Read the details of our week-long trip from Rome to Amalfi Coast we took when I was 28 weeks pregnant, and my top babymoon tips for an active vacation!

My husband and I recently came back from an epic trip to Italy (Rome to Amafi Coast) for our babymoon, and it was so much fun and relaxing! We actually started planning this trip during my first trimester, which made me a bit nervous and excited at the same time, because I had no idea if my growing body will be able to keep up with all the walking or handle the hot Italy weather.

Thankfully, I’ve been quite active throughout my pregnancy so I had no trouble keeping up with my husband and doing all the touristy things. I seriously enjoyed every minute of it!

Prepare Before Leaving

• Purchase a SIM card. I’m so glad we got SIM cards instead of paying international data fees through our cell service company. These are SO MUCH CHEAPER, and they allowed us to not get lost during our trip, research restaurants and sites, and more, since we had service everywhere we went. This 12 GB data card was plenty for our 10 day trip (and we had so much data to spare by the end), if you connect to wifi whenever it’s available. All you have to do is contact your phone company to make sure your phone is unlocked, and just switch out the SIM cards once you get to your destination.
• Make sure to purchase plug adapters appropriate for where you are traveling to, and check that all your chargers, hair dryers, and whatever else you want to bring are compatible to the county’s voltage unless you have a converter. We bought this pack of adapters for super cheap!
• Check airline fees for checked bags. Most of the time, you pay less if you purchase these ahead of time. It’s a small way to save money!
• Pack healthy snacks for long flights. The meals they give out on the flights were horrible quality filled with sugar, so if you want to feel optimal during your travels, it’s a good idea to pack some healthier snacks to munch on.
• Research transportations to and from each location. Do this research ahead of time to save time and headache once you are there. Being prepared with this made it so much easier to know what to expect every time we were hopping from one destination to another. Also, some train tickets are way cheaper if you purchase them ahead of time so it’s a small way to save money!
• Plan any tours or excursions. We aren’t fans of group tours since we are picky about what we want to see and we like to see them at our own pace, but if that’s something that you are interested in, definitely plan them out before the trip. This way, you’ll have plenty of time to research the tours and their reviews without having to decide last minute. We did this for our food tours, and they were so worth it!

4 Days in Rome

What’s funny is I’ve been to Rome when I was in college, but I wasn’t a fan so I didn’t expect to like it much when I went back. I just remember it being super crowded, dirty, and not pretty. This time, however, I fell in love with the city: its beauty that I somehow missed before, the people, the FOOD, and everything. It’s crazy how you see places in a different light at different stages of your life!

Where we stayed

We did a bunch of research and asking around for what area to stay while we were there. We wanted somewhere convenient enough to be close to bars and restaurants and public transportation, but away from tourists. Many people recommended the area of Trastevere, so we ended up booking an Airbnb there.

Honestly, I LOVED this area. It was young, hip, GORGEOUS, with so many great places to eat. We got to our Airbnb around midnight the first night we got there and there were still restaurants open, which was amazing because we were still on LA time zone and it was lunch time for us.

There were also bus stops 5 minutes from our Airbnb that easily took us to all the major tourist sites. They say Trastevere is the greenest neighborhood of Italy because of all the urban greens and plants of the beautiful alleyways, and it really was!

What we saw

We did a lot of the typical tourist sightseeing like the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. We also walked around a bit in Vatican City, but didn’t want to wait in the long line for the museum and the Sistine Chapel and I’ve done that in my previous trip so we opted out of it.

I honestly loved all the walking around in the alleyways and checking out the local shops and streets of Rome way more than seeing the sites. My husband, who loves history and architecture, will probably tell you that he liked seeing the sites more. Whatever you prefer, Rome is just a great place filled with so much beauty.

What we ate

Food was one of the BEST parts of Rome! My husband, who thought that he didn’t like Italian food, was floored by how delicious everything was. I honestly had no trouble eating gluten free because Italy has the highest rate of celiac disease so they are very accommodating for gluten intolerances. Somehow, their gluten free foods taste so much like the real, gluten version!

Also, because their ingredient quality is so high, I found that I was totally fine sneaking in gluten from time to time there. I usually have the worst stomachache with brain fog when I get exposed to it in the US, but I was able to tolerate it much better there.

Here are some of our top favorite spots:

Iari the Vino: The best gluten free pizza near the Colosseum! Plus, the outdoor seating area is in the cutest little alleyway.

Arancio d’Oro: This is a classic Italian place with awesome gluten free pasta. The service was great, and I loved that it was away from the busy touristy area. They also have gluten free pizza, but we didn’t get to try it out.

Mercato Di Campagna: If you have the chance to cook at your Airbnb while you are there, or if you just like farmers markets, I highly recommend this lively indoor market filled with local vendors. They have the freshest of every kind of produce, bread, fruits, meat, seafood, and even flowers, and it’s just so fun to walk around. They also sell prepared food there that we unfortunately didn’t take advantage of.

Tiramisu Roma Trastevere: For dessert fans who love tiramisu, this is your spot. They make each tiramisu in front of you, and in various flavors! I LOVED that they weren’t too rich or sweet, but still tasted amazing. My husband and I never get desserts and we don’t have a sweet tooth, but we ended up demolishing ours. I really loved the pistachio flavor!

Food Tour of Trastevere: My husband pushed us into doing this food tour and I’m so glad he did! It was one of the best ways to see the Trastevere area while tasting food from local spots that we wouldn’t have found otherwise. Everything tasted AMAZING, truly. We started out with a little wine tasting with charcuterie, enjoyed several pasta dishes, and ended with dessert. We even got a bit of food history lesson and learned a lot of about Roman food.

Getting around

Rome is a relatively small city, so we had no trouble walking everywhere. However, by the third day, my pregnancy was catching up to me so we took the bus when we could (so cheap and easy), or we took the taxi.

Unlike the US, you can’t just hail cabs anywhere on the streets of Rome. You have to find cab stands (they came up when I searched on Google Maps!) where you’ll see cabs waiting in line to service the customers.

We also downloaded the app mytaxi, which is basically an Uber in Rome and you can input your credit card in the app for payment. Since many taxi drivers do not use this app, you can wait for a long time for one of them respond, but it worked for us when we felt stranded without a taxi stand near by.

Tips

• Make sure to taste Italian coffee. They are ridiculously strong but so delicious. If you want a regular coffee that you can get in the states, say “Americano” because they’ll give you a shot of espresso if you say “coffee.”
• Bring/buy water everywhere! The heat is no joke.
• Don’t be fooled by ticket scalpers who are at every tourist location.
• Remember to bring your sunscreen.
• Comfortable shoes are a MUST.

Getting to Amalfi Coast from Rome

We stayed in Rome for 3 days and it was time to go to Amalfi coast (the part that I was REALLY excited about). To get to Amalfi coast, the easiest way is by train.

You’ll take a train from Roma Termini to Naples-Napoli Centrale through ItaliaRail (the tickets are cheaper if you buy them in advance). You can then take a local Circumvesuviana train from here and go all the way to Sorrento (one of the main cities of Amalfi Coast), but we decided to make a stop at Pompeii on the way to Amalfi Coast.

The transportation was really easy. There’s a short train to Pompeii, and then there’s another subway train from Pompeii to Sorrento.

3 Hours in Pompeii

We only stayed in Pompeii for a few hours, but the ruins are quite amazing. It was unbearably hot when we were there and you have to walk a ton to get around the ruins, but we were able to see the major sites and take in a ton of amazing history.

There isn’t really much around Pompeii unless you are willing to walk to the main streets or take a cab. We were eager to get to Amalfi Coast so we took to train to Sorrento soon after we saw the ruins.

3 Days in Positano

My top favorite destination of our trip! To get to Positano, we took the Circumvesuviana train from Pompeii to Sorrento. From there, we took the local bus to central Positano.

I’ll be honest, the bus times were not reliable and I think we waited almost an hour for it, but it was SO worth it! The bus ride itself was so gorgeous since you drive up the mountain where you get to see the beautiful coastline. And once you finally get to Positano, every part of it is like a dream!: the vertical houses and buildings, the beach, and the colorful shops.

What we saw

Positano is a tiny coastal town, but it’s quite vertical with steep hills so be prepared to get some exercise walking around. If you love the beach, seafood, shopping, and breathtaking scenery, then this is the spot for you.

Since there are so many other beautiful coastal towns nearby, we thought about taking the bus to them, but we were pretty tired from Rome and really just wanted to lounge and relax. We only had 3 days here so we decided to stay put and just take in everything Positano.

• Spiaggia Grande: The main beach of Positano that you see in all the Instagram photos. It’s gorgeous and surrounded by vertical buildings and definitely picture worthy. It does get quite crowded though, but it didn’t bother me.
• Fornillo: I actually liked this beach more than the main one. You have to walk about 15 minutes to get to it, but it’s less crowded, cheaper, but still gorgeous and clean. It’s surrounded by green mountains and so so peaceful.
• Best sunset: I really wanted the beaches to have an amazing sunset, but the sun sets towards the mountain in Positano. If you want to experience the beautiful pink hazy look on all the buildings, you just have to climb up the steep road (there’s only one main road, Viale Pasitea). You’ll find that one side of the road always faces the water and you’ll be able to take in some breathtaking views as you go higher.

What we ate

It’s all about seafood in Amalfi Coast, and they are GOOD. We had some of the best mussels, fish, shrimp, and more, and while the price was higher than in Rome, it was all worth it!

• Valle dei Mulini: This place had a cute outdoor patio and was the first place we ate at. It’s also casual and less expensive than most restaurants in the area. I can’t speak much about the seafood here, but the steak??? It was perfection.
• Restaurant L’Incanto: This is the beach club we hung out at to lay out in, right on the Sappagio Grande beach. Yes, it’s touristy, but mussels soup was fantastic. We got it as an appetizer and we ALMOST ordered another one after because it was so amazing and not fishy at all! The shrimp risotto was delicious as well.
• Fratelli Grassi Positano: This is a beach club in Fornillo Beach. It’s small with a limited menu, but our Airbnb host recommended it to us for their caponata (toasted bread salad). It did not disappoint and the price was great too. This was one of the time I decided to eat gluten during the trip and it was totally worth it!
• Il Grottino Azzurro: This is a small restaurant on top of Positano where locals go, and the seafood here was amazing. The walk to this restaurant is no joke and it’s an uphill climb for about 45 minutes, and we were both incredibly out of breath afterwards. I would recommend getting a taxi there. However, the food is fantastic and so is the service.

Tips

• Bring water shoes or water-friendly sandals. The beaches in Positano are covered with sharp dark rocks and pebbles, and it’s a bit painful to walk on barefoot. I had to wear my flip flops going into the water.
• This is not a handicap-friendly town. The streets are bumpy, steep and narrow, so be prepared to get in some workouts getting around town, or hire a private car!
• The beach club chair and umbrella rentals can be expensive, but I thought they were worth it because it was comfortable and relaxing. There are small sections on the beaches where it’s free, but it’s not as comfortable to lay on the bumpy rocks.
• If you love colorful ceramics, make sure to pick up some handmade pieces from here because that’s what Positano is known for!
• Enjoy some limoncello. They aren’t too sweet and they are so refreshing! The Amalfi Coast has some of the biggest lemons that aren’t too tart (perfect for limoncello), so that’s why limoncellos are so popular and delicious here.

2 Days in Capri

After 3 days in Positano, we headed to the beautiful island of Capri. It’s actually really easy to get to Capri from Positano. There’s a direct ferry ride to the island from Positano’s main port. However, there aren’t many ferries that go there each day, so make sure to check the schedule prior so you can be prepared to leave at the correct time.

Where we stayed

While we’ve never been to Capri, we decided to stay in the less touristy side of the island called Anacapri in the west and we LOVED it. It was quiet and filled with such cute restaurants and shops, and we had the most amazing views of the coast and the beaches being so high up in the mountain. Also, it’s really easy to get to from the port of Capri with a simple bus ride.

If you want the city and the busy downtown vibe, I would recommend the Capri side. The price is also higher there. But if you are more into relaxing and slowing down, Anacapri was perfect for that. However, the bus system is awesome and the island itself is pretty small, so you can get from one side to the other very easily through public transportation.

What we saw

Since we stayed in Anacapri and we were there only for 2 days, we mainly stayed in that area. If we stayed longer, we might have explored the east side of Capri more, but everything we saw was so beautiful so we didn’t feel like we missed out.

• Punta Carena Lighthouse: One of the biggest perks of staying in Anacapri was how close we were to the Punta Carena Lighthouse. It’s on the far end of Anacapri and easily accessible by the local bus. It’s the spot for the one of the most BEAUTIFUL sunsets on the island and there’s a path along the rocky coast that you can walk on that’s just just breathtaking. There’s also a very small beach area that you can lay out in, as well as a spot to grab drinks and food.
• Marina Grande: To be honest, the beaches in Capri do not compare to the Positano beaches. They are tiny, insanely crowded, but pretty and very clean, nonetheless. We didn’t do much laying out in Capri for this reason, but it was nice to soak our feet in this cold and crystal clear water after walking around during the day.
• Villa San Michele: This is a beautiful mansion built by Axel Munthe, a Swedish doctor. While I have never heard of him, this villa faces the amazing views of Capri in the back, alongside beautiful Mediterranean gardens.
  
  You can explore the inside with an entry fee, but we decided to just walk around the villa. That was honestly enough for us because we got to see the beauty of it, but there’s a collection of Roman artifacts and interesting rooms to see inside. In addition, the walk to the villa is really fun because it’s a part of Anacapri with cute shops and restaurants that we didn’t know existed until we were there.

What we ate

Since we weren’t in Capri for a long time, this will be a short list. A lot of the food here is seafood-focused, which we didn’t mind at all.

Aumm Aumm Ristorante Pizzeria: This is a casual spot in Anacapri, and we were blown away by the food. They have pizza and pasta, and are gluten-free friendly. I got the fish of the day, and my husband had the seafood pasta, and they were both fantastic and so well prepared. The back garden area is also really relaxing and cozy for dinnertime, and the price wasn’t as high as other restaurants in the area either!

La Taberna degli Amici: This is a restaurant/pub that’s actually right across the street from Aumm Aumm and we had a delicious lunch there. They had gluten free bread for me and they serve classic Italian food, as well as sandwiches and burgers. We both enjoyed our meals (a sandwich and a burger) and the service was exceptional. I also have heard that their pasta and appetizers are amazing as well, but we didn’t get to try them.

The Rest of the Trip

From Capri, we took a high speed ferry to Naples, and from here, we flew to Greece for a short 3 day trip. Since we didn’t do much there that you can’t find in other popular guides and the trip itself was so short, I decided to not include it in this guide. Our favorite parts were all the things we did from Rome to Amalfi Coast anyway.

If you want to check out my Instagram Stories for everything I captured during our trip, you can check out my highlights on here (part 1) and here (part 2).

My Top Babymoon Tips

Since I received so many messages and questions on Instagram about traveling while 7 months pregnant, I decided share my top babymoon tips of what worked for me during my trip. I actually thought I would have a harder time with all the walking, but it was totally fine and I enjoyed the trip so much!

• Pack light! Unless you are going to a resort or a relaxing beach vacation, it’s important to pack just what you need for an active vacation. The European streets are mostly cobblestones, and Positano is made up of steep hills, so it was important to keep our luggage light, especially since my husband had to carry both of our loads most of the time. We actually packed both of our luggage into 1 big check-in bag so he could handle it better. Luckily, since it was a summer trip, we only really needed light, minimal clothing.
• Check with your doctor and airlines. I probably should’ve have done this before we booked everything during the 1st trimester. Some women with high-risk pregnancies are warned not to travel at even 28 weeks. I was lucky that this didn’t happen for me, but I would check with your doctor to make sure you are good to travel. Also, every airline has different rules about when you need a doctor’s note so you can fly with them. Make sure to check this before your travel date, so you can have a doctor’s note on hand if necessary.
• Pick and choose your activities. Don’t expect to be able to do everything. I honestly had all these hikes planned out for Amalfi Coast, but realized they wouldn’t be easy nor enjoyable being this far along. We also decided not to wait for hours to see the sites of Vatican City to conserve my energy. It’s important to listen to your body and have your partner understand your limits as well.
• Home base for naps. While I was able to last 7-8 hours of walking in Rome each day, this was only possible because we went back to our Airbnb in the late afternoon to rest and nap before dinnertime. Make sure to have a home base where you can go back to to lounge around if you are too tired.
• Sneakers and memory foam shoes. I think this applies whether you are pregnant or not, but comfortable shoes are crucial. If want something a bit more stylish than sneakers, these memory foam sandals were amazingly comfortable and I wore them everyday there through all the long walks. They are super cute too!
• Backpacks. When you have pregnancy back pain and sore feet, the last thing you want to do it carry a bag on one shoulder. You’ll feel SO much better at the end of the day with a backpack, that’ll evenly distribute the weight of all the items you are carrying. I’ve had my Fjallraven Kanken backpack for a while now, and it’s my go-to for traveling because it so great with weight distribution and preventing back pain. For everyday touring during our trip, I also brought this smaller, cute backpack which worked really well and looked stylish too!
• Compression socks and sweatpants for the plane. The flights were long for this trip (12-15 hours) and that was probably the most annoying part. To reduce swelling, make sure to wear compression socks (these worked well for me) and comfy sweatpants. I also booked an aisle seat because I seriously had to pee every hour, and I walked around the plane whenever I could to bring circulation into my legs.
• Water. Hydration is so important normally, but even more so when you are pregnant! We always made sure we had water on us, and with the Italian summer heat, you’ll need a lot of it. All the more reason to have a backpack to keep your water in.
• Enjoy wine. If you feel safe and comfortable, I highly recommend you fit in a glass of wine during your babymoon. It’s totally the norm to enjoy wine in Italy when you are pregnant, and I definitely took advantage of this on 2-3 occasions throughout our 10-day trip. I was asked at every restaurant if I wanted wine and I was clearly showing. If you feel okay and your doctor gives you the green light, you don’t want to miss out on the wine because it’s so delicious there!
• Take photos. This one is an obvious one, but seriously, take all the photos! This is an amazing time of your life with your growing belly, and my husband took so many photos in all the pretty European settings. I can’t wait to show my kid one day all the places we’ve been together when she was inside me, and who knows if I’ll be pregnant again? I just know I’ll cherish these moments forever with my baby kicking constantly as we travel from one destination to another, and I want to be able to look back at them in the future.

If you have any additional questions about our trip from Rome to Amalfi Coast, or if you want to learn more about traveling when you are pregnant, leave me a comment below!

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