Itinerary help

Is Stresa your first stop in Europe? If so, add a night there to get over jet lag. Add another night or two to Rome. 3 is not enough.

You don’t want a car in Rome. Drop it off outside the city and take the train in. Then take a taxi to your hotel.

A 2 night stay gives you only 1.5 days

Your first 6 nights are very fast paced, covering a lot of ground
I’d add a night to Lucca and the other 2 to Rome

Drop the car before Rome

Agree with the other responses - that's a LOT of moving around, especially with two kids, who may or may not be able to pack their own things. Every chance you move locations is a chance that someone will leave behind a favorite toy, stuffed animal, electronic device, etc., not to mention the time lost in packing/unpacking and transiting between cities.

I would consider eliminating either the Parma or Lucca stay, but if you're set on having both of those, then I'd allocate the 3 additional nights as 1 to Stresa and 2 to Rome.

Very true. Thanks for the insight. It’s very easy to look at a map at home and feel like you can do all the things.

Questions.

If I increase my nights around the lake, would there be a nicer town to stay in instead of Stresa? We will be driving at noon from MXP.

Also, what are the chances of terrible weather around the lake in early October?

Thanks.

Are you flying into MXP from the US and then intending to drive from Stresa? If so, I would discourage this plan. Take the bus. Driving immediately after a transatlantic flight is easier said than done.

We’re planning 3 nights in Stresa this summer. There appears to be plenty to do to fill two full days: visit the islands, rent a boat, take the train to other villages, do the alpine slide/zipline. The chances of bad weather exist year round in the mountains. All the more reason to have an extra day in case you’re rained out one day.

MXP TO Stresa the Alibus takes one hour. However you need to cut down on these stops. 2 nights only a single full day, half day every other day changing hotels, more fouled up with children. You see and experience more by spending more time in fewer places. Trains only; no advantage to have a car given ZTL issues.

If you have a car, I would add three nights in Montepulciano to your itinerary. You could leave the car off at either Chiusi or Orvieto to take the train into Rome.

I travel light and am efficient with switching locations and travel by train, so there’s no stress riding to the next location. If your family tends to be slower to get ready in the morning, deciding what to wear, lots of stuff laying out around your hotel room, I would suggest thinking about reducing one location as others advised.