JacquieK

After a successful trip to Tuscany last Spring, we decided to go back to Italy this June (our two year old and 8 month old in tow) and try the Amalfi Coast.

I've spent the better part of an hour reading some different postings and am no closer to deciding what town to make our base.

I'm looking for a comfortable place to stay, preferably one with suites or two bedroom apartments, and a beautiful pool with views.

We'd like to be in a charming town where we could walk around, enjoy a coffee and pastry in the main square, but also be close enough to the other main towns.

After reading the different posts, I'm inclined to pick Ravello as our base and would then visit Amalfi, Positano, and other undetermined places. (We've stayed on Capri and visited Pompeii already.)

Please provide hotel suggestions as well as suggested places to visit!

idgyeaw

We traveled to Italy with our then 18 month old 2 years ago. We visited the Almalfi Coast and got a rental through www.summerinitaly.com. We were really pleased with them. We wound up leaving early to go up to Sorrento and they actually refunded part of our rental fee even though they were not obliged to. They had great customer service and were a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend them.

We didn't find the Amalfi Coast to be the best fit for our family. We had a car and driving was really scary and parking was really difficult. It could be that we just chose the wrong town (Atrani). We really enjoyed Sorrento and had a great hotel right on the bay with a swimming pool.

sssteve

Ravello is beautiful, but very small and not convenient for travelling anywhere. It's off the main road and takes 15-20 minutes to get out of the town down to the main road.

The only real towns on the Amalfi coast are Amalfi and Positano, both very beautiful, but crowded with lots of noise and traffic. Many people have enjoyed staying in Praiano, a small town located between Amalfi and Positano. My wife and I stayed at the "Onda Verde" in Praiano and enjoyed it very much.

Check out my web page on our trip to the Amalfi coast:
http://www.travel.stv77.com/amalfi.html

kay5555

idgyeaw What was the great hotel in Sorrento with a pool on the bay? We are heading there this spring with 3 kids.

Thanks

caroline_edinburgh

As well as Ravello being small and out of the way, we found it a bit chilly in June - presumably because it is high up. It was hot in the sun, during the daytime, but cool in the shade & during the evening.

I'd say Amalfi is the best place for connections & I like it as it is more of a 'normal' place than Positano.

You don't give any indication of your budget - the Hotel Santa Caterina is Amalfi is fabulous but expensive.

ABENDIGO

Hi Caroline Edimbourgh! When you say that you think that "Amalfi" is a more "normal" place than Positano, what do you mean? I'm going there the first week of July, and I'm still deciding whether to stay in Positano or Amalfi. At the beginning I'd decided for Amalfi, since most people say it's an actual town and it's very well connected with the rest of the Amalfi Coast, but then I kind of changed my mind because I also read many posts stating that Positano was the most charming town, etc. I'm going to stay on The Amalfi Coast for 3 nights (July 7th to July 10th), and my intentions are to visit Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, and maybe do some walking to Atrani, Nocelle and Monte Pertuso.

steviegene

My husband and I went to the amalfi coast for our honeymoon a year and a half ago - also in june/july. We were based in Positano - which was wonderful. However, one of our most favorite day trips was to Amalfi. We went during the festival of st. andrew (scheduled this year for june 25, 26 & 27) and there were celebrations all day, cannons firing, bells ringing and fireworks displays at night. We really had a wonderful time. My opinion if you are looking for quiet and out of the way place go to ravello - a beautiful town, but a little off the beaten path. If you are looking for romance - go for Positano. However, with kids I would say, stay in Amalfi. There is a more centralized "downtown" area.... more interesting cultural sites to visit - (in my opinion)... less walking up hills (big advantage when pushing strollers!....and still has nice beach and restaurants.

JacquieK

Thanks, everyone. I'm concerned by a few posts that the Amalfi Coast isn't that good with kids!

We're mostly looking to spend our days by a beauiful pool, eat delicious food, and do a little sightseeing.

Our hotel budget would be around $200-$300 Euros per night but that would need to sleep three adults plus the two cribs.

Any more suggestions? Any hotel suggestions in Amalfi?

Any more comments from people who went to the Amalfi Coast with small kids?

Thanks!

Ian

If you want a pool, the Hotel Belvedere in Conca dei Marini has a great one. The major downside is that the hotel is about 4 kms from Amalfi, so nothing is walkable. It is a Sita bus stop though. We stayed for 3 nights several years ago & enjoyed it. Stunning view of Amalfi from the balcony.

Ian

steviegene

I think people are probably saying that Amalfi Coast is not good with kids for a few reasons.

1. lots of stairs - which are sometimes really steep. There is not a lot of level ground anywhere - which wouldnt be fun carrrying kids up, or strollers...etc.

2. Its a big honeymoon destination. Very romantic with lots of couples...not really where people are in the mood to have babies crying at dinner, etc.

3. there arent a lot of kid friendly activites...especially little kids. Basically the attraction to the amalfi coast is beautiful scenery, good seafood, romantic atmosphere.... (not anything little kids appreciate).

-but on the bright side, there are pools and beaches for the kids...and if you have strong arms and dont mind all the climbing....its a beautiful place.

Dayle

Jacquie,

It might be helpful to tell us what made your Tuscany experience so wonderful. Did you rent a farmhouse and stay there for a week? Did you drive your own car?

The Tuscany experience and the Amalfi Coast experience are VERY different. Tuscany is well touristed, but because it is so rural, it doesn't seem crowded. Most people who stay in Tuscany for a week or so do have their own car. Certainly makes things easy with all the kid equipment.

Now, the Amalfi Coast area in summer will seem very crowded. Everyone is on the same road and in the same 2 or 3 towns. If you have a car, you have parking (and driving) problems. If you don't, you have to get around by bus or boat. The SITA buses are crowded and late - not fun with small kids and the strollers, diaper bags, etc. etc. When I was there in Sept, I didn't even try to take the bus to the Positano marina with my small suitcase. I knew I would never squeeze on with a suitcase....I took a taxi.

If you really want to go, I would recommend staying in Amalfi because it's more level as the other poster said, and it's better connected by boat to the other towns. Hopefully no one in your family gets seasick!

Buona fortuna!

caroline_edinburgh

Hi Abendigo. Positano is the most beautiful town to look at. But we didn't like it much as it is solely for tourists, e.g. the centre of town, such as it is, just consists of boutiques aimed at tourists, and is very crowded especially during the passegiata. Although Amalfi has plenty of tourists too, it is more of a normal working town with normal activities going on. It's also better connected.

JacquieK

Thanks so much for the input.
What made Tuscany so wonderful? We stayed outside Greve in Castello di Vicchiomaggio. It had beautiful grounds that our then 16 month old loved to explore and an exquisite swimming pool and magnificent views EVERYwhere you looked. Our apartment was comfortable, nothing fancy but comfortable enough. We were a short drive to Greve and we enjoyed going to town for a latte and a stroll to look at the shops. We'd picnic at our hotel in the afternoon and drive to a different restaurant each night. Everyone was increadibly nice to us and our baby. We drove into Florence three times and enjoyed seeing the sights there too.

So...I'm hoping for more of the same. A beautiful place to stay, with some area for a child to play and a pool....a lovely town square to walk and have some lattes and buy food for picnics...Fantastic dinners where people will definitely be nice to us and our two kids.

Even fancy restaurants in Rome were kid friendly so I didn't think that the Amalfi Coast wouldn't be. (And I'm really interested in going because way, way back a couple of generations, my family came from Positano. In fact, according to family lore, my great, great grandmother gave a pair of diamond earings to the church for the Madonna to wear. They supposedly owned land there that was confiscated during WW2.)

What beaches would people recommend going to with little kids?

Thanks everyone...By the way, still hoping for a great hotel recommendation in Amalfi with a great pool! (300 Euros a night.)

idgyeaw

kay5555 - We stayed in Sorrento at the Grand Hotel Ambasciatori. http://www.manniellohotels.it/ambasciatori/ukframe.html It was actually the nicest hotel we have ever stayed at. Our room was literay right over the bay and the views were breathtaking. It was in a quiet location yet a quick walk to the center of town with all the shops and restaurants. They served huge English breakfasts in a beautiful room overlooking the bay. The staff was very helpful and helped us arrange a trip to Pomeii by cab. We spent a couple days just lounging by the pool. The elevator also goes down to the beach.

JacquieK - We stayed on a farm in Tuscany for a week before going to the Amalfi Coast. We wound up having a good time once we left Atrani for Sorrento, but if I had to do it over again I think we would stay in Tuscany or Umbria or go to the Cinque Terre. It's hard to put my finger on what exactly was not as good about Amalfi but I agree with what steviegene said. It's true that the restaurants don't mind kids, but it's a MUCH slower pace than Rome or even the Cinque Terre and one night it took over an hour and a half for our pizza to come while our daughter was going crazy.

I'm sure you will have a great time there - I'm not trying to talk you out of it. It really is beautiful. We had a backpack for our daughter so we could walk between the towns which was a lot of fun - we tried counting the stairs but got lost somewhere around 200. Amalfi was a great town because there was a square with lots of shops and gelato places - if we went back we would definitely stay there.

caroline_edinburgh

Jacquie, have you looked at the Santa Caterina in Amalfi, as I suggested before ? Though it may be outwith your price range.

As others have said, though, the Amalfi Coast IMO is not really a place for kids. Also there's not much in the way of beaches - just small stony ones.

JacquieK

Hi Caroline. Yes, unfortunately the Santa Catarina is out of our price range. I'm really, really discouraged about taking the family to the AC.

As an alternative, we're considering Ischia. Any opinions, suggestions, etc?