11 nights in Italy April 2020 family of 4

Enjoying Normandy more than Paris doesn't give me any idea of what they like, since I don't know what you did/saw in each place. Did they not like being in a big city - why? too much walking, too many crowds, too many museums?

If you rent a car for Tuscany, an agriturismo can be very good to visit small towns and villages. Be aware that there are caveats about driving in Italy, especially the ZTL's which mean in many towns, you will have to park outside the historic center. If your trip's over the Easter holidays, you may find lots of crowds and not much parking. Without a car, transportation to/from a farmhouse can be a big problem. Expect large crowds in Florence on the weekends.

Way too little time in Rome. Rome is the crown jewel of Italy. You could spend a week and still not see all.

suggest Venice 3, Florence 3 and Rome 5

Hi Gabe -
Some of your questions are difficult to answer as best choices for you and your family are very much up to personal preference, As Chani said, that your daughters liked Normandy doesn't tell us much as we don't know what they did there that they preferred to Paris. Make sense?

For instance, your question about staying in an agriturismo? I'd choose Florence, no question, as it holds more of the sorts of things I'm interested in. You family might feel differently. That said, a number of nice day trips, by train or bus, are very easy from Florence so its sort of a best-of-both-worlds base, IMHO. Hop.a train to Lucca one day and rent bikes to ride the top of the town's Renaissance-era walls. Or take a bus or train to Siena, or a bus up to Fiesole.

Florence itself is a goldmine of art, architecture and history so other than the couple of attractions which beg for advance tickets during high/shoulder seasons, you can flex your city and day-trip adventures to whim and weather. We had 5 nights there - no daytrips at all! - and still have must-sees on the list for next time! :O)

Rome? Full of riches as well but how many of those appeal might determine how long to give it. The thing many of us caution against is trying to fit too many of the most-visited places into too little time, as you end up spending ALL of that time buried in the middle of the tourist hordes. Visitors who plan stays long enough for a slower pace and some breathing room tend to come away with better impressions of the Eternal City. I might say the same for Florence. I love 'em both but for different reasons! :O)

So, I'd keep your itinerary exactly as it is, although I do wish you had one additional night for Rome as I usually recommend 4 nights/3.5 days as the minimum for a first-timer. You'll still just scratch the surface but get a good feel for if it's a city you'd like a 2nd shot at in the future. I've got an ongoing (too long) list for my 4th shot at that one. HA!

As you can imagine, I think it can be hard for the girls to let their guard down in big cities like Paris and Rome. They have certainly been in their fair share of big cities, but it just comes with the territory I think.

Of course we need to see the big sites in Rome and I am sure we will be back in the near future. I guess I am just trying to front load the trip with a bit less of the hectic cityscape.

I think my main question is how to maximize our 5 days in Tuscany. Staying in an Agriturismo 30 minutes from Florence sounds appealing but I can also see the merits in just staying in the city center for 5 nights and branching out from there.

Day trips with family friendly tour groups sound like the consensus from what I am hearing. Sound correct?

Gabe- I like your itinerary just the way it is.

Love that you put Venice first- perfect place to get over jet lag- no car traffic to stress you out. Your girls should feel quite comfortable there, it's quite magical.
Do try to take a vaporetto ride out to the islands- we really enjoy Burano (much more than Murano)
See if you can find info on a mask making workshop? I know they exist
Take a gondola rowing class?

Florence- with 5 nights there you have so many options for day trips- or none at all- your choice! It's a busy city but the historic center is so compact and walkable.
Lucca- rent bikes and ride the wall
Volterra- not sure if still popular or of interest to your girls but I think Volterra has a connection to the Twilight series.
Do a food tour- always good fun!
Eating Europe.com

If you had another 3-4 days I'd encourage you to do the agriturismo stay- but you don't- so don't stress about it.

Rome- like Kathy I'd like to see another night or 2 here- but Rome will be there next trip.
Do the major sights that appeal to you. Just because everyone goes to Sistine/Vatican does not mean you have to.
We love just sitting in a piazza, people watching, "window" shopping at markets, popping into churches full of beautiful surprises, etc.
The one thing I would hope you can fit is the Borghese- simply jaw dropping and your visit is limited by your reserved ticket to just 2 hours- so not a huge time suck.

Thank you everyone for your input. I really appreciate it. I found this itinerary from Disney which gave me some ideas as well.

https://www.adventuresbydisney.com/europe/italy-vacations/

The hotels they use seem family friendly and I think I am going to steal a few of their ideas!

I booked the Hilton Molino Stucky since it looked perfect for a family like ours. Will do some more research on hotels in Florence and Rome.

Your itinerary looks good to me. Using your 5 nights in Florence will slow down the pace mid trip.

If you're looking for Museums for the girls, my grandaughter enjoyed these in Florence.

There are 2 Leonardo da Vinci Museums, this one was her favorite. The other is close to the Accademia.

https://www.mostredileonardo.com/en/leonardo-da-vinci-museum/

The other would be to see David in the Accademia Museum

If you're around the Uffizi, they can see Galileo's
Giant Sundial. 2 blocks South.

Scheduling a guided walking tour around the city will help acclimate you and give you some history of the place.

There are several day trips from From Florence easily done by bus or train. Lucca is 1H19m by train.
Another is Certaldo/Certaldo Alto. 52 minutes by train with a funicular to the top of the old town. Colle Val d'Elsa 1H05m you can do by bus, then continue on to San San Gimignano a 35 minute bus ride away. Just be sure you check carefully the return bus schedule from San Gimignano to Florence.

Staying in Florence for the 5 days will enable you to do inside things if you have inclement weather.

Hilton Molino Stucky? You might want to rethink that hotel. It's on the island of Giudecca which means you have to take a vaporetto (or their shuttle) any time you want to go any where. On the main islands you can walk and cross bridges to get from one to the other (except the Lido, Murano and Burano of course). It just doesn't feel convenient to me. Check out the RS Italy and Venice book - I think you'll find something likeable in them.

Stay on the main island
Highly recommend Hotel Ala, excellent location with super easy access

After more research I agree that the Hilton is probably a bad idea. Looked like a good price for a 5 star hotel but I think the shuttle is going to be annoying and from some of the reviews I read doesn't sound like it is all that nice after all. I appreciate the recommendations. I have the 3 RS pocket books for Venice/Florence/Rome so will do some more research.