I am taking my granddaughter (age 14) to Italy in April. We only have 8 (actually 7 1/2) days. We fly into Rome for 3 nites then to Florence for 3 nites and to Venice for 2 nites. We will be travelling between cities by train and departing at the end of our trip from Venice.
Our hotels are booked.
Any suggestions for a teenager? I don't want to overload her with museums but would like her to have a a good overview.

Hi H,

>Any suggestions for a teenager?<

See one museum a day.

Walk, eat gelato
Walk, eat a panino
Walk, eat a pizza

Repeat as necessary

Have a lovely visit.

I know these are museum, but they are on the small side and easier to deal with than some of the overwhelmingly large ones, Borghese Gallery in Rome (buy tickets in advance), and the history of Science museum in Florence (great for kids, and a nice change from art museum).

14 is a great age. She's old enough to really appreciate this trip. I'm sure whe will also love the ancient ruins (colleseum, etc) in ROme. Take guided tours or rent the audio tours when you visit major sights.

The two of you will have a great time!

Rome:
climb St. Peter's Dome (afterseeing the inside)
put your hand in the Boca della Verita
see the Catacombs
shop Via Condotti

Florence:
shop
take one day to see a hilltown for a change of pace

Venice:
wander

and, eat gellato twice a day!

Hello himelbee!!!

I just became a Mamaw 9 weeks ago to a Beautiful Baby Girl, Alyce Semone. And I too am planning a trip to Rome with Her..Though My Daughter said not till She's 3, I'll still keep on planning.

Rome is a great city for teenagers. My Niece and Nephew who are teenagers were in Rome with our Family in November, and they had a blast. They Loved the train station which has plenty of little restaurants and shops. There is a Puma store that is very popular with teenagers right now. Also there is a Hard Rock Cafe there in Rome and that is very popular with the kids. Also there is a bus tour 110 bus and it takes You through the city past all the major sites. It's a good way of seeing the city and getting your bearings about Rome. It's an open bus as well and We all loved that.

Venice was nothing like Rome. We got there by train and took the water shuttle to San Marco stop to our Hotel. Out Hotel was new and very very nice. It was cold and rainy while in Venice and I froze my butt off. I cold right through my shoes. It was really cool at night time. so many People came out and it was like a movie. All these little streets crowded with some Awesome People watching. After a while all the shops start looking the same. But the city is known for it's glass factories and the glass art work will blow (no pun intended) You mind. I saw chandeliers that I would have given my eye teeth for. But as far as Food, everything was outragous. 6.50 euro for a scoop of ice cream. 5.00 euro for cappacino. Our Hotel provided breakfast which was great, so We had a wonderful big breakfast to get us through.

Can't say anything about Florence, didn't get that far. However, I am going with a group of 40 French and Spanish students to Barcelona, Nice,Avignon,Pisa,Florence and then Rome. I'm a chaperone and I am so looking forward to the Statue of David and getting a picture of Me holding up the leaning tower of Pisa.

Have the Most Amazing time in with Your Granddaughter, I so envy You. I'll keep planning My trip with Alyce. Though I will likely die of heartache being away from Her for 10 days. But I commited to this trip Last March. Little did I know the most Wonderful Precious baby would be in My life.

Take Care and God Bless,
Theresa from Detroit

I agree with the suggestion of one historic and/or artistic site in the mornings and then relaxing after lunch.

For Rome, I think the Colisseum and the Forum are essential, and St. Peter's Basilica but NOT the Vatican Museum or even the Sistine Chapel, with it's long lines.

Also essential is the Pantheon, which can be combined with a visit to the Piazza Navona. Nearby the Piazza Navona is a marvelous tiny place that serves Roman "pizza bianca" -- a kind of fluffy foccacia that is made into mouthwatering sandwiches. It's great to plan to grab a lunch sandwich there and eat it in the Piazza Navona. Top it off with a gelato from Tre Scalini.

I think the Trevi Fountain is most fun at night. (There is a famous gelateria nearby, San Crispino).

If your granddaugtrer is interested in trying new and authentic Roman foods, the fried artichokes (as well as the fried cod) at Da Giggetto is great, and it has the added bonus of being right next door to the Porta d'Ottavia, which is magical to see at night. Dinner there might be a treat.

In Firenze, I would skip the major warehouse museums (L'Uffize and the Bargello) in favor of the unique Museo San Marco with its monk cells decorated with angels by Fra Angelico. Another small but very user friendly museum is the Museum of the Duomo. Those two museums, along with the Duomo itself and the Baptistery, would be enough in my book. Walks in the Boboli gardens, with the fantastic views of Florence, plus of course, hanging out in the piazzas and the San Lorenzo market.

The basilica San Marco never disappoints. I would also suggest entering the scuolas San Rocoo and Carmine, with their faboulous interior craftsmanship.

But most of all I would suggest that you invest in a good picture book of all these places and let your granddaughter tell you what she would be most excited to see with her own eyes.

Just to be clear: my last next-to-last paragraph referred to sightseeing in Venice.

What a lovely grandmother you are!

Generally, you will love walking, exploring, and eating gelato (as others have repeatedly commented!)

We've taken our kids (same age) to those cities, and here are a few specific highlight activities that they enjoyed:

VENICE: gonodola ride, going to the top of the campanile in St. Mark's square (there's an elevator), taking a water taxi to our hotel upon arrival to the city.

FLORENCE: seeing David in the Accademia (get a reservation in advance), climbing the campanile (this was a recurring theme on our trip), a private walking tour of the city's highlights, the view from Piazza Michelangelo.

ROME: another walking tour of ancient sites and the many beautiful squares and fountains, also the Vatican guided tour -- see my comments on this at
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...een_name=dina4

My daughter and I enjoyed renting and watching Roman Holiday before we went. She then really wanted to visit the Boca de Veritas.

Have fun!!!

If your granddaughter is fashion conscious, she will probably be glad to get a jump on US fashions by buying in Italy! If your budget doesn't run to designer shops, don't worry - those are fun to look in the windows, but there are plenty of shops selling wonderful stuff a lot cheaper.

See http://www.beginningwithi.com/italy/...nteenshop.html for some ideas on where teens shop in Milan - you'll find the same brand-name shops in Rome, and more.

In Venice, of course, she can buy wonderful glass jewelry. And in all Italian cities there are street stalls selling cool stuff cheap.

best regards,
Deirdré Straughan

beginningwithi.com