hill. Well built, but tight in the town centres; here the coast lies within the Cilento National Park. About 45 minutes. - **Highlights & must-sees:** - Old town of Agropoli with the Aragonese castle and a view across the Bay of Trentova. - Borgo Castellabate with the Belvedere San Costabile and the Castello dell’Abate. - Hike to Punta Licosa from San Marco di Castellabate: pine woods, rocky coast and a view of the small island. - **Official campsite or RV park:** Around Santa Maria di Castellabate and Ogliastro Marina there are several aree di sosta and small campsites, mostly with electricity, showers and waste disposal, season mainly spring to autumn. Reserve in July and August. - **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** In the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park the park authority regulates camping – ask the park or the municipality beforehand about anything outside designated sites; many coastal municipalities issue ordinances in summer against overnighting in beach car parks. Outside high season, overnighting without camping behaviour is tolerated in some car parks – only where there is no prohibition sign, and without chairs or awning. - **Insider tip for campers:** In Agropoli you can shop, refuel and fill up with water before the coastal stages further south. The old-town lanes of Castellabate are closed to vehicles, so park below on the designated areas. You can reach Punta Licosa on foot or by boat; vehicle access from Ogliastro Marina is restricted. ### Stage 6: Castellabate to Palinuro (approx. 70 km) - **The drive:** The SS267 along the coast via San Marco, Acciaroli and Pioppi, past Velia at Marina di Ascea, then via Pisciotta – winding, with views, tight in the villages. Finally on the SS447 over the cape to Palinuro. About 1.5 hours of pure driving time, slow at the beaches in summer. - **Highlights & must-sees:** - Pioppi with the Museo vivente della Dieta Mediterranea in the Palazzo Vinciprova – this is where Ancel Keys researched the Mediterranean diet. - Excavations of Velia (Elea) with the Porta Rosa, one of the oldest surviving round-arched gates in Italy. - Arco Naturale on the beach at Palinuro and a boat trip to the Grotta Azzurra at the cape. - **Official campsite or RV park:** Around Palinuro, besides holiday villages, there are several campsites and aree di sosta with electricity, sanitary facilities and service points, some of them on the Molpa bay. Most open only from spring to autumn – out of season, phone beforehand. - **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** At the cape of Palinuro and on the bays of the Molpa, parking and overnight bans apply that are rigorously enforced in season. The pitches are cheap enough to make switching to them worthwhile. - **Insider tip for campers:** The road through Pisciotta is tight, and there is no room to turn in the old town – drive through, don't turn in. Anchovies (“alici di menaica”) from Pisciotta are served in the trattorias at the harbour of Marina di Pisciotta. Book boat trips in Palinuro at the harbour and set off in the morning, before the wind picks up. ### Stage 7: Palinuro to Padula (Certosa di San Lorenzo) (approx. 90 km) - **The drive:** On the SS562 to Marina di Camerota and on via San Giovanni a Piro in bends to the coast at Policastro Bussentino, then on the SS517 Bussentina up through the Bussento valley into the Vallo di Diano and to Padula. Winding at first, well built from the Bussentina onwards. About 1.5 to 2 hours; if you like, drive home from Padula on the toll-free A2. - **Highlights & must-sees:** - Marina di Camerota and the hike or boat trip to the Baia degli Infreschi in the Costa degli Infreschi e della Masseta marine protected area. - Certosa di San Lorenzo in Padula (UNESCO World Heritage Site): one of the largest Carthusian monasteries in Europe, with a huge cloister. - Grotte di Pertosa-Auletta at the northern end of the Vallo di Diano, with a boat trip on the underground river. - **Official campsite or RV park:** Near the Certosa there is an area di sosta for motorhomes that is fine for one night; check the current situation and fees in the apps. Agrisosta sites in the area offer more comfort. Near Marina di Camerota there are numerous campsites, many of them open only from June to September. - **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** In the Vallo di Diano the situation is more relaxed than on the coast; quiet car parks without a prohibition sign are mostly tolerated for overnighting without camping behaviour. On the coast near Marina di Camerota the usual bans apply in season. - **Insider tip for campers:** You reach the Baia degli Infreschi by boat from the harbour of Marina di Camerota or on foot along a coastal path from Lentiscelle (about 5 km each way); take water and sun protection, as there is hardly any shade. Access to the bay is limited in number of visitors in season – check the rules and booking beforehand. The A2 Salerno–Reggio Calabria is toll-free. ## Camping practice & local rules ### Wild camping & overnight parking - Italian law (Codice della Strada, Art. 185) distinguishes parking (“sosta”) from camping (“campeggio”): a motorhome may stand, and also stay overnight, wherever parking is allowed, provided it touches the ground only with its wheels. Chairs, tables, awnings, supports, wedges and drained grey water are forbidden. - In Campania, municipal ordinances restrict this in many places: on the Amalfi Coast and the Sorrento Peninsula there is practically no legal place to stay overnight outside campsites, and in summer numerous Cilento municipalities issue bans for beach car parks. Fines in the three-digit range and towing are possible. - In the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park and in the marine protected areas (Santa Maria di Castellabate, Costa degli Infreschi e della Masseta) the protected-area authorities set their own rules; do not camp outside designated sites on a hunch, ask the park or the municipality beforehand. - Aree di sosta and agricampeggi are numerous in the Cilento but often close from October to Easter. Useful apps: park4night, CamperOnline (in Italian, with up-to-date user reports) and Campercontact. ### Waste disposal & supplies - Filling and emptying is called “camper service” or “carico e scarico”. On the Amalfi Coast and the Sorrento Peninsula it is available only at campsites; in the Cilento most aree attrezzate have a service point. - Empty grey water and the cassette only at the service point; wild dumping is a main reason for new motorhome bans in coastal municipalities. - Tap water is mostly drinkable, but look for “acqua potabile”. In high summer there may be water restrictions in small Cilento towns – fill the tank before the coastal stages. - Gas: German exchange cylinders are not exchanged in Italy. You fill refillable cylinders and gas tanks at GPL filling stations with the Italian adapter; often only the staff do the filling. Arrive with two full cylinders. ### Vehicle size & traffic rules - Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t 90 km/h outside built-up areas, 110 km/h on expressways and 130 km/h on the motorway; over 3.5 t 80 km/h outside built-up areas and 100 km/h on the motorway. Caravan combinations: 70 km/h outside built-up areas, 80 km/h on the motorway. Outside built-up areas dipped headlights are required during the day too. - SS163 Amalfitana: under ANAS ordinance 337/2019, a driving ban applies to motorhomes and caravan combinations daily from 6:30 a.m. to midnight, regardless of length; for cars, “targhe alterne” also apply in 2026 (ordinance 340/2019; 10 am to 6 pm, Vietri–Positano, until the end of October; on even-numbered days no even final digits, on odd-numbered days no odd ones). What counts is the last digit of the number plate, also for foreign vehicles. Rules change every year – check with ANAS and the municipalities before the trip. - ZTL (Zona a Traffico Limitato) with camera monitoring exists in Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, Salerno and Agropoli; fines arrive by post, often months later. Some places on the Sorrento Peninsula also restrict local traffic in season. - Tolls: the A3 Napoli–Salerno and the Tangenziale di Napoli are toll roads, while the A2 south of Salerno is toll-free. The ferries between Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Salerno carry only passengers, not vehicles, and run seasonally (roughly April to October). - If a load projects beyond the rear, such as bicycles on a rear carrier, the red-and-white warning board (50 × 50 cm) is compulsory. Alcohol limit 0.5, for novice and professional drivers 0.0; mobile phone at the wheel only with a hands-free kit. From 15 November to 15 April, winter equipment may be required on mountain stretches such as in the Vallo di Diano – heed the signs. ## CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist - Hiking boots with a grippy sole – the Path of the Gods, Punta Licosa and the coastal path to the Baia degli Infreschi are stony and the steps are worn. - Printed bookings and a bus-ticket app for the SITA lines and ferries: on the Amalfi Coast bus and boat replace the motorhome, and tickets are not always available on board. - Levelling ramps of step 2–3 for the terraced pitches in Sorrento and the sloping sites in the Cilento. - Red-and-white warning board to the Italian standard for rear carriers or projecting boxes. - Italian gas adapter for GPL filling stations, plus two full cylinders on entry. - Snorkel and mask as well as water shoes – the pebble and rock bays between Palinuro and Marina di Camerota are clear but stony. _As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go._ ## Stop-by-stop itinerary 1. **Naples** (Italy) 2. **Pompei** (Italy) 3. **Sorrento** (Italy) 4. **Positano** (Positano, Italy): A vertical town of pastel houses above a beach on the Amalfi Coast. Parking is scarce and expensive; arrive early or by boat. 5. **Agerola** (Italy) 6. **Amalfi** (Italy) 7. **Ravello** (Italy) 8. **Salerno** (Italy) 9. **Paestum** (Italy) 10. **Agropoli** (Italy) 11. **Castellabate** (Italy) 12. **Palinuro** (Italy) 13. **Marina di Camerota** (Italy) 14. **Padula** (Italy) ## FAQs **How long is Lemons, temples and Saracen towers – by motorhome from Naples via Sorrento and Paestum into the Cilento?** 7-day road trip of about 273 km (170 mi) with 14 stops, from Naples to Padula. About 3 h 47 min of driving in total. **How many days do you need for Lemons, temples and Saracen towers – by motorhome from Naples via Sorrento and Paestum into the Cilento?** We suggest 7 days: about 3 h 47 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops. **Where does Lemons, temples and Saracen towers – by motorhome from Naples via Sorrento and Paestum into the Cilento start and end?** It starts in Naples and ends in Padula. **Which countries does Lemons, temples and Saracen towers – by motorhome from Naples via Sorrento and Paestum into the Cilento pass through?** Italy.