I am visitng Italy in April with wife and four children all under 12. can someone suggest what is the best itinerary please.

Without knowing the interests or budget requirements of yu and your family, it would be difficult to predict.

Well with 4 days I would pick 1 place and stick with it - either a city, or a base in an area with a car to visit smaller villages.

You'll need to give us more to work with to help any further (budget, interests, where you've been, where you want to go, do you want a car, how old your kids are, where you are coming from and going to after etc)

With only 4 days I would just pick a city and stick with it like jamikins said. Getting from one city to another in Italy is a full day affair. With four kids I would say that Venice would be your best bet to entertain both your kids and yourself. The canals and boats are endlessly fascinating, the city is beautiful, and since it's so compact you're not going to be walking miles every day. Also there aren't any cars so you're not going to have to guide your children across any Italian traffic. The downside is that it is expensive. I'd look into staying on the island of Lido, it's a bit cheaper.

Florence is also a good bet but during high months the lines for museums can be hours.

I would base myself in Sorrento, and do day trips. You can go to Pompei, and go up Mt. Vesuvius, do the Amalfi Drie, and take a hydrofoil to Capri (take a ride on the chairlift.) You can hydrofoil to Naples, and visit the Archaeological Museum. Sorrento has great shopping that kids really seem to love, and a wonderful passeggiata (evening stroll.) Even the kids will be spellbound by the views ( find the gourge with the old mill.) Your kids will have a wonderful time. Sorrento is 1 hr. by train from Naples, and Naples is 1.5 hrs. from Rome by train. Pompei is 30 mins. from Sorrento by train.

Agree that you should only stick to one place. My kids loved Rome when they went (my son was 14 and may daughter 9).

If you are in Tuscany definitely go to Collodi to the Pinnochio Park http://www.pinocchio.it/eng/pinocchio/
It is nothing like what an American theme Park would be but is fascinating to kids, windy paths, lifesize chess pieces, beautiful climbable statues. My son, now 22, remembers it from our trip there when he was 4. We were located in Pescia and just wandered the area, seeing many towns in Tuscany.

I've never been to the Pinocchio Park in Collodi, but I am aware that it pulls very mixed reviews. It is possible that part of the problem has been neglect over the past 20 years.

http://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction...k-Tuscany.html

larik,

I find it impossible to advise you about anything without knowing at which point you plan to enter Italy. Are your driving in, flying in or boating in? Where? It's not easy to move 4 kids around Italy, so you might do best to stay right where you enter. There is always plenty to do in a small area inside Italy.

I know from another thread this trip also includes 4 days Switzerland & 4 days Italy and Milan was mentioned. So Venice & Milan maybe?

You can't really have an "best itinerary" for an entire country with only 4 days time.

where are you flying to? or do you not have any plans yet?

lakecomoexpert~ please allow me to answer, as I see this poster is brand new here. They said on the Swiss post:

< i am travelling from London to Milan on 7th April and have 9 days to stay both in Italy and switzerland.I will be back to London on 17th from Geneva >