Naples and the Amalfi Coast with kids: family travel guide (2026)

Last updated: May 2026

I first visited the Amalfi Coast with kids very much on my mind – I was pregnant with R and in my middle trimester so feeling relatively large. It was early September but thankfully cooler than expected, and I recall hauling myself up steep steps and thinking simultaneously that it was the most beautiful place I’d ever seen and also one of the more demanding. But I came home in love with the coastline and ticking another part of Italy off my list.

The Amalfi Coast gets a reputation for being difficult with young children, and parts of that reputation are earned. The stepped lanes, the cliffside roads, and absence of sandy beaches all contribute. But with the right base and realistic expectations about what you’re signing up for, you can enjoy the jaw-dropping scenery and exceptional food. It’s not my favourite place in Italy though because it is incredibly busy, so if you want somewhere that has many similarities but quieter towns to base yourself in, check out the Italian Riviera.

Our trip started with two nights in Naples, then moved to a hilltop villa at Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi in Massa Lubrense (near Sorento) for several nights, and finished in Maiori on the coast. Here’s everything we know about making this trip work with a baby or toddler. For the wider Italian picture, our full Italy family guide covers all the major regions.

👉 Don’t have time to read the whole guide? Search top-rated Amalfi Coast villas here.

Getting to Naples and the Amalfi Coast

Most UK visitors fly into Naples International Airport (NAP), which has direct flights from most major UK airports with easyJet, British Airways, Ryanair, and Jet2. Flight time is around 2.5 hours.

From Naples airport, the city centre is around 20-30 minutes by taxi or the Alibus airport shuttle (around €5 per person). If you’re heading straight to the Sorrentine Peninsula or the coast, a rental car is a great idea, although private transfers are available and more practical with young children and luggage than trying to navigate public transport.

A hire car is very useful for parts of this trip, particularly if you’re basing yourself in the hills above Sorrento as we did. We’d recommend searching for the best rates with Auto Europe, which compares all the major rental companies. That said, driving on the Amalfi Coast road itself in high season can be stressful if you’re not confident on European roads – more on this in the getting around section.

Naples with kids

Naples gets a mixed press and I think it’s pretty unfair. Like many Italian cities it is chaotic with relatively aggressive traffic and uneven pavements, but it’s not as grubby and dangerous as I’d been led to believe online. I still can’t believe I wasn’t sure whether it was safe to visit after ending up on one rather zealous online forum. For us it felt perfectly safe and characterful with a food culture that is genuinely world-class (this is where pizza was invented).

Two nights is the right amount of time given what else you can see in the region. It’s enough to eat very well, see the Castel Nuovo and the waterfront, wander the Spaccanapoli, and take a trip to Pompeii. With a baby or young toddler, the city is manageable but don’t expect easy pram navigation – the cobbled streets of the historic centre are relentless. A carrier is more useful here than almost anywhere else on this trip.

Things to do in Naples with kids:

• Eat the pizza. L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele on Via Cesare Sersale is the most famous so expect a queue. Sorbillo on Via dei Tribunali is another institution. Order the Margherita – it’s all you need! We did a food tour and really enjoyed it (we’ve done similar when R was a baby and it was better than expected – just be prepared for one parent to wander round the corner or leave early if they get aggy). If you want a sweet treat, Antico Forno near the central station is one of the best spots in the city for pastries at breakfast.
• The Duomo Cathedral. Often skipped in favour of the more famous sights but well worth a stroll around. The cathedral has an extraordinarily beautiful painted domed ceiling and houses the Basilica di Santa Restituta inside – one of the oldest churches in Western Europe, built in the 4th century.
• Castel Nuovo and the waterfront. The hulking Angevin castle on Piazza Municipio is dramatic and the seafront promenade (Lungomare) is great for a pram walk and has beautiful views across the bay to Vesuvius.
• The Spanish Quarter and Spaccanapoli. The Spanish Quarter is a dense grid of narrow streets. Spaccanapoli, the long straight street cutting through the old city, runs parallel to the east. Both are better with a carrier than a pram, but together they give you the real Naples experience – but expect it to feel a little more hectic.
• National Archaeological Museum. If you’re planning to visit Pompeii, come here the afternoon after your visit rather than before – the artefacts from the site make far more sense once you’ve walked the streets yourself. The plaster cast collection and the House of the Faun mosaics are extraordinary.

The Naples food tour: absolutely worth it

We did a street food tour of Naples and it was one of the highlights of the whole trip. Naples has one of the most distinctive and genuinely delicious street food cultures in Italy – this isn’t tourist food, it’s what Neapolitans have been eating for centuries – and doing it with a guide who takes you to the right spots in the right order makes the whole experience click. I won’t ruin the experience by telling you what to expect to taste, but it’s all delicious!

Tours run morning and evening and typically last around 3 hours. We’d recommend booking in advance and look for ones that cover the Spanish Quarter and the historic centre rather than generic tourist-area routes. With kids, morning tours tend to be easier – cooler, less crowded, and you finish in time for a nap.

Pompeii with kids: what we thought

We did Pompeii as a day trip from Naples and it’s certainly an experiences that stays with you. The scale of the preserved city is extraordinary – you’re walking down actual Roman streets, past actual Roman houses, and the sense of daily life is unlike anything a museum can convey. Many children will be too young to understand it, so you’ll need to work out if it’s right for your family. If it’s hot, I’d suggest you skip it or one parent goes solo, although we did see some parents there with little ones. Things to know about Pompeii:

• Tickets cost around €16-18 for adults; under-18s get in free. Book in advance on the official Pompeii site to avoid the queues that form at the entrance.
• It’s huge and very exposed. The site covers around 66 hectares and there is almost no shade. In summer heat this is brutal – go as early as you possibly can (gates open at 9am), plan to be done by midday, and bring significantly more water than you think you need. The queues for the cafe and toilets were pretty long.
• The ground is uneven cobbled stone throughout. A lightweight buggy is manageable on the main Via dell’Abbondanza but many of the side streets have raised stepping stones (designed to keep Roman feet dry), so a carrier is better for exploring properly.
• Getting there. The Circumvesuviana train from Naples Centrale to Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri takes around 40 minutes and costs around €6 return. It drops you right at the main entrance but be prepared to be squished like sardines on the train – I was lucky to be obviously pregnant and wrangle a seat. You can get a taxi of course, or another option is going via Pompeii Centrale station which is a walk away but supposedly less crowded.
• Guided vs self-guided. The site is vast and without context you’re essentially just wandering ancient rubble. The official app has a good family route but with children old enough to engage, a family guided tour makes the whole experience significantly more powerful – guides bring the daily life detail alive in a way a map simply can’t.

Where to stay in Naples

We stayed at the Mercure Napoli Centro Angioino on Piazza Municipio for our two nights in Naples. The location is ideal as its right on the waterfront square, a short walk from the port for ferry connections south, and close to the historic centre. It’s a reliable, well-run hotel that gives you exactly what you need for a short city stay: comfortable rooms, a good breakfast, and no faff.

For self-catering flexibility or more space, the area around the Lungomare and Chiaia neighbourhood has some lovely apartments and is noticeably calmer than the historic centre.

The Sorrentine Peninsula: our base at Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi

After Naples we drove south to our main base for the trip: a villa at Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi, a small hilltop village in Massa Lubrense right on the spine of the Sorrentine Peninsula. The name means ‘Saint Agatha of the Two Gulfs’, and standing at the viewpoint at the top of the village you can see exactly why – the Gulf of Naples stretches away to the north with Vesuvius dominating the skyline, and the Gulf of Salerno opens to the south with the Amalfi Coast unfolding below. On a clear morning it’s one of the most extraordinary views in Italy.

Being up in the hills meant we escaped the coastal heat and congestion entirely. We had outdoor space, a pool, and a kitchen – all the things that make travelling with kids manageable rather than stressful. And from here, day trips in every direction were easy: Sorrento was 20 minutes, the coast ferries were accessible from the port below (and we did visit Capri from here), and the drive down to Positano was spectacular.

Sorrento itself is worth a lunch visit. It’s probably the most family-friendly town on the Amalfi Coast – the old town centre is relatively flat, there’s a proper high street and plenty of good restaurants, and the views from the clifftop gardens over the bay are beautiful. It also has excellent ferry and hydrofoil connections to Capri, Positano, and Amalfi, which makes it a practical base on the peninsula.

Things to do from this base:

• Sorrento. Wander the old town, sit in Piazza Tasso, eat a limoncello-flavoured anything, and take the ferry south to the coast or north to Capri. The clifftop Villa Comunale gardens have lovely bay views and are good for little ones to run around.
• Capri by hydrofoil. The island is 25 minutes from Sorrento by fast ferry and feels like stepping into a different world. The Blue Grotto is the famous draw but it’s expensive and the boats are tiny. The island itself is reason enough to go and pretty pram-friendly. Definitely try the lemon gelato in the giant lemons – it’s a bit of a gimmick but so delicious and tangy!
• Marina di Puolo. A small beach near Massa Lubrense that’s less crowded than anything further along the coast. Calm, clear water and a handful of good fish restaurants directly on the beach.
• The viewpoint at Sant’Agata. The Monastero del Deserto at the top of the village has a public viewpoint that’s one of the best on the whole peninsula. Go at sunrise or late afternoon for the best light.

Where to stay near Sorrento and Massa Lubrense

For the hillside villa experience we’d strongly recommend a self-catering rental in Massa Lubrense rather than a hotel in Sorrento town. The difference in pace and practicality when travelling with a baby is significant – your own space, a kitchen, outdoor areas, and a pool matter enormously.

We stayed in a two-bedroom apartment at Sant’Agata and it was one of the best holiday rentals we’ve had — a gorgeous shared pool, sweeping views over both gulfs, and parking on site (which matters more than you’d think on the peninsula). The same property has a few apartments available at different sizes, so it works well if you’re travelling with wider family too. Book it here →

If you’d prefer a hotel base in Sorrento, the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria is the most spectacular property in town and your splurge option – clifftop position, extraordinary views, gorgeous pool, and luxury service.

After our time on the peninsular we moved to a coastal town (we actually had a friend’s wedding to enjoy) and Maiori was surprisingly lovely. Read on for our breakdown of the Amalfi Coast base options.

The Amalfi Coast towns: what to know before you go

The Amalfi Coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site stretching about 50km along the southern edge of the Sorrentine Peninsula. There are around a dozen main towns, all dramatically different in character and in how well they work for families with young children. Here’s an honest breakdown of the main ones:

Positano

Positano is the most photographed town on the coast and also the most challenging to navigate with a pram or baby. The town is essentially built into a near-vertical cliff face, connected by hundreds of steps and steep, narrow lanes. There is no flat ground. When I visited while pregnant I found it beautiful and utterly exhausting in equal measure – I’d avoid it entirely for a long stay with a baby, but it’s worth a half day or a day trip by ferry from Sorrento or Maiori.

Amalfi town

Amalfi town is more manageable than Positano – the main piazza around the cathedral is flat and spacious, and the waterfront is relatively easy to navigate with a buggy. The cathedral itself (the Duomo di Sant’Andrea) is one of the finest buildings on the coast, and the piazza in front of it is a great place to sit with a coffee while toddlers run. Behind the piazza the lanes narrow and steepen, but you can stay close to the seafront and see the best of it without climbing too much. Good ferry connections make it easy to reach from anywhere on the coast.

Don’t miss the Museo della Carta (paper museum) just above the town – Amalfi was one of the great medieval paper-making centres and the working museum inside a 13th century paper mill is an interesting break from the sunshine.

From Amalfi it’s also easy to take a boat trip to the Grotta dello Smeraldo (Emerald Grotto) – a sea cave lit by an extraordinary emerald-green glow from light filtering through the water. The whole trip takes under an hour and it genuinely looks like something from a film. Tickets are around €6 for the grotto entry plus the cost of the boat transfer.

Ravello

Ravello sits high above the coast, around 300 metres up, and feels completely different from the towns below – quieter, cooler, more refined, with extraordinary hilltop gardens and views that stretch all the way to the horizon. It’s reached by a winding road from Amalfi and is genuinely stunning. Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone both have beautiful gardens that are worth visiting.

Maiori: our second base

Maiori is the town that most guides gloss over in favour of its more glamorous neighbours, and it was a much loved discovery for us. It has the beach on the entire Amalfi Coast in my view and a flat seafront promenade running its full length. The town centre has supermarkets, pharmacies, bakeries, and the kind of functional infrastructure that matters enormously when you’re travelling with kids. It’s connected by regular Travelmar ferries to Amalfi, Positano, Salerno, and beyond, so using it as a base and doing day trips by boat is both relaxing and practical.

It’s also very close to Minori, the tiny town next door. It’s a steep but picturesque hilltop walk or a short boat hop (and has a renowned pastry shop – Sal De Riso).

The Amalfi Coast’s lemon groves are also worth exploring – not only because the lemons are enormous! The smell is extraordinary and the terraced groves climbing the hillsides above the towns are beautiful. Several farms near Maiori and Minori offer short walking tours through the groves with a limoncello tasting at the end and children are usually welcome.

Where to stay in Maiori

For families, a self-catering apartment in Maiori with sea views is the sweet spot – and this is exactly what we had. Being on or near the seafront means you can use the pram on the promenade and the beach is a two-minute walk.

We had a two-bedroom apartment right in Maiori and it was a brilliant find — great space for a family, and the seafront location meant we were out of the door and on the beach in minutes. It’s the kind of place that makes a long trip feel easy rather than exhausting. Book it here →

If you’d prefer a hotel, our apartment was around the back of Reginna Palace, so very well located directly on the seafront and reviews suggest it’s a solid mid-range option with family rooms available.

Best family hotels on the Amalfi Coast

Accommodation on this coast ranges from the truly special to the eye-wateringly expensive. These are the picks that make most sense for families with young children, covering the main bases across the region.

Best for babies and toddlers: Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, Sorrento

The standout option for families with very young children on the whole peninsula. A lift takes you down to the pool and playground (a genuine rarity on this coast), there are apartments with kitchens alongside standard rooms, and a shuttle bus runs to a nearby beach. It’s a splurge but delivers everything you need in one place. Check availability →

Best mid-range in Amalfi town: Convento di Amalfi

A converted 13th-century convent with a pool, spacious rooms, and a central location that’s easier to reach than most Amalfi properties. A solid mid-range pick if you want to be based in the heart of things without the Positano price tag. Check availability →

Best in Positano: Hotel Palazzo Murat

Set in a former royal palace with a garden, pool, and family rooms including a suite sleeping six. One of the more practical Positano options for families given its relatively flat position near the main beach — and more achievable on price than the ultra-luxury alternatives. Check availability →

Best in Maiori: Reginna Palace

Right on the seafront promenade with family rooms and direct beach access. The most practical hotel base on the coast for families with babies and toddlers — flat, well-located, and significantly less expensive than the more glamorous towns. Check availability →

Our suggested itinerary: Naples and the Amalfi Coast in 9 nights

This is roughly how we structured our trip, and how we’d recommend planning it with a baby or toddler:

• Nights 1-2: Naples. Fly in, pick up hire car or transfer to city. Two full days: one for the food tour, Spaccanapoli, the Spanish Quarter, the Duomo, and the waterfront; one morning for Pompeii (get there for 9am opening) then afternoon at the National Archaeological Museum. Eat extraordinary pizza on both evenings and drive south on the morning of day 3.
• Nights 3-6: Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi, Massa Lubrense. Base in the hills above Sorrento. Day 1: settle in and explore the local area and viewpoints. Day 2 and 3: day trips to Sorrento and Capri. Day 4: rest day at the villa and swim at the local beach at Marina di Puolo.
• Nights 7-9: Maiori. Move to the coast and visit Positano on route. Day 1: settle in, late afternoon swim. Day 2: ferry to Amalfi town, Emerald Grotto, and Ravello. Day 3: chill in the local area before your final morning on the beach.

Getting around the Amalfi Coast with a baby or toddler

Getting around is the thing that worries most families in Amalfi, so it’s worth thinking through carefully before you arrive.

A hire car is useful for Naples and the Sorrentine Peninsula hills, but consider leaving it parked once you reach the coast and using ferries instead – this worked well for us.

The coastal road (SS163) is one of the most spectacular drives in Europe and can be one of the most stressful. It’s a single carriageway cut into a cliff face, with oncoming traffic, tour buses, and tourists on scooters sharing a road that in places is barely wide enough for two cars. In high season (June to September) it’s heavily congested and parking is almost impossible in the main towns. If your children are prone to car sickness, the relentless bends will test them severely. We didn’t find it too bad but we were there mid September, took it slowly, and are pretty used to driving Italian roads – plus we only drove it one way.

The Travelmar ferry service is the best way to move between towns in season. It runs from Salerno in the east to Positano and Sorrento in the west, with stops at all the main towns including Maiori, Minori, Amalfi, and Cetara. The boats are comfortable, the journeys are beautiful, and children usually love them. Buy tickets at the port or online in advance for the most popular routes in peak season.

SITA buses cover the towns that ferries don’t reach (including Ravello) and are inexpensive, but they’re slow, winding, and very crowded in summer. I wouldn’t recommend.

Practical tips for the Amalfi Coast with a baby or toddler

• Best time to visit. May, early June, and September are the sweet spots. July and August are beautiful but extremely hot, extremely crowded, and the coastal road becomes a car park. The shoulder months give you warm weather, calmer roads, and much more reasonable accommodation prices.
• Heat. Southern Italy in summer is significantly hotter than Tuscany or the north. Plan sightseeing for early morning and late afternoon. The hilltop bases (Sant’Agata, Ravello) are cooler than the coastal towns. Pack proper UV protection including a sun shade for the buggy – see my heat-beating essentials.
• Beaches. Most Amalfi Coast beaches are pebble, not sand. Beach shoes are essential for adults and toddlers alike. Maiori is the exception with a longer, more accessible beach.
• Eating out. Southern Italians eat very late – dinner starts at 8pm and often later. With young children, making lunch the main meal out works well and is actually how many locals eat in summer anyway. The food is outstanding: fresh pasta, seafood, lemon-everything, and the best pizza in the world (sorry Chicago – yours was pretty decent but not comparable!).
• Car sickness. The coastal road has relentless bends and the SITA buses are the same. If your child is prone to motion sickness, come with medication.
• Nappies and baby supplies. Available in supermarkets and pharmacies throughout the region. Maiori has a proper supermarket; the smaller towns less so, so stock up when you can.

Amalfi Coast with kids: our scores

• Getting there: 8/10. Direct flights from most UK airports to Naples, around 2.5 hours. Good airport infrastructure for families.
• Pramability: 4/10. Honestly low. Most towns are steep, cobbled, and step-heavy. A carrier is the most important thing you’ll pack but it could be too warm for it in peak summer.
• Adult fun factor: 9/10. One of the most beautiful places in Europe, and the food and scenery are unrivalled.
• Cost: 8/10. Not the cheapest, and Positano and Ravello in particular are expensive. Maiori and Minori offer far better value but you can still get a much better bargain in Northern Italy.

Naples and Amalfi Coast with kids: frequently asked questions

I visited the Amalfi Coast while I was pregnant and spent the whole time thinking about how it would be if we had our little R with us.

Allie, Jack & R x

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