travel in Italy with children, ages 8-18

Oh, horrors.

Hi Dolly:

I commend you for wanting to expose the children to the wonders of different cultures.

That said, my former husband and I traveled extensively though out Europe on several occasions with our son as he was growing up and I wish we had not. (including the cities you mentioned). While he is a wonderful and experienced traveler now (he is 18), he certainly did not appreciate things as we did, he saw it through the eyes of a 10, 11, 12 and 13 year old and was frequently bored. Additionally, because we were always concerned that he was entertained and having a good time, it took away from our enjoyment. He would have had much more fun at Yellowstone camping. When he was 15, he did enjoy Thailand, but mainly because he got to scuba dive...a passion of his.

What we "should've" done was save the money it cost us to bring him, put it in an account, and sent him over for a month of backpacking at 19 or 20 years old.

I love my son with all my heart, but for us...it was a mistake.

We've taken both of our kids to Europe on vacation (they're now 14 and 10 years old), and they enjoyed it very much. It's given them a better perspective on their everyday life and culture, to have seen others' way of life that's different, but works just as well.

Both kids, however, like history, art and culture, so we were taking them to places (including Florence, Rome and Venice) that we were already pretty sure they would like. They are also adventurous eaters and well-behaved in restaurants, so we never felt the need to find kid-friendly restaurants. Consider how those in your group would enjoy European restaurants.

AND, we weren't taking 10 kids and young adults all on one trip. That will be a challenge! Definitely plan to have smaller groups, so not everyone has to be doing the same thing. Also, keeping that many people together in one group would be difficult.

Vino Rosso and lots of it!!!! :)

Okay, seriously.... I would consider something like Agriturismo Cretaoile. They have all kinds of activities for all age groups, and they can help you with planning day trips from Tuscany. It's a wonderful country experience, with something for everyone, where you can base from for a week.

Just a thought.

Hi,, my first visits to Europe was when I was 10. I then went at 13, 18 and so on and so on.. I am now middle aged with kids of my own.

My husband and I both felt it was VERY important our kids were exposed to other cultures, customs, foods, etc from a young age,, as we both had been.

We both agreed from our own experiences that kids under 10 or 11 ,, well, they do not get the same from it as older kids,, BUT that doesn't mean they don't get anything from it.. they do. Personally we waited till our kids were a tad older.

We took each of our sons at 14,, on seperate trips. Then , I took our daughter at 12( our girl was more mature and patient for 12 then the boys were at 14,, LOL ) . Waiting in lines is part of holidaying in Europe and seeing great sites,, so younger kids find that very boring and stressful. Some kids are more able to handle it though,, so judge your own kids tolerance for that individually.

All our kids enjoyed their trips,, alot,, and we enjoyed them too. We made sure all the kids contributed to planning , they each were required to come up with three sites they wanted to see,, and I think that made a difference.. they were not being "dragged along" but were part of the trip. I made a point of talking alot about what we would see etc..

All kids know about the gladiators,so, in Rome seeing the Colisuem is a must. Most kids (over about 12 or so ) have heard of Pompei,, and I think that would be interesting( I have not been there) . Venice is boring for most kids after about 2 days,, keep this in mind, kids do not consider sitting around cafes and just enjoying the scenery fun.. they like ACTIVITIES... so do lots of homework.

Climb towers, descend into Catocombs,, get creative. Wear them out.. LOL

Staying in a Agritourismo with a pool is a good idea,, our RS family tour stayed in one close to Florence, it had not only the pool, but horseback riding.. so great for kids,, nice way to unwind after a day of museums.

Another factor,, Italy,, in summer is HOT as Hades,, I mean it,, build lots of gelato stops in,, pay enough to make sure you get accomadations with a/c and consider a few days at a beach area(Cinque Terra maybe?).

Good luck and you are crazy,, ( just kidding,, )

Also, our son is an "only", so while we did go to kid friendly places and did have him be part of the planning process, he simply missed his pals. It's difficult when the majority of interaction is grown-ups. However, we did meet up w/friends who lives in the Nederlands and their son is the same age as our boy. THAT was wonderful.Also, every now and then he will pull out one of the journals he kept on his travels, and it brings a smile to his face.

As I mentioned, he travels tremendously well and he could negotiate most airports, domestically and internationally with grace and ease. He is understanding of different cultures and food. But the Louve gets old real quickly when you're a kid. Yet feeding chickens at a thatched roof B&B in the Cotswold was great. And a resounding YES to gelato in the summer...lots and lots of it! Oh! He was pretty shocked when a gal at the pool in France removed her top. And yes, we did explain to him THAT culture. Then he wanted to swim everyday!

Maybe we should not have taken him as often as we did, a time or two would have been fine to pique his travel appetite. He is now talking of taking a European holiday with buddies. At least he knows it's possible to do w/one carry-on...so he's learned...and ALWAYS have a Rick Steves book and a compass.

With 10 children Dolly...They'll NEVER get bored. I'd rather do it with 10 than one I think.

Have a fabulous time and bless your heart.

I agree with Jan. It's easier to travel with a pack of kids than one. They keep themselves entertained rather than you worrying about entertaining them.

It's better having an assortment of ages too. If one does something wrong, someone is bound to tell you. If they were all the same age, you might be in trouble.

Plus if you lose one, you're still at 90% - you will hardly even notice(just kidding).

Wow Dolores! that will be great!! I would say go for it!!! We took our 2 boys to Europe for the first time in 2002 when the oldest one had just finished 9th grade and the younger one had finished 5th grade and it was the best thing we ever did! We were fortunate enough to be able to return with them to Europe again during the summers of '03, '04, '05, '06, '07 and '09. We have seen and experienced so much together. I cherish these trips more than ever now that our oldest son graduated college this past spring and I know it will be difficult to mesh schedules these days. Our kids, and us, pay more attention to what is going on in the world more so than if we hadn't traveled abroad. Would I be reading about the trial at the Hague had we not traveled to Croatia and Bosnia? Probably not. Dolores have you traveled to Europe before? I would start by reading R.S. "Europe Through the Backdoor" book. Buon Viaggio!

Dolores, i think it's great that you want to take your kids and grandkids to Italy. I have taken my son to Europe and he loved it both times, he begs me to take him on the next trip and we will. You will have to do lots of research, but you will find stuff for everyone's tastes. The agriturismo with a pool is a very good idea, also try to find an attraction park close by, try to mix museums, art, with stuff they want to do. Good luck!

We were in Italy in August,just the two of us, no kids. We did see a lot of bored looking kids with their I phones and video games. Not a great place for most kids.

Valium, lots and lots of Valium...

For Tuscany - The GROTTA DEL VENTO (Wind Cave) is great for kids:
http://www.florence-journal.com/florence/2007/01/grotta_del_vent.html

There is also a really good zoo outside Pistoia
http://www.zoodipistoia.it/

And climbing things - the Duomo, Campanile, the hill up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, are all good things to do in Florence with kids.

Our kids enjoyed anything with water, animals, climbing, hiking and castle ruins. There was some division about museums, the boys preferred the ones with torture devices while the girl liked art museums, but they all seemed to tire quickly of churches and scenic drives.

Good for you!!! We have traveled extensively in Europe, although with only two kids (the last time we went, they were eleven and nine). I would offer a few keys to success:
1. Emphasize that this is a family trip, not a grown-up trip, with the kids along for the ride. Everyone should be involved in planning. This doesn't mean that you will only do what the kids want to do (or just what the adults want to do), but you should try to negotiate. Get the kids involved in reading guidebooks and other related books (I would suggest the Roman Mysteries series; my daughter also enjoyed reading the RS art book). If you can really get them involved, you will enjoy what you learn through their eyes and experiences. Give the kids phrase books. My son loved trying to figure out Italian.
2. Apartments, not hotels. Apartments will allow you to have a feeling of a "home base." Plus, on days when you do a lot of sightseeing, it can be difficult for children to gather the energy they need for an evening in a restaurant (and, in Italy, time spent in a restaurant can be long). A simple meal in your own apartment is extremely helpful.
3. With so many, you'll need to split up. But, I suspect that this will make your trip even easier. You can divide up based on interests.
4. Planning, planning, planning. With so many people to deal with, you should have a well-planned itinerary. We found that it could be difficult, even with just four of us, to be spontaneous. It was easier to agree to a plan in advance.
5. Make time to just walk around, eat gelato and enjoy the scenery of the locals.
6. Strongly encourage the kids to keep journals (we paid our kids to journal-- and that's how they saved up for gift shops). It will help them process and it's a great way to remember your trip.
7. Consider bringing a laptop computer or a portable DVD player (plus DVDs from the US). Sometimes, the kids (and you) just need some down time, something familiar.

Yes. DON'T !!!

I wouldn't even think of traveling abroad without taking my kids along for the experience!

I don't spoil my kids with every toy/electronic gadget known to mankind; but to give them the gift of foreign travel - that's another story.

Whether they fully appreciate it or not, it has to enrich them. This past summer my kids (ages 7 and 11)got to experience living in small "remote" villages in both Southern Spain & Southern France; got to spend the night in a medieval city (Carcassonne); to visit a Moorish Palace (Alhambra) and neighborhood (Granada's Albayzin); European beaches (Nerja, Spain and Collioure, France); toured Normandy's D-Day beaches; spent the night on Mont St. Michel; and Paris, Versailles and Giverney! There's always things for kids in every city. We took them to the Cordoba Zoo, the Grenanda Science Park, the Paris Air & Space Museum, the Summer Amusement Park in Tuilleries Jardin and the playground in Luxembourg Gardens.

My 7 year old daughter just did her first biography book report for school. She did it on Claude Monet and was able to show pictures of herself on the bridge in Monet's water garden in Giverny.

Dolores,
I would recommend getting a copy of the book Frommer's Tuscany and Umbria With Your Family: From Renaissance Architecture to Stunning Scenery. It has lots of information in it for touring Florence. What I thought was most helpful is it outlines museums that you'll want to go to, but tells you exactly which rooms to hit so that the kids aren't bored wandering through hours of stuff. It takes them right to the things that will be most interesting to all of you. In addition, it has great suggestions for the region if you are exploring other areas.