Amalfi Coast with Kids- Where to stay?
 

Hello! In need of help. We are in the very beginning planning stages of planning our Italy trip for 2016. We plan to go in early June. There will be 5 of us- me, my husband, my 65 year old father (in great shape) and my 2 daughters (will be ages 3 and 5).

I know that the Amalfi Coast will be a challenge with children, but this is a once in a lifetime trip and not sure if/when we will be returning. So we really wanted to include it in our itinerary. We plan to visit the Amalfi Coast for 4 or 5 nights.

I would love any suggestions for where to stay- what parts of town may be best- or even outside of the center of town where it may be more flat for the kids. My kids love the beach and the pool, so access to either one, or both would be great. And the adults are of course looking for an authentic Amalfi Coast experience- exploring, dining, seeing the sights etc. I am a photographer and am also looking forward to wandering with my camera. I think we are realistic in knowing we wont see everything with the kids in tow and may be limited.

Thanks in advance for your help, it is appreciated!!

With kids that age you will have to either do a lot of carrying - there is no way they can climb all of those flights of stairs - or take a lot of taxis.

Unless you stay in one of the rare upscale resorts that has a private elevator to a private beach.

With kids that age I would stay in Sorrento in a hotel with a great pool area (many beaches in the area are rocks or stones versus sand) and then use the ferries to visit the other towns. That way you will have a fairly flat town center - with many restaurants and shops to choose from.

Also for recos - it would help to know your nightly budget in euros - and if you are trying to put all 5 of you in one room/suite.

Positano: Covo dei Saraceni is near the waterfront and has a pool.

You will need to check with hotels, as some do not permit small children because of the steps. etc...Le Sireneuse has a policy to that effect.

I would check on how "beachy" the beach is where you will stay. Many are more likes pebbles or rocks and not sugary sands like many US beaches are.

The idea that kids 'can't climb all those flights of stairs' is total hyperbole.

Positano is not a giant staircase from the ocean to the top of the escarpment. It has a Single lane road in and out that slopes down to Piazza Mulini and then up again to the A133. If you stay on or close to this road, you won't have to negotiate a single step - save for the 20 or so from Santa Maria Assunta to the beach.

Kids can easily negotiate this town - they do live there - in fact their high school and primary school are perched on the hillside and local families don't make allowances for their own kids.

You and your kids will be fine. The challenges are not as 'challenging' as they're made out to be.

Thank you all for the suggestions thus far! I think most likely $400 USD a night absolute tops for all 5 of us. Not really sure if we will try to stay in one room/suite or not- I guess it depends what we can find, and we will make it work as best we can!

Blueeyedcod- love hearing this opinion! I really know very little about Positano- you are suggesting to stay on or close to A133 correct? Just want to be sure. Thanks!

Try and stay near Via Cristofer Colombo or Via Pasitea - these are the roads that slope down to the piazza and up again. It's a slope so no stairs. Some hotels on this road are the Poseidon, Villa Rosa, the Marincanto or (for upper level budgets) Le Sirenuse.

I totally agree w/ Blueeyedcod. I started taking my kids to Positano when they were very small, and the only problem they had ( my fault) was the heat in August.

But if you do want to be closer to "ground" level, the beach, the town dock, etc., look at BUCA DI BACCO and RESIDENCE ALCIONE.

WWK... Wonderful, thank you thank you! So nice to hear from someone who has brought young kids there. A lot of people on the forums were telling me it wasn't a great idea. I like my kids to try new things, so I'm up for the challenge! We were recently in NYC with my kids staying in a 5th floor walk up apartment, 65 stairs (my kids counted).... We managed and had a great time! I'm feeling optimistic now. Thanks again.

Rachellelaura81,

Blueeyedcod is totally right. People talk about Positano like they're climbing the Matterhorn. If you stick to the main roads or ground level, you'll be fine.

Just a FYI: My kids never complained about the walk back and forth to town except when it is boiling hot. We always stayed at HOTEL POSEIDON, which is midway between town and the beach. It was an easy walk down on VIA PASITEA, because the road slopes gently along a path. Or, you could take the giant staircase to your right.

Anyway, have fun. And definitely plan a short walk to FORNILLO BEACH, which is way less crazy/crowded then the so-so beach in town.

Stay here:-
http://www.villatorent.it/details/80821/Casa_Gilda/

Not the owner, but we have stayed here with a young family (3 boys aged, at the time, 6, 3.5, 10 months)and it remains, far and away our favourite holiday, and one the two elder boys are always wanting to repeat.
Daily they would walk barefoot to the beach in Marina Grande 50 m below the house. Every evening we'd stroll the picturesque harbour to get a pre-bedtime gelato at the far end. There are numerous child-friendly restaurants at the water's edge or you can cook for yourselves in the small but perfectly adequate kitchen.
Boys slept downstairs on a big double sofa-bed (we had the baby in the cot upstairs with us), and after they'd all gone to sleep we'd sit out on the terrace drinking wine, talking, reading and watching the lights twinkling across the bay in Naples and the activity from the restaurants below us. (Nb. they're not at all noisy and wound down soon after 10pm each night.

Sorrento has enough shops that you can divert the children with souvenir or toy shopping if required plus you can get ferries from Marina Piccolo to Amalfi, Positano and Capri. A short train ride away is Pompeii.
We did all those things plus a trip up to Ravello by bus from Amalfi and the boys found it one big adventure. It was the perfect mix of a holiday for them, for us and for everyone together. Never once used a taxi or hired a car so pretty good for watching a budget go further, allowing for the more expensive ferry trips and treats for the boys.

Seriously can't rate it highly enough... oh and the English speaking caretaker is charming and helpful to boot.

This. Is. The. Place.

Dr D.

(Sorry if that's all a bit gushing!)

I don't have a suggestion to offer, just wanted to say we are doing the exact same trip as you (me & husband, our 4 year old, 8 year old and my 75 year old mom) from June 5 - 9th! We're trying to decide if we drive ourselves in a rental or if we should hire a driver. Good luck and have a great trip!

The original post was a year ago, so the OP is back by now! Try setting up a new post if you need advice.

Hiring a driver is expensive depending on where from and where to. Do you want a driver from an airport or just while you are on the Amalfi Coast? Where are you staying?

I've been in the area twice with 3 children and for me Sorrento is the best town to stay to keep children entertained, if you stay close to Marina Piccola you can hop to ferries to everywhere. In your case your kids are little, so maybe next to the beach is okay, but the chances of they climbing up and down the stairs themselves is a wish, you most likely will, remember that Positano is a pebble beach not sand though.

Shoot I missed it, this posting is from last year!