Amalfi with two under five

A member note from a Dubai family of four, lightly edited, shared with permission.

Take the ferry, always. The coast road with a four-year-old is a mistake you make once. Ferries from Salerno run on time, cost less than a taxi, and the view is the one from the postcards.

Lunch at noon, exactly. The terraces fill by one. At twelve you get the corner table, the high chair without negotiation, and an hour of calm sea air before the afternoon crowd.

Book a room with a terrace, skip the pool. The pools are small and cold until June. A terrace with a view holds a napping child and two parents with a bottle of Greco better than any pool deck.

Connecting rooms exist — ask for them by name. Half the cliffside hotels have exactly two pairs. Tanya checks connecting-room availability as part of the quote, which is the kind of detail that decides a family trip.