At first glance, the pastel-walled towns, scented lemon groves and dizzying cliffs of the Amalfi Coast seem meant for couples – and only couples. Yet upon closer inspection, the coast’s beaches, boat trips and simple yet virtuoso cuisine can make for a thrilling family trip.
Who needs theme parks and kids’ clubs? On the Amalfi Coast, the joy of traveling with your family is that the kids will be with you for every part of the trip. You’re never far from a beach and warm sea, and the small town centers are free of traffic and safe to wander after dark. Italian children stay up very late in summer (they nap in the afternoon), so you’ll see a lot more of them out late in the evening than in most countries.
The small coastal town of Cetara is relatively off the beaten track, and makes for an ideal base for families. It’s gently sloping rather than steep, has a small beach and is small enough to easily explore. It’s also accessible by ferry – which is important, as children might find a car or bus journey along the serpentine coastal road challenging.
A smaller, lesser known town on the coast, Minori is also among the best places to stay if traveling with kids (it, too, lies along the ferry route). It’s less packed than places such as Positano and Ravello, has traffic-free streets in the center, and sits upon a small black-sanded beach, with lemon-grove-lined walking trails above the town.
Nearby Maiori is especially good for toddlers, as it has a small playground on the waterfront, a castle, pedestrianized streets, several beach clubs and fewer hills than some of the other coastal towns. The main attraction here is all the play space the long beach affords – and, again, ferry access.
Ravello has beautiful gardens with glorious views out the sea that are fun to explore with kids – but better as a day trip than as a base. Just beyond the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento is more built up and less beautiful than nearby towns. Yet its relative flatness and range of transport and accommodation options make the town a popular choice for families.
Tourist hot spot Amalfi – the town that started it all – is also worth visiting with kids, being less hilly and more accessible than Positano. Little ones will enjoy its piazzas, fountains and waterfront playground, as well as the family-pleasing Museum of Paper, where you can all give papermaking by hand a try. It also has a good range of accommodation, and is a ferry hub (Positano is 15–30 minutes away by boat, Capri around an hour). Bear in mind, however, that the town gets very busy, so we’d recommend basing yourself somewhere smaller.
An alternative to a private driver is a group tour, cheaper but still comfortable. Tours depart from Naples by minibus or boat, with itineraries that include stops in Positano, Amalfi and other locations. This solution is great during the high season, when traffic can be heavy.
Another alternative is to rent a car for the excursion to the Amalfi Coast Renting a car offers more freedom to move around, but you have to consider traffic, expensive parking and the complexity of the roads. In particular, on high season days the traffic can be very heavy.
The Amalfi Coast offers other enchanting places to visit, such as Vietri sul Mare famous for its artistic ceramics, Cetara,with its restaurants, or Maioriand Praiano, beautiful coastal towns.
When renting a car to visit the Amalfi Coast you have to take into account some important issues.
It is not always easy to drive because the roads are narrow, full of curves and often overhanging the sea, and you also have to take into account that finding parking is not easy at all because they are quite expensive, and in summer the traffic is really heavy especially in the direction Naples-Costiera in the morning or afternoon.
But despite everything, driving on the Coast is a breathtaking experience
If you think you might find yourself in difficulty on the busy coastal roads of Amalfi and Positano, we recommend you opt for a transfer with a driver or for the buses.
If you want to save money, you can reach the Amalfi Coast with public transport. From Naples, you can leave with the Alibus or the train from the central station to Sorrento. From there, the SITAbuses will take you to Positanoor Amalfi.
Alternatively, during the summer months, you can choose to take a ferry or hydrofoil from companies such as Alilauro or Travelmar, so you can fully enjoy the breathtaking view. Hydrofoils leave from Molo Beverelloand connect Naples with Capri, Amalfi and Positano.
If you depart from **Naples** airport, you can get to Sorrento with the Curreri bus, which leaves directly outside Terminal 1 of Capodichino (the ticket can be purchased directly on board, the cost is 10 euros per person).
Alternatively, you can take the Alibus from the airport to Naples Central station (the ticket costs 4 euros and can be purchased on board) and from there continue to Sorrento with a train of the local railway Circumvesuviana (follow the signs, which will take you to the lower level of the station).
The route from the Sorrento Peninsula to the Amalfi Coast is instead served by Sita buses, which take about 45 minutes to reach Positano and an hour to reach Amalfi. It is a scenic journey, but full of curves (keep this in mind if you suffer from car sickness) and which can also be considerably longer, due to traffic, on summer weekends and during holidays and long weekends.
One thing to do that you absolutely cannot miss is the exciting excursion to the Coast by sea, valid however only in the summer months in fact in summer there are hydrofoils available that leave directly from the port of Naples (Molo Beverelo).
If you decide to travel by public transport we recommend that you limit yourself to visiting a single location, or at most plan a couple of stops: for example, you could first reach Amalfi and, in the afternoon, stop in Positano before leaving for Naples.
Whatever decision you end up making and whatever itinerary you choose, know that your day on the Amalfi Coast will make you fall in love, and you will probably want to return soon for a longer trip!
In addition to the Amalfi Coast, if you have a few more days there are other places in the surrounding area to visit such as POMPEI, HERCULANEUM or the ROYAL PALACE OF CASERTA, with a guided tour dedicated to culture.
In all the UNESCO sites you will find all the unmissable destinations of Campania and if you are a nature lover you could take a trip to Vesuvius where there are spectacular views and we assure you that it will be an unforgettable experience.
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