Travel to Italy in June with Kids

Based on 3 Italy in 4 years, you’ll be in good company with your stroller. In Rome and other cities/towns, we’ve seen countless strollers, some double-wides, being pushed along uneven sidewalks and cobbled streets and lanes. Light sightseeing is a good plan, as rough as the rolling will be.

On Days 5, 6, and/or 7, is Pompeii and/or Herculaneum even worth considering? Maybe the Archaeological Museum in Naples, if you’re interested in Pompeii artifacts? Pompeii will be out in the sun, and the museum will provide shelter from the outside elements. Naples offers genuine pizza, too, which your 8-year-old might really appreciate.

This sounds like 8 nights, with 3 stops already in Rome, Sorrento & Milan which is already plenty. Let alone with small kids. Moving hotels involves 1/2 a day of transit (by train in all of these cases except perhaps by taxi booked ahead from Naples to Sorrento.) Just out of curiosity, why Sorrento? Most people use it as a jumping off place for the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii, NEITHER of which I would suggest with small kids and a stroller would be hellish in Pompeii especially.

It will be warming up in June, personally I would focus on Northern Italy rather than traveling south and then backtracking to Milan. How about spending 2 nights in Rome, just to settle in and recover from jet lag, then head north to one other place en route to Milan? You mention smaller towns, so perhaps Luca or Bologna. There are plenty of food tours once you settle on your agenda, use the search bar above to research where ever you're going.

Much as I love Naples, it's rowdy so I would consider the island of Procida, near Naples with it's beaches for another option if you do head south to Sorrento.

PS, Lots of discussion of small towns to visit around Florence in this thread, might inspire you! https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/something-similar-to-orvieto-from-florence

Thank you both for the insight!
I’d like to do something on the water and have always been interested in the Amalfi coast. Is there not enough to do there without have to hike? We thought we’d do more of a day trip to Amalfi but keep it relaxing while there.

My husband and I have been to Rome so not I treated in any extra time there. Our 25 year old will also be the us so the day there is really for the two older kids to say they saw Rome.

If there is a better alternative with a beautiful coast and beach we’re open to it!

Curious, what does Naples offer? From my research it didn’t seem that exciting and more of a base if you wanted to visit Sorrento & Amalfi. But maybe I’m wrong?

Thanks for the additional insight!

Naples is an ancient city, so it has a lot to offer. It certainly has more local culture than Sorrento in its pinky finger, lol.
But you are flying home from Milan. Can you change that? If not, then I would do something between Rome and Milan, not head south and backtrack.

...tolerance of the kids...

Definitely a consideration. Once you have decided on the desitnations, get the kids involved in the planning. Perhaps let them each pick one or two things to see / do that appeals to them. The more input they have, the better the trip will be for everyone.

Thank you!
Is there a good alternative to Sorrento/Amalfi coast that is more north so we don’t backtrack? Our flights are set so we won’t be changing those cities.

We do want the pretty water / beach vibe which is why we picked that area.

Most of the Ligurian coast, some of the Tuscan coast.