Travel with 3 teens

Thanks for the info on the note for the minors! I would like to go to Rome, Venice and possibly Florence. However, the trip is flexible at this point and I want to hit the places that might interest my teens. I have been to Italy, but always on business. Thanks!

You don't say where you're going so it's hard to suggest how to save money. If you're traveling by train you can book the "mini" fares in advance to save some money. Most cities have a sites pass that will save you some money if you plan on seeing several of the sites covered by the pass. For more indepth answers you should give us more information about where you're staying and how long you'll be in each place. Donna

Two good resources are found elsewhere at this website: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/kids.htm He deals with children of all ages, so look for his thoughts on teens. The line that cracked me up was this one:
'When parents tell me they're going to Europe and ask me where to take their kids, I'm tempted to answer, "to Grandma and Grandpa's on your way to the airport." ' :-) And then there's the blog by Rick's son: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/europe/andy_blog.htm

We took our daughters, one late teen and one eearly twenties, in that same time frame last summer and they absolutely loved it. We all had a great time. Suggestions for keeping the costs down: limit moving around. Traveling from place to place adds up (look at the cost of train tickets and you'll see.) Staying in one place 4-5 days, or a week, means you can rent apartments, which are considerably less expensive than hotels or pensiones. fortunately it is easy to eat inexpensively and very well in Italypizza, piadini, pasta, etc. One of our favorite meals cost 24 euros for the 4 of un, including a bottle of wine (this was a picnic dinner.) where do you want to go?

If you are taking children under age 18 without their mother you will need to have a notarized consent to travel form signed by the non-traveling spouse, ex whatever. Look it up on-line. Law is in place to keep non-custodial parents from taking their child to their native country etc. It's all explained in detail.

Rome to Florence to Venice makes a nice trip. (Can you fly open jaw?) Even if the kids aren't interested in art and museums, Florence is worth 3 nights/2 days. Our girls loved the street market, climbing the duomo, and just wandering the streets and squares to find the best gelato. You could take one full day for a daytrip to Pisa and Lucca-rent a bike and bike the city walls, which is a big hit (we liked it too.) You could add a stop in Verona between Florence and Venice to get a smaller, more relaxed town. Verona is lovely and the well-preserved amphitheater worth sseeing, as are th eruins of the other Roman theater at the Museo Archeologico, and the old castle. You can do a great daytrip from there to Lago di Garda to get some water and outdoor recreation in your trip. The train from Verona (a very short ride) takes you to Peschiera, from which you can catch a ferry to Sirmione (Roman ruins and a nice 12th century castle; lovely medieval city on the lake) and maybe up the lake to Malcescine for hiking on Monte Baldo or possibly windsurfing. This would take all day, as the boat ride up the lake it 2 hours each way. but I'll bet they would love it. Lago di Garda schedules are here: http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/eng/g_orari.asp

Thank you Lola.
Do you recommend trains to travel in country? I am also trying to figure out the best way to book hotels in advance. I have seen a wide variety and each seems to have schizophrenic reviews :)... from amazing to stay away at all costs. Gary

Gary Wonderful idea taking your kids to Italy! Do they have any hobbies, sports, like the water, etc? This will give you some idea of things to do and of places to go within Italy. Also, although you have been to Italy on business, you may not have planned your own trip. So be sure to read RS Europe Through the Back Door and buy RS Italy 2011. Invaluable to save time and money. Unfortunately, the cities you want to go to are the most expensive. A quad room is the most cost effective but these rooms are few and far between at this late date. Also, to retain family harmony, you may not want to get only one room! As I understand this, you have 14 days in Italy not including international flights on June 26 and July11. Get an open jaw ticket, flying into one city and out another to maximize your time. Get ready for sticker shock on the flights. Also plan on the first day as a Recovery Day unless your kids sleep on the plane. And it will be hard to get them up the next morning. Another suggestion is in at least one of the cities in an area that you consider safe, allow the kids to go out on their own. A cafe, a piazza, or whatever. Good for them and good for you. Consider a few days in a smaller city, Sienna or Orvieto, to get a feel for the country. Much different. Will be following along as you get further in your planning. Bobbie

Venice is a great spot to let teens wander on their own. No cars etc. Quad rooms are going to be harder to find. You should take a look at apartment rentals. Many have as few as three night minimums. You'll have room for sleeping and spreading out. Also a kitchen for at the very least snacking. With your time frame, I'd limit to maybe the bog three you've mentioned. Travel is costly and changing locations frequently eats up a lot of valuable time.

Hi Gary, We just got back from two weeks in Italy, and LOVED it! We have two teenaged boys 13 and 15. We stayed in Cortona for 10 days in an apartment and bought our food for breakfast and lunch daily. Fresh pastry, fruits, yoghurt, buns, meats, cheeses etc. The groceries are very affordable (cheaper than here in Calgary, for sure)! Then, we rented a car and drove to another hillside town every day. Don't worry about what people say about Italians being crazy drivers. As long as you stay out of the large cities, it's fine! Yes, they're fast, but stay in the slow lane, and you'll have no problems. Also, a car rental is MUCH cheaper than train if you have four tickets to pay for. We rented a car (small Fiat) for 49.00 Euros per day. It was great! Small, yes, but enough room for everyone, and our oldest son is 6'7". We covered Montepulciano, Montalcino, Orvieto, Assisi, Spello, and of course spent time getting to know Cortona as well. Then, we got rid of the car and took the train to Venice for the last three days of our holiday. It was wonderful to get to know one small town and to live like a local for a while. You can always take the train to Florence for a day if you want to show the kids a larger centre, but staying in smaller towns, getting an apartment, and shopping for your own groceries is definitely going to save you money!!! Enjoy your trip!!!! Joan

I took 5 of my children ages 10,13,14,17 and 22 to Italy last summer for 11 days. The beauty of Rome is a lot of the wonder is walking around the City and you don't have to be in museums all day. they loved the Colloseum, trevi fountain, Pantheon, Vatican and pizza and gellato shops. We then rented a villa in Positano which was great. We could take day trips to Pompeii, Amalfi, Capri and also just have days when we chilled on the beach. It was an incredible experience. I am going back this summer but am travelling southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Wish me luck!