First Trip to Paris/Italy
 

I am busily planning our family's first trip to Europe. We are hoping to spend 4 days in Paris and then take a train to Italy. Having never been, I need help in choosing a city to visit in Italy. My husband is thinking Florence for 2 days and then on to Rome for another 4. I know of many things to do and see in Paris and Rome, but am wondering what to do in Florence? We will have our kids, ages 11 and 8, and are traveling in the first 2 weeks of June, 2007. I would LOVE any advice you can share with this frazzled teacher and mother who is trying to make the most of a dream trip! Thanks in advance for all of your suggestions and help.
Emily

first, make sure you have AC in hotels in Italy.
Florence is lovely and small enough that you can see the city in 2 days.
Visiting galleries may not be for kids
but after Paris , and before Rome, you may wish to take it easy.
Most gide books have some suggestions
about what might be interesting for kids .
When you have some idea what you wish to see, it may be an idea to
talk to your kids about the trip

Yes, I have heard that Florence is really for the art lover and I think it would be nice to have a couple of quiet days to just relax, walk around and enjoy the country. I will look more into recommendations for kids traveling there. Any hotel recommendations for Florence? Rome? Emily

You may want to consider doing something coastal in between Paris and Rome, Ligurian coast or Amalfi coast. Your kids might enjoy some time on the beach. We were in Lerici on the Ligurian coast for 4 days last June and we all really enjoyed it. Our first trip to Italy was March 2005 when our kids were 9 and 12, we did Rome, Venice an Florence. Here is a link to my trip report:http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34599242.

Here is the link to my trip report from last June when we went to Lerici among other stops: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34830020.

I am not sure about the logistics of getting to one of these places from Paris, bu I hope you might find the trip reports helpful.

Hi

I can' really help you with Florence as I haven't been there...yet :d. But my wife and I went to Paris in April last year and I have posted a trip report with pictures and links on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/Paris_France.htm . I have also made an interactive Google map that shows the location of the different attractions. You can find the map here http://gardkarlsen.com/paris_france_map.htm . I have also made a similar report from Rome on http://gardkarlsen.com/rome_italy.htm and a Google map on http://gardkarlsen.com/rome_italy_map.htm . Hope that you can find some useful information in the reports. Get in touch if you have any questions.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Thanks to jgg and gard for your insight and links to your trip blogs. I will be reading through them later today and taking notes! My family lives in Phoenix and we are also of the beach vacation set: disneyland, DisneyWorld, southern California, Caribbean, etc. So... this is really MY trip as I have dreamed of going to Paris and Europe since I was a child begging my Dad to take sabbatical. Keep the advice coming!
Emily

if you are staying in Paris and Rome for 5 nights (4 days), you may look into renting an apt.
If you give people an idea of your budget per night, more posters will be able to suiggest where to stay.

Your kids might enjoy the Science Museum in Florence...

It's by the Arno, between Ponte Vecchio and Palazzo Vecchia.
Scientific instruments,including those used by Galileo, medical displays (graphic)...

http://www.imss.fi.it/
http://www.frommers.com/destinations...ce/A33273.html

Hi EG,

May I suggest:

4 days in Paris is two days too short.

Overnight trains are much more expensive than flying.

See www.voyages-sncf.com, www.whichbudget.com

You have left out Venice for a reason?

With only 2 weeks (or less) I would fly into Florence FLR or Pisa PSA for 4 nights in Florence (daytrip to Pisa for the kids, daytrip to Siena for the adultsj), train to Venice for 3 nights, fly www.myair.com to Paris for 6 nights, fly home.

See www.kayak.com for airfare.

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Hi Emily,What fun it is planning a "dream trip"!! I agree, you will need AC. You might want to look into an apartment,we took our kids the same time last summer,except stayed the whole time in Rome, in two hotel rooms. I would have preferred an apartment, it would have cost less, and a kitchen would have been nice. A lot of people here seem to like this site http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/vr/index.htm .It may help you.I can't help you much on Florence,as far as what kids would enjoy,I'm sure you'll get loads of suggestions.I can give you the name of a hotel where we're staying(no kids this summer).http://www.hotelcasci.com/index.htm. It is highly reccommended here. With any hotel it's a great idea to check it out on http://www.tripadvisor.com/. There are so many helpful sites and people who will help you with traveling with children. Have fun planning,as I am,and make the most of this wonderful forum as I have in the past(and present). (: Genie

for any first time trip to europe i always recommend two sources of great free info. www.ricksteves.com and especially Budget Europe's free European Planning and Rail guide, which is packed with useful info whether traveling by train or not free at www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

If I were you, I'd leave out Rome this trip and go to Venice instead. Paris and Rome are both large and overwhelming, whereas Venice is smaller and more managable (and magical IMO).

There's lots to do in Florence, though an 8 year old might be a bit young for some of it, but both kids (and you and DH no doubt) will all be able to enjoy Venice.

Thanks again, everyone, for your input. Planning this trip is getting overwhelming.
artlover:I had thought of visiting Venice, but was told that maybe Rome would be more exciting for the kids with the history they would be more familiar with there.
ira: thanks for the suggested itinerary. I will look more into what you have recommended.
Genie: It is a thrill planning this trip. I can barely think of anything else. It has been many, many years coming. I have looked into apartments in Paris and will do the same for Rome. I have found many great links on this site and am thrilled to have so many seasoned travelers helping me.
palenQ: thanks for your suggestion about Rick Steve. I do have his book on Paris and will get another when we narrow down our city(ies) for Italy. I have found his book very helpful and fun.I love the walks he suggests, as I am hoping to soak in all the life and experience of being in France and Italy more than anything else.
New questions: it is less expensive to fly from France to Italy than to take the train? Also, how many of you would recommend Venice? Rome? And why? (did that question sound too much like a teacher?) :)
Emily

Knowing that this is you first trip to Paris/Italy I would do Paris -Venice - Rome, even over my other suggestion of the coast, assuming your kids won't need major downtime.

Our kids loved both Rome and Venice. We enjoyed Florence too, but with kids I would definitely pick both Rome and Venice over Florence.

If I had to pick between Venice and Rome I guess it would depend on how much time I had. If I had atleast 4 days - then I would definitely pick Rome. If you only had 2-3 days, that woudn't do Rome justice but you could see Venice in that amount of time, so with a shorter stay, I would pick Venice.

If you have to make a choice because you have time limitations, I believe the children would love Venice. Paris and Rome, I think, are musts because of the history and the grandeur. Venice will give you something very different. The kids will have a blast -- so will you!

jgg and leburta: the amount of time we have for the entire trip is two weeks. i am told by some that we should have 6 days in Paris, one including a day trip to Versailles, and from there i don't know. do you think 6 days is necessary? i don't want to rush it and don't want to overdo things with the kids. they are well traveled but this will be, by far, the biggest trip for any of us. we all have such high expectations. so, if we do 6 days in paris and a day to travel to italy, we then have another 7 days to play. looking at the map of italy, it seems that venice and rome are so far apart from eachother. i am assuming we will lose a day of pleasure due to another day of travel between those two cities? Also, someone mentioned maybe spending a couple of days in Lake Como and then just moving on to Venice and saving Rome for another trip? if we visit venice and rome, do you think 2 days in venice is enough? then another 5 in rome? or would 3/4 be a better split? my goodness, i am overwhelmed!
emily

Hi Emily!

I hope that you have a wonderful time on your dream trip. I would suggest:

5 days in Paris (remember that you'll probably lose at least part of the first day to jet lag, even if you're excited to be there!)

5 days in Florence with day trips to: Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano ( picnic in the countryside outside the medieval walls, then return early evening for dinner before heading back to Florence- magical!)or Volterra, which is home to a 1st century Roman theatre, and is fun to explore.

4 days in Rome- Do some research here and find a guide who's wonderful w/kids for a private tour of the Colisseum and other ROman sights. It makes the rich history of Rome come alive for kids in a way that touring on your own or in a large group doesn't.

Why have I skipped Venice? To simplify your itinerary and because if my kids had to vote to see Pisa or Venice, Pisa would win hands down. There's no doubt that the tower and area around it is tacky, but there's nothing like seeing for yourself what you've previously only viewed in text books.

If you post other suggestions, and your hotel budget, you're sure to get tons of suggestions.

You might also want to pick up the old titles put out by ( I think?) Fodors or Frommers called, PARIS WITH KIDS and ROME WITH KIDS. They may be dated, but some of the suggestions would still help you form an itinerary.

Emily- you are getting a lot of good but different advice. It is important now for you to sit down as a family and talk about what are the things that get you guys excited. Seeing the leaning Tower, going on a gondola ride, exploring the Colesseum?

We did spend a week in Paris (I gave you the link to my trip report on your France thread), with a daytrip to Normandy. It would be great to spend 6 days there, but if you have only 5 you could skip the daytrip - or play it by ear. When I was planning our trip to Paris I was super indecisive about a daytrip to Normandy or to Versailles. I REALLY wanted to do Normandy but was being swayed by those who said not to do it in a daytrip. I finally sat down and searched on this website for "kids teens Versailles" and "kids teens Normandy". Without exception those people who had gone to Versailles with their kids said the kids were bored, those who had gone to Normandy (even in a daytrip) had said it was the highlight of the trip. Right after that I made the decision to book a daytrip to Normandy and it was the highlight of our trip as well!!

My point is do some more research and then decide what you think will work best for all of you. Unfortunately, you can't see it all and though you may be thinkiing this is a once in a lifetime trip, don't be surprised if you find yourself planning a return trip!! My daughter who was 12 when we were planning our first trip, found she enjoyed reading the posts on this site as well. So let your oldest do some reading here and see what they think of what people say.

I think the books Weadles is referring to are by Fodors. They have a series "Around Paris with Kids", "Around Rome with kids", etc. I have used them on all our trips.

Dear jgg and weadles: Thank you! I think the advice I have gotten so far is great too. I am so impressed by how well traveled so many of you Fodorites are. I have only dreamed of trips like these and honestly can't believe its actually going to happen for me. I will sit down with my family this weekend and talk it over in more detail. I do think that we are leaning towards the 5 days in Paris, a day of travel to Italy, and then 2 days in Florence ending with 5 days in Rome. I think we will use the days in Florence to relax a bit, as suggested in an earlier post, in between Paris and Rome. The kids are definetely into Rome and all the history there. I am going to look into the private tours as you suggested, Weadles. I think that sounds like a great way for all of us to experience the Colliseum and other locations. Keep the ideas coming! As for our interests? You name it, we just want to see all that we can without dropping dead from exhaustion. We are into seeing things off the beaten path and experiencing some things that not the average tourist would. Any new ideas? Your favorite spots? As for lodging, I love the idea of an apartment for the convenience but... will that work if we aren't staying for a full week? If not, then I will be looking for a nice hotel, with a/c and comfortable, larger rooms to accomodate all of us. We are willing to spend about $150-$300 USD per night. Obviously the cheaper the better but we are NOT willing to compromise comfort for price. Does that help? Thanks again, I don't know where I'd be with my planning now if I hadn't found all of you here!
Emily

you can rent apt for less than a week

www.vacationinparis.com
www.parisattitude.com
www.romesweethome.it

and many others

nbujic: thank you! :) i will look at the sites this weekend. i think i will be on my computer for hours and hours just planning.
emily

Be sure that you have AC if you are in Venice. The mosquitoes make the nights unbearable without it. In June Venice will be packed and crowded so keep that in mind. We went with my nieces to Italy when they were 9 and 7 and the thing that liked the best was the pool in London and in Rome and in Tuscany so consider your childrens interests as you make plans. We enjoyed Tuscany though with the kids. Plan plenty of Ice cream breaks and long enough lunches. Have you thought of staying in France and staying at a resort with a pool in the countryside? Then you could do day trips for culture and fun. Even the best travellers have a tough time with foreign travel and kids have a tougher time still. Resist the tempation to try to see too many places.

tinarose: yes, i have thought about that issue with the kids. the problem will be keeping my husband from going too crazy and trying to do every thing on this trip. i wil have to work at slowing him down a bit to let the kids enjoy and relax some of the time. part of my interest is just being there, soaking up all the ambience, the people, the food, the sites and sounds of a place with history and character. we now live in phoenix and frankly, there is really none of that here. the city is so "new" that i am just wanting to be a part of something so much bigger than what we are used to. i am a teacher and love history so i am looking forward to the learning involved with taking the trip as well. i think the more i do to involve the kids in the planning, even share the languages, food, movies and books with them, then the better it will be. i hope to teach them some of what we will be seeing before the trip, and then have them learn while we visit. i would love for them to keep journals with photos to remember this experience. i will definetely look into staying in a hotel with a pool, that is something i had not thought of before. my kids spend their entire summer swimming in the desert heat, so that is a great idea for us. any other suggestions? can you recommend any hotels with pools?
emily

It's Europe: YOU will almost certainly have a great time almost anywhere you end up. I'll bet your kids will too. So don't fret terribly about this.

My personal suggestion is 4 days each in London, Paris, and Rome. You mention it is your "dream trip", and for most North Americans these are the dream Euro destinations. All these cities offer plenty to see and do when your energy levels are up; and lots of parks and other kid-friendly amusements when you just want to watch the world go by.

Aside: I just asked my daughter (about your oldest's age when we first went) what she liked the most in Europe. She replied that it is hard to answer, since there is so much to like! Interestingly, she gave me a "grown-up" answer: the art & architecture.

So your kids might surprise you.

Emily:

In Paris, check out Hotel de La Fleurie in the 6th. It has some "family rooms", which may work well for you. I'm just not sure whether the rate will be too high. The hotel is beautiful, very Parisian, and in a great location for exploring most of what you'd want to see in Paris.

In Florence, if you don't mind a B&B, check out TOURIST HOUSE GHIBERTI. It's literally around the corner from the Duomo, so in a very central location. The B&B is very small, on the top floor of an old building,but the rooms are extremely well-equipped,( good beds, flat screen TVS!, wonderful AC, free internet use) comfortable, and reasonably priced. The young couple who run the place are very knowledgeable about Florence.

In Rome, we really like ALBERGO DEL SENATO, which is on the Piazza della Rotunda, just acaross a tiny street from the Pantheon. It's a fantastic location for exploring much of Rome, and the staff couldn't be better, but I think the rates will be too high in the summer.

You might also check HOTEL MOZART, which has some apartments to rent as well, but again, I'm not sure of the rates.

Off-topic, I'd suggest pulling up posts written by GRINISA and BEATCHICK for really helpful info about Rome.

Good luck!

Hi eg,

>..it seems that venice and rome are so far apart from each other.

It's 4.5 hr by train.
See www.trenitalia.com

You qualify for family fare with the 11 year old and child's fare for the 8 year old.

((I))

Weadles: thanks for the hotel and b&b recommendations. i will look into them this weekend.

Ginto:you have made a wonderful suggestion, but i think london is out for this trip. i will be sure to plan another for next year when we can go there :) also, i love your daughter's answer and can hear my son saying the same thing. he is an old soul in a young boy's body. he is thrilled about going and can't wait for all of it.

thanks again for all of your helpful suggestions. :)
emily

I would say from personal experience, Florence has the best food and the most culture. You can literally get "lost" in the city and see tons of great sights, meet many hospitable people and really soak up the Florentine culture. Rome is a bit more commercialized but the architecture and museums are a must-see. It's definitely everything you would imagine, if not more.