Family Guide to Atrani

Hope you are all keeping well. Lot’s of requests for this one since Christmas as everyone tries to shake the January blues and book some sunshine and I’m so late with it, so apologies. To be honest, last year I was afraid to post it because we weren’t sure what we were doing this year and I was worried if I shared the apartment website that there would be nowhere left for me lol! Anyway, in the heel of the hunt, we decided to try somewhere new this Summer (I’m scared) but for now I’ll tell you why we love Atrani so much and why we’ll definitely be back again.

How we decided on Atrani.

We had what can only be described as a magical holiday in Amalfi Town in 2023, the stars just all aligned and it felt so, so special. You can read about it here. Maybe it was because we hadn’t been anywhere in years and we were coming out of the whole covid fiasco but it was just so lovely.

So I didn’t even think about going anywhere else last year. We had stayed right in the heart of Amalfi town in 2023 and loved it but every day we walked to Atrani (the village next door) to go to the beach as it was much quieter and we felt it was more suited to kids. So we’d walk there (10/15 mins through a tunnel connecting the two towns), spend the day there on the beach and then head home in the evening to get showered and have dinner in Amalfi town where there was a lovely little buzz.

So I had an idea that maybe it would be better if we stayed in Atrani this time so that we are right beside the beach for day time and then if we want we can walk into Amalfi some evenings for a bit of atmosphere. That way, the walk would be done at the cooler part of the day.

It worked so perfectly, for us.

How to get there.
To get to anywhere on the Amalfi Coast it’s best to fly into Naples, from there you can get either a taxi which is approx 250 euros or you can get the Pintour Bus which you have to book online. It only runs about 4 times a day and takes about 1 hour and 45 mins. It’s 20 euro per person for adults annd 10 euro for children. The Pintour drops you right in Atrani, it’s the second last stop, right before Amalfi town. There’s no denying it, the travel day is hard going. My kids actually love public transport so I’m lucky it’s not too bad but poor Bobby did suffer from a little travel sickness this time around. It is a long and winding road so do bear that in mind.

Now if you are staying on the other side of Amalfi, like Sorrento, then that is more connected by a better bus, a better road and even a train option!

What Atrani has to offer families.

I’ve said it in previous blogs, I get nervous recommending Italy and in particular, the Amalfi Coast because I’m always conscious that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I’m not a resort person and the kids have never been on a holiday with waterparks and pools and slides. They absolutely love the beach and have never asked about a pool but I know there are lots of families where the kids may prefer a pool and may find it a bit boring. We live in the midlands here so I just think the sea is just a huge novelty for them. Shane used to bring them fishing in the evenings down at the rocks in Atrani.

There are plenty of hotels with pools but we only ever use Airbnb because we like to go for 3/4 weeks so we’re always on a tighter budget.

Outside of the beach there isn’t really a whole lot else for kids. It really is a very simple holiday. We get up, have a little breakfast at home. Then we make our way to the beach, usually stopping for a coffee and a pastry on the way, then we just set up on the beach for the day, takeaway pizza’s in the afternoon or occasionally leaving for lunch and an Aperol in a nearby restaurant. and then back to the beach for the lovely early evening sun. Home then for showers and out for dinner, after dinner we usually walk to Marco, get an ice cream and just stroll around, sometimes stopping to light a candle in the local church, sitting on the steps in the square and just taking it all in. Then home to put the kids to bed and we’d have a glass of wine on the balcony.

I’m aware that wouldn’t be for everyone but we love it.

The kids are actually upset that we’re not going back there this year, so I hope they will love what I’ve planned next!

Accommodation

I found an amazing Airbnb in Atrani for a great price, so I booked it and we went for a month. Click here for our apartment. It was family friendly, stunning views and a rooftop terrace. Just to note there are lots of steps so you have to carry your luggage up from the main square! I always book through AIrbnb but I saw that my hosts had a rental agency in Amalfi town so I cancelled the booking and booked through their own website and doing that helped me save a few bob on all the Airbnb fees. I wouldn’t do this lightly but I spoke on the phone with Rosella and her website was legitimate and I may have google mapped the office address and street viewed it. I’m mad, I know!

Please note that there is no air conditioning in our apartment, we found it very hot even with fans and would probably only book this particular apartment again during off peak season. We loved it so much though that I tried to book it for Easter but it was already booked out. It would be so perfect for May, June, September and October. Rosella and Roberto are just perfect hosts and went out of their way to help us.

There are lots of options on their website with air conditioning, which I would definitely recommend in July and August. Also I just wanted to share one of their listings in particular. If steps are an issue then the location of this apartment is perfect, it’s too expensive for us because we like to go for a month but it is so perfect if you’d like to just go for a week or two! It’s right on the main road just looking down over the main square on one side and the beach on the other. The biggest plus is that the bus literally drops you outside, so I think that its just the perfect location! Click here for that apartment. I’d love to stay here sometime.

Restaurants

Atrani only has a handful of restaurants and I just feel that every restaurant in Italy is family friendly! No one is in a rush in Italy though so it’s best if you just let go, order a drink the second you go in because you may not get a menu for 20 minutes lol. I’ve learned to appreciate their level of chill.

The pizza in La Palme is just stunning, really fab. We went there a lot, It’s always busy and atmospheric. Good mix of tourists and locals. If you can get there by 7.30 you’ll usually be seated straight away, after that a queue starts to form.

We loved the staff in the family run Il Birecto in the main square. Lovely service and drinks, great with kids. The nicest arrabiata I’ve ever had. There’s also a little fountain beside the restaurant and that entertained the kids while we waited for food..

Atrani is not Atrani without heading into the local shop Mimi and Coco. No English spoken but Shane managed to communicate something about a Naples football player, the next day we’re walking to the beach and we could hear someone shouting and here was Coco running after us to give Shane a Napoli t-shirt with said footballer on it. Just a dote of a man.

Another little fruit and veg and wine shop in the middle of the square, you will find the nicest woman, she would just make you smile. After dinner in the evenings we would walk in to get some water and she would always open a tin of biscuits and ask the kids to take one. On the last night she refused to take money for our few bits as a gift to us.

Under the arch you will find Marcos gelato run by Marco and his lovely wife Elizabeth. Lovely people and great value. The kids used to stop in and say hello to them everyday. Not a word of English lol.

I can’t talk about the Amalfi Coast without mentioning Donna Stella PIzzeria in Amalfi town. The most gorgeous restaurant where you dine under a ceiling of lemon trees. The lovliest staff who always make us feel so welcome. The pizza is INSANE, the caprese salad is divine and lemon and black pepper potatoes are to die for!

I’ll add more as I think of them!

Day Trips

This is probably the least amount of day trips we’ve ever done. We thought that we would do loads given that we were in Atrani for a month but it was just so relaxing there that we fell into a glorious routine and everyone was just really content so the only place we went to was Ravello for the day. The bus goes through Atrani and I was delighted that I got to see it, it’s such a beautiful place. So romantic, a perfect place for weddings and honeymoons.

We did go to Naples for a couple of days, not by choice though! Poor Tess got a grain of sand in her eye and she wouldn’t let us near it and after a couple of days of trying wash it out, it was clear that it was embedded in her eye. So we had to trek to the children’s hospital in Naples where I basically had to lie on top of her while 3 doctors and nurses tried to get it out. I don’t know who was more traumatised. Anyway all is well, that ends well.

I love Naples, it’s a wild place. Not for everyone but I like the shabby nature of it. The only thing is that in July and August, the heat is simply oppressive in the city.

If you do decide to stay in Amalfi town or Atrani, you will be glad to know that it is in the transport hub, so it’s very well connected by bus and ferry to all the well known areas like Positano, Praiano, Sorrento etc.

I hope this blog post helps you decide whether Atrani is somewhere for you and your family. We’ve decided on Ischia this summer so I’ll keep you posted on how that goes!

J x