French Riviera or Amalfi Coast?

Two beautiful coastlines. A more useful question than “which is prettier”: which one will produce the holiday you actually want?

The real difference: a railway spine versus a coastal road

On the French Riviera, TER regional trains link Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Villefranche, Monaco and Menton. SNCF currently shows about 35 minutes between Nice and Cannes and 10 minutes between Antibes and Cannes. That lets you change your mind after breakfast without rebuilding the day.

On the Amalfi Coast, Travelmar links Salerno, Vietri, Cetara, Maiori, Minori, Atrani, Amalfi, Praiano and Positano by ferry. From Rome or Naples, Travelmar itself suggests reaching Salerno by train, then continuing by sea. The SS163 is beautiful and heavily used in season.

If you have 3 days

If you have 5 days

Riviera advantage for variety. Nice can remain the base while you alternate city, art, village and sea. On Amalfi, the base matters more: Salerno, Amalfi, Positano and Sorrento each mean different logistics.

If you have 7 days

Both become convincing. The Riviera tolerates a single base very well. Amalfi rewards planning the order of your days carefully if you want to avoid too much waiting for the right boat or bus.

Beaches and swimming

Art, museums and cities

Riviera advantage. Nice, Antibes, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Biot and Monaco create a much denser art-and-city trip if Matisse, Picasso, Léger, Fondation Maeght or Belle Époque architecture matter.

Pure romance

Amalfi advantage if your mental image is specifically Positano, Ravello and cliffs. There is no prize for choosing the Riviera because it is more practical when what you have wanted for ten years is a terrace in Positano.

Which is easier to book late?

Riviera. More rail-connected towns mean more credible plan Bs.

Which trip fits you?