Choosing cruise excursion activities on Italy stops with kids
 

We are taking our 3 sons (12, 16, 18) on a Mediterranean cruise this summer and are struggling with choosing what to see in our limited time at 2 stops - Naples and Florence.

For the Naples stop, our choices are Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi or some combination of the above. They all want to see Pompeii so I need to decide what to combine with it.

For the Florence stop our choices are the city of Florence, or touring the coastal areas such as Cinque Terre and Portovenere or Portofino, Rapallo and Santa Margherita. I think we are leaning towards viewing the stunning coast vs spending the day in the city, even though I know Florence is beautiful.

Shopping is not important to us. Scenery, history, food, etc are.

Thanks for any advice.

I would advise not combining anything further south with Pompeii. Maybe a walking tour of Naples afterward. Get some pizza (Da Michele is close to the port and open all day).

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Resta..._Campania.html


Walking tours here

http://www.naplestoamalficoast.com/t...-walking-tour/

You don't need to pay for an expensive cruise tour. There are buses to Pompeii that leave near the port. The train station is a short taxi ride away.

I wouldn't go to the Cinque Terre on a cruise stopover. The five tiny towns are really overwhelmed with cruisers on day trips. I would go to some other part of the coast, or maybe take a boat tour of the Cinque Terre and other coastal areas.

The cruise port for Florence is Livorno. You could also do a self-guided tour from there, perhaps to Lucca. You'd have to take a taxi to the train station and then a train to Lucca, changing trains in Pisa. Depending on how much time you have, you might be able to visit Lucca and also to get a quick look at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The train to Pisa takes about 20 minutes, and from there to Lucca is about half an hour. Lucca is a beautiful town with a massive city wall. There is a park on top of the wall, and you can rent bikes there.

I think Lucca would be great for your family. You can rent bikes and ride all around the city on top of the walls. Cinque Terre wold be quite crowded. Be careful with trains and getting back to ship - the Italian trains are not always spot on time.

If this is your sons' first trip to Italy, I would suggest:

1) Naples stop - If you have 8 hours, then I'd suggest combining Pompeii with either Sorrento or Positano. Capri requires boat ride both ways, too time-consuming. Amalfi (the town) is too small.

2) Livorno/Florence stop - I'd suggest combining Florence with a stop at the Miracle Field in Pisa to see the Leaning Tower etc. I cannot imagine young men at 16 and 18 don't want to see David and the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio in Florence. Even if you have to make them see it, they will thank you a few years later when they are in college.

Thank you all. We have found a good looking private tour of Pompeii with Positano. Still grappling with Cinque Terre vs Florence...appreciate the advice!

Maybe this will help you decide:

http://www.italiantribune.com/cinque...d-of-tourists/

However, Florence is pretty packed in the summer as well. Fortunately, it's a lot larger so the crowds aren't quite as thick on the ground.