Where to spend a 4th week in Italy...

I'd vote for #2 - assuming you're referring to the Amalfi coast. You could base in one spot, like Sorrento, and you'd be perfectly situated for day trips to Pompeii, Herculaneum, Naples, Capri, Positano, Amalfi town, Ravello, and even Paestum.

Agree with above. Sorrento is lovely. I think the smaller towns (Positano, Ravello) might be too boring for the kids. Okay for a day but not a week and Sorrento gives you more sightseeing options.

I'd also vote for #2, and vote for basing yourselves in Sorrento. There's so much to see. The kids will love the bus ride down the Amalfi Coast (which can be a bit hair-raising at times). Paestum is very cool ... ancient Greek temples just sitting in the middle of a field. Pompeii would be less exhausting as a day trip from Sorrento than Rome. It might be fun to start your vacation here, if you can fly into Naples. Sorrento would be a good low-key place to recover from the long flight. Then you could be ready for the busy-ness of Rome, and work your way toward Venice, flying home from there.

I assume that this is a summer trip? I would say north, with lakes and/or Alps. The kids will have plenty of antiquities in Rome, and art and museums in Tuscany, and will be ready for something active. Plus it is not as hot as the far south.

I like the "north" idea as well. How about half a week at Verona/Lago di Garda, and half in the Dolomites? Beautiful scenery, great walks and hikes, lifts to ride, and wonderful food that is a bit different from Tuscan or Roman food.

Thanks for the replies so far. Keep 'em coming. I'm going to be keeping score. I would love it if every regular here would chime in with their vote based on their personal experiences & preferences. So far no one has chosen #1. Is enough of Tuscany close enough to Florence to be doable as day trips by car, to not really need another base farther south? And finally, for what it's worth, while I appreciate any sensitivity for the needs of our children/teens (and yes, the heat in the summer will be a consideration), this will be our 6th trip with the children and none of them have been planned with "child-friendly" as a critical issue. Our children appreciate the specialness of just being there. They enjoy museums and cute little towns, as well as the typical bombastic photo-ops. We try to enjoy the same things as much as possible and don't gravitate toward zoos and amusement parks just because they fit some generic definition of child-friendly.

Hi Randy,
With children, option number 4 sounds like something different from the rest of your trip with hiking and beautiful scenery. Varenna is greatwe met a family who rented a house near Lake Como and they said that their children loved it. We just returned from Italy and enjoyed the time we spent in Sicily. With a family of 5 flying back and forth from Rome might more expensive than staying in mainland Italy and there are plenty of possibilities there. If you did go to Sicily, you could fly in and out of Catania from Rome. Rent a car, find an agriturismo and take day tripsup Mt. Etna, visit Taormina and the Greek theater, and Ortygia. Those are places we especially liked on the Eastern side. So many possibilities...

Randy,
This may give you some ideas http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm

I would try the northern area near the lakes. It is beautiful and the drive to Bellagio was breathtaking in the early summer. Took the car ferry across the lake and explored. It was touristy, but in a laid-back sort of way. Great restaurants and wonderful quaint hotels. I would also vote for somewhere in the alps. The southern area of Tuscany just does not seem to give a lot of variety given the diversity of Italy. By adding the north it seems like a completely different country. Just for the record, I am not too fond of the chaos of the area around Naples and found the Amalfi Coast to be beautiful but still chaotic and sooo touristy. What a wonderful experience for kids to have a full month.

I would vote for the Dolomites. Lots of great hikes and cute towns. Castelrotto makes a great base. You can cross into Switzerland or go to Bolzano for some day trips. I also enjoyed Lake Como - you can hike, go boating, or ferry hop to some cute towns.

What a great problem to have! We spent a week at Agriturismo Cretaiole (Pienza) and 3 days @ Varenna on Lake Como but we weren't traveling with kids. Small enough for the teens to wander without concern IMO. While in Pienza a 3-generation family reunion (all from California) shared Cretaiole. They had bikes available. I'm not sure you'd go wrong with any-just dependent on what you all would like best.

After Venice the Dolomites would be very close by train The area is spectacular and there are plenty of things to do without snow