Which area of Italy did your kids love?

[Anonymous]

I speak fluent Italian and lived there for many years and my husband and I got married there so I’ve traveled to most of the country at this point. I would love to take my young children there but I am having a hard time figuring out which area would appeal to them or if this is too young for an enjoyable trip there. They are 6 and 8 year old boys. We take annual ski trips and SoCal beach trips so I definitely do not think the mountains would be a good choice since we go several times a year out west. They have a lot of energy and I don’t think they would do well in museums. My first thought is actually Venice because it’s so special and unique but I’m not sure. My favorite area is Florence or Lake Como but both seem like poor choices for children.

[Anonymous]

My kids are a bit older (18,14, and 9), but Rome was a hit, as was Venice and the Amalfi Coast.

We stayed in Sorrento and took day trips to Amalfi, Vesuvius, Pompeii, Herculaneum and Paestum. We actually got a private driver/tour guide for the day we went to Paestum and stopped by a farm/restaurant that specializes in buffalo mozzarella and the kids got to see and pet the buffalo. There is a really cool paper mill in Amalfi that claims to be the oldest in Europe that my kids really liked as well. Capri was also a lot of fun. There is also a lot sea glass in the area, so my kids really enjoyed hunting for it on the beaches. We went in April, so it was too cool to go swimming, but it was still really enjoyable.

Highlights in Rome included a "gladiator school." Venice is amazing because it is Venice. My 9 year old still says this has been his favorite trip. We did a mask painting workshop in Venice that all of my kids loved. If we were to go back, I think we'd check out glass blowing in Murano too.

[Anonymous]

Rome for sure for my boys (daughter loved it too but it has been the top vacation so far for us, for my boys). My fifth grader actually just wrote an essay about his love for Rome for his social studies class, and the trip was back when he was age 5, so he remembers it all and has great memories of it! We too did the gladiator school, and had a child oriented guide for the Colosseum who really brought the place alive for the kids so they could envision what took place there. When we went, the guide used print outs to show how the arena looked but now the guides use iPads/computer graphics. We did a high speed day trip out to Pompeii which was also a big hit, and went to a pizza making class as a family (delish). What’s there not to love about Rome? Parks, fabulous museums, gelato, pasta and pizza. It has everything kids could want.

I will say, we live right near the beach so our idea of a fun vacation doesn’t involve swimming so that might influence your choice more if you need that. But at the same time, if I’m traveling for a beach, it’s to the Caribbean or Hawaii not Europe anyway.

[Anonymous]

Lake Como is stunning but I agree it isn’t the best choice for kids. If we are going to a lake with kids, it’s going to need to involve boating and water skiing etc - the scenery will only occupy active kids for so long and you’ll just be bummed because you can’t wait it in with wine and leisurely meals the way you would want to. There’s better Italian destinations for kids than that.

[Anonymous]

Rome and Pompeii, for sure. But we did a trip around the NE around that age and they enjoyed seeing parmesan and parma ham being made, the opera at Verona (though the younger left with one of us at the intermission), Venice boat trip and glass blowing etc. I don’t think you should overthink it, there is fun stuff to do everywhere. You just need to plan and book a bit more, and leave plenty of downtime to relax.

[Anonymous]

Rome was the best for my kids at that age, because of all the kid-friendly cuisine and the colosseum/gladiators.

[Anonymous]

I'd do Venice and Rome. They are the perfect ages for the Gladiator School in Rome.

[Anonymous]

My kids liked Florence (minus the Uffizi Gallery) and Venice. Lake Como was fine for a day, but couldn’t see more than that. It’s gorgeous, but was way too crowded for my tastes when we were there. It was more crowded than Venice. Venice crowds weren’t too bad when we visited this past spring.

[Anonymous]

We spent two weeks in Lerici with our 9 yr old and that was amazing. Swimming, diving, hiking, Apuan alps, carerra marble tour. many Italian families with kids. Not too far from Pisa, Lucca, Florence, Parma.

[Anonymous]

Cinque Terre

[Anonymous]

My kids like where ever we go. Love the lakes, love the mountains, love the country side, love the cities. Just go where you want to.

[Anonymous]

I might have gone on the same trip as 04:59. Gladiator school, Pompeii, visiting and dining in a working farm, going someplace where they can do stuff rather than see stuff. However, unless you are going off off off season, avoid Amalfi and the Amalfi coast. It was way too crowded this summer to be remotely pleasant.

[Anonymous]

Went to Venice three times with kids at Christmas or late spring. Boys ages 7-12. Loved it, absolutely magic times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We spent two weeks in Lerici with our 9 yr old and that was amazing. Swimming, diving, hiking, Apuan alps, carerra marble tour. many Italian families with kids. Not too far from Pisa, Lucca, Florence, Parma.

Yeah this is a good idea if it's a summer time trip. We also had a great beach time on the other side of Genoa.

[Anonymous]

Rome, Pompeii, Florence and Milan. My kids still talk about the Eatly store in milan