Italy Itinerary for Spring Break with teens - 8 nights, 9 days

[Anonymous]

We have 13 y/o daughter & 16 y/o son, and sadly, our kids are not interested in history or museums like many of the posters I see on DCUM. We usually do tropical trips over spring break, which is more their speed. We've decided to change things up this year. I'm researching flights, but I would like to draft an itinerary before we book. I realize it's a jubilee year, but our spring break is in late March (3 weeks before Easter), so I believe this timeframe will be better than right before easter.

Would you suggest some traditional landmarks (the Colosseum and Sistine Chapel) or skip Rome and go to Milan, Florence, and/or Amalfi Coast? I would appreciate any recommendations!

[Anonymous]

Do they have any interest in history or museums? My kids aren’t big museum fans but have some history interest. This is what we did — I’ll say if your teen really have zero interest in history or art, this will be rough and I’m not sure what you’ll do except shop and eat. It will be too cold to swim in Amalfi so if you go it will be basically eating and shopping. They might like a food tour since they aren’t so into the history stuff. And maybe a market like Canpo di Filore?

Day 1 — arrive, acclimate, walk around near hotel, go to evening soccer game at stadio Olympic (get tickets in advance)

Day 2 — self guided walking tour (used rick steves) of historic area including Trevi fountain, pantheon, piazza navona, some churches, stopped for lunch and gelato

Day 3 — early morning skip the lines tour of the Vatican. I walked around more but kids then went back to hotel to rest.

Day 4 — train trip to Pompeii. We got the expensive fieccharosa fast train as far as Naples which the kids enjoyed. Private guide of Pompeii which was just okay — his English was bad and the kids couldn’t really understand him. If it weee up to me we would have stopped in Naples on way back and had pizza and maybe gone to the archaeological museum but the kids were tired after walking around Pompeii and the early morning rise so we just went back to Rome for dinner.

Day 5 — meant to be colosseum but I need up and didn’t buy advance tickets. Walked around the forum and palatine hill instead. Kids went back to hotel after a late lunch, and I walked around more including the Pieter in vinculi church. There are places that go gladiator school if you think your teens would llle that.

Day 6–catacombs which the kids really loved, and castel San Angelo (beautiful views) after lunch. If the weather is nice you can do a bike ride out the appian way to the catacombs which I think would be cool but the timing didn’t work for us.

Day 7 flew home.

[Anonymous]

We did a spring break trip. Probably 11 or 12 days. Took the kids out of school for 2 days at the front end. It doesn't matter in middle school and elementary school.

My 13 and 10 year olds liked Rome and Venice better than Florence.

Venice is cool just because of the location.

Take a rowing lession with Venice on Board. Go to Murano and see glass blowing.

Rome is cool...even if you don't go inside anything. There are mosaic-making experiences in addition to the gladiator school.

In Florence, my kids liked what was more of a kids' museum with replica DaVinci inventions. They also liked a day tour to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

https://www.ciaoflorence.it/en/tour-detail/13

And they liked our hotel.

https://www.hoteltorreguelfa.com/

We flew into Venice and out of Rome. We used trains only.

I have been to Pompeii as a kid. I think it's worth it for kids to visit.

Try AirBnB Experiences to research tours your kids might like.

[Anonymous]

Include Venice. It is great for kids. They can ride the Vaporettos all day long.

[Anonymous]

Base in Bologna and take short train trips to many places: Verona. Venice. Florence. Etc.

[Anonymous]

Supposedly the jubilee means a huge crowd all year, not just around Easter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Supposedly the jubilee means a huge crowd all year, not just around Easter.

Will it be like the Olympics where ordinary tourists stay away because they fear crowds, and as a result total tourist numbers drop?

[Anonymous]

Our kids 12 and 14 are also non museum cultural kids preferring activities or shopping.

While Rome is interesting I would do more than in/out from there - maybe a day.

We did Venice which in high speed rail from Rome is an easy 4 hrs each way and it really is easy I am serious. Definitely worthwhile even if it was only an overnight there. We loved it.

We stayed in Positano and highly suggest. We did a private boat ride. Amalfi in general for hikes and shopping and the food is amazing. Sorrento and even Naples work too. Ponza is a feasible overnight from Rome as is Ischia from Amalfi.

It's hard with 8 days though. We did Rome/Venice/Positano over 11. I would maybe focus on one area with a day trip. Orvieto is another great day trip from Rome. I just personally don't think Rome is all that h less you did Vatican. I looooooove Italy but I love S Italy.

I'd skip Florence and Tuscany as I did with kids who aren't so into culture. I love it but they just wouldn't be as into it. The islands of Italy are really special too.

[Anonymous]

^ Yea, teens who aren't into art and architecture might not appreciate Florence but that was on one of the prettiest cities. I would just expect my kids to suck it up for a couple of days so I could enjoy Florence. They might like the shopping, though.

Trips should not always be about kids.

[Anonymous]

Venice and Rome.
I would skip Milan. This was our least favorite spot we went to with our teens. Did not get the appeal at all.