Italy Itinerary - Early March

It’s not clear whether the 11 days include your arrival and departure days. Even if you have 11 full days, 3 bases is stretching it for the time you have. The Amalfi Coast is pretty dead in March, and it can be cold. Unless you are planning to rent a car, it is also cumbersome to get to.
There are guide books especially aimed at visiting Rome with children. My daughter once used one to find a tour for her son that included a cooking class. It was a big hit with him.
You all might enjoy a tour of the Etruscan underground.tunnels and a visit to St. Patrick’s Well in Orvieto. The duomo there is stunningly beautiful.
The weather is the wild card in all of this. Since March is low season and you don’t need to worry about getting accommodations, why not leave some plans tentative. Decide when you see what the weather goddess deals you.

Ferries in the Amalfi Coast begin late Mar. Siena is most convenient from Florence. You can take a direct bus from Siena to Rome (3h) but there might be luggage restrictions. If you go to Siena you want to sleep in the old town. You do not want a car in Siena because you would have to park it outside the center.

We will be traveling with young children.

Ages? How many?

Suggest going to your farthest point first and ending in Rome

Amalfi Coast will be chilly early March and probably not a lot open yet. Sorrento might be a better option.

3 days in Siena is a lot to me. Orvieto is a great option. Have you been to Pisa?

Thank you for your thoughts.

Kids are 5, 2.5 and newborn. We traveled to Italy in 2019 with a newborn and 2.5 year old - before anyone warns us against it :) (My mom will also be traveling with us).

We don't plan to use a car. We will either use trains or a transfer service. (We have someone we used last time due to our need for car seats - he will likely take us on 1-2 days trips from Orvieto and Siena).

Is there anywhere else relatively near Rome/Orvieto that you recommend to add diversity to our itinerary that is still nice to visit in early March?

I took my pre-teen to Ostia Antica (train from Rome, about 45 min if I remember), and he loved it. Think of it as a more accessible Pompeii. As mentioned, Orvieto makes a nice Day trip, as I took my pre-teen daughter there when I took her to Italy. As others said, is it 11 nights, or days - makes a big difference (ahh, saw edit - 11 full days). Having traveled for many years with small children (I have 5), I was always mindful of travel times - I want to maximize my time enjoying, which means minimize my transportation time. I also try to schedule outdoor activities, and understand we may not spend as much time in museums as we normally would. I also tried to plan around sleep schedules, as I am typically an early riser (and enjoy getting out early before crowds start gathering), but tried to manage wrt the kids schedule. Food is also an area tat differed traveling with my young children.

WRT Amalfi, I LOVED the area... but I would potentially drop this for the trip - seems far, and not the most ideal time of year to enjoy. Plus, assuming you are flying out of Rome, you would have to travel back up to fly home - unless you fly out of Naples, then this may be a doable plan. As far as 2-3 days in Siena. Personally, I wouldn't want to be anywhere less than that given traveling with small children. Packing up, moving, and getting to the next location is stressful and time consuming. We all have different travel philosophies, but if this was me, I would chose 2 bases, and stick to that. Fly out of Naples, then I would do Rome and Sorrento as bases. If flying in and out of Rome, Siena may be a good option (although, there really isn't a direct way to travel to Siens form Rome - at least I never found a way).

Just my 2cents worth :-)

Glenn

Yes, Siena and Orvieto. The toddler and preschooler will love running around the Campo in Siena. And down into the well in Orvieto.

Easy to take the Flixbus from Tiburtina station in Rome to Siena (get the app) and the train to Orvieto from Termini station.

A fee years ago we took our just- four and baby grandchildren (and their parents) to Italy for 2.5 weeks and had a great time, but really glad we only stayed in three locations (2 in Puglia and one in Rome).

Glenn and Nancy -

Thank you! this is helpful - I agree with minimizing travel distances and home bases. I think it is official that we will scrap the Amalfi idea.

Here is what we are working with:
Day 0: Fly to Rome
1: Arrive Rome at 8am - Transfer from FCO to Siena (booked with company to include car seats who we have used in the past)
2: Siena
3: Siena - day trip?
4: Siena to Orvieto using same transfer service, including a day trip along the way
5: Orvieto
6: Orvieto to Rome
7: Rome
8: Rome
9: Rome
10: Rome
11: Fly Home from Rome