Family Italy Itinerary

Hi Scott,
I think your itinerary sounds great. You've obviously done this before as your pace is ideal, and I think the openness you mention is a great way to go with kids. I was in those places last summer with my three, the youngest two were 9 and 12. The sites you mention were all a hit for my kids, except for the Uffizi, which was a slog; too heavy on the art I think, but as we did it first thing in the morning, they had enough stamina. They enjoyed the Coliseum et al, where we did an underground and third tier tour through coop culture (they have seen Gladiator so it was fun to be underground and see the elevators, etc). I loved the Capitoline museum, which for us was a last-minute add-on. They liked it as there was enough reference to historical figures like rulers, and sculpture was more interesting to them than art. We walked through the Forum when it was very hot, but you won't have that problem. We had the Appian way bike ride in mind as back-up, but ended up spending a day in the Borghese park renting bikes and segways and having a picnic. That was a strictly kid-centered outdoor day, which followed a visit to the Borghese gallery. We then walked back to our apartment from the park, which had us passing the Spanish steps, Trevi fountain, Pantheon (which we'd already visited), Piazza Navona, and Campo de Fiori.... We walked everywhere, and again, the weak link was the 9 yo and she did fine. Obviously Gelato happened daily, and made for a good stop in the midst of all the walking. I can't think of much else that you haven't. Being outside every day somewhere semi-recreational, even if just sitting by the fountains in Piazza Navona for awhile is important. The Mercado for lunch or dinner in Florence is a low-key, easy family place to eat (and delicious). Sounds like a great trip

Thanks Jessica for the input! Nice to know other families are on these forums. Thanks for the info on Uffizi - I figured that one was going to be tough, especially since it will be toward the end of the trip after being in a number of other galleries.

I forgot to mention we homeschool our kids as well, so our vacations typically involve a little education as well. My wonderful wife has already suggested a boredom killer to the kids - if we're in an art gallery and boredom is overtaking them, whoever can spot the most "privates" wins! They were amused by that and I'm hoping that buys us some time in the art museums. :)

I'll definitely look into the Borghese Park activities. And I'll certainly follow up with what worked and what didn't!

Scott

Just a FYI in case you have extra time in Florence-our grandkids (about the same age as yours) really enjoyed the Food Market. Lots of um..."novelty" items like all (edible) parts of pigs. They were fascinated and intrigued by the fact that Italians waste nothing. We enjoyed it, too!

I don't have kids (but was one once so I remember being dragged around by parents) so take my advice with a grain (or two) of salt. Your itinerary and approach sounds great. Really great. The only thing I would reconsider is the restaurants and trying to only focus on kid-friendly ones or "what the kids would sit through" or even avoiding them most of the time. Eating out (and late, no less) is such a large part of Italian culture that avoiding it or minimizing it would be a shame (especially for the adults, but probably the kids too). This could be a great educational opportunity (even though it may fail miserably) for your kids to learn how other cultures live and eat (verrrrry slowly). This may totally try their patience but getting outside the box is a great growing opportunity. Meals are totally different in Italy (and many other countries) than we're used to in the US (I'm from Eastern Europe myself so I'm in tune with the slow meals, although they're getting regrettably faster). I'm sure there's a comfortable middle ground between eating out all the time and hardly ever, but I would try to test it out to see how far you can push it. It doesn't have to be expensive, it's mostly for the experience and building new ways for kids to cope with sitting still and not having to be entertained all the time or having American-type food catered to them. Let them explore even if they hate it.

Clever wife!

Three thoughts:

If the kids need a break from the classical sights in Rome, a visit to the cat sanctuary at Torre Argentina might provide it. I don't think there's an entry fee, but I'm sure they'd appreciate a modest donation. They also sell a few cat-themed items to support their work. Torre Argentina is about 1/4 mile south of the Pantheon and about 1/5 mile east of the Campo de' Fiori market.

If you all like pizza, a lunch or dinner at a pizzeria will allow you to sit down at a hot meal that doesn't usually take as long as a regular meal. I do not recommend the precooked slabs of pizza (or focaccia with pizza toppings) you sometimes see in places like bakeries. Either go somewhere you can order your own (best) or at least get slices from a stand where you've seen them take the pizza out of the oven. Pizza in Italy is a real treat; don't settle for yucky stuff that's similar to what Sbarro's sells in mall food courts back home.

If you want water to drink with your meals, you'll probably need to pay for it; the really large bottle don't usually cost too much per ounce, but a small bottle may seem overpriced. If you don't want bubbly stuff, be very specific when you order, because gassy water is the default choice in Italy.

Looks like a good itinerary to me too! A couple of comments?

You might consider renting bikes in Villa Borghese instead of the Appia Antica. I love the Appia but we walked it, and traffic can be heavy on narrow sections closest to central Rome unless visiting on a Sunday. The park provides a lot more room to safely pedal.

You might consider pre-purchasing tickets to the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine. While it's always nice to go with flow, the arena is the #1 tourist attraction in Rome and ticket lines can be immense. If dead-set against it, then try buying your tickets at the Palatine or Forum ticket offices where lines are shorter.

I'm not sure the kids will get into the Capitoline Museums. As an alternate, take them to the top of the Vittorio Emanuele for a birds-eye view of Rome and a really nice gander over the Forum.

Skip the Medici Chapels in Florence in favor of a breathtaking view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo that all of you will enjoy. Climb up a little further for a peek at old and lovely San Miniato and a stroll through adjoining Cimitero delle Porte Sante (the creator of Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi, is buried here). Great views from the front of the church as well. There are some cafes near the piazzale for a rest and a snack.

Your children may find Ospedale degli Innocenti of interest? This foundling hospital - now a museum - is the birthplace of the oldest institute in Florence. Don't miss della Robbia’s sweet and very famous bambini on the facade.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/this-15th-century-orphanage-in-florence-is-now-a-kid-friendly-museum/2016/09/29/e063e3e2-8028-11e6-8327-f141a7beb626_story.html?utm_term=.182d0eacef04

https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-museums/innocenti-museum.html

Don't skip the churches, even if you don't think you'll enjoy them! We don't have much of anything in the U.S. like a drop-dead glorious Italian church, and certainly nothing as OLD. Most are free so just a stop-in will do: you can stay as long or as little as you wish.

If you KNOW what day you'll be leaving one city for another, it can save you some serious $$ to advance-order economy or super-economy tickets if available. Yes, you need to make those trains but, well, just that much more $ for fun! These bargains are rarely available on short notice.

Restaurants: I'm willing to duck the hail of 🍅 and admit that we also eat early. We're very early risers, do a ton of walking, skip lunch, and are starving by 6:00-7:00 or so. So, yes, we eat at unfashionable hours at anything open which doesn't have someone hawking tourists inside, never make reservations, and don't spend hours at dinner. Works for us! You'll also find very casual sandwich and pizza-by-the slice places all over the place which are open at all hours.

Lastly, while those short legs might get a little tired, TRY to sightsee on foot as much as possible? You'll experience much more than from behind the window of a bus or tunnels of the Roman metro!

Another airline family here.....we head to Italy the day you are leaving.

Things we are planning in Rome...
A day trip to Pompeii....but Ostia Antica is a closer option.
Forum of Caesar night show....I think you may be leaving a day or two before it starts for the year????
Domus Romane
Wandering thru Trastavere

Wow, some really great comments here! Very much appreciated!

Regarding dinner, I do want to do at least one nice, sit down dinner in each city. They'll get through one, but they won't do it every night.

@ andi - Food market is on the list! Thanks!
@Agnes - you are spot on with the meals! We've had such great luck on previous travels to try our best to experience the "real" culture of the places we've been. So we'll try our best!
@acraven - thanks much! I just saw earlier today the place you mention so I will plug it into the offline GPS and see how it works out! Your advice on the pizza is much appreciated!
@Kathy - yes, we were worried about the traffic on Appian Way. We'll certainly reconsider doing the Borghese parks instead! In regards to the Colosseum, we were going to purchase Roma Passes for the two of us, if that's considered "pre-purchasing." And train tickets will be purchased the moment we step foot in the country. For the days we are looking, the prices are still very good. I'm writing down the places in Florence you are suggesting! Very good advice!
@jleonardi - Perhaps we'll see you there! We considered Pompeii, but I think we're pushing our time the way it is. But if we end up with more time (you never know, sometimes these kids can really go! Other times... not so much) we'll certainly consider your recommendations!

A sincere thanks to everyone! I doubt I'll post much while we're there, but I'll report back!
Scott

I have to say...it's so nice to see a well-thought out itinerary that's not rushed and is thoughtful regarding constraints, especially the the smaller, less mature family members and their needs and capacity to take it all in. I think you're setting yourself and your family up for a very good trip.