florence vs. venice with children

Definitely a hard choice. Can you split it 4 in Florence with day trips and 2 nights Venice... if not I would opt for Florence for the reason you said, but I would still make the effort for one day in Venice, if that's all you can do, Will you have a car? Its a great age for them to really enjoy the whole experience. Have a great trip.

Unfortunately we can't split the hotel nights, but we are planning on renting a car if we end up choosing Florence.

I also agree with the choice of Florence, having been to both. One alternative is to take the Eurostar from Florence to Venice, spend one night and two days there, and pay for 1 night in a hotel out of your own pocket. Otherwise, since the Eurostar trip from Florence to Venice takes two hours each way, you could spend take the earliest train to Venice and return on the latest, then have almost a whole day there.

Too bad you can't split the hotel :( Especially with a car, Florence will have more for you to do in the area, more day trips. Considering your hotel is paid for and that (maybe) frees up some money, I would say it would be worth it to take the train to Venice and spend a night, even if it means you paying for that night in a hotel. Venice is fabulous, but I would want to spend more than just one day there. You are correct that there are more trips you will be able to make from Florence!

Oops, Dan pretty much already said what I said! Well, you've got two votes for staying in Florence but spending a night in Venice if you're able to.

I think your kids would be much more fascinated by Venice, and I hear kids love to explore the labyrinthe of tiny "streets". I'm taking my kids (ages 8 & 13) for 8 days in July. Florence is all about art and unless your kids love art museums, I don't think they'll appreciate it as much as Venice. From Venice you can do day trips to Lido (the beach), or other cities in Veneto such as Verona, Vincenza etc...When will you be going?

8 and 10 year olds usually like Venice because of the whole fairy tale aspect with the canals and boats, etc. At least that's been my experience. Unfortunately, 6 nihgts in Venice is too much for any 8 or 10 year old; if it's summer time, you can always take them to the beach on Lido however.

My inner child screams Venice. Boats, water, mystery, bridges, canals. Totally venice.

Venice, Venice, Venice. Your kids will love Venice. There is a lot to do there even for the amount of time you have available. The lagoon islands also allow for daytrips on the vaporetto. The Lido has a beach. And if you get bored, which doesn't seem likely, the trains can take you on short hops to Vicenza, Verona, Padova and othere spots in the Veneto. No need for a car. Let me be the first to mention that you really don't want a car in Florence. The center of the city, which is where you would want to be, is loaded with resticted driving zones (ZTL) that are monitored by automated traffic cams. Venture into one and you can get an over 100 euro fine every time you go by the cameras.

Kids are likely to enjoy Venice more because of the water, boats, etc. You probably don't need that long to see Venice and the day trips aren't quite what you can get from Florence. Florence is more about museums but there are better daytrips around the area from there. I'm not the best to advise on daytrips. My vacations are more like a string of sights with stops along the way, than bases with daytrip "spokes".

Consider springing for the extra cost of the hotel to stay in both places. But it you have to choose I vote Venice, especially if they enjoy water at all. It's safer (no cars) and it's magical. Great daytrips to Murano/Burano/Torcello (Torcello is mostly open fields on your walk to the old church. Take the side path to walk alongside small farms with really cute pygmy goats - a nice little surprise for the kids.) Also, check out the Santa Elena neighborhood in Venice with its big public gardens and playgrounds - lots of kids and no tourists. Since they're interrested in other cultures, you can play a scavenger hunt through Venice looking for all the Moorish/Byzantine influences from Venice's days trading with the Ottomans. Other great daytrips are Verona (Romeo and Juliet and it's kind of like a small Florence visually), Vicenza and Padua. But don't overthink this - either way they'll have a great time. Lucky you and lucky them!!

Jennifer - both are great places and your girls will have a great time wherever you are so I'd make the decision based on: 1) Which was the easiest logistically (and expense-wise) to get to. For example - we have been able to fly non-stop at various times in the past to Venice, but never to Florence. If you had to fly to Pisa or Rome in order to get to Florence then that means the cost (and time) of another flight, car, etc. When traveling with kids you should not underestimate the value of non-stop flights and getting somewhere as quickly as possible 2) If both were the same with regards to logistics then I'd make the decision based on where the ADULTS would want to go. Again, your kids will have a great time in Italy (mine were similar ages when they went for the first time), so plan the trip for yourselves and take the kids with you.

We are going to both cities in the summer. My kids are 14 and 11. I just received a small book I had ordered through Amazon. It's a series called Kids Go Europe and I ordered the Treasure Hunt Venice version. They have a Treasure Hunt Florence version, too. I'm going to order that one next. Not sure if this advice will help in your difficult decision but I was really impressed with the book :) Regardless of which city you decide to make as your base, enjoy your trip!!! Kids are soooo much fun to travel with!

I agree with Kerry. I was so looking forward to spending a couple of days exploring Florence. It is my favorite Italian city. I realized, however, that what I may love (museums, museums, museums) would probably be incredibly boring to my kids (well, at least after the first 15 minutes or so and the requisite visit to a gift shop!). We cut down a night in Florence to add another night to Venice.

Rethinking... I would only vote for Florence if you were able to have a car to do day trips to the Tuscan towns. I could not spend a whole week just in Florence, but I have spent a whole week in Venice. And day trips on the train from Venice might be easier. Yes, Venice is magic, and you can take the boat to Burano and a few other suggested place I have not been to....so I change my vote, unless you will have the opportunity to get out of Florence and explore. Like you said it is a hard choice. But that Treasure Hunt Book sounds like a great idea. Whatever you decide... have a wonderful time!

I think Florence is the way to go. Venice is beautiful, no doubt. We traveled with a 2 year old and a 10 year old and Florence had so much more to do. In addition, the food in Venice is different and if you don't have adventurous eaters, you may run into some issues.

Hi Cindy, I did cast my vote for Venice; but if your heart is set on Florence, I just wanted to let you know that in a recent Travel & Leisure newsletter (unfortunately, I already deleted it) it listed Florence as one of the 10 best cities for families! Maybe you can find the article on-line. As long as you don't bombard your kids with too many long museum visits, I'm sure they'll love Florence. I took my kids to Paris in 2009, and they had an amazing time. The playground equipment in Europe is different from what they see in the US, so that alone is a thrill. My daughter got to play with French children on the playground in Luxembourg Gardens for hours (no need to communicate!). Speaking for my kids, they just love being out in new places, eating out, sleeping in hotels or B&B's or apartments, and taking buses and trains or boats, (and having mom & dads full attention is a great bonus). If you and your husband think you'll prefer Florence, I'd say go to Florence! PS. I also bought Kids Go Europe: Venice Treasure Hunt (which as Laurie said has a Florence Edition). It's a really great pocket sized book that can be carried around. I also bought another great kids journal that is packed with information on Italy for kids and is also a journal in that kids can write things in it (like their favorite Gelato flavors. That book is called "Kids Europe: Italy Discovery Journal". Both books are available on Amazon.com (the first is $9.95 and the latter is $21.95). I got them for my daughter for Christmas for our trip to Italy in July.