Italy - Starting to Gather Ideas ~~Three Weeks of Travel With Family

There are lots of choices and decisions to make to create an enjoyable as well as practical plan for visiting Italy in the heat of the summer and height of the tourist season. After confirming how many nights you'll spend in the country, not counting your travel days of arrival and departure as days with actual touring, and choosing whether to start north and head south so as to finish in Rome, I'd have an idea of whether the focus will be on cities or smaller locales, what kind of pacing i.e. minimum 2- or 3-night stops and what type of accommodations you'll want for this trip. As you've already experienced, arming yourself with a good guidebook (and map) will be a great help in creating a fabuloso itinerary for you and your traveling crew. Try to be nimble, meaning everyone is capable of handling their own stuff with ease as well as flexible, to be able to adapt to the inevitable hiccups of transportation delays, crowding, weather-related mishaps. Remember to savor being where you ARE and not just intent on where you are GOING NEXT. And gelato. Lots of gelato. Buona fortuna e buon viaggio!

We spent 3 weeks in Italy last summer, July and August too. It’s insanely hot during this time but 2of us are teachers so we had to travel at that time of year. We made a vow to have gelato EVERYDAY, and we succeeded! We had 2 teenagers in our group of 5. They brought a tiny stuffed animal along and photographed it at all of the big sites just for fun. We also made sure that we climbed every tower, dome or rooftop, using stairs if possible. Remember that kids under age 18 are free in many of the sites, just have documentation of proof of age. Family rooms are available in many locations and staying in a convent is another interesting option. If you’re renting a car, look into stopping at the numerous Auto Grill locations on the autostrata for excellent meals and clean
bathrooms. Enjoy!

hey hey fran
you have lots to think about and reserving places for your gang. where are you arriving to, how many days in each place, where is your next stop and what is the budget, will you be renting a car or train travel. renting a car you and all drivers will need an IDP (aaa.com/idp) which is mandatory in italy. don't get caught without one, penality fee of $400+ and may take car away from you, plus check size that will fit all and luggage, make sure parking available or costs are high to park away from place.
forget what happened in the 1990"s so many changes, many travelers all year long, no off season anymore. look for a family friendly place, an apartment will be better for your gang. don't wanna sound negative but do be prepared. it's part of planning which can be stressful but rewarding when you converse with your gang and have it all sorted out
booking.com. trivago.com, trip advisor.com are places to check. check how many room. bathrooms, beds, sofa beds are very small and feet may hang over edge, check the amount of people allowed (it's a fire issue and law) A/C, stairs/steps to carry luggage up, do you need an elevator/lift, cancellation policies, do they have a washer/dryer, pack light, will grandchildren carry their own bags, check-in is 3-4pm check-out 10-11am. lots to think about. always check arrival and departure times for trains/ buses/planes so no ungodly hours to wake up and get out
make a list of what you want to see/do/ so so if i miss it and no go. keep asking questions and forum posters will give you good bad and ugly. comprise with what the kids will lake/do and not seeing every church, museum, monuments they will probably get bored after 5-10 minutes. take them to gelato shops tasting many flavors, eating pizza everywhere for them, pack a picnic and go to a park to let them enjoy and run around to tire them out. find kid friendly things to do. hope all works
pre-book activities/attractions early, many are date/time stamp. hope all works out, have fen
YIPPEE GO NINERS
aloha

Get the kids involved in the planning. I once knew a fellow who told me he alone planned a two-week trip to Italy when he was 12. It was a family trip (2+2) for his bar mitzvah. 15 years later he still remembered every detail - and he planned it before the internet was born. With some serious input from the kids, you'll have a better idea of what sights and experiences you want to include.

Don't try to cram too much in. Leave some down time for spontaneity and relaxation. Allow for some of the family to do different things. Always keep in mind that your group will never move faster than the slowest person, whoever that may be at any given time. It could be a sleepy-head, a window-shopper, a slow eater, a gawker. . . . Crowds will also slow you down. So will the heat. Jerry said they ate gelato every day (my first thought was "only once a day?!?!" - also look for granita, which is fruit slush. It's fewer calories and lasts longer.

I wouldn't recommend driving a van in Italy - never mind trying to park one - consider using drivers sometimes for transit or day trips.