How to visit the Amalfi Coast with a baby or toddler (and enjoy it!)
A mama’s guide to tackling a trip to the Amalfi Coast with a baby or toddler, with essential things you need to know about accommodation, transport, baby supplies and gear and more.
Enjoying a stay Amalfi Coast with a baby or toddler is possible. However, unlike most of the rest of Italy, this part of the Italian coastline requires a little bit of planning from parents of really young kids.
While babies and toddlers are welcome on the Amalfi Coast and will be doted upon and treated like royalty (here, like in the rest of Italy, children are adored, especially if little!), there is no doubt that uneven terrain, vertigo inducing terraces, boat trips and hikes are not the most obvious setup for a family vacation with a little one.
But there are ways to make it great, no matter how young your travel companion is!
I am an Italian mama of two, with an age gap between my kids of less than 2 years.
I haven’t let their age stopped me from visiting Italy all over so I can genuinely tell you: if I could enjoy it with two under two, you can as well!
So, weather you are visiting this area for a wedding or as part of a longer Italian family vacation, I hope I can help you plan this stay the best possible way.
In a previous article, I shared my tips for the Amalfi Coast with kids.
Due to the specificity of baby and toddler age, today I want to look more specifically at this age range and what you need to know about visiting the Amalfi Coast with kids age 0 to 3 or so.
Please note: this post contains affiliate links. Should you make a purchase, I might make a small commission.
Tip 1: pick the right season
Good weather is crucial to enjoy the Amalfi Coast, but if you are visiting as an adult, you can also find relaxation here in the off season or on a rainy day.
With a baby or toddler, things are a little less straightforward!
The Amalfi Coast is very much an outdoor activities and beautiful terraces with a view type of place and has little if anything to offer in terms of rainy day and indoor entertainment for babies or toddlers.
Here, there are no indoor play centers, malls, and you don’t really have family hotels with play rooms and playground.
Because of this, if you are here in winter and the day doesn’t allow for strolls, days with toddlers can get tiring fast.
The best time to visit the Amalfi Coast with a baby or toddlers is May and June (less rainy than April, less hot than the summer) and also September October.
In all these seasons rain is possible, but you have the highest chance of good weather, without scorching extremes.
If you have no alternatives, I recommend you are very intentional about your accommodation choices, and pick a place in Sorrento, which has more services, or anyway pick a place with good indoor space, should you be stranded at home for the afternoon.
Baby and toddler friendly hotels on the Amalfi Coast you may want to consider are:
In Sorrento, Hotel Antiche Mura, in a great location in the center of Sorrento, walking distance to shops, restaurants etc. The hotel offers baby cot and has blackout blinds, which we found really helped settling for the night.
In Sorrento, Hilton Sorrento has comfortable, spacious rooms with views, concierge service, indoor (and seasonal outdoor) pool
In Maiori, Hotel Sole Splendid, with super convenient access to a private beach. Parking and baby sitting service available for an extra charge.
Tip 2: Pick the most toddler friendly towns
The Amalfi Coast towns are mostly steep, with narrow streets and uneven terrain, often with steps to help you negotiate the incline.
This is not a problem for the occasional stroll exploring with your toddler, but it means that you don’t always have safe spaces for a little one to run around or for you to have a lovely evening stroll along the waterfront pushing the stroller.
The most stroller friendly towns on the Amalfi Coast are:
Maiori: Maiori is a lovely small town, close to Salerno, on a beautiful stretch of the Amalfi Coast.
Albeit less scenic than famous Positano, Maiori is a wonderful choice for families as it has a flat promenade with a playground, a family friendly beach and a main road with shops for essentials.
You can read here >> My guide to Maiori
Sorrento – the other baby and toddler freindly town on the Amalfi Coast is Sorrento.
To be precise, Sorrento is not on the Amalfi Coast, it is one the opposite side of the promontory, on the Costa Sorrentina (Sorrento coast).
However, it is so close to the Amalfi Coast proper, so well connected and such a transport hub for the area that it can legitimately be bundled up as an Amalfi Coast destination.
Sorrento is the best place for baby and toddlers in the area as it is largely flat and stroller friendly, it is a bigger center so it has all the shops and services you may need (Including the hospital) and it can be reached without a car, which is a definite plus if you have a little one who doesn’t take well to drives on winding roads.
Tip 3: Stay walking distance from the town center / port
Maybe the biggest mistake I have seen happening when planning a trip with a pre-walker to this area is picking accommodation away from the town center.
The mistake is easy to make: in an attempt to find a place with some flat outside area or a little more space, you may find yourself looking at rentals that are a little outside of town, where space is more generous and prices less high.
This is indeed a good idea, provided you can safely walk into town.
Because of the type of roads here, the traffic, the difficulties parking, having a place that you cannot leave unless you have a car becomes very limiting very quickly.
When selecting accommodation, check reviews carefully for mentions of the road into town: is it easy to walk? Is it safe? Is it illuminated, for walking back home after dinner? Especially in summer, when summer peaks, ease of access to essentials is a must.
Tip 4: bring a carrier
For the vast majority of Amalfi Coast locations you want to be equipped with a baby carrier.
If you are hiking, I recommend a proper hiking one (paths can be challenging here), while for all other activities I liked my Ergo Baby or Tula, which I found handy also to hop on and off ferries and for town sightseeing.
Tip 5: Pack some baby essentials
Families live on the Amalfi Coast so you’ll find baby essentials here but in smaller centers you may not have the choice you need and sourcing a last minute item can be a bit of a challenge.
This will not be a problem in bigger centers such as Sorrento, Amalfi, Maiori, but in smaller towns, the choice shrinks fast and opening hours of shops as well may not be as long as in larger cities.
Because of this, I recommend to have a stash of diapers for your first day at least, so you don’t have to rush sourcing some as soon as you arrive.
The same goes for items such as a life jacket or if you have specific dietary requirements such as specific brand of formula, milk alternatives etc.
You can read here >>> where to buy baby items in Italy
Need to know! In Italy, changing stations are rare. Changing a baby or toddler outside of the house requires some ‘creativity’ so I recommend you pack your baby bag with a good changing mat and plenty of wipes. It is also convenient to have some Euro coins for public restrooms. On this note, you may find useful our guide to toilets in Italy, which sounds un-glamorous but it truly is pretty useful to know what to expect!
Tip 6: Plan baby friendly transport and tours in advance
As I mentioned on my transport guide to the Amalfi Coast, there are two ways to explore the coast: ferry and car.
The ferries don’t pose any extra issues with a baby while car transport with a little one incurs in the problem of car seats.
Car seats are not compulsory on taxis but they are also not provided. This means that if you randomly need a taxi, you will have to get your infant or toddler on your lap.
The best way to keep your little one safe on car rides is to plan ahead all car journeys with a transfer company they can provide car seats and plan driving tours that have them.
Make sure you always ask and confirm this with the company at the time of booking.
Companies that are usually able to provide them are (all tried and tested by me and the wonderful Mama Loves Italy Community on Facebook! Go to the end of this post for a link to join!)
Baby and Toddler friendly Transport and Tours by Car
- Welcome Pickups (instant quote on the website for transfers, child seats available)
- Transfer Naples to Positano with stop in Pompei by Askos Tour
- Pompeii, Amalfi Ravello Tour with transfer
- RainbowLimos transfers and tours from Positano to Amalfi/Ravello/ sorrento
- LivTours Amalfi Coast driving tour fully customizable (TOP choice but you need a generous budget)
Baby and toddler friendly Boat Tours
Capri early morning private transfer by boat with breakfast by LivTours (top choice but need a generous budget)
Blue Star Positano Small Group Amalfi Coast Day trip
Capitan Ago via GetYourGuide Amalfi Coast boat tour
Capitano Ago Private Boat tour around Capri
LivTours (luxury) Amalfi Coast boat tour
Tip 7: Don’t look for kids’ menus: tip for eating out on the Amalfi Coast with kids
Eating out on the Amalfi Coast with small kids is easier than menus may suggest.
Here, like in the rest of Italy, restaurants tend to not offer kids’ menus but it doesn’t mean they are not kid friendly!
Pretty much all restaurants, especially casual – mid range ones, are happy to make a simple meal for your child such for instance as pasta al pomodoro (pasta with simple tomato sauce), pasta al burro (pasta with butter).
Most places are now equipped with high chairs so, in the vast majority of cases, you won’t need to bring your own.
However, high chairs in Italy are often strapless (for hygiene, they are easier to clean) so, if you prefer a harness, it can be worth bringing your own.
For versatility, I recommend you avoid clip on ones, as they cannot attach to most tables (no matter what their marketing department says…). Instead, I recommend harnesses or booster seats that use the chair for support.
Good to know: if you need to stick with a specific dinner time, I recommend you book restaurants a few day sin advance to secure a table at your preferred time. Do consider that, often, dinner is later here than elsewhere and restaurants tend to open after 7pm. If you need to eat earlier, cafes and aperitivo places are great choices.
Tip 8: Book a place at a lido
The Amalfi Coast is not a a great beach destination and what I mean with this is that while you have lovely lidos and water access, the type of beach you find here is small coves, with mostly pebbly and rocky shores.
This is easily managed with littles, once you know it, but it is paramount not to come here with the hope of finding large, soft sandy stretches all beach resorts with many kids’ facilities.
To enjoy the beast family friendly beaches on the Amalfi Coast I recommend you get good water shoes for kids and get them some beach toys – you can easily find these in local shops.
I also recommend you look into booking lidos, so you can have loungers and umbrella.
You can read here >> all you need to know about Italian lidos (beach club)
If your hotel doesn’t have a private beach, you can look into family friendly lidos such as Leonelli’s in Sorrento, Panorama beach in Maiori, both bookable online.
I hope you found these tips for visiting the Amalfi Coast with a baby or toddler useful! Safe travels!
You can request to join our Facebook Group about Traveling to Italy with kids here
Visiting the Amalfi Coast with a baby or toddler: pin this!
Marta Correale
Marta Correale is an Italian mama of two. Born and raised in Rome, Marta has a passion for travel and especially enjoys showing off Italy to her kids, who are growing up to love it as much as she does! A classics graduate, teacher of Italian as a second language and family travel blogger, Marta launched Mama Loves Italy as a way to inspire, support and help curious visitors to make the most of a trip to Italy and learn about Italian culture on the way.
