Advice for Florence & Rome with Baby
May 1st, 2016, 01:37 PM
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Advice for Florence & Rome with Baby
My husband and I are setting off for Italy--six nights in Florence, two in Rome--in late May with our 7 month old. Flying in/out of Rome, training to/from Florence. Apartments and several private tours--Florence, Chianti, Valdarno--are booked. Possible day trip to Siena. Otherwise exploring the cities.
Pre-baby, our travels were pretty intense, packed with activity and really great food/wine. We recognize this will be a new type of travel requiring different expectations and a slower pace with our little one.
Would love any recommendations on gear you found critical for exploring with baby in tow [she's close to crawling], favorite baby-friendly restaurants [keeping in mind that really great food/wine from our past life] and any tips/tricks for our adventure. TIA!
Pre-baby, our travels were pretty intense, packed with activity and really great food/wine. We recognize this will be a new type of travel requiring different expectations and a slower pace with our little one.
Would love any recommendations on gear you found critical for exploring with baby in tow [she's close to crawling], favorite baby-friendly restaurants [keeping in mind that really great food/wine from our past life] and any tips/tricks for our adventure. TIA!
May 1st, 2016, 05:57 PM
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Take a really good collapsible umbrella stroller to get on and off of buses, subways, etc. Our streoller saved our lives…and was great for naps in restaurants and while we were on the move. Make sure you have a sun shade too.
We always took a "picnic bag" with us, basically a ziploc with napkins, wipes, cups, plates, a knife, glasses, corkscrew, etc. We bought a cheap picnic blanket and basket once we arrived in Italy. This basket made impromtpu picnics a highlight of our travels with young kids. There are so many great little parks and piazzas to discover wherever you are.
Restaurants don't make the same accomodations for babies as they do in N America so don't EXPECT highchairs, change tables, etc. Make sure you are self-sufficient. What you will find is a warm welcome for your little one wherever you go. Stay with more causal trattorias and enjoy your wine! Italy is fabulous with kids!
We always took a "picnic bag" with us, basically a ziploc with napkins, wipes, cups, plates, a knife, glasses, corkscrew, etc. We bought a cheap picnic blanket and basket once we arrived in Italy. This basket made impromtpu picnics a highlight of our travels with young kids. There are so many great little parks and piazzas to discover wherever you are.
Restaurants don't make the same accomodations for babies as they do in N America so don't EXPECT highchairs, change tables, etc. Make sure you are self-sufficient. What you will find is a warm welcome for your little one wherever you go. Stay with more causal trattorias and enjoy your wine! Italy is fabulous with kids!
May 2nd, 2016, 03:48 AM
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What are your provisions for car seats / child restraints on the tours?
Take a baby backpack as well - strollers are okay but the piazza around the Duomo in Florence is always packed and pushing a stroller could be a challenge - as it also can be on Rome's cobbled streets.
Take a baby backpack as well - strollers are okay but the piazza around the Duomo in Florence is always packed and pushing a stroller could be a challenge - as it also can be on Rome's cobbled streets.
May 2nd, 2016, 07:43 AM
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Thank you both for the feedback!
@Francewithfive, what is your favorite umbrella stroller? Pretty sure our Baby Jogger City Select is going to be overkill, size wise.
@Blueeyedcod, we're taking her carseat--heavy though it may be!--to make sure she's safe on the driving tours. Also the backpack, although were debating between the bigger hiking backpack [ours is frameless] vs. the standard infant carrier to wear her on the front. Thoughts?
@Francewithfive, what is your favorite umbrella stroller? Pretty sure our Baby Jogger City Select is going to be overkill, size wise.
@Blueeyedcod, we're taking her carseat--heavy though it may be!--to make sure she's safe on the driving tours. Also the backpack, although were debating between the bigger hiking backpack [ours is frameless] vs. the standard infant carrier to wear her on the front. Thoughts?
May 2nd, 2016, 08:02 AM
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I have only one experience of taking a baby (almost a year old) on a private driving tour, and it was fine until near the end of the tour, when the usually cheerful baby went into a total meltdown and screamed for almost an hour. The driver/guide was a saint, and earned every penny of his fee. Three tours in five days sounds very optimitic to me.
Tours geared to adults are often just too stimulating for a baby. You have six nights in Florence, which is five full days. In those five days you have three tours plus a possible day trip. That sounds as though it's not Florence itself that you want to see. Would it be possible to rent a car and stay in a quiet rural place from which you could take self-guided tours? Driving in rural Italy is not at all difficult, and this would allow you to play it by ear as far as the schedule.
What do you expect to do in Rome in one full day? You might want to cancel that unless you're happy just to wander around the nontouristy parts of the city.
Tours geared to adults are often just too stimulating for a baby. You have six nights in Florence, which is five full days. In those five days you have three tours plus a possible day trip. That sounds as though it's not Florence itself that you want to see. Would it be possible to rent a car and stay in a quiet rural place from which you could take self-guided tours? Driving in rural Italy is not at all difficult, and this would allow you to play it by ear as far as the schedule.
What do you expect to do in Rome in one full day? You might want to cancel that unless you're happy just to wander around the nontouristy parts of the city.
May 2nd, 2016, 08:15 AM
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I have a lot of experience traveling with babies in Italy, where I live. Most restaurants either have high chairs or those little seats that clamp to the table. One of the advantages of a stroller is that the baby can nap in it while you eat.
Changing tables are not as common as high chairs. If the baby can lie almost flat in the stroller, that can be your changing table. I found that a stroller was good in some places, whereas a sling was more useful in other places. Therefore, the stroller should be lightweight enough that you don't mind carrying it for short distances. A cloth sling will fit in a bag or backpack and I would always have one with me.
Changing tables are not as common as high chairs. If the baby can lie almost flat in the stroller, that can be your changing table. I found that a stroller was good in some places, whereas a sling was more useful in other places. Therefore, the stroller should be lightweight enough that you don't mind carrying it for short distances. A cloth sling will fit in a bag or backpack and I would always have one with me.
May 2nd, 2016, 08:25 AM
#7
This is not advice that you will want to hear but that is simply not a trip I would want to take. You say that you realise you need to make changes, but your itinerary looks pretty full on to me.
personally I would rent a car straight from Rome airport, make for an apartment or villa in a town with some eating opportunities so I didn't have to drive at night but could just stroll round with everyone else, stay there and then drive back. As bvl says babies like quiet and routine and you are doing the opposite.
I know that I've banged on about it before, but somewhere like Orbetello which is about 150 kms north of Rome would be ideal - it's got loads of atmosphere, plenty of nice restaurants, easy access to lots of good sightseeing, and it's flat. It also has a lagoon for early season swimming and splashing about for the baby.
if that's not possible, then good luck!
personally I would rent a car straight from Rome airport, make for an apartment or villa in a town with some eating opportunities so I didn't have to drive at night but could just stroll round with everyone else, stay there and then drive back. As bvl says babies like quiet and routine and you are doing the opposite.
I know that I've banged on about it before, but somewhere like Orbetello which is about 150 kms north of Rome would be ideal - it's got loads of atmosphere, plenty of nice restaurants, easy access to lots of good sightseeing, and it's flat. It also has a lagoon for early season swimming and splashing about for the baby.
if that's not possible, then good luck!
May 2nd, 2016, 11:23 AM
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We toiok a Maclaren stroller with us. They are super durable and well made. It also goes flat for changing on the go. The storgae underneath comes in handy for diaper bags, etc. I would definitely take the front carrier as opposed to a backpack. You can put it in the bottom of the stroller when you' re not using it.
I know you didn't ask for advice in temrs of what you have planned, but just be mindful that a happy baby is a well fed, rested and not overstimulated one. We always found having a car and going at our own pace was best for our family. Our kids had many naps in the car while we toured the Italian countryside! If possible, I would re-think all of the organized tours.
The bigger cities are easier and more fun once the kids are older…although at 6,11,13 our kids still really want to stay in the countryside with a pool, eat pizza and gelato and go for little half day excursions.
I know you didn't ask for advice in temrs of what you have planned, but just be mindful that a happy baby is a well fed, rested and not overstimulated one. We always found having a car and going at our own pace was best for our family. Our kids had many naps in the car while we toured the Italian countryside! If possible, I would re-think all of the organized tours.
The bigger cities are easier and more fun once the kids are older…although at 6,11,13 our kids still really want to stay in the countryside with a pool, eat pizza and gelato and go for little half day excursions.
May 2nd, 2016, 01:13 PM
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Please check and double check that your car seat will easily fit and attach to the restraint bolts in the cars being used by the car service companies.
I've found that child restraint attachments vary. It pays to be safe rather than hauling the seat all the way from the USA and finding it is a dud and won't fit in the vehicles.
Send some photos to your car service companies - they will advise.
I dislike front carriers purely for the backache they give with older babies. Perfect for 1-3 months but older than that - you'll need a chiropractor.
I've found that child restraint attachments vary. It pays to be safe rather than hauling the seat all the way from the USA and finding it is a dud and won't fit in the vehicles.
Send some photos to your car service companies - they will advise.
I dislike front carriers purely for the backache they give with older babies. Perfect for 1-3 months but older than that - you'll need a chiropractor.
May 2nd, 2016, 01:14 PM
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I would take a hiking backpack, in addition to a stroller. Your stroller is going to be really heavy for getting in and out of the cars or trains. A lightweight stroller, like a Maclaren, might be better. The cobblestone streets are just impossible to navigate with a stroller, regardless of how beefy your wheels are. Overall, it is a b**ch to travel with a small child, so take a look at slow traveling websites to adjust your expectations.
May 2nd, 2016, 05:18 PM
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I agree with the others that you may have too much planned. If you are able to do the tours at the last minute, I'd suggest booking one and seeing how it goes before committing to the others.
My husband and I took our first post-baby trip when our daughter was about your baby's age and to Rome as well. Rome is a fantastic place for a baby in that many of the sites are outside and art in churches so there is little waiting in line and easy to just walk out if baby gets fussy. Everyone made a big deal over our baby which was sweet. I wrote a trip report you can find at:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ravel-tips.cfm
I would not be scared off from traveling with your baby. This is a great age to go. It gets MUCH harder after they are fully walking and do not want to sit in the stroller. We just returned from two weeks in Venice and Paris with our 5 and 9 year olds and while (for a baby) bringing the diapers etc is a hassle, traveling with a baby in a stroller sounds incredibly relaxing to me in comparison!! Now the kids are loads of fun, but most definitely not relaxing.
I second the suggestion to bring a Maclaren or similar. We used ours on many trips to Europe and at home. It lasted us about seven years and through two kids before finally falling apart! They are very sturdy and easy to push but also very light. I would pay for a good one - you can always sell it. We didn't have any trouble on the cobblestones throughout Europe nor back here at home in Boston. I'd bring a few blankets to drape over the top for nap time. I did bring a cloth carrier but only used it in the few museums that did not allow strollers. I just left it in the bottom of the stroller - it is handy to have it. You don't need the big jogging stroller and it is too big to go in some stores or to carry around if needed.
As someone else said, there are few changing tables. I'd buy some of those paper changing mats and change the baby in the stroller.
Definitely make sure that your and your husband's cell phones will work in Italy. There were lots of times where one of us stayed with the baby and the other went into a store or stayed longer in a museum or waited for the baby to wake up in the morning. it was very handy to be able to use the phone to meet up.
If your baby can nap in the stroller, I would do that. We spent a couple of trips trying to get back to the apartment for a nap and never timed it right. Finally we gave up and both kids would just fall asleep in the stroller when they were tired.
I think the most important tip is to be flexible. your baby is not going to be on the same schedule as at home. I wouldn't set anything in stone as you may find that your early rising baby sleeps till 10am every day and stays up late or wakes up early and needs to go to bed early. After many trips to Europe with two kids I have realized that you can't have it both ways (out early and stay out late) so just go with whichever schedule your baby settles into and don't fight it. They each have their advantages. We didn't make many meal reservations either. Baby is going to have some crabby days. Save your nice restaurant meals for the non-crabby days.
Finally, as the others said, it is best to slow down. WAY DOWN. You will have a wonderful vacation, especially in Rome and Florence, but at a slower pace.
Enjoy and happy to answer any specific questions!
My husband and I took our first post-baby trip when our daughter was about your baby's age and to Rome as well. Rome is a fantastic place for a baby in that many of the sites are outside and art in churches so there is little waiting in line and easy to just walk out if baby gets fussy. Everyone made a big deal over our baby which was sweet. I wrote a trip report you can find at:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ravel-tips.cfm
I would not be scared off from traveling with your baby. This is a great age to go. It gets MUCH harder after they are fully walking and do not want to sit in the stroller. We just returned from two weeks in Venice and Paris with our 5 and 9 year olds and while (for a baby) bringing the diapers etc is a hassle, traveling with a baby in a stroller sounds incredibly relaxing to me in comparison!! Now the kids are loads of fun, but most definitely not relaxing.
I second the suggestion to bring a Maclaren or similar. We used ours on many trips to Europe and at home. It lasted us about seven years and through two kids before finally falling apart! They are very sturdy and easy to push but also very light. I would pay for a good one - you can always sell it. We didn't have any trouble on the cobblestones throughout Europe nor back here at home in Boston. I'd bring a few blankets to drape over the top for nap time. I did bring a cloth carrier but only used it in the few museums that did not allow strollers. I just left it in the bottom of the stroller - it is handy to have it. You don't need the big jogging stroller and it is too big to go in some stores or to carry around if needed.
As someone else said, there are few changing tables. I'd buy some of those paper changing mats and change the baby in the stroller.
Definitely make sure that your and your husband's cell phones will work in Italy. There were lots of times where one of us stayed with the baby and the other went into a store or stayed longer in a museum or waited for the baby to wake up in the morning. it was very handy to be able to use the phone to meet up.
If your baby can nap in the stroller, I would do that. We spent a couple of trips trying to get back to the apartment for a nap and never timed it right. Finally we gave up and both kids would just fall asleep in the stroller when they were tired.
I think the most important tip is to be flexible. your baby is not going to be on the same schedule as at home. I wouldn't set anything in stone as you may find that your early rising baby sleeps till 10am every day and stays up late or wakes up early and needs to go to bed early. After many trips to Europe with two kids I have realized that you can't have it both ways (out early and stay out late) so just go with whichever schedule your baby settles into and don't fight it. They each have their advantages. We didn't make many meal reservations either. Baby is going to have some crabby days. Save your nice restaurant meals for the non-crabby days.
Finally, as the others said, it is best to slow down. WAY DOWN. You will have a wonderful vacation, especially in Rome and Florence, but at a slower pace.
Enjoy and happy to answer any specific questions!
May 9th, 2016, 06:25 AM
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Thank you all for the feedback and advice. I should have clarified our 'tours' are with a friend of a friend who is aware of our need for a slower pace with baby--she has already planned time for naps, strolling outside, nursing, meltdowns, etc. Hopefully we'll be okay and if not we'll tweak our plans on the fly! Saving the Siena trip for a future visit following some timeline research.
For those of you with Maclaren umbrella strollers--which model? Volo, Quest, Mark II, Triumph, Globetrotter, other? They all look essentially the same but with varying price points. Such is the case with all kid gear I suppose.
@Sally30: great Rome trip report! Sounds like La Gigante had a temperament similar to our daughter--easygoing and flexible to schedules/nap locations. Hope we'll have an equally successful first [big] adventure and will be able to tell all of our family/friend naysayers how wonderful traveling with a baby can be
Thanks again--hope you all had a nice Mother's Day!
For those of you with Maclaren umbrella strollers--which model? Volo, Quest, Mark II, Triumph, Globetrotter, other? They all look essentially the same but with varying price points. Such is the case with all kid gear I suppose.
@Sally30: great Rome trip report! Sounds like La Gigante had a temperament similar to our daughter--easygoing and flexible to schedules/nap locations. Hope we'll have an equally successful first [big] adventure and will be able to tell all of our family/friend naysayers how wonderful traveling with a baby can be
Thanks again--hope you all had a nice Mother's Day!
