Italy extended stay with young kids

[Jtb212]

In the planning stages of a ~1 month stay in Italy with our 3 year old and 4 month old. March 2023.

Looking for some feedback/suggestions on our approach.

Our main goal is to spend 2-3 weeks in one place to relax, get immersed in the culture, and do some day trips.

We are traveling from NYC area and a direct flight is a priority with the kids.

Loose itinerary:

-Fly into Rome - spend ~3 nights to explore city

-Drive to Tuscany region and spend our 2-3 weeks at a rental home.
-Drive to Venice, stay a few nights - fly home.

I found a rental near Anghiari that seems to have a lot of what we are looking for in a house (ambiance, amenities, etc), but seems to be on the ‘outskirts’ of Tuscany. Any thoughts on this area for our situation, or suggestions for other places to look for a rental home?

Does a day trip into Florence seem feasible from Tuscany countryside (wherever we choose to stay)? Or recommend adding a night or two in Florence?

Is there anything that should be added or cut or would be considered can’t miss?

Any other tips and tricks for traveling with young kids in Italy is also appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[braindoc]

If Delta still has a nonstop from JFK to Venice, I’d vote for reversing the order of your itinerary. Start with Venice. There are few things as spectacular as arriving in Venice by water from the airport.

 

[Deborah]

I would second Braindoc's recommendation, picking up a car as you leave Venice and dropping it off when you head to Rome.
Anghiari is in a great location right in the triangle where Tuscany, Umbria and Marche meet. That whole area has many lovely towns where tourists don't drive the economy and people are living their regular lives.
I would only suggest that for 2-3 weeks, you may want to look at something just a little larger with more young families to find playmates for your three year old. Maybe Sansepolcroin Tuscany, Cita di Castello in Umbria or Urbino in Marche.

 

[Alpinista]

We traveled with our two sons from infancy through high school on one month trips (usually 3 weeks in Italy near Lucca and a week somewhere else in Europe). For the little one's sake, you might consider limiting yourself to two stops, not three. Rome is noisy and chaotic and not that easy to get around in with a stroller or with a baby in arms, so an evaluation of what is critical to your "to do" list versus little legs keeping up would be good. Venice is not my favorite place to visit, so that would be my personal choice to save for another trip. March in Italy can also be raw and cold, so another thing to consider. We have my wife's family home to use as a base when in Italy, so had a comfortable lodging and could do our limited day trips from there.

We learned the hard way by trying to do a driving itinerary when our older son was three and younger one was still in utero -- my older son went berserk being put into a car seat day after day and that was the end of our ambitious itineraries.

Not sure your older son would be engaged, but we used scavenger hunts as our entertainment -- whether out and about or in museums, etc., would have a simple list of things (woman in red dress, dog, yellow car, etc.) and have a little reward when the list was done. The Pinocchio Park in Collodi was a simple and fun outing if in that area. Caves and water outings (but probably not in March) were always exciting things for our kids. Our home is near Lucca, so putting the kids in a kid seat on a bicycle and going around the walls of Lucca was good too.....and nerve-wracking when they got old enough to go out on their own.

Our sons are now 32 and 29 and just came back this year after a limited number of visits during their hiatus due to college and starts of careers -- it was truly kind of amazing how much they remembered from all their earlier trips and how interested they were in seeing Italy as adults. Our older son brought his new wife with him for her first visit to Tuscany and was thrilled to be her tour guide......so, moral of the story is that the world really isn't coming to an end when young kids melt down (or you do) when traveling ;-) Biggest suggestion would be to keep the plans simple; the outings short; and food always at hand (they never did get used to late dinner times).

 

[RachelP]

In the planning stages of a ~1 month stay in Italy with our 3 year old and 4 month old. March 2023.

Looking for some feedback/suggestions on our approach.

Our main goal is to spend 2-3 weeks in one place to relax, get immersed in the culture, and do some day trips.

We are traveling from NYC area and a direct flight is a priority with the kids.

Loose itinerary:

-Fly into Rome - spend ~3 nights to explore city

-Drive to Tuscany region and spend our 2-3 weeks at a rental home.
-Drive to Venice, stay a few nights - fly home.

I found a rental near Anghiari that seems to have a lot of what we are looking for in a house (ambiance, amenities, etc), but seems to be on the ‘outskirts’ of Tuscany. Any thoughts on this area for our situation, or suggestions for other places to look for a rental home?

Does a day trip into Florence seem feasible from Tuscany countryside (wherever we choose to stay)? Or recommend adding a night or two in Florence?

Is there anything that should be added or cut or would be considered can’t miss?

Any other tips and tricks for traveling with young kids in Italy is also appreciated.

Thank you!

Hi! I love your itinerary! Have done similar with 4 kids. Absolutely the best way to get to know Italy is staying in one spot for a good length of time. Tip - a one month stay can get you a good discount, but you may not have the time available, I get that. We chose the town of Spello in Umbria for our one month stay, on two occaisions, as it ticks many of the boxes for us. You can get there by train, you can walk all over town, it's a gorgeous hill town, it is close to other great places like Assisi and perugia, it is incredibly beautiful! Being in Spello we did day trips, though caar rental was waaaaaay cheaper back a few years ago. There is quite a bit to see and do around town, if you want to enjoy the slow pace of life, like a walk, stop for coffee and cake.... a bit more of a walk, pick up some groceries for lunch.... a stop at the playground, maybe it's market day (Wednesday), maybe you meet someone and chat (happens often). The days just seemed to have their own life, even when we didn't plan much. at the time we first went, our kids were 4,8, 10 and 12. I love Rome and I would absolutely go for 3 nights or more. We did 6 nights as I didn't want to rush things and just take the days slowly. Rome is hectic but it's also amazing and worth it. If you know you are getting out to the country straight after, it'll be fine. <3 Never been to venice as it always feels way to touristy for me, but totally your call. We picked up and dropped off our car in Perugia, then used trains to get around. Easy, and low stress. Happy to chat more if you want to pm me. Travel with kids is awesome.

 

[NoSpin]

Wow! You got some great info from all the posters above. My wife and I have no kids so our recommendations would be no help at all!

 

[Alpinista]

Remembered that one of the kid attractions was the changing of the guard at the Quirinale Palace -- brass band and lots of marching about. They have different military elements represented at the ceremonies, so can vary from day to day exactly what you'll see.

Also, something as simple as the Spanish Steps in the evening can be fun -- lots of vendors out there on the piazza sending lighted items up into the nighttime air (that never work for the tourist buyers the way they do for the vendors -- but that's fun too watching the proud new owners of the toys trying to launch them).

Will also throw in the suggestion to see what local festivals might be active. All will have some type of entertainment and food. Some will have a carnival-like atmosphere with little rides and games for kids. The ones in this link are the bigger ones, but Italy is full of small festivals. https://www.tripsavvy.com/march-festivals-and-events-in-italy-4584326

 

[Erinbella]

Hi! I love your itinerary! Have done similar with 4 kids. Absolutely the best way to get to know Italy is staying in one spot for a good length of time. Tip - a one month stay can get you a good discount, but you may not have the time available, I get that. We chose the town of Spello in Umbria for our one month stay, on two occaisions, as it ticks many of the boxes for us. You can get there by train, you can walk all over town, it's a gorgeous hill town, it is close to other great places like Assisi and perugia, it is incredibly beautiful! Being in Spello we did day trips, though caar rental was waaaaaay cheaper back a few years ago. There is quite a bit to see and do around town, if you want to enjoy the slow pace of life, like a walk, stop for coffee and cake.... a bit more of a walk, pick up some groceries for lunch.... a stop at the playground, maybe it's market day (Wednesday), maybe you meet someone and chat (happens often). The days just seemed to have their own life, even when we didn't plan much. at the time we first went, our kids were 4,8, 10 and 12. I love Rome and I would absolutely go for 3 nights or more. We did 6 nights as I didn't want to rush things and just take the days slowly. Rome is hectic but it's also amazing and worth it. If you know you are getting out to the country straight after, it'll be fine. <3 Never been to venice as it always feels way to touristy for me, but totally your call. We picked up and dropped off our car in Perugia, then used trains to get around. Easy, and low stress. Happy to chat more if you want to pm me. Travel with kids is awesome.

Hi, I'm just finding this site and your posts resonates with me. We have four little kids and are looking to do just want you describe--a three week stay in Italy entailing day trips, playgrounds, walks, cooking, markets, pool in August. Do you have an itinerary in the Umbria region or a place you might suggest staying. Or is there another destination in Italy you might suggest? Any advice would be most appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Alpinista]

Hi, I'm just finding this site and your posts resonates with me. We have four little kids and are looking to do just want you describe--a three week stay in Italy entailing day trips, playgrounds, walks, cooking, markets, pool in August. Do you have an itinerary in the Umbria region or a place you might suggest staying. Or is there another destination in Italy you might suggest? Any advice would be most appreciated. Thank you!

When our kids were baseball age, we were forced into August trips due to All Star schedules. Will just note that August is hot and humid ;-) and that much of the country will be on vacation competing with you for activities. You will find some restaurants and other commercial outlets closed for their own vacations.

We always found much to enjoy, but the pace had to be a little slower based on weather and crowds.

 

[Ian Sutton]

Hi, I'm just finding this site and your posts resonates with me. We have four little kids and are looking to do just want you describe--a three week stay in Italy entailing day trips, playgrounds, walks, cooking, markets, pool in August. Do you have an itinerary in the Umbria region or a place you might suggest staying. Or is there another destination in Italy you might suggest? Any advice would be most appreciated. Thank you!

August tends to be hot, so I'd recommend foregoing any thoughts of cities (excepting having a day trip in if there's a cool/wet day, or making an early start and just having a morning there).

Pool is definitely the magic word. It's good to get out and see stuff, but that's made every bit more tolerable knowing there's a refreshing pool awaiting your return. Similarly on my 1st trip to Italy back in 1990, I found a pre-breakfast swim was a huge motivator for getting up early, generally having the pool t myself. Refreshing and invigorating, and with a view over the Amalfi coast that is special.

Try to avoid Ferragosto holiday if you can - it's still a popular time to shut down businesses/factories and head to the coast/countryside.

You can either lean into the heat, and choose locations well suited to it, e.g. Puglia, Sicily/Aeolian Islands, Amalfi Coast etc. and enjoy the heat, whilst focusing on morning and evening for seeing things.

Or head up north, where it will still be warm, even hot, but unlikely to be unbearably so e.g. Trentino/Alto Adige, Valtellina, or Valle d'Aosta. With 4 children, I think Lago Molveno might appeal, as there's a lovely lake, picturesque village, all surrounded by mountains, but near the village there are activities such as a swimming pool, crazy golf, other child-friendly stuff, hangliders descending to land on a grassed promontory, and also a ski lift to take you up into the mountains. There are other lakes as well in that part of Trentino, so worth a look at the alternatives. The big -ve is logistics, as there are no flights into Trento, so it's a flight into somewhere like Verona, Bologna, etc. and then fast train to Trento, followed by a coach/bus into Molveno. A tad easier if you'll drive, as the autostrada route is good, easy and rather picturesque. The winding road into Molveno is good, albeit it takes a little while to ignore the rocky outcrops that border the road (making it feel narrower than it is).

 

[RachelP]

Hi, I'm just finding this site and your posts resonates with me. We have four little kids and are looking to do just want you describe--a three week stay in Italy entailing day trips, playgrounds, walks, cooking, markets, pool in August. Do you have an itinerary in the Umbria region or a place you might suggest staying. Or is there another destination in Italy you might suggest? Any advice would be most appreciated. Thank you!

August in Umbria is going to be very hot. When we are there in August we head south, to the beaches.