I’m planning an Italy vacation with my husband and 2 children in late March 2025 - the kids will be 9 and 12 at that time. I’d greatly value advice on apportioning my trip from those who have been there recently. Please no criticism of the length of time we have: we will arrive in Venice Monday morning flying direct from New York City to Marco Polo. We depart the next Sunday early afternoon also from Venice. So, a mere 6 nights! It’s the only time we have, and I thought better 6 nights in March than 8-10 in July or August when we could have more time (crowds, heat).
I’m thinking 2 nights in Venice, followed by 3 nights in Florence, and then back to Venice for 1 night before we depart. So total 3 nights in each city.
It will be my kids’ first visit to Italy and 2nd transatlantic trip (London a couple years ago). I studied in Florence, and then Bologna for a little over a year in the ‘90s, lived and worked in Rome a bit in the early 2000s, and used to travel to Italy often over those years. But it’s been 20 years, and I know the tourist’s experience has changed.
I feel very good about Venice — I have a good sense of how to find quiet and magic there. It’s Florence that has me a bit nervous given all I’ve read of the intense crowds even in what used to be the shoulder season. We wouldn’t be doing day trips - I don’t think we’ll be there long enough to handle that much coming and going - I’d want to spend our days in Florence, a spot very near and dear to my heart from my experiences in the ‘90s. There seem to be plenty of activities for families — cooking classes, tours of museums geared toward kids — and of course I could see the kids loving some of the same things I loved way back when, like the walk between the layers of Brunelleschi’s Duomo, exploring the Oltrarno and maybe Piazzale Michelangelo or Fort Belvedere.
But has Florence become just too much, too crowded, too touristy, for such a short trip (even if we stayed Oltrarno)? And if we stay too far away from the sights, is it even worth it to stay there at all for such a short time — in that case, would we be better off staying in Lucca or Siena, for example, and foregoing Florence altogether? (Note I am vehemently against renting a car, so train-accessible is important.) Or would we be better off staying in Venice for 3 nights to start, then just 2 nights in Florence before returning to Venice for the final night before our flight?
In terms of interests, in case helpful— we are an active family, by which I mean we love doing things — cooking classes, learning how to make things, getting up early and exploring, trying new foods. My son is passionate for soccer, and I am tempted to bring or get him a ball to kick around an off the beaten path piazza somewhere — it would be amazing if some kids joined in. I recall seeing a pickup game spring up many times way back when. But I don’t want to take the time to watch a proper match. The kids will enjoy art and history to a point, too (these are my husband’s and my passions), but we are very well aware of their limits.
Thank you for any advice.