Thank you to everyone for your helpful suggestions and information.

I will be traveling all day on 3 different flights (from Greek islands) before I get into Naples, so aside from being stressed out I just don't feel courageous enough to rent a car to go down the infamous Amalfi coastal route. Maybe when I get rested, I will rent a car one day to just drive within one area of the coast.

Antonio, your information about the train that stops in Battipaglia is especially helpful because that's where my friend lives, so maybe I can just let him figure out if there's a train that I can catch in time to change in Casterta and then continue to his town.

I wonder, if there's also a hydrofoil or ferry service that operates late at night? I realise this is the low season to travel, but will they still be operating this in midddle October?