16 Night Italian Trip - Need Suggestions

Also will book Pantheon when they open time slot for April. Will also visit Roman Forum, Paletine Hill one of the days in Rome

In his coverage of Italy, Rick Steves emphasizes "the art of la dolce far niente — the sweetness of doing nothing."

You can certainly move through Italy checking off the boxes of as many sights as you can, but have you truly experienced Italy by the end of your trip?

We recently spent 10 nights in Rome, 3 in Monterosso and 2 in Lucca. We could have easily added a third night in Lucca - it's a place that should be appreciated and absorbed over time - I'm not sure how much you would get out of the two or three hours allowed for in your itinerary. After 10 days in Rome, I believe I can say that we've just scratched the surface.

Day 4: Pisa/Lucca trip. Are you planning one city, or both? After staying in Lucca for several days, we swung thru Pisa for part of a day, enroute to Cortona. Doing both cities as a single daytrip would be difficult. If just one, Pisa’s Field of Miracles has truly tremendous sights - although the Tower was the least of them, for us. Lucca offers a fun rental bike ride (or walk) along the path and playgrounds atop the Renaissance city walls.

Day 8: As the first Sunday of the month is when museums in Rome are free, most are overcrowded with bargain-seekers, but the Borghese Gallery, which limits the number of visitors, is a great place to go. I did that in October 2022. You still need to reserve your time on that Sunday well ahead of your visit on their Website, but it’ll be no busier than any other day of the month, and you’ll save some Euros on the entrance cost!

What time does Day 10 start.? Day 9 will be quite tiring.

And then you go to Salerno on Day 12 and use it to see Pompeii ( which is 10 miles from Herculaneum where you will be on Day 10)
I do not understand the logic in how these visits are scheduled.

Our sons as children and now as adults can’t tolerate even half an hour in a museum, church or art gallery! Our grandchildren (6 and 9) are with us in Italy right now and seem to be the same. You are so lucky!

In Florence, walk further up to San Miniato al Monte from Piazzale Michelangelo for the view and a really cool small old church.
I vote Santa Croce over SMN.

Go see the Benozzo Gozzoli chapel. I was not real thrilled with Pitti or Boboli compared to other things to do in Florence and especially not with kids — look into the Palazzo Davanzati (medieval house) and the smaller Bardini museum and its gardens for the view of Rome. Less crowded, less strenuous, more interesting.

Why Medici chapel, why San Gimignano? For sculptures, I would go to the Bargello, for a cute town I would go anywhere else than San G (unless you want to see the frescoes in the church which is why we went there) — it is now almost horrifically over-touristed including tour guides with megaphones.

If you’ve already booked all of your trains, it’s too late to ask this, but I’m curious to know why the plan is to hop back and forth to do Rome, then Naples, then back to Rome, then the south of Naples visits, then all the way back to Milan from southern Italy, instead of bunching the Naples and south of Naples, seeing Rome last, and then a quick train Rome to Milan. I’m guessing it was because of reservations for sites and tours. We just had that issue but all in Venice, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Castel Sant’Angelo is very kid-friendly.

Orvieto gets my vote over Volterra/San Gimignano any day and it’s easy to do by train from Rome. Very kid-friendly things to see and do and excellent vegetarian food. No problem being a vegetarian in Italy — I am mostly a vegetarian and love what Italy has for us to eat. Check out the vegetable flans and vegetable torts. Our favorite place for vegetarian food being on the menu in Venice is La Zucca. No pizza there, but elsewhere in Venice our grandchildren gobbled up pizza with french fries on top.

I thought the view of the forum from the balcony of the Capitoline was a better experience than the forum itself. It made sense from above. But you could certainly skip both on this first trip. Maybe go to Ostia Antica.

If your flight out of Milan is in the morning, I thoroughly recommend staying in a hotel or inn near the airport --- we've tried it both ways several times. Look at Osteria della Pista and their shuttle service from and to the airport.

Yes, your plan is ambitious, but your family seems suited to it!

Hi rramamoo -
This one really doesn't make any sense in the order you've placed it.

Day 9 - Trip to Naples (reach 9am) to do Vesuvius and Herculaneum. If
time permits Naples museum. Kids subsist on Pizza so Pizza supper in
Naples (Hopefully we can get something before 7pm)

It would have if you weren't returning to the AC region days later (Day 12). It would have saved a bundle of transport time to do it from the coast (Sorrento or Naples versus Salerno) instead going BACK to Rome and then BACK to the coast just 3 days later. Scrap Vesuvius. You can see it very clearly from Pompeii and other locations, you do have pre-book timed-entry tickets for all of you, and Herculaneum + the museum are enough for 1 day, especially with children.

Be aware that Capri is 2 hours, one way, by ferry from Salerno. 4 hours is a long time to spend in transit for this one.

For everything but Paestum, Sorrento would have made a much better base. It's not technically on the Amalfi Coast but is a gateway to it with bus, rail and ferry services. Capri is a much shorter ferry ride from there but to explore the island you will deal with some hilly terrain and steps, as you will elsewhere in the region. I'd go for the chairlift up Mt Salerno and skip the Blue Grotto and the high-end shops.

I definitely would skip visiting Positano if you hate steps.

Day 5 - Morning Ufizzi (booked, Passpartout), Medici chapel. Want to
hire a private driver and visit Sam Gimignano and Volterra, back by
8pm

Personally, I think this is WAY too ambitious, and think the Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo museums might be better fits for your young people, even if you've already done one that morning. But your overall itinerary is so ambitious that I think your kids are going to be dragging at this point. Heck, I'm a 'busy' traveler and I would be dragging by this point! Maybe some down time is in order?

https://www.museogalileo.it/en/
https://leonardointeractivemuseum.com/en/

Regarding the largest museums (Vatican and Uffizi): they're going to be very wearing for the young folks, and especially for the smallest of you as they're going to have some trouble seeing OVER taller ones. The Pitti will also wear on them. I wouldn't have chosen that one for kids your ages but you've already bought the Passpartout so....

Yes to Nancy's suggestion for combining San Miniato with Piazzale Michelangelo: a very old and important lady, that one.

No to the Capitoline Museum: not a good fit with young folks.

Day 8 ( Sunday) - First Sunday of month, not sure of plans, any
suggestions on activities that avoid long lines? Maybe Villa Borghese
or just walk around as it is our first day in Rome. Maybe walking
tour?

Yes, jump on tickets for Galleria Borghese (they will sell out VERY quickly for free Sunday) and spend some time exploring the (sprawling) park. You could rent surreys or bikes to pedal about.

Wow Thank you all for your comments, critiques and suggestions. I don't know how I caan reply to individual posts so I'm doing all in one

Re Florence trips - It is Lucca to walk /bike the medical walls. Our plan is to do one of the two depending on wheh we finish the Duomo complex.

Based on what I am hearing here, we may forgo a trip to Volterra and spend the afternoon at the Brandini Garden(Hopefully those Wisterias are in full bloom), Branacci Chapel and Bargello.

Would San Minolta church be open late when we go up to Piazzale Michaelangelo?

For the first Sunday I will book Borghese Gallery when they open up. Re Naples trip, it was not originally in my plan however I don't know if one can possibly do Pompeii, Vesuvius and Herculaneum in one day and do justice to the sites. Practically the only way was to split it up, since Veusuvio and Herculaneum were closer to Naples I figured a day trip was an option.

I will digest all the info you have given me. This is so much helpful.

San Miniato hours (from its website):
https://sanminiatoalmonte.it/contatti/

Opening hours of the Basilica
Monday-Saturday 9:30-13:00; 15:00-19:00
Sunday 8:15-13:00; 15:00-19:00

During the liturgical celebrations the Basilica cannot be visited.
Admission is free and no reservations are required for individual visitors, groups or school trips

Times of Eucharistic celebrations:
Sunday and holidays: 8:30, 10:00, 11:30 and 17:30
The 5:30 p.m. celebration is in Latin and Gregorian chant
Weekdays: 18:00, in Latin and Gregorian chant
Every afternoon at 18:30 the monastic community celebrates vespers in Latin and Gregorian chant

So the answer is no, it's not open especially late, and you don't want to visit during a service.

I don't know if one can possibly do Pompeii, Vesuvius and Herculaneum
in one day and do justice to the sites. Practically the only way was
to split it up, since Veusuvio and Herculaneum were closer to Naples I
figured a day trip was an option.

I don't think anyone would recommend trying to do Pompeii, Vesuvius and Herculaneum in one day. I certainly wouldn't try that with kids! What we would have recommended was deleting Day 9 from Rome completely and adding that day to the coast versus all the backtracking. I'd still look at axing Vesuvius, too.

In Florence, you need to go to the San Marco Museum so your art-lover can see Renaissance art in its original setting-a monastery. The cathedral facade at Orvieto is a Wow. Your time in Florence is really busy-I would forget the trip to San Gimignano and Volterra to allow more time in Florence and maybe see the Science Museum.

Thank you all for all your wonderful suggestions.

For my 4 days in Florence my plan is getting crystallized thanks to your recommendations. Travel is always about choices, I am sure lot of folks would spend lot more days in each of the placed but still feel it was not enough. It is always a tradeoff and inspite of all planning things never go to plan.

I think we will see Duomo Complex, Uffizi and David. Visit Santa Croce, San Marco and Branacci Chapel, see Bardini gardens. Bargello museum and see if we can fit in Pitti Palace. Trips to Lucca and Sienna for 1/2 day each. Doing 1 muesum and one Church a day is how things will likely shake out.

Going to Vesuvius is a must do for our family. So we could do Pompeii and Vesuvius in the day we go to Salerno and not bother going to Naples and Herculaneum. Thankfully since we booked so far in advance we would lose only about EUR 3 per head if we cancel our train.

I will revise this based on your suggestions.

Thanks again for all your inputs, much appreciated

Whoa- I am exhausted just reading this itinerary.
I see several issues, some have been mentioned.

Here's one-

Day 15 - Visit Paestum in the morning, take 1pm direct train to Milan
reach Milan by 6pm.

If you are staying in Vietri I don't see how you get to Paestum, visit, then back to train by 1 pm.
Where will you leave your luggage?

I'd say skip Venice if you can only give it the 1 night.

Sounds like everything is already booked- trains and lodging- so not much to say if nothing can be changed.

I think we will see Duomo Complex, Uffizi and David. Visit Santa Croce, San Marco and Branacci Chapel, see Bardini gardens. Bargello museum and see if we can fit in Pitti Palace. Trips to Lucca and Sienna for 1/2 day each. Doing 1 muesum and one Church a day is how things will likely shake out.

Given your son's interest in renaissance art, you should probably pop into Santa Maria Novella church during one of your trips to the train station for a quick look at Masaccio's Holy Trinity painting because it's widely considered the most important and innovative painting of the early renaissance. The whole complex is huge and would take an hour or two to see but the painting is worth a quick look and is right by the entrance.

hey hey rramamoo
after reading this itinerary, my opinion is all over the place, backtracking north to south to north, traveling with 3 small kids. being "veteran travelers in US" is so different than being in italy.
remember check in times at hotels is 3-4pm and check out is 10-11am. when is this trip and does your 16 days count arrival and departure days which leaves you with 14 days, too many places you're wanting to see, not counting the crowds that will hold you up getting into attractions/activities. you and you gang of 5 are not the only ones seeing what you want, waiting in long lines can make people cranky and tired, your times listed will have many bumps along the way. no time to just sit and relax, enjoy the views just go go go again with young kids.
one night in venice is not worth the effort or short time there. i'd not waste my time going there. since you've booked all trains/accomodations, tough to tell you to look back at your itinerary to change things. why go back to milan to fly back to USA when you could leave from naples and make life easy/peasy. like Christine H says this is exhausting just reading it. good luck
aloha

For sake of clarity, I have booked all my muesum tours using timed entry, except for those that haven't opened up yet. I have nixed the plans of day trip to Naples for Herculaneum and day trip from Florence to Sam Gimignano.

I have a private car already booked for my morning trip to Paestum with a drop off in Salerno to catch the train.

Overall my trip is pretty straightforward

Milan 1 full day All tours booked
Naples 1 afternoon and 1/2 day till 2pm - Skip the line bookings will be done once they open up
Florence 3 full days and 1/2 day till 3pm. The 3 big attractions Duomo, Uffizi and David already booked with timed entry.
Rome 4 full days Vatican booked
Pompeii 1 day
Vietre Sul Mare 2 full days and 1 morning to visit Paestum

So overall I feel good, thanks for all your suggestions and recommendations. I am always flexible and will change plans on the fly, except for plane tickets every booking is cancellable. Just for reference my kids have traveled to London, Paris, Switzerland, Oman, a Wedding to India. They are used to long flights, train and car rides, waits in lines. This is my 9th trip to Europe, the first one to Italy and the first covering more than 2 weeks with kids. I will incorporate all your recommendations, Thank you all once again. I will write a follow up on this when my trip is finished.