Hello! We are planning a last minute trip to Italy with our two small children ages 5 yrs and 20 months. We have traveled extensively in Europe and the US with our kids, including road trips in Sicily and Crete. We are planning to stay for 4 nights in Naples or Sorrento followed by 2 nights on Capri to relax, then continue with our 3 week Italian adventure. We’ve never been to either Naples or Sorrento but have stayed in Salerno and day tripped to Paestum, Capri, and Pompeii in our pre kid days. I would like to stay in Naples because we love big cities and also areas with fewer tourists. I feel like we will get our “resortish” time on Capri and Naples will give us a more authentic experience. We will stay in a well reviewed AirBnB (easier with kiddos than a hotel). Hubby is all of a sudden questioning Naples and thinking Sorrento is a better option because he’s been reading too many blogs and he thinks Sorrento will be significantly easier/faster to get around to the sites we want to see. And yes I see the irony of posting on this one after that comment😂 I think he also wants to do an Almalfi Coast day trip but I feel like it will be a bit much with Capri also. I also worry that in a resort town like Sorrento it can be a bit harder to find kid friendly food/play/supply options because there are fewer people with small children vs a city where lots of families live. We want to see Pompeii (my daughter is obsessed with Pompeii and Vesuvius lately), the archeological museum in Naples, possibly Paestum (might be ruins overload but if I remember correctly there is a TON of room to run around so great for kids), and have a day to explore Naples, maybe do a food tour. With kids we tend to plan one big thing a day and if we are able to do more it’s a bonus. Not worried about safety. Except for pickpockets I always feel safer in Europe than here in the US. And please don’t post about what a bad idea it is to travel with kids so young. We’ve been doing it since my youngest was 6 months old and we have LOVED every trip even when the kids were too young to remember. We actually find that we enjoy traveling more and make more personal connections now that we are traveling with our kids. If you’ve read all of this and answered, THANK YOU!! We appreciate your time and advice!
Posted by
San Diego, California
5649 posts
https://search.ricksteves.com/?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=Amalfi+coast+and+kids&button=
Perhaps this Search of previous discussions here on the Forum will have some helpful info.
Safe travels.
Posted by
Portland
3644 posts
Just a comment on traveling with little kids, for those who are dubious about it. The Italians are the most kid-friendly people on the planet. They can’t resist commenting on how beautiful your baby is. Waiters will bend over backwards to accommodate little ones.
Great that your 5 year old has interests other than princesses and unicorns. Kudos to you for encouraging her.
Posted by
Washington DC
28249 posts
I just went to Paestum last month and can confirm your memory about a lot of open space. If you're interested in the museum there, note that it might close earlier than the outdoor site, and it might be closed one day a week; check the website. In case you've forgotten, the temples are a fair walk from the train station, and Paestum will involve a good bit of transportation time from Naples (or Sorrento), because it's south of Salerno.
I liked Naples a lot. It's not particularly touristy, but many areas are going to feel crowded nonetheless, because the local residents seem to spend a lot of time walking around outdoors. Sidewalks are often packed. The city is very hilly, so you'll probably want to use public transportation, at least to and from the archaeological museum, a pretty substantial uphill walk; there's a Metro station right there. The museum is quite large, so it's probably a good idea to take a look at the floor plan ahead of time and prioritize the sections of most interest. There's a special exhibition on "Picasso and Classical Antiquity" running now through August 27.
If you want to see the "Veiled Christ" sculpture at the Capella Sansevero, you need to book that in advance. It's about 1/2 mile downhill from the archaeological museum.
If nothing else, I think your lodging costs would be a lot lower in Naples than they would be in Sorrento. I haven't been to the Amalfi Peninsula in ages and cannot comment on ease of transportation from Sorrento to the places you want to see.
It sounds as if you and your husband might save some money with a Campania ArteCard. There's some information about the cards in this recent thread: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/best-way-to-see-pompeii-and-herculaneum-from-naples
Posted by
lexington, il
4105 posts
Here are some spots in Naples your daughter may like. I personally would stay in Naples. It’s just as easy to reach Pompeii from here.
Piazza Plebescito, plenty of space to run around.
Castel del Ovo, great views over the bay of Napoli with Vesuvius in the background.
Teach her the story of the egg. Tons of area to expend energy.
Ride on the Funicular.
Capodimonti park in the hills overlooking the city.
Reggio Caserta. Short train ride (41-58min) from Naples. Largest Palace in Europe, fantastic gardens, parks and water features. Small cafe on site. The palace is much too large for the 5 year old, but the garden area should hold her attention with all the places to visit. My Grandaughter loved it 😊
Edited.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Pat, thank you for the suggestion! I will check those!
Rosalyn, thank you for the kudos! I’m a history teacher and it has been a wonderful to discover that my daughter lives history also! The “Magic Tree House” books have helped a lot. They have captured her imagination and described many historical sites and events in a way that engages children so well!
Acraven, thank you so much for the information and suggestions! Especially about planning ahead for which section(s) of the museum we will explore and the tip about the hills. Fortunately coming from California, our kids always see public transportation as an adventure in itself! We have a great small profile stroller that folds up and can be carried if needed and a baby carrier so those should help. But I’ll be sure not to book a room on the 3rd floor without an elevator. It sounds like we will be doing enough uphill walking.
Gerri, thank you for suggestions! They sound perfect for both of my kiddos! Finding places to run around is one of our new priorities when we travel!
We leave on our trip in a week and a half so I will update you all on what we decide about where to stay! I’m hoping it’s Naples!! It sounds perfect!
Posted by
Washington DC
28249 posts
The Castel dell'Ovo is currently closed for renovations. The website doesn't give a reopening date, so I'm afraid it won't be acessible.
The Capodimonte area is way uphill. The walk degenerates into a climb (130 steps' worth) at the end. There isn't a Metro stop up there, so you'll need a bus or a taxi if you want to head that way. Basically, in Naples you can often walk parallel to the coast a considerable distance without too much change of level, but if you're walking perpendicular to the coast, you're going to have a workout. The level changes can be quite abrupt, leading to streets that dead end unexpectedly at the bottom of what seems to be a cliff. It's sort of an adventure if you're not in a hurry. If you are in a hurry, best to really expand the map on your smartphone to be sure the street(s) you plan to take go where you need for them to. I'd buy a few transit tickets first thing so you don't have to try to find a sales point when you need to hop on a bus.
Posted by
lexington, il
4105 posts
The Capodimonti park works well with the Archeological Museum. It’s about a mile away and there are taxis and buses on the side of the museum. I’d op for a taxi w/ kids.