![\"Scenic](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_241387674-a125.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe Amalfi Coast is widely regarded as one of Italy\u2019s most beautiful destinations (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tThe Amalfi Coast is widely regarded as one of Italy\u2019s most beautiful destinations (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
British holidaymakers can explore new frontiers this summer<\/a> with the launch of a direct flight route<\/a> to one of Italy<\/a>\u2019s most beautiful destinations.<\/p>\n From May 22, British Airways<\/a> will fly from London Gatwick<\/a> to Salerno<\/strong>, a city known as the gateway to the Amalfi Coast<\/a> \u2014 a region famed for colourful towns, limoncello and la dolce vita.<\/p>\n Salerno Costa d\u2019Amalfi airport only opened in July last year<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 giving tourists the option to fly directly into the Amalfi Coast rather than Naples<\/a>, which is about a 90-minute drive.<\/p>\n BA will operate a thrice-weekly seasonal service, with flights taking off on Monday, Thursday and Saturday until 25 October.<\/p>\n It comes weeks after Jet2 cancelled flights to Salerno<\/a> before they even got off the ground.<\/p>\n The airline said it was axing planned routes from Manchester and Birmingham airports \u2018in response to demand\u2019.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tSign up to The Getaway newsletter\t\t\t<\/p>\n Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n EasyJet<\/strong><\/a> currently operates seasonal flights between Gatwick and Salerno, while Ryanair<\/a> also flies seasonally from Stansted<\/a>. <\/p>\n Things to do in Salerno, Italy<\/p>\n While the Amalfi Coast is known as a jet-setters\u2019 paradise, the southwestern city of Salerno has a grittier reputation.<\/p>\n Until now, the city has remained relatively untouched by mass tourism, though the opening of the airport is sure to change that.<\/p>\n Edgier and less glitzy than nearby Positano, with its swanky hotels and opulent restaurants, Salerno is still a fascinating place full of ancient history, pretty beaches and world-class cuisine.<\/p>\n It has buckets of historical significance, mostly because it was home to Salerno Medical School \u2014 Europe\u2019s first medical institution.<\/p>\n Must-visit attractions include Arechi Castle, an imposing Byzantine fort that towers 263m above the city, and the Duomo, an 11th-century cathedral widely considered to be the most beautiful medieval church in Italy.<\/p>\n According to local guides, the best way to see the city is to wander its charming medieval streets and people-watch at one of its many lively cafes.<\/p>\n \t\t Less than a 25-minute drive from the centre of Salerno is Parco Naturale Diecimare, a 444-hectare park with dozens of hiking trails that capture panoramic views of the city.<\/p>\n The city boasts a tree-lined seafront promenade that Lonely Planet<\/a> describes as the most attractive in Italy.<\/p>\n Like every town in the Campania region, Salerno\u2019s food is one of its biggest drawcards. Standouts include traditional seafood pasta called scialatielli, and sfogliatella, a shell-shaped pastry stuffed with sweet cream.<\/p>\n An affordable base<\/p>\n While it doesn\u2019t have the wow factor of its ritzier neighbours, Salerno makes an excellent and affordable base for exploring the region.<\/p>\n It\u2019s close to many of Italy\u2019s top tourist destinations, including Pompeii<\/a> and Mount Vesuvius<\/a>.<\/p>\n Metro<\/strong> did some digging and found four-star hotels in the heart of Salerno offering nightly rates of \u00a384 in May. Comparing rates for the same night, the price of a four-star hotel in Positano shot up to \u00a3258.<\/p>\n \t\t Salerno is one of many new routes BA is launching this year, as part of a major shake-up to its existing flight schedule.<\/p>\n In May, it will launch two more Italian routes \u2013 Rimini on the Adriatic Coast from London Heathrow<\/a>, and Olbia in Sardinia from London City<\/a> \u2013 as well as twice-daily flights to Tokyo.<\/p>\n This comes alongside the airline\u2019s return to Georgia\u2019s capital\u00a0Tbilisi\u00a0after a 12-year hiatus, and to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia for the first time in five years.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t8 exciting new flight routes from the UK to broaden your horizons in 2025\t\t\t<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to jazz up your\u00a0holidays<\/a>\u00a0this year, why not add more excitement by going somewhere you\u2019ve never been before?<\/p>\n At least 50 new routes will launch from airports across the UK in 2025, opening year-round travel opportunities to destinations of all cultures and climates.<\/p>\n From Cape Verde to a mythical region in Greece, check out Metro<\/strong>\u2018s picks of the most exciting new routes this summer<\/a>. <\/p>\n Arrow Arrow![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Untitled-1.katie_.ingham-2-92e6.jpg\")
\n\t\tSalerno is less glitzy than nearby Positano, but it still packs a punch (Picture: Metro)<\/p>\n![\"La](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_248288826-ef30.jpg\")
\n\t\tSalerno is an excellent base for exploring the Campania region (Picture: Getty Images\/500px)<\/p>\n
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