Rachellaura81

Hello! Trying to decide between Cinque Terre or Amalfi Coast. We will be on a vacation in Italy in early June 2016. Traveling with my husband, my father (65 and in excellent shape), and my 2 daughters (will be 3 and 5- pretty well behaved as far as kids go! No more naps and we often do travel without a stroller). We will be on the ground somewhere between 16-20 days and hoping to also visit Florence, Venice and Rome.

Given all of this info, where would you choose- CT or AC? I realize this is probably very subjective, but I am very torn and could use any and all of your opinions! I really want to visit both places but I know we wont have the time. This is a once in a lifetime trip for our family, and I am not sure when if at all we will be able to visit Italy again. So I really want to make a good decision! Thank you for your help!!!

bvlenci

What kinds of things do you want to see and do at this seaside location?

I think 16 days would be a bit short for visiting even four locations, some requiring a fairly long trip to get to, and also to get back to the next stop. I would aim for 20 days.

nytraveler

Well the CT is focused primarily on hiking cliff trails so I'm not sure how great it would be with two little ones - may be too limiting/boring.

The AC has a lot more to see and do as well as a number of different towns to stay in. BUT several are still cut into the side of a cliff so getting from one place to another requires climbing a LOT of steps - too much for a 3 year old and and probably also a 5 year old. But you do have the option of finding a place to stay near the water and avoiding the worst of the stairs. But there are a number of ferries - including to Capri, Naples, Sorrento (to get to Pompeii - but don't plan on spending too much time there with little ones).

It really depends on what yu want to do/see.

mamcalice

You can see Cinque Terre without hiking between villages by taking the local train that runs between the villages. I wouldn't recommend the hikes with very young children as the trails are not well groomed in many places and there is a fair amount of climbing involved. Two full days in CT is plenty if you aren't hiking.

bvlenci

You might want to stay in a different location on the Ligurian coast, with easy access to the Cinque Terre for a day trip. Maybe some place that's not very steep and has a nice beach for the children. At their age, and especially if you want to visit every "must-see" sight in Venice, Florence, and Rome, the rest of the trip might not be much fun for them.

All three cities have pleasant, tranquil spots away from the hordes, but with your limited time, in order to spend some time in these relaxing spots, you'd have to be willing to forego visiting some of the things that the hordes want to see. The Cinque Terre is usually sinking under the weight of the tourists at that time of the year. The Amalfi Coast is also very crowded, but there's more room to spread out. However, it's also a longer trip from where most of your itinerary is concentrated.

sandralist

Le Cinque Terre and most of the Italian Riviera is a bit more rustic in feeling, not any luxury shopping, and the food is all about pesto pasta and shellfish, fried anchovies and a wonderful local treat called farinata (a chickpea torte). There is a local train that runs convieniently all along the coast to make town hopping easy (including escapes on a rainy day if needed).

The Amalfi Coast offers much more in the way of posh and shopping in addition to it amazing scenery, and a lot more activity if you want to be running around to Capri one day, Ravello the next, etc. Food includes pizza, plenty of mozzerella and red saucy pasta dishes, lots of lemons and fresh fish. With small children, I would worry about motion sickness issues on bus rides, so I would pick a location that offers ferry transport.

If you are looking for an apartment stay, you will probably have more luck on the Amalfi coast than the Italian Riviera, but the latter is not impossible. If you pick the Riviera (which is generally cheaper), I would look for a town that is outside the 5 villages of le Cinque Terre and offers flat walking areas and pleasant swims for small children -- Sestri Levante and Camogli or Santa Margherita Ligure are good choices.

Rachellaura81

Thanks for the responses so far. With 2 little ones, I am aware we may be limited and our schedule compromised. We are not aiming to see every "must see" museum, landmark, church, etc. More so want to relax, soak up the culture, eat good food, walk around, shop, etc. I am also a photographer and cant wait to shoot in each location. My kids really love the beach, so if ct/ac has a kid-friendly seaside, that would be a bonus! I would love to hike, but doubt we would with the kids.

Thanks again!!

yorkshire

I would save both destinations for when the kids are older. CT is crowded and the main reason to go there is to hike. As described, the AC has some transport difficulties, and the kids are too young to enjoy visiting Pompeii. Neither has much in the way of child friendly beaches. There are thousands of picturesque areas in Italy where you could relax and enjoy stunning scenery. I just don't see why you would not avail yourself to one of those locations instead of making compromises to visit the CT or AC when it would not be ideal. Just my two cents!

Rachellaura81

Yorkshire- I appreciate your honesty. What other picturesque areas would you recommend? As I mentioned before, this is a once in a lifetime trip so not sure when/if we will return. I did have my heart set on seeing CT or AC but would be open to other scenic locations if they make more sense for us. Thanks!

yorkshire

With that in mind, you may want to go for it, but just to throw out more options in Liguria/Riviera, I was particularly fond of the Lerici-Tellaro area, though that would be better with a car (I did it without). I also loved Camogli. Both of those places offer hiking, and the trails and towns are not as overwhelmed at those of CT.
Another thought: Would grandpa (or dad) be willing to watch the kids at the beach one day so you could go to CT and actually do a hike? You just don't get those scenic vistas for photography otherwise. I actually had a miserable time at CT because of the crowds, but the photos from that day are the best from the trip!
I am just mentioning places I have been in Liguria, and I am sure others could offer ideas, or you could open it up to non-seaside locations as well.

sandralist

I also think there is nothing too daunting about the seaside with small kids if you pick someplace that isn't vertical and where the swimming areas have kid friendly shallow water and some activities.

Along the Riviera, the towns of Sestri Levante, Camogli, Levanto. For the Amalfi, you can probably make a go of it in Sorrento (although pools are more common than attractive beach areas), or the tiny town of Atrani and perhaps even Amalfi town. If just having a great time on an Italian beach is the real point, consider picturesque and historic Sperlonga, which has fairly easy logistics from Rome.