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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Salerno
Spend 1–2 days in Salerno as a coastal base; use it to see the old town, Arechi Castle and hop to the Amalfi Coast or Paestum.
Salerno is a midsize port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea with a compact historic centre, a castle, cathedral and good bus/train links to Naples, the Amalfi Coast and archaeological sites. One night covers the main sights; a second day adds a day‑trip to nearby Paestum or the Amalfi towns.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat, crowds)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–65 excl. bed · Mid €65–100 excl. bed · High €100+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118 · Coast guard 1530
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
Get in
By air
- NAP · Naples International Airport
- 60 km (37 mi) by train or bus37 mi (60 km) by train or bus
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Buses (Busitalia, SITA) run from the train station every 20 min; tickets must be bought before boarding. The light metro has 7 stops over 8 km (5 mi). Regional and high‑speed trains stop at Salerno station.Buses (Busitalia, SITA) run from the train station every 20 min; tickets must be bought before boarding. The light metro has 7 stops over 5 mi (8 km). Regional and high‑speed trains stop at Salerno station.
See and do
Known for
- Arechi Castle
- Salerno Cathedral
- Villa Comunale
- Garden of Minerva
- Gateway to the Amalfi Coast
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Paestum | Bus from Salerno station (CSTP line 34), about 30 min | ≈ 45 min |
| Amalfi Coast (Vietri sul Mare, Maiori) | SITA bus from Salerno station, 1–1.5 h depending on destination | ≈ 1 h 30 min |
| Pompeii | Regional train from Salerno to Napoli (≈ 40 min) then Circumvesuviana to Pompeii (≈ 30 min) | ≈ 1 h 20 min |
Sleep
- Borgo Riccio
- B&B in the Cilento park area, €80 per night
- Ostello Ave Gratia Plena
- Hostel in historic centre, from €15 per night
Language
Italian is the language of daily life. English works in hotels, museums and restaurants in Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan, and thins fast in the south and the countryside. A greeting and a few words (buongiorno, grazie, per favore) go a long way, and gestures and tone carry a lot of meaning.
- Use 'Lei' (formal you) with strangers and staff; 'tu' is for friends and young people.
- German is the majority language in South Tyrol (Alto Adige) and signs are bilingual; French is co-official in the Aosta Valley.
- Dialects (Neapolitan, Sicilian, Venetian) are strong at home and in markets; everyone also speaks standard Italian.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- Bus tickets are inspected; travel without one can result in fines.
- Seasonal ferries run only from Easter to late October; check schedules before planning a boat trip.
- High‑speed train tickets vary; book in advance for best price.
Salerno is generally safe; pickpocketing can occur in crowded transport and tourist spots – keep valuables secure and stay alert.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Salerno yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Arechi Castle
- Salerno Cathedral
- Villa Comunale
- Garden of Minerva
- Gateway to the Amalfi Coast
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Salerno, revision 5319024 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5319024
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/salerno). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.