A lovely sunny day, not too warm so just right for what we have in mind. Having decided that co-ordinating the very infrequent bus service to the campsite was not going to work we ventured the short distance in the van into Salerno. Having selected a large car park by the station as suitable for daytime camper parking on Park4Night I was fairly confident, even when confronted with the chaos that ensued once we arrived in Salerno.

However this confidence was short lived as we approached said carpark and I could see that it was pretty chocablock and even though we are only 6m most car parking spaces are not doable unless there is space behind to overhang a bit. I didn’t risk it and carried on towards the seafront in search of something more suitable. Unfortunately everywhere was heaving with double parking an interesting feature of italian parking, on the premise that by sticking your hazard lights on all will be fine!

At a complete loss and in fact just looking for somewhere to pull over and research alternatives when I spied a motorhome Aire and pulled in on the off chance. It was next to and run by a vehicle recovery yard and they were quite happy for my to park in the secure area for the daily charge of 10 euros (this was actually the overnight price which was fair and I would have stayed if I were not already paying for my camping spot up the road).

By now time was running a little tight for us to catch the 11.40 ferry and so we set off at a pace to Piazza Concordia, the ferry terminal, passing the ruins of Salerno castle and enjoying views back across the city from the marina….

We made it just as the ferry was boarding and enjoyed the coastal journey passing the picturesque villages of Vietri sul Mare, with it’s hilltop Cross, Cetara and hillside Ravello….

Before arriving at our destination – Amalfi….

The village was very busy on this fine sunny day and firstly we walked away from the crowds to get a coastal view of Tovere San Pietro, take in the small beach and look back across the village over the marina….

Stealing our selves for the hustle and bustle we ventured into the village, through the main Piazza and up the narrow streets to Amalfi Cathedral….

As is often the case, by veering away from the main streets and choosing to wander along the back streets and alleys, we can get more of a feel of the place without the company of the crowds….

Having our fill, we headed back down to the coast at the opposite end of the village, admired the first (of many as it transpires) ‘Tree of Life’ bronze sculpture overlooking the crystal clear Amalfi waters and views back across the village….

Walking roadside along the very narrow and twisty road that feeds all the villages on this coast and one that I would not wish to drive in any form of vehicle unless guaranteed a right of way – albeit and probably part of the problem, as it is used by buses and coaches as well as cars and strings of motorcyclists and cyclists alike. A short time later the footpath left the road and we started our descent into Altrani….

This village is much smaller and quieter than it’s neighbour and we spent a while mooching around the streets and sitting on the sea front enjoying the sun and just watching the world go by and being….

Rather than dice with death on the roadside and progress any further we opted to use the pedestrian tunnel which connects Altrani and Amalfi and head back to the port….

We toyed with the idea of continuing further along the coast to attempt to visit Positano but the next ferry wasn’t until after 4 and the bus queues were horrendous so for us, Positano will remain unvisited! Instead for an alternative perspective we opted to catch the bus back to Salerno and were lucky enough to get one of the last seats using the bus ticket that we had purchased in Sorrento.

The bus journey was interesting as it crawled its way stopping and starting to allow traffic to pass along the narrow road but we got some lovely glimpses of many of the other villages – Minori, Maiori and it’s sea fort, Erchie with it’s beach and sea fort….

And extensive views of the much larger Vietri sul Mare and coastal Salerno beyond….

The mile or so walk back to the van was taken at a much more leisurely pace along the sea front in Salerno and our return journey was much more straight forward with us being back and settled on site in time to catch the rather spectacular sunset across the bay to the Amalfi coast where we have spent the day….

At the risk of sounding controversial and though we enjoyed our visit to the Amalfi Coast, I think Cinque Terre was prettier and more dramatic.

Today’s stats:

• Miles driven – 18
• Miles walked – 6
• Beaches – 3
• Car park – £8.47
• Ferry – £14.40
• O/N – £21.00