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Amsterdam & the Northern Italian Coast - with a Toddler

Relaxing, easy days in Amsterdam, a week in Camogli, Italy tripping around the coast, including Cinque Terra, then back to Amsterdam with our 18m old daughter.

  • Fishing harbor in Camogli+ 16
  • Amazing takeaway from La Camogliese in Camogli - they would only do it for us twice - we asked everyday that week because it was so good!
  • Camogli at night
  • Amsterdam & the Northern Italian Coast - with a Toddler
jenn60556
by jenn60556
About Me:
AtlasGuru Contributor

EuropeNetherlands, Italy14 days / May 2017

Highs & Lows

Handmade pasta and REAL pesto in Camogli, and their annual fish festival was amazing!

Toddler bed time made dinner out incredibly hard - Europeans just don't eat dinner at 5:30.

Itinerary Overview

  • Red eye from Seattle to Amsterdam (direct is WORTH IT w/children)
  • We were lucky to stay with a friend in Amsterdam, who lived right in the city. Spent 3 nights there, exploring parks and cafes on bikes while we got acclimated to the time change
  • Flew from Amsterdam to Genoa, an easy 2 hour flight. Took a train to Camogli, where we rented an airbnb for a week
    • Day trip to Genoa Aquarium
    • Day trip to Cinque Terra
    • Day trip to Portofino
    • Annual Camogli Fish Festival - including epic beach bonfire competition, parade, fire works, and the biggest fish fry we've ever seen!
  • Flew back to Amsterdam for another 4 nights before flying home (again, direct only)
  • 7 Nights: Amsterdam
    Good friend moved there
  • 7 Nights: Camogli
    Proximity to Amsterdam - we wanted a beach town in Italy that was easy to get to and from.
Amsterdam - Good friend moved there
1

Amsterdam Good friend moved there

Sadly we didn't do most of the big tourist stuff - museums, the Anne Franke house, etc, because of our 18m old. BUT, we did have a fantastic time exploring by bike. We biked all over the city and saw most of the sites from the outside, even though we didn't go in.

There are great city parks all over the city. The playground slides in Amsterdam are steep and awesome, which sounds lame until your jet-lagged toddler is squealing with glee. 

We also went to a huge park called the Amsterdam Forest. It took about 30-40 minutes to bike there, but it's a very easy ride on a paved trail. It's built for families and even has a goat farm where you can feed and pet the goats, and buy cheese.

Camogli - Proximity to Amsterdam - we wanted a beach town in Italy that was easy to get to and from.
2

Camogli Proximity to Amsterdam - we wanted a beach town in Italy that was easy to get to and from.

Camogli is a hidden gem, we highly recommend you go - with or without kids. The town is right on a little bay/cove and is an active fishing village. The buildings are pastel-colored and old, like Cinque Terra, but the hillside up from the water isn't as dramatic so it hasn't been overrun with tourists yet - but it's still just as gorgeous.

Look up the annual fish festival in April/May and if you are able to be in town that weekend, it's worth it!

It's also a great jump-off for all that coastline has to offer. It's on a bus line and equally between Cinque Terra and Genoa.

Q & A

  • What would you have changed?

    Double check if your hotel or airbnb has an elevator. We did not. Traveling with a stroller and heavy bags, while we loved the view from our airbnb, we planned carefully every day to make sure we didn't have to go up and down the stairs too many times.

  • Tips you would give a friend?

    Rent a cheesy canal boat, get supplies for spritzes and enjoy a few hours on the water. It's dirty and cliche, but also worth it. And, if you are traveling with a little kid, seeing all the boats and ducks through their eyes is super fun.

  • Transportation Tips?

    Get rental bikes. There are shops everywhere you can rent from.

  • The Aquarium in Genoa is amazing! It's huge and very well done. Portofino and Cinque Terra are worth the trip, but they are so touristy and expensive, we were always happy to come back to Camogli at the end of the day.

  • Anything go wrong during the trip?

    Dinner is really hard with a young kid. Restaurants aren't serving dinner at 5:30 or 6, it's still cocktails and snacks. Most restaurants don't offer "takeaway" either, and if they do it's not the best food in town. We picked up ingredients to cook at home most nights - there's a pasta shop in town that sells the most amazing handmade pasta and sauces, including authentic pesto.

  • Packing tips?

    Pack light! You can get anything you forgot or need after-all in Amsterdam.

  • Restaurant recommendations?

    In Camogli: Pasta Fresca Fiorella, La Camogliese In Amsterdam: Coffee and Coconuts for breakfast or brunch - I wish we could have eaten there every day!