10 nights with 3 kids in Italy!

Danielle:

When we took the kids (aged 13 and 8) in 2004 the single best part of the trip was the week we stayed in a rented villa.

The other three weeks of the trip they did ok - but the constant moving about wore on them a bit.

The week at the villa was magical for them. They had a headquarters. No unpacking for a week. Some home cooked meals. A cool inviting pool on a hot afternoon. An independent stroll into the village for a candy or gelato.

We rented a villa in the Chianti region of Tuscany in the charming village of Panzano - located exactly between Florence and Siena. It was wonderful.

One of the travel mantras on this helpline is that "one night stands are awful . . . " - I would submit that when traveling with kids "Two night stands ain't much better".

Go fewer places. The Italians dote on the children. Immerse yourselves into the local culture of just a couple of places. Assume that you'll return. Just this traveler's opinion. Have fun.

I totally agree with Jon. Slow down, especially with kids. You filled those 10 days up quite tightly and there is still at least a full day or more of travel time between the cities to be added to this. Pick 2 or 3 places as bases and explore from there.

If you ask our kids, the week we stayed at an agriturismo in Tuscany (also the Chianti region) was the best. We had a pool and did daytrips to Florence, Siena, Volterra ...

Second best were the 5 days we stayed in the Sorrento peninsula. Lots of wonderful little beaches to explore, daytrip to Pompeii is a must, boat ride around Capri was a big hit ...

I too think that is way too much moving around. You will be spending most of your time traveling between places, plus getting to and from trains (if you use them) and hotels, and packing and unpacking.

Try to limit it to 2 stops of you can---maybe Venice and someplace in Tuscany near Florence, but where the kids will have more freedom than they would in a traffic-filled city. Apartments or villas would be more comfortable and affordable than hotels, where you would need at least 2 rooms.

Also, have you considered how you will get around? Cars for 6 people are not readily available in Italy.

I think I would skip Sorrento for this trip and concentrate on Venice, Florence and Rome....2 Venice, 4 Florence and 4 Rome. That way you could do a leisurely day in each of Florence and Rome so that your children would not get too touristed out.

Danielle,

We took three sons ages 9,11 and 13 last summer to France. Three towns in 11 days and it was OK. We didn't do a lot of "planned" days (i.e. no booked tours trying to see as much as possible). Spent a lot of time just looking around, stopping when we felt like it. Overall it was ok.

Thank you everyone for your quick replies! I have decided 3 nights Venice, 4 nights Florence and 3 nights Rome.

Crowded hot cities aren't really kids favourite destinations.

I'd add a few more days to Lucca. You could find accommodation at an agriturismo with a pool to keep the kids entertained. And do a daytrip to Florence or Pisa, both easy to reach by train from Lucca.

CT is fun but if your kids don't like hiking every day just hanging out at a cafe is not a great alternative either. They may be able to swim at the (small!) beach of Monterosso of jump of the cliffs at the other small towns.

I too am traveling with kids (girls 9 and 14)for
10 days in Italy. We have 6 scheduled for Venice,
2 1/2 for Cinque Terre and and 1 1/2 for Lucca.

Do you think 6 days are too much for Venice? We are staying at a B&B in San Polo that has a little kitchen. Will they be hot, bored and cranky after 3-4 days in a very crowded city? I was going to shave a day off and stop somewhere on the way to CT but could only think of Bologna and we kind of wanted smaller. ps: we are only traveling by train.

I am a novice but after researching and also working with a travel agent I think 6 nights is too much. There is Lido Beach for down time but we are only saying 3 nights now. Can anyone recommend small towns that may interest the kids that are accessible from Florence and Rome?

Beatrix - I think an agriturismo(with pool!) is a great idea - but can I reach one without renting a car? Also - the time we are going to Lucca is the time of the "Pitti Days" in Florence, some big fashion show - so that city is OUT!

I thought about spending some time on the Lido - but all the Venice lovers say you must stay in the city to get the feel....anyone want to weigh in???

Well, many of the agriturismo would require individual transportation to reach them. But not all of them. I've seen postings here about some that worked well for people travelling by public transportation. You just need to look for them, maybe send an email directly to clarify the distance to the next train station or bus stop.

Danielle, Although I haven't stayed at this B&B very close to Florence, I have read many glowing references on this Graffiti Wall - Heroic B&B's - Il Poggiolo.it Apparently the owner Graziella will pick you up at the train station. It doesn't appear to have a swimmimg pool but has horses, dogs, olive grove/olive oil etc. You might want to search back into the B&B archives because I'm sure that I've read quite a few favourable comments and this would be an option to driving. I have found the archived comments on the Graffiti Wall to be very useful in the past. Buon viaggio. Sherry

Just chiming in,, I like Venice. Been twice. Once with my 11 yr old, and once with a friend.

I would think we would all be quite ready to leave after 6 nights, we were ready to leave after 3.

Venice is worth visiting,, but worth staying there, especially with children, not for any length of time. I think 2 , or 3 nights max is all I would give Venice.

I would give Rome at least 4 nights though.

With kids, I know with my kids anyways,, CT would be worth 3 nights only,, and only if weather was good enough for them to swim in ocean. They would enjoy the hiking,, and the little beaches, but other then that there are no "sites" there. As an adult, I think I would like to stay longer.. since sitting in a shady spot and reading for hours on end while gazing up occaisonally and seeing the ocean would keep me happy for days and days.