teenagers in Italy

Make sure you have some time to veg out on the beach or at the pool. Many agriturismo in Tuscany have a pool. You can do the sightseeing during the day and return in the afternoon to recover at the pool. I highly recommend choosing accommmodation that way if you have teens along! There are also some beautiful beaches along the Amalfi coast/Bay of Salerno, some hidden and only accessible by boat or by hiking in. Our favourite one was in the Area Naturale Baia di Ieranto, close to Nerano. We hiked in from Nerano but also met a couple who took a boat from Marina del Cantone. We had great view of Capri from the beach! http://www.summerinitaly.com/guide/nerano Here is a picture of the hike to the beach: http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d924b3127ccec4de398e82d900000040O00AbtG7do2YuWIPbz4E/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/ This is a pic of the view from the beach:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d924b3127ccec4df85cca28900000040O00AbtG7do2YuWIPbz4E/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Another suggestion: Our kids liked the torture museum in Siena. There is also one in San Gimignano.

There is a path from Bomerano along the ridge down to Positano (or close to it). My hotel had a map, yours might too. It rained that day, so this is still on my "must do" list. Here is one of many YouTube vids. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLPCpfCr73c There is a cable car ride up to the top of a mountain behind Castellammare di Stabia which is just a few train stops from Sorrento. You get a sweeping view of the bay. I assume that you know that the top of Mt. Vesuvius, is reachable from the Ercolano CV stop by shuttle followed by an easy 1/2 mile hike. I can be chilly up there. In Rome, the Spanish Steps in the evening are carpeted by euro-teens hanging out. You could sit further up and keep and eye on your kids. L'Associazione Gruppo Storico Romano http://www.gsr-roma.com/htm/chi.htm is a group of reinactors who stage gladiator fights, and ancient Roman festival dances. Their schedule is on the web. They also have a gladiator school for wannabe reinactors. You might want to email them to see whether they have a "gladiator for a couple hours" school or a Roman dancer for a day school, or if they at least let visitors onto the grounds (Appia Antica) and to see a demo. Your kids also might enjoy the nearby catacombs. A friend with two teenagers scheduled her day of museums and other "boring stuff" this way: She found three or four of the best pizza places and gelato places and told the kids that the day would be a pizza & gelato crawl, with some boring stuff along the way. Never miss a passagiata, when people of all ages check each other out.

If you are looking for an agriturismo with a pool, check out Il Mulino di Quercegrossa, just north of Siena. It is right off the Chianti Highway and has a complex of 5 or 6 pools, one with a current. We spent a night there and loved it. They have a two - level family suite that sleeps 4 and is both affordable and comfortable. You could use this as a base for several days while exploring the area. They tend to get booked for parties on weekends, but midweek should be quieter.

Depending on how old they are, why not give them some time to explore on their own while you do "boring"stuff. Select a time and place to meet again and let them do their own thing. Europe is amazingly safe compared to the US.

I've just returned from Italy with my two preteen daughters, and yes it was challenging. They got very bored of museums and little towns. The things they liked were bike riding in Lucca, climbing towers (Siena), eating lots of gelato, hiking, and making pasta at an agriturisimo. The thing I wish we had done was go to the beach.