Traveling to Italy for first time w 14 Yr Old - Thoughts on Rome and surrounding area

8-9 days... hmmm

Fri PM fly out?
Sat- arrive Rome at what time?- bit of wandering and jetlag rcovery
Sun- Rome Colosseum etc ?
Mon Rome Vatican/ St Peters?
Tues CT or Venice ( have to choose one or the other)
Wed CT or Venice
Thur-fly to London
Fri London
Sat Fly home
Sun Recuperate for Mon return to school/work

I can see a Rome and London option OR Rome and CT and Venice

Venice is not flooded. It has seasonal high tides that flood some low lying areas during the high tide

If you choose the all Italy itinerary, would suggest start in Venice and end in Rome

Two places in Italy and then London looks more like an endurance test than a vacation.

My $0.02

Could you please be more exact with your schedule. Are you able to leave prior to Friday? How many actual nights are you spending in Italy (do not include the 2 days of travel).

You need to limit this to 2 cities-Rome and London. If the 9 days include your arrival and departure days, you really only have 7 days and jet lag will likely be a factor on at least the first day. My experience with our daughter is that since the body clock of teens predisposes them to sleep late, that jet lag is worse for them.

I would fly to London first and then fly to Rome. Realize you will lose at least a half a day moving. I would stay in just those two cities and make day trips.
Outside Rome, Orvieto is a nice day trip.

If you are set on seeing London, then I recommend just London and Rome in your time frame. I do not think you have sufficient time to add a third base. There is so much to see and do in both of those cities and of course you could do a daytrip from either or both places. I think both London and Rome have lots of attractions that will appeal to your 14 year old. Several years back I took two of my boys to London, ages 12 and 14 and a 16 year old niece, for a few days. Highlights for them, at that age, included the Beefeater tour of the Tower of London, the London Eye, the British Museum, the Churchill War Rooms, the Imperial War Museum, the Changing of the Guard, Greenwich, the Museum of London and riding on the tube. If your son is a Harry Potter fan that is also an attraction. From there we went to Belgium, Paris and Rome. In Rome the highlights they most enjoyed were The Forum, the Coliseum, the Vatican, Castel Sant Angelo and just walking around and eating lots of gelato.

You said your son has asked to go to London. Let him help pick the sites you see. Is there a particular place in Italy that he wants to visit?

Hi,

I would save Venice and Cinque Terre for a return trip. With about 8 - 9 days, Rome and London will be more than enough. Factor in travel time, transportation, hotel arrival, unpacking, settling in, etc.

I fly direct from the East Coast and have no issues with jet lag. I don't know how you and your son will do flying from LAX. Depending on your arrival time, you will need to get adjusted. Your first day or night should be to chill, get some food, and maybe walk around the area you are staying in.

You can visit a lot of the main attractions in Rome in about four days. Keep in mind, high season - long lines, sold out times, crowding, competing with other travelers/school trips, etc.

It may be good to look at a guide book to get ideas. Here are some videos to help you "visualize" Rome and its active, bustling city center.

Rome Italy travel guide - Tips for first-time visitors - It's about 10 minutes long. It gives a great overview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2VcEkPaeF4

The Roman Guy neighborhood series and helpful suggestions are a good watch. Some are newer than other vids. Of course, any suggestions should be confirmed on individual websites for accuracy of openings/closings, policies, prices, etc. https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRomanGuyTours

You could visit The Vatican, St. Peter's and Castel Sant'angelo in one day if interested. You can either go with a tour or buy your own tickets through the official site:
https://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?action=gototipovisitapertag&tag=museiebasilicavgarteefedegruppi&weblang=EN

The Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's are all on one ticket. There is a security and bag check - no very large bags; they will need to be checked. Bags and backpacks of "about" 14-15" were okay'd by guards. Dress code is strictly enforced for The Vatican, St. Peter's and really most all Churches. Shoulders and knees must be covered by all.

If visiting St. Peter's Basilica on its own, there is no entrance fee; just a security/bag check.

I would definitely not check a bag or bring anything that needs to be checked. Trying to go back and retrieve your bag(s) will be a hassle. And, it will limit your going from The Sistine to St. Peter's.

The "Bridge of Angels" - Castel Sant'Angelo is a short walk from St. Peter's.

If you're planning to visit The Pantheon, which I recommend, it is free to enter; or it was when I was there a couple of months ago.

The Pantheon has a very rich and interesting history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome Piazza della Rotonda and its area https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontana_del_Pantheon > The Fountain of The Pantheon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_della_Rotonda

Campo de' Fiori and its Piazza with the historic Giordano Bruno.
Fontana di Trevi - magical
Piazza Navona and its Piazza - beautiful baroque fountains
The Spanish Steps and the Church at the top - historic
Colosseum, Palantine Hill and The Forum - historic (bag check)
The Borghese Gallery - about a 2 hour visit. (bag check) Hard to get tickets at times. Sometimes tour companies will have a tour with ticket(s.)

Rome's (Lazio) skycams - an overview of the hustle bustle
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio.html

You may be interested in a tour or two of sites to maximize your time. Most have similar itineraries, amount of people, pricing. Some have early entrance to The Vatican and Sistine.

Inquire about discounts.

https://theromanguy.com/
https://www.walksofitaly.com/
https://www.througheternity.com/
https://darkrome.com/ (Dark Rome and City Wonders are sister companies)
https://citywonders.com/
https://angeltours.eu/destination/rome/

Orvieto is a 75-minute train ride from Rome's Termini Station. https://www.lifeinitaly.com/tourism/umbria/orvieto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6k0J15SRXQ

Both London and Rome have months/yeasr! worth of things to see/do- so I would limit this trip to just those 2 locations.
Split them almost evenly- have your son make a list of what he wants to see in each city then decide
4 London, 5 Rome or vice versa.

Fly into London, out of Rome. London will be an easier "entry" to Europe and although a big city perhaps not as intense as Rome
you should be able to get a cheaper intra Europe flight from Gatwick so you don't have to travel thru Heathrow again

You've gotten some good suggestions. I concur, London and Rome are the most you can do in your time frame. You could consider Florence as an alternative, but Rome will be easier from a logistical standpoint.

Your son will have a great time. I saw London and Rome for the first time on a school trip when I was 15. That was 1966 and it began a lifelong love of European travel.