Family trip planning

Well, given the celebration of 20 years of marriage the important celebrating has to be done in Venice (you can warm up in Paris!).

2-3 nights in 5 Terre sounds like to much for a family. You might even consider just a day trip from say, Lucca or some other northern Tuscany villa. Easy by train. We like seeing 5 Terre by boat, we go out of Portovenere, a place you might spend a night as well.

Our family just returned from Italy and our three 9 year olds really enjoyed the sights of Rome, gelato, going to the beach and swimming in the Med, and the Monster Park at Bomarzo (Tuscany and an easy run to Orvieto from there). We also cooked our own pizzas in our villa which they got a kick out of.

So, rent a car. It is a great way to see several sights in Tuscany and Umbria. Driving in Italy is ok as long as you aren't in a city like Florence or Rome. Stay in agriturismo's or villas. We stayed at a place called Villa Arnilu near San Gimignano which you can rent by the night.

If you are thinking of the cruise option then I found 4 itineraries (9-14 days) in the first 3 weeks of July from Barcelona to Venice.

http://www.celebritycruises.com/cruises/cruise-package-CS09M044?packageid=CS09M044&dest=EUROP&shipCode=CS&shipName=Celebrity-Constellation&applyCriteria=false&sailDate=1160714&cabincls=BALCONY&format=new

https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/int/voyage/1469073600/12-night-mediterranean-jewels-voyage

http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetails.action?destCode=&portCode=&shipCodeSearch=ED&durationCode=&dateCode=&flexibleMonths=false&noOfFlexibleMonths=1&voyageCode=D647

http://www.ncl.com/cruises/14-day-grand-mediterranean-from-barcelona-SPIRIT14BCNTLNLIVCIVNAPJMKISTKUSPIRKOTDBVVCE/schedule?sortBy=Featured&cruiseHotelAir=1&numberOfGuests=4294915774&cruiseTour=0&cruiseHotel=1&pageSize=1000&state=null&ships=4294963182&currentPage=1&cruise=1&&itineraryCode=SPIRIT14BCNTLNLIVCIVNAPJMKISTKUSPIRKOTDBVVCE&customerStoriesCurrentPage=1&customerStoriesPageSize=3

With a few days in Barcelona before, and a few days in Venice after, you would have time to add Paris and Cinque Terre on the short itinerary, perhaps only Paris on the long one.

I think this is a better spread of time for a family travelling.
Paris 5nts, Venice 4nts, Florence 3nts, CT 4nts, Rome 5nts
Look for villa/apartments for Paris, Rome, Levanto (CT).
Hotels in central Florence, Venice.

Considering that July can be quite hot, especially in Rome, I'd take a break in the middle of the trip. In Tuscany, instead of staying in Florence, rent an apartment in an agriturismo WITH A POOL for a few days in a central location. That way you can day trip into Florence or Sienna - and come back to relax and cool off at the pool.

CT is also a good place to take it easy and cool off on the beach. If your husband and you like hikes, it's a great place to do so. I'd do it as early in the morning as possible before it gets too hot. Unless your kids like hiking (my daughter drew a comic about the worst day of her life "hiking in CT in the heat" a year later ...), you might consider leaving them behind at the beach.

Angela,

Could you clarify that your trip will take place in July 2016? If you're travelling this July, it may be difficult to get accommodations in some places. I hope your other half realizes that July is going to be HOT and CROWDED, and not the most pleasant time to travel in Europe.

I'd suggest just visiting Pisa as a day trip from Florence. Another convenient day trip location is Siena, although note that the Palio is held on July 2 and August 16, and on those days it will be dreadfully crowded!

If you decide to take the cruise from Barcelona to Venice, you could use a trip route Venice > Florence (with day trips) > Cinque Terre > Rome > Paris. Use one of the budget airlines to fly from Rome to Paris (check easyJet as they operate flights on that route).

At that time of year, it will be important to pre-book accommodations WELL in advance, especially in the Cinque Terre where lodgings may be a bit limited. I'd suggest staying in Monterosso as it's the largest of the C.T. towns and therefore has the greatest number of accommodation choices as well as the most restaurants and other amenities (as well as the nicest beaches).

You could take a daytrip to Pisa and Lucca while you're in Tuscany, the kids might like the wall circuit in Lucca (rent bikes or walk).

Take a cooking class together, my goddaughter loved it!

Thanks everyone! Yes, July 2016. Yes, I've told him it'll be HOT. But if the kids are coming, it has to be July since my oldest has marching band camp in August. The cruise I was thinking of is the one on NCL, since my oldest would love the Greek portion of the cruise and I would love to see Turkey. However, Hubby doesnt seem all that enthusiastic about a cruise.

I'd love more info about apartment rental vs. hotel stays. Most of my European travel has been solo, so I've never bothered with apartment or car rentals. Family travel that doesnt involve Disney or a beach will be a whole new experience for me.

NCL is a great itinerary if you want to 'taste' a lot of Europe, with only 3 days at sea out of 14. Tell your husband not to think of it like a cruise (to Mexico or Caribbean), yet more like a train on water, or a car with someone else driving. On board dining, however wouldn't be such a discovery as if you were on land. But then there may be lots of age appropriate activities for both the kids to do.

As to apartment: we always rent apartments if our stay is 3 nights or longer. You get more space, often pay less, and there's room to lounge around, a refrigerator for snacks. wine and water. I usually use VRBO.com or Booking.com. It's nice to have somewhere besides a bed to sit, and also to have a clothes washer so you can pack light!

My criteria are centrally located, WIFI, clothes washer, coffee maker whether drip or Mokapot. With those things I am happy. Many agriturismi have little apartments and also a pool, which is a terrific combination for the summer season.

An alternative location to consider is a few days in the Dolomites, an entirely different culture, less crowded, and cool. We particularly like Ortisei in the Val Gardena. It is set in a lovely valley with lifts to mountains on both sides where you can hike. There is a terrific pool complex that many lodgings give you free access too, the Mar Dolomiti. Definitely worth 3-4 nights as a respite from hot cities and the over-crowded Cinque Terre.

Good idea about staying in the mountains! Hubby is now suggesting that we spend some time in Austria since the older daughter is really into music, and he has changed his mind regarding CT. I'll have to tighten things up a bit if we want to squeeze in Salzburg and Vienna! We probably wont be able to stay any one city longer than about 3 or 4 nights :-(

OR, we might just scrap these plans all together and do a shorter trip with the girls in July going to the places that interest them, and then do another short trip in the Fall just the two of us.

Alrighty then, I think we may have come to a family consensus on the itinerary! 4 nights Paris, 5 nights Rome, and then 3 nights each in Florence, Venice, Salzburg, and Vienna. There will be day trips to Pisa and Pompeii. Other than the Austria portion I've been to all these places so it should be a fairly smooth trip overall and I won't have to stress out about finding my way around or whether I can find enough things to entertain everyone until then. Easy peasy!

We always rent apartments when we can. I love going grocery shopping in Europe - it's the only time I'm sure that everyone else isn't a tourist, and it's great to have a place to relax, and a little more room to spread out. Many places include a list of the owner's favorite neighborhood restaurants and shops. I've had great luck on VRBO. The only catch is that you need to arrange when you are arriving with the owner/manager to get the keys and a tour. You can't just show up anytime like at a hotel.

For apartments and agriturisimos look at http://www.tuscanyaccommodation.com/

CT http://www.arbaspaa.com/hotel/Apt_La_Terrazza/default.aspx

Rome, Florence, Venice http://www.sleepinitaly.com/

Paris http://www.vacationinparis.com/search-paris-rentals

Have also used Flipkey, VRBO, and http://www.cross-pollinate.com/