first trip to italy~ with teenagers

truman,

As you appear to have the RS Italy 2016 guidebook, there will be lots of listings there for hotels in various parts of Rome. For travel in June / July, I'd suggest getting something booked SOON. I normally like to stay in the area near Termini station, as it's so very convenient for transportation, but everyone here has their own preference.

With such a very short time frame, I'd suggest limiting your stay to two cities. In this case, Rome and Florence would be a good choice as transportation time between them is minimal (90 minutes via high speed train). In Rome you could also take a day trip to Orvieto and in Florence day trips to Siena, Pisa or Lucca are easily done. You'll only have a few days in each city, so it would be prudent to plan your sightseeing carefully so that you don't waste ANY time.

There are some potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of when using trains or other public transit in Italy, so be sure to do some "homework" on that prior to your trip.

Tell us a little more about the teenagers ... what are their interests, hobbies? Work with them to plan an itinerary that will be most meaningful to them.

Last May I took my 14-year-old grandson to Rome (four nights) and Munich (5 nights). Five months in advance I gave him guidebooks of the cities, along with the Rick Steves videos. He devoured them. We planned the itinerary together. He's studying Latin in school, and is interested in World War 2 history, so we built on that foundation.

While we were there I heard him repeat, verbatim, much of Rick's narration from the videos. He was hooked!

Photos here.

Rome and teenagers should go together quite well. Even us more senior travelers get re-energized in Rome. May I suggest looking at something close, or in, Trastevere. There is a very loud and fun nightlife for all of you along with great food. Just across the river are all the main sites - well within walking distance. Campo de Fiore, Piazza Navona, the Vatican, Trevi Fountain are quite close. The Colosseum and Forum are a bit further but still not a bad hike.

Amalfi Coast is stunningly beautiful - and there are places for you to swim. I stay in Sorrento and day trip along the coast and to Capri. There is a boat trip from Sorrento along the coast - it stops off of Capri for swimming (just jump off the boat!). Amazing!!!

Venice is about beauty, art, culture and being part of a unique city. You don't really see Venice . . . it's like a huge painting that you actually walk into and become part of. The 3rd weekend of July is the feast of the Redentore. Saturday night is the most amazing fireworks display I've ever seen. They also build a pontoon bridge across the canal so you can walk across the water. Pretty neat.

Enjoy your "memory of a lifetime" because I'm sure it will be just that!

8 days even if it's really eight days rather than eight nights which is really only seven days or six if you go to two cities or five if you go to three cities is not long. I'd either spend all of it Rome or just Rome and Florence.

Since you have 8 days, I'd take a look at Rome and Florence like Ken recommends. First three nights in Rome, then head to someplace like this for two nights: http://www.crocicchio.com/en/index.html to recharge (this particular place might not work depending on if you're renting a car, but I've stayed there and it's really nice), then Florence for two nights and back to Rome the night before your flight home.

Even though I love Florence, I wouldn't take teenagers there unless they have a real interest in renaissance art. Venice might be good, if they enjoy wandering and seeing pretty and unusual things, and if they might enjoy getting around by boat. However, since you mention the Amalfi coast, I would split my time between that area and Rome. That will give them a number of options from which to choose – the coast, coastal towns, Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Naples, etc. Go from Rome to Naples by train. If you can arrange your flights so you fly into Rome and out of Naples that would also save you some time. Enjoy your planning.

Where ever you go I am sure it will be amazing!!! Europe will make a lasting impression on teens.. I have traveled with teens to Europe a number of times and while they are still teens :) they will be changed forever! One thing I insist when I take the grandkids is that they keep a trip log/travel journal. It is amazing how many things you forget, so each day just a few words about their favorite memories, foods, sites they saw, things that suprised them. They all love those journals now, even though I often had to remind them to write every night. Also if everyone has their own camera it can help enhance their experience. I will sometimes ask the kids to plan an afternoon for us... whatever they want, but they have to do a little homework on their plan and investigate some options for us. A building, a special piece of art, the history of a church... something they can look into ahead of time. I like to leave lots of time for serendipity... so I tend to make really loose plans. The teens I travel with do not want to be on a crazy schedule of trooping in and out of museums from dawn till dusk... they really enjoy hanging out in cafes and enjoying watching the local lifestyle.... La Dolce Vita!
I would do Rome & Venice...

I.m agreeing with Terry Kathryn and Sherry. I've traveled to Italy a few times with "my" teens (grandchildren); Rome, Venice, Florence and beyond. The kids do enjoy museums and did enjoy Florence but much preferred Rome and Venice. Rome and Venice are both more...I'd say "interactive" cities; fewer museums and lots more to do. With only 8 days, I'd split time between these two wonderful cities; this is strictly my opinion. You will all have a wonderful time no matter where you decide to go, because you will be creating memories together.

My teenage sons really enjoyed Florence. Some of that might have been that they had played the Assassin's Creed video game that was set in renaissance Florence. They actually recognized quite a bit of the old city the first time they were there in real life.

Agree with letting your teens help choose, depending on their interests.

Since you are flying in and out of Rome, upon arrival, I would go straight to my next destination, whether Venice or Amalfi. Spend a few days/nights with day trips as you wish. In Venice they might like the rowing classes www.rowvenice.org

Go back to Rome for the remainder, since you are flying home from there. A day trip, from Rome to Orvieto, might interest the teens if they would like a tour of the Etruscan caves.

You will have a great time no matter what you choose!

I'd split your time evenly between Rome and the Amalfi Coast.

From Sorrento/Amalfi Coast you have lots of outdoor summer options.
- the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum
- a ferry ride to Capri
- hiking Vesuvius
- the beach at Positano
- Naples, the birthplace of pizza

My gratuitous advice for traveling with teens; put them in charge of their own happiness and a big hunk of the trip.

Give them an accessible guidebook and point them to the internet and have them plan AT LEAST a full day each -- or have everyone in the family make a list of their top 4 priorities and then sit down and sort them out. You might want to make a decision first about which cities will be visited -- with 8 days, I would limit that to two. And then within that have them plan. People who have ownership are a lot more pleasant to travel with and you will probably do things you would not have thought of.

Because of my son's choices I visited Aqueduct Park near Rome, the John Soanes Museum in London and the Speccola in Florence. Because of my daughter's choices, I saw the British Library in London (who knew that would be so interesting) and climbed the towers of Notre Dame.

Something that my kids really loved on our trip to Rome was the Scavi tour under St. Peters. I did this 20 years ago when most people had never heard of it, so didn't have any trouble getting 4 tickets. If you want to do this, be on it early. It was pretty amazing. I would probably choose Venice and Rome; the Amalfi coast is sort of an old lady tourist trap -- great if you love twee gift shops and nice views -- Venice is a lot cooler especially if you just wander as far as your feet will take you far from St. Marks -- you can't get lost as you run out of islands eventually.

You only have an extremely short time. 2 places would be the absolute max in my opinion. I have traveled with teens to Italy many times. My choices would be
Rome and Tuscany at an agriturismo with a pool
Rome and Sorrento
I think with teens it is important to mix up culture and sightseeing with some water time, especially in the heat of summer.
They would love Venice but I think too much time would be wasted getting there and back.
Are you locked into flying into and out of Rome.?
Wherever you end up, try to plan some cool things that appeal to kid.
For example on the AC we hiked the Path of the Gods, which will absolutely make a memory of a lifetime, rented a private 3 hour boat for along the coast. In Venice, we did ROWVENICE, in tuscany we bathed in the (free) hot springs of Saturnia.
If there is any way you can extend your trip, you won't be sorry.

If you are flying in and out of Rome then finish your trip in Rome. On arrival train to your furthest destination whether it is Sorrento or Venice and then return for the last 4 or 5 nights in Rome and be there for the flight out. Otherwise you waste a day of your very small number of days returning to Rome the night before your flight. YOu need to be within a cab ride of the airport for a high stakes flight. When we took our young adult kids to Rome, we spent 10 days in Rome with side trips to Ostia Antica and Cervetari and Tarquinia for the Etruscan tomb sites (amazing) We also did the Scavi tour and there was plenty to do in Rome. When we were done with Rome our kids went to FLorence for the weekend before flying home (they had to be back at work after Memorial Day and we did a 5 day side trip to Barcelona before flying back.

I am going with the Roma-Amalfi Coast group here. Get close to Vesuvius, visit Pimpeii snd/or Ercolano, take the bus down the Amalfi Coast snd the ferry back. Orvieto is a great idea, if you can tear yourselves away from Roma.

Absolutely let the teens take responsibility for something - a morning or afternoon, a destination.