Where to go in the south with young children in late fall?

Posted by annadeep on 07/13/25 04:30 AM

We are doing 3.5 weeks in Italy starting October 20th, with our 7, 4.5 and 2 year old. We've done Italy twice before and loved it, pre kids. Our rock Steves guide books and audio walking tours made our previous trips so wonderful!
We fly in and out of Rome and will spend 4 or 5 nights there at the beginning of the trip, then want to go south to find warmer weather and spend the rest of the trip in a small coastal town that is walkable, and do some day trips from there. But mostly, just experience life in a small Italian town or village hanging out at the beach, shops and cafes.

We're Canadian so 20 degree Celsius weather is definitely warm enough for the beach for us! I'm looking for suggestions of a good town in the south to go to, and the best way to get there. We'd like to avoid renting a car if possible. Thank you so much!

Posted by Tinac

North Italy

07/13/25 11:19 AM

546 posts

Trani in Puglia might suit you. You can get there by train and use public transport to explore the coast and beyond
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2023/04/why-i-love-trani.html?m=1
Or Trapani in Sicily.
Or Salerno south of Naples

Posted by annadeep OP

07/14/25 01:24 AM

3 posts

Thank you! That blog is really helpful and Trani does indeed sound perfect for what I'm looking for except a bit cooler than I'd hoped weather wise. I'll look into the other two towns you suggested.

Posted by Roberto da Firenze ⚜

San Francisco Bay Area (USA)

07/14/25 06:50 AM

16735 posts

Monopoli is a major train stop on the FrecciArgento train Rome-Lecce. Monopoli has nice beaches although the end of October may not be beach weather (not for Italians at least). From Monopoli you can easily visit Ostuni, Polignano, Alberobello, Locorotondo, and even Lecce.

Posted by nancys8

Saint Paul, Minnesota

07/14/25 01:29 PM

1830 posts

Our grandson greatly enjoyed the Railway Museum of Puglia (Museo Ferroviario della Puglia) in Lecce and so did all the adults: https://www.museoferroviariodellapuglia.it/

Posted by Mike

Boston

07/14/25 01:53 PM

1862 posts

You should not expect beach weather by going south. Trani and Puglia are roughly at the latitude of NYC ( 41 degrees N) and will have about 10 1/2 hours of sun per day. Autumn in Italy also has occasional rain and wind storms that last 3-4 days, as well as very nice sunny stretches. We encountered snow on Puglia's Gargano Peninsula in the 3rd week of April one year. In short, it's still the Northern Hemisphere.

Posted by nancys8

Saint Paul, Minnesota

07/14/25 01:59 PM

1830 posts

We've spent several weeks each in Puglia and Sicily, so I feel like I ought to be of more help to you! But we had a car (actually, in Puglia with two grandchildren and their parents we had a 9-passenger van) in both places and we are not beach fans so we pretty much either avoided towns with beaches or ignored the beaches that were there (like in Trani). But, yeah, for warmth in late fall and a coastal town with a beach, go to Puglia or Sicily. I hope others can be more helpful about a town for a base and how to get around by public transportation. Or search the forum --- you'll find trip reports like by Jean from Idaho who has found her way around Puglia twice by trains and buses: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/3-week-italy-trip-to-puglia-plus-tivoli-rome-may-2025. Also this post, which contains my list of towns in Puglia we enjoyed: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/puglia-itinerary-ideas

Posted by valadelphia

07/14/25 02:10 PM

5974 posts

I always thought Puglia would be great with littles--the trulli, the farms, but I worry you mgiht be overestimating the public transport and the weather.
I have been telling people to choose alternatives to the Amalfi Coast all year, as it is just too overheated (with popularity) right now), but this may be the time for it--though again, weather could take a turn in October. You have the endless attractions of Naples in that case.