First time in Italy, and bringing a toddler. Do we go to Venice?

Having traveled from Atlanta-Rome with our 23 month old---Just curious, why not take the train to Florence? You are all going to be tired and you don't really need the car till you leave Florence. But then you did not say where you are flying from. Maybe there will not be any jet lag involved.

Luckily you have a built in babysitter however I would suggest slowing down---not so many towns. Our trip was similar but we had 3 weeks to space out our places of interest.

Have a great trip!

I personally would find Venice very comfortable with a toddler, due to the absence of car traffic. In the neighborhoods, children play safely in the public squares while their parents sit nearby and talk with friends. But it works best with a backpack child carrier, rather than a stroller, due to the bridges (though many, especially around San Marco, have ramps alongside the steps).

As for logistics, Venice is no more difficult than any other city, and sometimes less. Since you are arriving by car, it would be simplest to park in the public garage near Piazzale Roma and take a water taxi to the dock nearest your apartment. You will want to make a reservation for the parking.

Where is your Venice apartment located, and how to you plan to carry your child around?

Thanks for your response, it's great to hear from someone who has done this before. We are traveling from the US (East coast too). We had considered renting the car in Florence but it was much cheaper to get the car in Rome and return it in Rome, plus we wanted to be able to take our daughter's car seat. Honestly I think it's going to be a tough day though, so open to any workarounds. You said there's too much moving around - what do you suggest cutting out?

@Lola - thank you, this is all good info. My daughter is 25 lbs and a backpack carrier is very uncomfortable for us, so we were planning on taking a light umbrella stroller. I know it's a challenge with all of the bridges, but I can't think of a better solution.

Our rental is located in San Marco, what are your thoughts on that area?

Maybe I’m missing something, but aren’t you zigzagging somewhat inefficiently by putting Venice (or Bologna) in between Florence and Siena?

With the Itinerary you are suggesting I would look at your overall days. Each travel day means repacking, driving to your next destination and unpacking a toddler and all their goodies. Given that you really only have the following full days......
2 in Florence
1 in Venice
2 in Sienna
1 in Montalcino
2 in Rome

If you are up for that then great! But I would eliminate one destination. Just my personal opinion after becoming a Nona and after traveling many times with our daughter. Again, you have your mom so she will be a great help. I can't help you with the Venice part---after 3 times to Italy we have still not made it to Venice---always too many places to see!

Hoping this helps to put it in better perspective.

Please feel free to PM me if you have any other questions from a fellow traveler with a toddler.

I'm neither a Nona nor a toddler, but I've been to Venice and Florence (twice) and I'd recommend you either spend the entire time in Florence or spend at least another night and add a night to "near Siena." There is so much to see in Florence, you'll want more time. Also, don't underestimate the jet lag and what a pain in the butt it can be to change locations. For a 14 day trip, I'd only want to change locations 3 times (but I always assume I'm going back!)
I'd take the train from Rome to Florence and to Siena and not rent the car until you get to Siena. Pushing the rental 4-5 days later will save you some money to offset the cheaper round trip price. You'll definitely want to return the car as soon as you get back in Rome or before, and train to Rome. We've rented cars aplenty in foreign countries, and my husband was stationed in Italy for 3 years as a young adult, so lots of experience. In the countryside and smaller villages, where a car is really needed, it's fine, but there's a constant low level (occasionally high level!) stress anytime you're in a city. It's always a relief to drop off the car and get back on the train. With 4 of you, you can book the seats that have a table and face each other and have a little train picnic (with wine since you're not driving!), always entertaining.

Driving after an overnight flight is never advised. 3 jet lagged adults and a toddler driving for first time in a foreign country is a recipe for disaster. YMMV

I suggest you drop Venice- add those nights to Florence and/or Rome- then combine your 2 Tuscany stays- those 2 locations are close enough to each other that you can visit all the towns you listed from 1 location.

A 2 night stay means just 1 day in location to sightsee. Each location change eats up at least a half day. Takes time to pack up, check out travel to next locaton, check in, unpack, get oriented. Latheer rinses, repeat.

You will not want or need the car in Florence- you can't drive there and it will remain parked the whole time- cost 30 euros a day? have you figured out where you will park?
Reducing the car rental to just the days you need it- outside Siena or Montalcino only- will reduce the cost considerably. Get rid of the car before you return to Rome.

All drivers must have an IDP- International Driving Permit- get it at your local AAA. Even if you think just one of you will drive I would make sure a 2nd person has the IDP as well.
Do your homework regarding driving in Italy- ZTLs, parking, speed cameras.

Check AutoEurope.com for a rental car pick up in Florence or Siena- (get the car as you leave Florence)- you only need it for your days in Tuscany small towns. Be aware that you cannot drive into any of these towns- you must park outside the walls.

My suggestion for 13 nights::
Arrive FCO
Train to Florence
Florence 4 nights
Pick up car- to Siena rental
Siena area- 5 nights
Drop car- Chiusi is a good spot for this (or pick up and drop off in Siena)
Train to Rome
Rome 4 nights

but there's a constant low level (occasionally high level!) stress
anytime you're in a city. It's always a relief to drop off the car and
get back on the train.

^^This. I'd add that there is a constant level of stress no matter where you are driving- in the city or not. In the city would be extremely HIGH level of stress- due to ZTLs, bus lanes, traffic, pedestrians, etc.
I'd hate for you to come home to a mailbox full of traffic violations you didn't even know you made. It happens.

Day 1: Rome/Florence. Arriving in the AM at FCO. We will immediately rent a car and drive to Florence.

So you plan on driving while your body clock thinks it's 2-3 AM. May want to give additional consideration to your plan.

Day 7 and 8: We have an agrotourismo booked near Siena and from there, we plan on taking day trips to Siena and San Gimignano.
Day 9: Leave for Montalcino area, where we'll stay in another agrotourismo.

Siena and Montalcino are ~26 miles apart. Not sure I understand having 2 different lodgings, given the time lost with each lodging transition.

Venice will not 'disappear' in your lifetime. It is unique and decidedly different from your other destinations.

If you do keep Venice in the trip, to eliminate some zig-zag & backtracking, you may want to consider going directly to Venice on your arrival day ( via train) and then do Florence, Siena, and Montalcino on the way back to Rome in more of a straight line route. Just a thought. Use it as you see fit

After reading the comments above, I am going to chime in and urge you to forget the rental car upon landing. You really do not want to drive in Florence; most of the city is off-limits to passenger cars, and the marking is not always clear. So it is very easy to enter one of the ZTLs (Zone of Limited Traffic) and it is an expensive ticket that comes automatically from a camera. You will not know about it until months later when they start arriving in your mailbox, or when you check your credit card and see all the “administrative fees” the rental agency has charged—-these are in addition to the actual violation charge.

Then there is the parking problem.

There is a direct train from FCO to Florence departing at 13:53 each day. With a flight landing in the morning, you should be able to make that—-and likely have time for lunch in the airport beforehand. You could purchase those tickets now on Trenitalia and get a “FrecciaFamily” ticket for the 4 of you for €96—Probably less than a day’s rental on the car. The tickets on the fast train comes with reserved seats. You arrive in Florence at the downtown train station 2 hours later, in good time to check in to your hotel. Take a cab there from the train station.

Then, should you choose to keep Venicein your plans, it is another 2 hours by train. You arrive right IN Venice, on the Grand Canal. A water taxi will take you to the dock nearest your accommodation, in a scenic and pleasant journey, for around €70. That is my idea of the best way to arrive in Venice.

I'm a mother of a now-adult child, and have been to Venice many times, but if I had taken her there as a toddler, I would have been petrified of her falling into a canal. Nowadays I just worry about my phone ;)

I have not traveled to Europe at all with young children but a colleague of mine went with her husband and three children to Venice and had a marvelous time. The children were 2, 5, and 7. The secret seemed to be not trying to do too much and enjoying what they did. They went to St. Marks, Doje palace (which I had advised against but they loved it with their children), Murano to the glass museum, and a gondola ride.

That said, they were in Venice for four nights. I think you are moving around too much, especially with a child. Moving slowly seemed to be their secret to having a wonderful trip. Of course, they had two more children than you in hand and no mom along either.

If you do include Venice (and I love Venice, so I think you should), consider staying on The Lido. It has beaches and - in my experience - a slower and more childfriendly pace, except that there are cars. But I expect you are used to cars in your home place.

It's easy enough to get to Venice centre by vaporetto - no need to splash on a water taxi.

Having done several trips to Europe with my 2 daughters at all ages, I would advise the following:

First, understand that, no matter what you hope and expect, your kid’s needs will dictate the trip. People always ask how my girls became such good travelers and I tell them because we made the first few trips about them. The miserable families we see and hear complain about traveling with their kids try to make their kids adapt to their adult itineraries and needs. Our girls were not able to do this until they were around 9.

So…. pick 2-3 bases so you are not traveling so much. You will learn a hard lesson if you expect your toddler to keep up with such a busy schedule. Hell, it would wear me out. Plus, you will appreciate having a base to return to for emergency naps or clothing changes. We stayed a week at La Cretaiole near Pienza with our girls and they loved it. Our youngest was 2 then. Even now, we stay at least three nights at each places as it is brutal to get two teenage girls moving early in the morning.

The Siena area is nice and there is plenty to do there. I would spend 4 nights there, or the agriturismo if it is close. The Campo at night is a wonderful playground full of local families and kids.she will love chasing the pigeons around after an evening gelato.

Not much for kids in Montepulciano and Montalcino. I gather you are interested in wine and I would spend a day doing that with Nona watching the kiddo. Florence galleries can also be a day trip from Siena with a skip the line ticket and your Mom will have plenty to do there with your daughter.

Lucca is another walled city that my girls loved. It has a walkway along the top of the city wall that is a huge park. They really loved the playground there.

I personally find Florence a bit overwhelming. We did not have our girls with us on our day there when they were young (nanny) and were glad as heck that we left them at the agriturismo.

Rome was nice because we found some coloring books and travel game books on Amazon that the girls played with on the plane over. They were so excited when they saw the things they colored in real life.