Amalfi Coast with Kids? Think Again.

Waking up at home in Valencia: breakfast, then almuerzo (the snack between breakfast and lunch). Around 12:30 we got in the car, headed to the airport, and then caught our flight. Luckily, Oliver had his siesta at the airport, so we enjoyed our lunch there while Noah and I were drawing. During the flight, Oliver was awake and active, while Noah took a one-hour nap.

At that time, Noah was 5½ years old and Oliver was 1½.

We arrived at Naples Airport and grabbed some food (again), since we had to wait another hour for the bus to Sorrento. The food was surprisingly delicious and cheap — mini pizzas for €3.50 and bocconcini for the same price.

The road from Naples Airport to Sorrento is stunning… if you don’t have a full stomach, aren’t afraid of heights, and aren’t traveling with small kids who either have full stomachs or a fear of heights.

Oh, those Italian serpentines!

Luckily, the bus wasn’t very busy, so we went to the back and took an entire row of seats, hoping that Oliver (1.5 years old) would fall asleep. He eventually did — but only after vomiting several times! It was definitely challenging, since I’m very sensitive to both the sound and the smell. Luckily, I managed to keep it together. What really saved us were the wipes and my scarf — two things I now always keep close when we travel.

Back to the bus ride: the views were absolutely breathtaking. The road winds along the Amalfi Coast, full of sharp curves and serpentine turns. On your right, you constantly see the sea, the cliffs, the villas, and the beaches. It’s spectacular — as long as your stomach can handle all those S-shaped roads!

Vomit, Taxis, and a Touch of Nostalgia

At the Sorrento bus station, we needed a taxi — but not before Oliver threw up again! This time it was in my arms, all over my COS T-shirt, the one I love and take such good care of. Well… that’s life!

The taxi driver, whom our friend had booked, was very nice — and he even spoke German. After about ten minutes in the taxi, we finally arrived at our campsite, Santa Fortunata.

It’s a place full of memories for my husband and his family. They used to come here often for their summer holidays. That’s why we chose it for our autumn reunion (middle of October) — it was a gift for my mother-in-law, so she could spend a long weekend with her boys: my husband and my brother-in-law, both with their families.

Not a (small) kids friendly destination

OK, let’s be clear: the Amalfi Coast is not ideal for small kids. By “small kids,” I mean those who still need a stroller, can’t walk yet, or can’t walk very far. In my opinion, up to around 8 months, you can go almost anywhere with a baby — but once they start crawling and gaining more weight, some destinations become less comfortable.

For kids older than 5, though, camping and the Amalfi Coast are really enjoyable. They can have fun at the pool, go to the beach, climb trees, and play with stones, leaves, and everything they find around them.

Returning to the small-kid situation: this isn’t the best place for strollers. There are stairs leading to the bungalow, to the restaurant, and, of course, no elevators. Heading into Sorrento city itself can be quite daunting — many roads don’t have sidewalks, so you have to walk along the street with cars passing by (some too fast for serpentines), all while trying to enjoy the views. And when it comes to getting down to the beaches, it’s just as challenging: plenty of stairways, but again, no elevators. The easiest approach is to carry your baby in your arms while someone else takes the stroller.

Indeed, the views are breathtaking, truly spectacular, and almost speechless! It’s a place that’s absolutely worth visiting if you can. To fully enjoy the side streets of the city and the shops, though, it’s better to go without small kids. Don’t get me wrong: I love traveling with my children and have no fear about it 😄 but I have to admit that some places are just complicated when you’re trying to have fun while taking care of babies or toddlers. On top of that, the Amalfi Coast isn’t exactly cheap, so if you’re planning a trip, I’d recommend it mainly for adults or families with older kids.

Camping Santa Fortunata Sorrento

The campsite Santa Fortunato Sorrento is really big, and at first, you might feel like you’ll never find your way out—or back to your bungalow. I loved that it had a very natural feel, not too polished, with lots of trees around, including olive trees, which I have a special respect for. Maybe it’s because I love olive oil so much…

The terrace of our house was spacious enough for the kids to play and to transform it in their "laboratoy" (check the photos!). There were plastic lounge chairs, but they were surprisingly comfortable. The house itself was very clean, especially considering it’s a campsite surrounded by nature. And, of course, flies and small spiders are just part of the experience.

The camping's pool is fantastic too! It's very big, surrounded by trees and I'm sure it's amazing in summer. Remember, our trip was in the middle of October and the weather was very nice every nice, and we, kids and adults, even entered into pool and later in the sea. Of course, you have to be a bit comfortable with colder waters - my kids are definitely loving cold water (can't understand why!).

They even provided toiletries, which was a nice surprise. We requested a baby cot for the little one, and after a little insistence, we finally got it. Who, as always when traveling, slept beautifully — mystery of mysteries. Lately, I’ve been writing some thoughts in a draft titled “My Baby Sleeps Best on Holidays”… maybe one day it will actually be published.

Thank goodness for midday naps, which gave us a little chance to relax… At 1.5 years old, our little one is incredibly active, and of course we have to stay alert every single moment. He loves climbing chairs, steps, stones, and tree stumps. He’s also fascinated by anything on the ground — cans, lids, or anything that careless people leave behind.

For the first two nights, we wanted to have a “special big-family-moments,” so we all had dinner together at the campsite restaurant and in Sorrento city. But our kids aren’t used to staying awake past 8 or 9 p.m. So yes, the dinners were enjoyable, but my husband and I were exhausted from feeding the little one, keeping him close, and watching the older one run around with his cousins. As a result, our “family reunion” lasted about twenty minutes 😅, and we reminded ourselves of the golden rule: we have to do what’s best for us. Late, noisy dinners just don’t fit our family’s rhythm.

So we decided that for the remaining days, we would have special family lunches, making sure that by around 8 p.m., baby Oliver is in bed. Kids who don’t get enough sleep in 24 hours become overtired — and as a result, overly active, less attentive, and more prone to accidents. We trust in the power of good, sufficient sleep! It helps them (and us, parents) behave as “normal” as possible and also supports their overall health.

Mamma mia, the Italian food!

It’s so good!! What else can I say?

Specifically for this holiday, I have to admit that the breakfast at Santa Fortunata Campsite was quite minimal. I missed vegetables and a bit more salty variety. I knew that Italian breakfasts tend to be sweeter than savory, and yes — they mostly had croissants and maybe five types of cakes (!) But that’s not really for me… I missed the tomatoes, olive oil and the incredibly delicious bread.

Somehow, the coffee was disappointing, no matter which type I tried. My husband said it was different because of the coffee machine. I tried a different one, but something was still off. It’s true that I never add sugar to my coffee; I usually sweeten it with oat or soy milk… which, unfortunately, weren’t available.

However, the pasta and pizza were absolutely delicious. We also went to Vásame in Sorrento, and once again, the pizza was fantastic — though quite expensive. It was the first time I ever saw a pizza for €40! No worries, there were cheaper options too, like the Margherita for €12.

Every day, we had either pizza or pasta. My older son ate 8 out of 10 meals as pizza Margherita or two types pasta. But pizza is so simple and delicious, I just can’t get enough of it. None of us can! On our way back home, we laughed about our “pizza diet”. We definitely needed some no-pizza time… I kind of missed lentils and fried eggs 😋

Spiaggia di San Francesco, Sorrento beach

On Saturday of our trip, we went to the beach. To get down from Sorrento, Piazza Tasso, we took the road since we had the stroller with us. We looked at the stairs and thought about how complicated it would be to carry the stroller down… when a guy with a very American accent told us, “There are 125 stairs to the bottom!” Oh wow, that’s a big number! So we stuck to the road, which was much easier that the 125 stairs.

Maybe you know that when you’re in Italy, you have to pay for the beach (!!). Entrance alone was €5, and a lounge chair cost an extra €7. Even the older child had to pay for entry. So enjoying the Sorrento beach isn’t exactly cheap. Naturally, we had lunch at the restaurant on the beach while we were there. The view was stunning — clear water, mountains in the background, and hotels perched on the rocks. It’s so unique that it's hard to find words to describe it.

I watched my kids play and laughing. I focused on the sensation of sand beneath my feet and try to breath with the waves. The sand is not as smooth as in Valencia and, due to the old volcano, darker — almost black. My husband noticed that the waves are calmer than in Valencia. Listening to the sea is incredibly relaxing and meditative… Why would I use my phone, except for some photos? Why let myself get kidnapped by social media when being in such a relaxing, beautiful place here?

After spending around five hours at the beach, we took the elevator back up. There was a long queue, but it moved fairly quickly. The price was €1.10 per adult, one way, and the boys didn’t have to pay. By the way, the ticket vendor was Romanian, and we had a little chat with him. On the way to the shuttle for the camping, my older one asked maaaany times, “Why did we stay at the beach so long?” and “When will we reach the bungalow?” He really wanted to spend more time “home” (the bungalow) and play with his toys... I was breathing more deeply and trying to connect with how tired (and over-excited) my child felt.

Marina grande

In another day we went to Marina Grande, a very beautiful place, that you reach walking (or caring the stroller) through narrow streets, and going down on many stairs. You reach a stoney beach with boats and restaurants ... all of them next to locals' houses. It's given such a natural, human and community feeling :)

Leaving holidays is not easy

On the morning we were leaving the campsite, everything seemed normal. The boys woke up perhaps a bit too early, around 6:25, and by almost 8 we had breakfast. Back at the bungalow, while we parents were packing and organizing our things, the boys were playing more or less around the terrace. Only the little one was “escaping” once in a while, wandering into the neighbors’ garden. About 20 minutes before we had to leave, my older one suddenly started putting on a “show”.

While scanning the garden to see if any socks were under chairs or between trees, I told Noah (5 years old):

“In a few minutes we’re leaving. We have to catch the shuttle bus from camping to the city, and then the train to the airport.”

Immediately, he fired the all-too-familiar question: “Why?” Trying to stay rational (and laughing a little), I answered, “So we can go home” (he he). Then it escalated. He started crying and whining, refusing to put his shoes on, questioning why we had to leave… and so on, with almost tears in his eyes and his voice getting angrier and angrier. I stood next to him as calm as I could (inside not too calm calculating the minutes to catch the shuttle, thinking not to forget anything etc) ... and I started to put words to his (possible) feelings, saying:

• "You don't want to leave this place.
• You and us enjoyed so much the time here together.
• The pizza was so yummy every time.
• You are afraid of anything?
• And maybe, you also miss home. Is that right?
• It's hard to leave when we had so much fun here, I know..."

Just some more minutes in my arms reflecting on those beautiful days we had with the extended family ... and he was happy, in his feet, ready to be the first one to the shuttle. :) He needed connection, he needed to have the full tank of love and reassurance for the road back home.

High stress in the last moments

I wished everything would go more smoothly after that, but no. In short: while waiting for the bus to the airport, we realized that Noah had forgotten his backpack — full of his favorite toys — on the campsite shuttle bus. So my husband took a taxi back to the campsite, luckily found the backpack, and returned to the train station after paying 50 euros the taxi ... All this adventure while I was waiting with the stroller, the big luggage, a backpack, and 1.5-year-old Oliver, who wanted to touch and climb everything. All of this while I was trying to keep us “in line” for the bus.

Yes… traveling with kids isn’t easy, especially if you focus only on the challenging moments. But if you shift your perspective to the times when they’re playing, having fun, bonding, marveling at the views, or exploring new places… traveling with kids can be incredibly rewarding. It’s important not to set expectations too high, go with the flow, be adaptive, and try to keep their sleep schedule as “normal” as possible.

What was your favourite holiday with kids? Any location to avoid with kids?

Sunny hugs from Valencia, Andreea