Parents or grandparents who have traveled to Italy in summer with small children (mine are 3 and almost 2), Can you please share your itinerary or places you went to? Tips and suggestions to make the trip smoother?
Here are some places in mind:
Lucca and near by beaches
Amalfi coast- Ischia or Procida
Umbria?
But please pour in your suggestions
We will traveling from Minneapolis,US for 10 days in 1st or 2nd week of Sept (I know it’s short but we can only get that time off )
We decided to postpone Nov/Winter travel to Italy and go next year and now planning for this fall during Sept/Oct
With kids ages 3 and nearly 2...they're at the mercy of what YOU, the parents and grandparents want to do. You just need to be mindful of their eating and nap schedules, not to mention their short-attention spans and propensity to yammer and make a lot of noise.
Museum visits need to either be kid focused or, very brief. The Explore Kids Museum in Rome is a great spot to let them loose and stimulate their curiosity. The Leonardo Museum in Florence is great for kids but, probably not toddlers.
Parks, get familiar with the parks in/about where ever you're going. Merri-go-rounds are pretty common site in many towns, both Lucca and Firenze have one.
Beaches...what toddler doesn't like the beach? Fortunately Italy is a giant peninsula and there's no shortage of beaches.
Thank you for the response. I have 2 options. Which one seems more doable? We probably want to rent a car /minivan to get to places, but also worried if driving will be a hassle .
Option 1: Near major airport, but less Airbnb options, major city experience along with small towns near by
Fly to Florence
Stay in an Airbnb in Lucca area
Explore Florence - get to experience 1 big Italian city
Drive to small towns near by
Explore some near by beach Livorno or a little north of Pisa
Sienna
Option 2: lot of affordable stays with pools and landscapes, but not sure if there’s much to do around
Fly to Rome or Florence , take a train ? Or rent a car?
Airbnbs in Spello or Assisi or Pergola
Explore small towns near by
Ancona beaches
