Heads up: This post contains affiliate links (Amazon, Flytographer, Viator). Booking or buying through them costs you nothing extra — and sends a small commission my way. Thank you 🤍
If you’re planning the Amalfi Coast with kids, save this. It’ll save you 6 hours of Googling.
We took our girls (5 and 7) to the Amalfi Coast last summer, and I’m going to be honest about what worked, what didn’t, and what I’d tell my best friend to book first. Less itinerary, more honest guide.
The biggest lesson? Don’t make Positano your base.
The fundamental shift: Praiano > Positano
Everyone with kids books Positano. Then they spend the week climbing 500+ stairs, fighting for restaurant tables, and paying serious money for a sea view they barely sit on.
We stayed in Praiano instead — 15 to 20 minutes down the coast — and it changed the entire trip. Same coast, half the crowds, real sleep at night, and a hotel terrace that became our favorite spot in Italy.
Praiano is also strategically placed: you can still daytrip Positano (we’ll get to how), but you go home to quiet.
Where to stay: Grand Hotel Tritone
We stayed at Grand Hotel Tritone in Praiano and I’d book the exact same room again tomorrow.
Ask for the Deluxe Room with Sea View Terrace. Breakfast is included, there’s a private beach club down the cliffs, and the sunset views from the on-site restaurant turn every meal into a memory.
The hidden perk nobody talks about: the hotel runs a FREE evening shuttle into Praiano town. We used it almost every night, including to get to Kasai for dinner.
Book it: grandhoteltritone.com · IG @grandhoteltritonepraiano · +39 089 874 333 · Via Campo 5, 84010 Praiano (SA)
The private boat day (the trip favorite)
If you do nothing else on this list, do this. A full-day private boat charter on the Amalfi Coast is the single best money we spent — and the kids talk about it more than any photo, restaurant, or beach club.
We booked with Erasmo at Amalfi by Boat. Multiple routes available; we did the Amalfi Coast and tucked into secluded beaches to swim. Capri is also an option (just ask him what’s right for your group).
A few honest things:
- We pre-paid €500, with €700 owed on the day (cash or card)
- Book 3+ months out — he sells out the summer fast
- Bring floats, water shoes, sunscreen, hats, snacks, and a change of clothes per kid
Book it: amalfibyboat.com · WhatsApp +39 333 841 5410 (Erasmo)
The beach club worth the splurge: Arienzo
Want a slice of Positano without the chaos? Arienzo Beach Club is the move — and the way you get there is the part the kids will remember.
A 5-minute complimentary boat shuttles you from Positano’s Lucibello pier directly to the club. Sunbeds, towels, umbrellas, a bottle of water, an appetizer, AND a main course are all built into the package — so lunch is handled.
Honest notes:
- It’s not cheap. But for a full family beach day on the Amalfi Coast, it’s worth it.
- Shuttle runs from 9:50 am out and from 3:15 pm back. Arriving at the pier early is fine.
- Ask for front-row sunbeds when you book so the kids can run straight to the water.
- Reserve as soon as your dates are set — they sell out weeks ahead in summer.
Book it: arienzobeachclub.com · IG @arienzobeachclubpositano · +39 089 81 20 02
Getting there (with Pompeii built in)
Don’t try to do Pompeii as a separate trip — build it into your transfer.
We booked our private transfer directly with Joe Banana Limos & Travel — a Sorrento-based family-run company that picked us up at the Naples airport, drove us to Pompeii for a 2-hour guided stop, then dropped us at our hotel in Praiano. Easy, kid-friendly, no Trenitalia chaos. Book direct with Joe Banana →
We asked them to set us up with a private kid-paced Pompeii guide so it wasn’t a death march in the heat. Two hours is the max for ages 5–10 — and bring hats and sunscreen because there is zero shade.
Prefer to book on a platform with one-click checkout and buyer protection? Here’s a similar private Naples-to-Amalfi-Coast transfer with a Pompeii stop on Viator — different operator, same concept: See Viator transfer options → (affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you)
Note: I have not personally used the Viator operator, so I can’t vouch for their driver/guide the way I can for Joe Banana. Linking it as a convenience option only.
Where to eat (and how to actually get the reservation)
A note before the list: Italy runs on relationships, not OpenTable. Email or WhatsApp 60–90 days out, ask the hotel to reconfirm 24 hours before, and always request an outside table while mentioning your kids’ ages.
Kasai (Praiano)
Reserve by email and call 1–2 days ahead to confirm. We took the Grand Hotel Tritone shuttle to get there.
@kasai_praiano on Instagram · +39 333 779 4248
La Cala Delle Lampare (Praiano)
The easiest dinner night — book directly at the Grand Hotel Tritone front desk. Sunset over the sea from your table.
Terrazza Celè (Positano)
Cliffside terrace, dressy-casual. Confirm under your name and ask for an outside table — the terrace IS the show.
terrazzacele.it · @terrazzacele on Instagram · +39 089 875 130
Il Pirata (Praiano)
Cliffside + cave lounge. Big views, the cocktails are good, the kids loved it. There’s an $80 deposit for the cliffside car transfer (your hotel arranges). Book under one adult name and call 1–2 days ahead.
ilpiratamalficoast.com · @pirata.praiano on Instagram · +39 089 874 377
Capture the trip (do this)
Hire a photographer.
I know — it feels indulgent. Do it anyway. You are FINALLY in the photos with your kids instead of behind the camera, and it’s the souvenir from this trip I treasure most.
We used Flytographer. A local pro meets you on location for a 30- or 60-minute family shoot. You get 15 edited photos for ~$325 (30 min) or 30 photos for ~$385 (60 min), delivered in an online gallery within 5 business days.
Pro tips: Book at golden hour, pick one hero outfit per kid in colors that match the city, and tell them your kids’ ages so they pace for short attention spans.
$25 off your first shoot: Book with my referral → flytog.co/KATHERINETEAM
What to pack
All my Amalfi must-haves — water shoes, floats, sun hats, and reef-safe sunscreen — are in my Amazon beach shop. Linking it here so you don’t have to hunt them down.
The list I wish someone had handed me:
- Floats and goggles for the kids (boat days = water time)
- Water shoes for everyone — Amalfi beaches are pebbles, not sand
- Hats and sunscreen for Pompeii (zero shade)
- €200 cash for transfers, beach club tips, and restaurant tips
- Mini backpacks for boat days (hat, water bottle, snack)
- Light layer for evenings on the terrace — it cools fast after sunset
- Printed copies of every confirmation (Italian Wi-Fi is unreliable)
A final honest word
The Amalfi Coast with kids isn’t easy. It’s pebbles and stairs and reservations that need to be hunted down 90 days out. But if you base in Praiano, book Erasmo’s boat, splurge on Arienzo, and let Flytographer catch you in the photos — you’ll come home with the kind of week your kids actually remember.
If you have a question or you’re mid-booking and stuck, drop it in the comments — I read every one.
Want to see it all in motion? Watch our full Amalfi Coast trip in my Instagram Highlights — every restaurant, the boat day, the views.
And if you go, tag me at @adiosteam on Instagram. I genuinely love seeing it.
— Kate