2024 Christmas in Italy (family of 4)

Posted by BC (North Carolina) on 07/06/23 12:10 AM

What are specific recommendations/suggestions for a young family of four in Italy??

We are a family of four from the States. Our kids are 5 and 8. We are in the early phase of planning a trip to Italy for Christmas 2024. Would love to hear about specific experiences and suggestions. Cities we are considering are Rome, Florence, maybe Venice, and maybe skiing in the Dolomites. Trip length would be from December 20 to January 4.

*We spent two weeks in Paris for Christmas 2022. Even though the kids were 5 and 8, they were excellent travelers. We enjoyed magical walks around the city, time in museums, plenty of tasty meals and enjoyed the holiday decorations/markets. One reason we loved it so much is we spent plenty of time in Paris. Rather than trying to travel to nearby towns/sites, we really got to settle in to the city. My wife and I have had great trips to Italy, and want to introduce it to our kiddos.

**Winter weather and length of day are not a problem. We are used to cold and rainy winter days and short days are fine.

Thanks!!

Posted by AbbyO

Atlanta, GA

07/06/23 12:54 AM

168 posts

We spend every Christmas in Napoli. The weather is delightful (low 60s) and there are few tourists. Everything is decorated, and the locals are festive. Napoli is a great base for day trips and evening pizzas!

Posted by Lesley

Sidney, BC, Canada

07/06/23 01:02 AM

894 posts

Have you thought about Turin? Close to mountains, hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics, home to Alfa Romeo and Fiat car factories. Lots of info on the web.

Posted by nancys8

Saint Paul, Minnesota

07/06/23 05:46 PM

1396 posts

We took one of our sons to Venice for a week when he was almost 9 years old and he loved it and still remembers it 22 years later. There's no place like Venice and even a much younger child can appreciate its uniqueness. So, this year, we are taking our 9-year-old grandson and his just-6-year-old sister to Venice for 8 days. And our Venice dates are December 17 to December 24, similar to yours (they will be skipping a week of school). I've been putting together a very child-oriented list of things to do in Venice, helped by people on this forum --- if you remind me, I'll share it with you, plus comments on how everything worked out after we get back in January.

On a different trip to Venice, my husband and I spent a week there in December, staying in Castello away from the crowds and going to the heavily touristed places early in the morning. We loved the winter weather, cool and foggy --- for us Minnesotans it was sweater weather most days. We don't go on day trips while in Venice, unless you count Burano, Murano, and Torcello. There is plenty, plenty, plenty to do in Venice for both adults and kids.

For other places in Italy we've stayed with either our kids or grandkids (when they were just-four and a baby), I also highly recommend Rome, Orvieto, the Puglia region, and Sicily. I would think Siena or Naples would be great with kids in December. There is nowhere I love more than Florence, especially Florence in the winter, but I would save it for older kids just because they'd get more out of the art then.

Posted by ponygirl813

Los Angeles by way of Providence and Rome

07/06/23 08:06 PM

560 posts

Rome is lovely at Christmas. The streets are beautifully lit, every church has its presepe, and of course Vatican City is splendid. Temps are usually pretty comfortable for lots of walking around too. There is a Christmas market in Piazza Navona that came back last year for the first time since Covid. And since the Italians celebrate Christmas through January 6, everything would be in full swing throughout your visit.