TRAVELING LITTLE MORSELS

Day: December 2, 2025

Italy Adventures with Kids: Rome and Amalfi Coast Itinerary and Logistics

Trip motivation During Thanksgiving week 2025, our family took a trip to Italy! November is a tricky time to travel with weather, but the combination of great prices and fewer crowds convinced us to go. Ben and I had been before without the kids (Italy without kids), but this time we decided to bring them along! We loved spending a few days in Rome with some history and museums and then took the train down to the Naples/Amalfi Coast area, where we explored the cities, including an epic visit to Pompeii. We love European travel as it always offers family-friendly towns, easy navigating with trains, and so much history and beauty. Traveling internationally with kids can be daunting, but with a little preparation, research, and tips from other travelers, we had a successful trip! This post covers our flights, itinerary, planning process, and international logistics such as using the subway, getting a phone card, and finding budget restaurants. For more on our Italy Adventure, see our posts here Italy Adventures with Kids- Rome and Amalfi Coast Itinerary and Logistics 3 days in Rome with Kids 3 days Amalfi Coast Itinerary for Families Planning our Itinerary I love planning trips, especially through well-traveled places where there’s a ton of information to read through and make plans for. Many online blogs were really helpful! We were in each home-base for around 4 days and read numerous blogs and books (Rick Steves is always a must-read for Europe trips). One tip for traveling with kids is take a 3-day best of guide and cut out half of it to make it actually realistic to manage in those same 3 days. Mix in some kid-focused/less touristy options like playgrounds, interactive museums, or a cooking class. We did a lot of bus and train travel on this trip and our kids loved reading their new kindles on the trains and this was a great time for just chatting and reconnecting with gorgeous views. Several months before, I sketched out our plan in excel and on google maps with a balance of activities, rest time, food, rest, and fun. We made sure to research how far areas were and tried to schedule several anchor points with a few optional activities so we didn’t overstuff our schedule. Overview Day 0: Departure from Nashville Day 1: Arrival in Rome,  Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon Day 2: Colosseum/Forum, Pasta Class  Day 3: Leonardo Museum, Vatican City, Evening Shopping Day 4: Train to Salerno, Christmas Lights Day 5: Naples day-trip for Archeology Museum and Castle Views Day 6: Ferry to Amalfi Coast Day 7: Vesuvius Hike, and Pompei Visit Day 8: Return home Flying to Italy We paid cash for a flight on Icelandair after finding a great deal from BNA Cheap Flights. I highly recommend following for some ideas. The cost was $400 RT per person!! Incredible! On the way there, we stopped in Iceland, and on the way home, we stopped overnight in Dublin. Although we didn’t use points for this trip, we did put the trip on our Chase card to build up points for our next trip!   Chase Sapphire Preferred Apply Here Chase Sapphire Reserve Apply Here Chase Hyatt Apply Here Tips for Long Plane Rides Sleeping on planes West to East: Plan to sleep! For the overnight red-eye flight to Europe, we emphasized that after dinner service, everyone was going to try and get some sleep. I gave each kid a dose of melatonin and they passed out pretty immediately. We packed these cheap pillows from Amazon (They came with eye masks!). On arrival, get outside and try to limit naps so you can readjust. Activities for long flights East to West On the long flight, the kids were happy playing with the personal screen and alternating between coloring, reading, tv, games, and snacks. Ellie has been loving the Magic Treehouse books and when they were little, they used to love activities in the Magic Ink and small play pack coloring books (Amazon links).  We have one Nintendo Switch that the kids love. For more on our favorite activities and tips for flying, see our post here. Lodging Rome: Our home base was the Hyatt Rome The Tribune. We are loyal Hyatt fans, and for this trip, we booked a Family Room (around $350/night), which was big enough to comfortably fit a queen bed for us and two separate single twin beds for the kids. Later on our last night before leaving, we stayed at the Holiday Inn EUR Parco dei Medici. While it was conveniently located near the FCO airport (which was the whole point!), trying to get there late at night from the city center after a long day of travel was exhausting. Salerno: Housing here was incredibly cheap in chilly November! We booked a Mini Apartment at Il Salernitano (via Booking.com) for a steal at about $80 a night. It had decent space, with 2 bedrooms, and a mini kitchen. Transportation in Europe Train travel and public transportation is one of our favorite things about Europe. Everything is pretty straightforward and inexpensive. We did learn that the trains are not always on time and to make sure you’re on the right stop when you stop! In Rome, we did a combo of walking, uber/taxi rides and public transportation.  One top tip for international travel is to download the city map to google so that it doesn’t continue to use data every time you load. Kids under 10 are often free, but policies can vary We took trains between Rome, Frascati, Salerno, and Pompeii. We prioritized flexibility in our schedule and purchased tickets the day before or day of which let us pivot due to weather variability. If you prioritize cheaper tickets or are more firm in plans, you should buy tickets 2 weeks out  as prices went up closer to departure. Other transportation: For the Amalfi coast, we planned a full-day ferry trip with Travelmar . While in Pompei, we took the

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3 Day Amalfi Coast and Naples Area Itinerary for Families

Background During Thanksgiving week 2025, our family took a trip to Italy! November is a tricky time to travel with weather, but the prices and crowds convinced us to go. Ben and I had been before without kids (link) but this time we decided to take the kids! We loved spending a few days in Rome with some history and museums and then took the train down to Naples/Amalfi Coast area where we explored the cities in that area, including an epic visit to Pompei.  We love European travel as it always has family-friendly towns, easy navigating with trains and so much history and beauty. Traveling internationally with kids can be daunting but with a little preparation and research and tips from other travelers, we had a successful trip! This post covers our days in the Amalfi Coast area with Salerno as our home base. For more on our Italy Adventure, see our posts here Italy Adventures with Kids- Rome and Amalfi Coast Itinerary and Logistics 3 days in Rome with Kids 3 days Amalfi Coast Itinerary for Families After our three action-packed days in Rome, we took the high-speed train south to Salerno, the perfect base for exploring the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, and Naples. Salerno is the Cutest! We knew we wanted to see the Amalfi Coast, but we preferred a base that felt less like a tourist trap and more like a real Italian town. Salerno was the perfect fit. It felt like we were part of regular life here-with walkable streets and alleys and real people with their cute running clubs and vibes. It didn’t feel overrun with tourists. Apartment home base Housing here was incredibly cheap in chilly November! We booked a Mini Apartment at Il Salernitano (via Booking.com) for a steal at about $80 a night. It had decent space, with 2 bedrooms, and a mini kitchen. It didn’t really have a dining or living space but that’s ok, the kids enjoyed setting up their Nintendo switch on some down times. The location of the apartment was an easy walk or bus ride to the main train station and port, and definitely met our needs. Our 3 day itinerary in the Amalfi Coast Day 1: Arrival in Salerno We arrived early afternoon in Salerno after a train from Rome. One of the reasons we picked Salerno was for the Luci d’ Artista Christmas lights. This was a magical bonus of visiting in the winter months. From mid-November to early February, Salerno hosts a spectacular Christmas light display. The streets and park are lined with beautiful  light installations such as jellyfish, clouds, flowers, and dinosaurs. It felt like a low-key version of the cool light projections we’ve seen in places like Chartres and Innsbruck. Definitely check the dates if you visit in winter! Because it was raining when we arrived, we decided to do some exploring at the Salerno Archeology Museum: Not a must-do, but it was a fun, free, short stop right in town to break up the afternoon. We didn’t spend a whole lot of time exploring Salerno except for the lights. One thing I wished I had done ahead of time was to make reservations at La Botte Pazza: I found a recommendation for this restaurant with all-you-can-drink wine! We missed out because we didn’t book ahead. We ate close by at other restaurants and had great pizza,  pasta and steak options. Day 2: Naples Visit Because of some yucky rain, we pivoted our plans and decided that indoor museums in Naples (about an hour’s train ride from Salerno) were the best use of the day. A mini umbrella would be a great item to pack if you have room! Morning: Naples National Archaeological Museum (MANN) We skipped a lot of museum time in Rome because all of the sites were really outdoor museums. We really enjoyed this museum in Naples as a rain option. This archeological museum houses the best artifacts recovered from Pompeii, giving us context before seeing the ruins themselves. Every exhibit had English signage, which helped us read up on the history. We used the Rick Steves audio guide here, too! (Just the transcripts) The downstairs statues were beautiful. We especially liked the Roman Gods room, which features the massive Hercules statue and the impressive Farnese Bull.  Near the stairs, there was a cool video about the House of Faun. It made our later visit to the actual site in Pompeii come to life. Kid-Tip: Bathrooms are in the basement! Use the elevator rather than trying to wrangle kids down the stairs. Pizza Lunch & Afternoon Wandering We grabbed pizza along a Via dei Tribunali where there were tons of choices. We went to the famous Gino Sorbillo on Via dei Tribunali. This was the best pizza of the entire week! It was packed and busy but worth the wait. We briefly considered the science museum outside the city but decided the 30-minute commute wasn’t worth the time investment. Sometimes, cutting an activity is the smartest move! Sunset at Castel Sant’Elmo After a late lunch, we walked towards the Castel Sant’Elmo. This castle is mostly just a viewpoint, but it was half-price after 4 PM! (Don’t be like us and accidentally walk all the way around the castle to get to the top!) Look for the elevator to go up. Even with the rain, the views of the Bay of Naples were spectacular. We took a funicular down and had pasta near the Napoli train station before heading back to Salerno. Day 3: Gorgeous Amalfi Coast Views Boat Itinerary We planned a full-day ferry trip with Travelmar for about €142 total, aiming for: 9:40 AM Salerno to Positano Short time in Positano 1:30 PM Positano to Amalfi Short time in Amalfi 4:30 PM last ride back to Salerno Our boat to Positano was canceled due to weather, so we ended up with a simple 9:40 AM ferry straight to Amalfi and spent the full six hours exploring the area.

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3 days in Rome with Kids

Background During Thanksgiving week 2025, our family took a trip to Italy! November is a tricky time to travel with weather, but the combination of great prices and fewer crowds convinced us to go. Ben and I had been before without the kids (Italy without kids), but this time we decided to bring them along! We loved spending a few days in Rome with some history and museums and then took the train down to the Naples/Amalfi Coast area, where we explored the cities, including an epic visit to Pompeii. We love European travel as it always offers family-friendly towns, easy navigating with trains, and so much history and beauty. Traveling internationally with kids can be daunting, but with a little preparation, research, and tips from other travelers, we had a successful trip! This post covers our days in Rome. For more on our Italy Adventure, see our posts here Italy Adventures with Kids- Rome and Amalfi Coast Itinerary and Logistics 3 days in Rome with Kids 3 days Amalfi Coast Itinerary for Families Arrival in Rome from Airport We flew from Nashville to Rome with a short layover in Iceland. There is a new non-stop on Iceland Air to Reykjavik, and this opens up several cheap options throughout Europe. (On the way home, we had an overnight layover in Dublin.) We arrived in Rome around 2 PM and took a train to our apartment. Transportation in Rome In Rome, we mostly did a lot of walking with a few bus and train rides. In-City Transit: When we needed to use the city transport (buses or the inner-city Metro), we used the tap-to-pay feature with our credit cards on the buses and at the Metro turnstiles.  Kids under 10 are free but policies can vary, so always check the latest rules! Longer Trains: For our pre-planned longer journeys (Frascati, Salerno), we booked the tickets ahead of time at trenitalia, which simplified those specific transfers. Uber/Taxi: Uber is used as a taxi-hailing app but is not widely used. When leaving Rome, we did choose to call an uber to help us make our way to the train station. Walking: Make sure you have a powerbank since having maps open often drains battery. Hotel Our home base was the Hyatt Rome The Tribune. We are loyal Hyatt fans, and for this trip, we booked a Family Room (around $350/night), which was big enough to comfortably fit a queen bed for us and two separate single twin beds for the kids. Having that separate sleeping space is a non-negotiable for happy travel! More about sleeping in hotels linked here.  Because of our status, we had free breakfast which was great. Omelets, pastries, and good coffee meant we could fuel up without having to make a decision before 9AM. Our hotel was near the Borghese area. Many bloggers recommend staying in the Historic Center or Trastevere for the easiest walking access, but we found our spot was still very central and a great location for us. We were near a street that often had sirens nearby, but I’m not sure how one would avoid that while still being close to the action Our 3 day itinerary in Rome Day 1: Sunset Views, Trevi Fountain, and a Gorgeous Church Our first afternoon was a classic Roman walk, checking off some of the biggest icons right away. Spanish Steps to Trevi Fountain Walk We used the Rick Steves audio guide (read from the transcript!) as we walked the cobblestone streets. Spanish Steps: Gorgeous at sunset, but very busy. (Quick Tip: Sitting on the steps is prohibited, so just admire the view from the bottom or the top!) Trevi Fountain: Again, packed with people, but still completely magical. (Other blogs advise getting here right at sunrise to beat the crowds, but the sunset crowds have a special energy.) Sant’Ignazio di Loyola Church Before trips, I rely on guidebooks and social media posts for suggestions. Near the Pantheon, we made a stop at the Church of Sant’Ignazio di Loyola that has a famous “fake dome.” Because the original builders ran out of money, a painter created an incredible optical illusion dome on a flat ceiling. It was such a fun stop and the first of many beautiful churches that we loved Dinner at Peroni Brewery For dinner, I had pre-selected some options that were recommended by other bloggers and guidebooks. I save them to google maps so that when we’re hungry, I can say “We’re a few blocks from this spot” or “Nothing near here, let’s wander”. Near the Pantheon/Trevi Fountain area, we chose the Peroni Brewery for dinner, a decent, inexpensive spot a little off the main walking track. The food was good, the service was fast, and it was a perfect way to settle into Rome life. After dinner, we took a bus back toward our hotel, stopped at a grocery store for some snacks and drinks, and stayed up late back at the Hyatt watching an awesome Vandy football game. Time-zones don’t matter when you’re a true fan! Day 2: Classic Roman History and Pasta Class! Morning at the Roman Forum & Palatine Hill We pre-booked our combo tickets online €18 adults, kids free. (Pro-tip: Don’t line up at the main Roman Forum entrance. Instead, walk through the Arch of Constantine (with the Colosseum on your left) and walk a little ways down toward the Palatine Hill entrance, which had virtually no line! Starting at the Palatine Hill area, you can see where Rome was founded and then work your way back toward the Forum. The ruins are so expansive, and the history is incredible. I did some “mild history teaching” from the Rick Steves audio guide about the different sites. My daughter kept finding spots to do some ballet posing for a photo op! Afternoon Colosseum Visit We had a pre-booked 1 PM entry time for the Colosseum. (The Forum combo ticket can be used 24 hours before or after the specific Colosseum time.)

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Traveling Little Morsels

Sharing memories and tips for enjoying travels with littles. Always looking forward to our next adventure! 

❤ Jenn Morse ❤
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