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Itinerary/Logistical help for spring trip with 4 kids

Posted by on

Hello all!
My wife and I will be traveling to Italy from Mar 27- Apr 6, 2025, with our 4 kids (ages 17, 14, 11, 8). It will be the first European experience for 3 of the 4. I'm wondering what you think of this rough itinerary..

Arrival Day - fly into Florence, go to our Agriturismo (Villa Il Paradisino) just outside of Florence
Fri Mar 28 - Accomodations: Agriturismo - see some things just outside of Florence, Cooking Class/Dinner at Villa
Sat Mar 29 - Accomodations: Agriturismo - Day trip to Siena, and some other hill towns
Sun Mar 30 -Accomodations: Agriturismo - Florence
Mon Mar 31 - Accomodations: Somewhere in La Spezia? - Leave our Agriturismo first thing, drive to Lucca and Pisa. Spend the day there, then drive to La Spezia
Tue Apr 1 - Accomodations: City Center Florence - Wake up early, go to Cinque Terre. Hike from Monterossa to Corniglia, see the towns, then drive to Florence late in the day. Return rental and head into city center for our Accomodations
Wed Apr 2 - Accomodations: City Center Florence - Last full day in Florence, staying city center
Thu Apr 3 - Accomodations: Rome - morning in Florence, then train to Rome
Fri Apr 4 - Accomodations: Rome
Sat Apr 5 - Accomodations: Rome
Sun Apr 6 - Fly Home

I'm most interested in what people think of my plan on Mon and Tues. We wanted to spend a good portion of time at one location (our agriturismo), but also stay in Florence City Center for a couple nights. But maybe I should drop that part? Our Agriturismo is a 12-15min train ride to the city center - maybe we should extend our stay there in Sesto Fiorentino, and just do a day trip (a LONG one) to Cinque Terre.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Posted by
54 posts

I would not stay overnight in La Spezia. Stay in Monterosso if you like to hike in the Cinque Terre rather than doing it as a day trip from Florence. Rethink accommodations for March 31 and April 1 so that you do not have extra travel time. It sounds like a great trip.

Posted by
64 posts

That's a great point about just going all the way to Monterossa instead of La Spezia.

My basic plan was..
Get a rental car to use for the first 6 days. Then drop it back off in Florence, and do Florence City center, and Rome without a car.

Posted by
1140 posts

You might consider pushing the CT off until you are ready to depart Florence. Then train from Florence to CT, stay one or two nights, then train from CT to Rome. I would want to avoid the back and forth to/from Florence.

Posted by
64 posts

markcw...

That's what I though, but it looks like going via train would be a giant pain from Florence. Here was my calculation:

The way I laid it out:
Drive 1:40 to Lucca and Pisa
Drive to La Spezia 1:00
After 5terre - Drive from La Spezia to FLR to return car 1:40
Train to Rome (after a couple more days in Florence) 1:30
That's about 6:00 worth of travel time..

If we do a day trip to Lucca/Pisa from Florence, and then do Cinque Terre on its own:
Drive 1:40 to Lucca/Pisa
Drive 1:40 back home
Train from Florence to La Spezia - Minimum 2:40
Train from La Spezia to Rome - 3:00
That's about 9:00 worth of travel time.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seemed like my initial option is not only a lot less travel time, and also doesn't have multiple 3 hour stints in a train, which would be LONG.

Posted by
86 posts

I took a week long tour of CT with my mother. We first stayed Florence and a car drive us to Porto Venere where the tour was based. The driver took us to Lucca for lunch. On the way back to Florence after the tour we swung by Pisa. Honestly you can skip both Pisa and Lucca to spend time in CT, the hiking there is really that good! You lose a lot of time traveling and sometimes less is more. Have a fun time!

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