Trip Itinerary with 3 Teenagers

Staying in Venice only one night isn't nearly enough even if you were there before. Perhaps one less day in Rome to add a day to Venice? Just my opinion, but then I do love Venice. Base in Florence and day trip to Siena. Pompeii from Rome can be done in a day, but it will be a looooong day! Hope this helps. TC

It's a long day, but if our 5 year old (at the time) granddaughter could do it, your kids should be able to -- a Walkabout Tour called Best of Tuscany: https://www.walkaboutflorence.com/tours/best-tuscany-tour. It is structured, and there is lots of walking up and down hills and steps. There's a tour guide on board the bus and a special guide for Siena. You are on your own in San Gimignano and Pisa. The lunch at the wine farm was great and we got to get close to the vines and the cows. I don't drink, so the wine tasting was wasted on me, but they had plenty of non-alcoholic options.

Three nights in Florence means only 2 full days there, and there is lots to see. If you decide to do the all-day tour above or something similar, that uses up one. We spent a week, and my husband could have used more time. Contrary to what most say, he hated Venice. We spent 2 nights there. The day in-between, it rained hard all day. I'm sure the weather affected his experience.

As much as we enjoyed going to Pompeii, a bucket list item for me, I think it is too far and too much for a day trip from Rome, especially if it uses up one of the 3 days you have there (4 nights=3 days). There is so much to see and do in Rome that you can create plenty of structure for the kids by using local guides or tours or creating your own. We were lucky to have Ron, of Ron in Rome, guide us around for a day when we were there. Alas, he no longer lives there, but he keeps his website current and it's a good place for advice and to start planning what to do: http://www.roninrome.com/.

I don't know if you already have your lodgings set up, but finding places to stay for the 5 of you may be the most challenging part of your trip.

An option similar to Pompeii, but closer to Rome is Ostia Antica, a former port town that was abandoned when the mouth of the river shifted. The town/ruins are of a similar age to Pompeii, but were not covered by a volcanic explosion so they are a little different. I believe it is about 45 minutes to an hour outside of Rome and easy to get to using public transportation.

Be careful - with only 10 days, not only can't you see "everything," but you can't even see a fraction of a smidgen of a bit of what Italy has to offer. I'm already seeing a 2-3 week trip in your plans, and if you try to squeeze this into 10 days, you and the kids will be miserable. Remember that the larger the group, the longer it takes to move from place to place, and teenagers aren't going to appreciate early awakenings.

You will have to be brutally selective. I'm not sure an overnight in Venice is worth it, particularly as your first jet-lagged stop. I'd either spend more time there, or lose it entirely and spend more time elsewhere. If you skip Venice, you have time for more Tuscan explorations and a trip to Pompeii from Rome - without needing a vacation after this vacation.

If you have 9 nights, split them between two places: sounds like Firenze and Roma would be best. Venezia is not a one-night town. So fly into Firenze and start there. (Or fly into Milan and go immediately by train to Firenze.) Use it as a base and spend a day on a tour (looks like a good recommendation above) or with a car seeing some of the smaller hill towns of Tuscany. Think about Pompeii. It is a long long day trip, but if you are up for it, given perhaps 4 full days in Rome, it gives you a chance to see somewhere else without packing your bags.

The 10-day trip to Italy bopping from Venezia to Firenze to Roma and giving each 3 nights just does not seem adequate. It is "seeing" Italy on some level, but not experiencing her. With less than two full weeks, especially on a first trip or with a large group (you are a large group and groups do not move an easily as a couple), stay with two locations.

Anyone can go to the Papal audience, but only those with tickets get up close. You'll be standing at the back with THOUSANDS unless your bishop can get you tickets. I enjoyed the experience having a seat up front, but I don't think I could handle standing in the sun of the piazza for hours to see the Pope on a big screen.

Some suggestions of what teenagers might enjoy. Segway tours in Rome, time on the beach in Cinque Terre (close to Florence), the scavi archeological site at the Vatican followed by climbing to the top of St. Peters Basilica, night tours of the Colloseum, boat rides of any type in Venice and lastly gelato, pizza and pasta. Enjoy!

Harold's right. Either plan to see Venice or skip it. If you skip it, you'll probably flight round-trip to Rome. It's 1.5 hours by train to Florence, closer than Venice.

Thanks for the suggestions. We may be able to add a day to the beginning of our trip. 2 destinations sounds the most feasible with this group. We are planning in staying in apartments in Rome and Florence.

Good idea about apartments in Florence and Rome. I would keep Venice on the list as well, especially if you can add a couple of days.

In my opinion the Segway tours can be fun or a time-waster; if you are visiting Galleria Borghese, however, renting a Segway to ride through the park seems like fun. Otherwise, Rome's centro storico is small enough to see on foot, and you can stop whenever you want.

Pompeii is a really long daytrip from Rome, but it can be done. You can hire a guide onsite. What about a half-day cooking class in Florence or Rome?

Keep Florence as a base for visiting Tuscany. A daytrip to Pisa and Lucca, or another to San Gimignano, can easily be done by bus. Siena is only about an hour away by train or bus.