Rome plus one other location in Italy: Spring Break 2026
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Anonymous
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I don't think you will enjoy the trip with a 3 and 5 year old.
But it sounds like you bought the tickets so here are suggestions - Bomarzo Renaissance Park would be nice for the kids. Florence a decent size for them too. Venice is beautiful but the kids will be doing a lot of walking. Not a big deal if they are into it - because the walking there is actually very nice. Because there are no cars. |
Anonymous
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OP again - I understand the hesitancy about bringing young kids to Europe, but sorry they're going lol. We had a great trip in Portugal. Everyone got to do what they wanted to do. Was it a much slower pace than if I had gone by myself? Yes, but my husband is also a slow traveler so he actually liked the slower pace better. We went all over in Portugal - Lisbon, Porto, Douro Valley, Sintra, Cascais, etc. etc. My 5 YO walked the entire day in Sintra and was fine. She loved the castles. I am not worried. My parents will also be going with us and that helped with the kids. I plan a mix of kid/adult activities, and we take breaks to rest/go to the playground etc.
That's why I allocated so much time to Rome, because we'll be slow, and that's fine by me. The 5 yo loved Portugal, still talks about it. Will she remember it in 20 years? Who knows, but we'll always have the pictures, and we (the parents) will remember. So back to the original question - I had originally considered flying into Venice and out of Rome, but didn't see any direct flights to Venice and wasn't sure how kid-friendly it would be. |
Anonymous
I'd take the train to Venice and stay at the JW Marriott. It has its own island so if you need to get away from the hustle it's very easy to do, amazing breakfast, pool, etc. You can get a townhouse-style suite with a little yard to let them out to play as well. Take the boat shuttle in for a few hours until the kids are exhausted and then back to the island. It would be amazing! |
Anonymous
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I have older kids (15 and 12). We are also planning Italy for next spring. We will do Venice, Florence, and Rome. It will be fast paced as we are trying to "cram it all in."
For what you are looking for, perhaps a smaller town near Florence, like Lucca. It would be a nice, low key place to spend a few days, and you could also access some other places if you wanted to do more and the kids were up to it. |
Anonymous
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I'd skip Venice and anywhere with cliffs with a 3 yo. I wouldn't want to spend all day playing lifeguard--there usually aren't railings.
There are lots of charming towns in Italy where you won't have to spend the whole vacation on high alert. |
Anonymous
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This is a good list of options: https://mamalovesitaly.com/toddler-friendly-towns-in-italy/
We also found it nice to rent a car with small kids and to visit the countryside. We'd do a morning activity and lunch, then they'd nap while we drove to the next spot, then we'd do an activity and a snack, then drive a bit to dinner near our destination. It was a good pace. |
Anonymous
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I went to Italy for SB this. And while it was enjoyable, it was crowded. It was a jubilee year, so maybe it will be a little calmer next year, but Rome was just standing in lines. And worrying about pickpockets. I would minimize my time there TBH. There's a lot to do, but its all a hassle so we didn't find it relaxing. Florence was nice, but very small, so the crowds were just all condensed at the few sights.
But we rented a car for a few days and went to Tuscany and it was perfect! We stayed a day in Orvieto and 2 nights in an Airbnb near Siena (called Villa a Sesta). There were kid friendly hot springs and duomos and castles in those areas and the crowds were no big deal at all. I wished we had spent all our time there. I would rethink your trip and just do a few days in Rome total. Get a car and get out of the city. It was easy enough to drive because we weren't driving in the cities and it was easy in the countryside. We also enjoyed Portugal carless, and have done other Europe trips. I loved Athens but not Rome (some people compare them). |
Anonymous
+1 They won't remember it. |
Anonymous
This. Ages 3 & 5 are too young. But I also get that you don't want to leave them at home with a sitter. If you must go, I would do Rome and Florence. Rome has the ancient Roman structures/architecture. Then drop by the Vatican. Get tickets before you go. In Florence, catch the traditional Italian flag throwers (color guard). They usually march around the historical parts of the city. Also, try to see the Renaissnace art at the Uffizi museum. Skip Venice. It's too crowded. Also the Grand Canal floods often and it smells bad. Probably due to local sewage being empied on to waterways and from the large cruise ships anchored on the water. |
Anonymous
| If you must go, stay in Tuscany and visit the small towns. Go to Luca, Vinci, Volterra, Sienna. |
Anonymous
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You could stay at a villa in Tuscany so the kids can roam around and you can relax. Half day trips to Tuscan towns. Relax by pool/garden in afternoon.
Or take a train to northern Italy (lake Como) or even Cinque terre and do some easy hikes. 5 year old can walk a bit, and 3 year old might still be small enough to put in a carrier, so take advantage of that. |
Anonymous
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I would do 3 nights in Rome to start and then 1 at the end. There are tons of great towns in Tuscany or Umbria you could do in the middle. When our kids were that age, I found that smaller towns were easier than big cities. Depending on your budget, you could either do an Airbnb or a hotel somewhere, rent a car, and explore one or two towns every day. Orvieto, Montepulciano, Gubbio, Perugia, Assisi, etc.
Venice is also amazing and there's actually a ton to do with kids. It is harder to navigate with a stroller, but lots of people do it every day. |
Anonymous
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I wouldn’t do Venice with little kids unless I was confident they wouldn’t get sea sick on the boats (and won’t be afraid of going on boats). Venice isn’t the most convenient place to travel to/from, and it can be cold during spring break.
I love Rome, but 6 nights is too long with little ones—and it won’t be relaxing. Four nights tops. I’d head to Tuscany or better yet a coastal town down south to relax a bit. |
Anonymous
| Italy with young kids is great. Italy with two kids under 5 is not optimal if you are solo traveling. We got to Italy once a year. With those ages, I would stay in Rome/Ostia and get an Airbnb with a washer and a dryer if you find one. I might take a day trip to Naples. I would not try to see anything in particular. I would just immerse in Italy. Go to parks and markets. Do one restaurant meal a day and do other meals at home or grab a pastry. I would not go to Firenze - it’s very very crowded and cars zip through narrow streets. On your next trip go North. Don’t try to do too much. There are 20 regions of Italy. Without a car, with two littles, I would drill down. |
Anonymous
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This thread is hilarious and everything wrong with both this forum and travel grumps in general.
Where do we start? - seasickness in Venice? Um, no. - smelly canals in Venice? Sure it happens, but not often. So what? It’s Venice! - Nobody goes to Venice anymore, it’s too crowded. Sure, Jan. - too many nights in Rome? OP said they like to take things slow - the kids won’t remember the trip? So what? You still take kids to the Outer Banks or whatever dodgy beach you go to in the summer and thankfully they won’t remember that either. - it’s hot? Yes, it is Italy in the summer. I’m sure OP knew that before booking. So what, you dress for it. - too much walking? Sorry you can’t bring your minivan everywhere you go. Somehow they’ll be fine. OP, go. Have fun! Sure the kids may not remember it - but you will. Italy is an amazing country and great for kids. I’d do what a PP poster suggested and take the train from Rome to Venice and stay at the JW if you can swing it. And see about flying out of Venice. Good luck! |