Italy for the month of July
 

Hello, my family of 5, 3 kids and 2 adults, are going to Italy for the month of July. We were hoping to stay in a beach town and wanted suggestions on the most affordable areas. The Almafi Coast is beautiful but too expensive. Thanks for any suggestions!

I'd check out anywhere in Puglia.The Gargano peninsula looks similar to the Amalfi Coast.
A little south of the Amalfi Coast is known as Cilento, which has sandy beaches, beautiful hill towns.
I'm a big fan of the Maremma area of southern Tuscany. Monte Argentario reminded me a bit of the Amalfi Coast. But there are also great sand beaches close by.
I don't think anywhere is going to be as expensive as the AC, so really it's wide open. I listed places I know to be scenic, have geographic variety like rocky coast.

Hi rebeccataylor9220, and welcome. I'm going rely on the first-hand knowledge of others, but hub and I, on the way from Turin to Spoleto, changed trains at Ancona. The beach there went on and on and looked inviting. A nice, modern train station as well for day trips.

Here's a link: https://www.thecrazytourist.com

The above link is things to do in Ancona... links get cut off on this Kindle. Ok, it cut off the "15 best things to do in Ancona"...sorry.

How old are the children? When you say beach town, do you want a beautiful beach with sand, simply a town on the water with nice waterfront or water with waves for sports? Are you looking for a lot of sightseeing or just beach time? Are you good with extreme heat? Are you planning to rent a house and stay put the whole time or move around a bit? Will you want to have a car or use only public transport?

Here's the correct link to Ancona: https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-b...-ancona-italy/

Although we did this as a late in the day trip, here's another one closer to Florence:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-...Vacations.html

On the Adriatic coast, Senigallia is a good destination for families, with a wide sandy beach and a gentle slope into the water. I see that there was mention of Ancona, but Ancona doesn't have much of a beach at all, and you can't see it from the train. I think the person who mentioned the beautiful beaches seen from the train probably saw the beaches of Senigallia, just north of Ancona.

Aside from the beaches, Senigallia has a very nice historic center, lots of charming hill towns nearby, and excellent restaurants (including Uliassi with 3 Michelin stars, and Madonnina del Pescatore with 2).

Are you coming from the EU, UK, or one of the few other countries that don't have to remain in quarantine for ten days on arrival?

I stayed several days in Senigallia in 2019 and agree that is wonderful. Also easy to day-trip from there. I stayed at the not-expensive and family friendly Hotel Cristallo. Had a fab lunch at Uliassi but also many other fine meals. It's a terrific town.

But if you're looking for dramatic coastline like the Amalfi Coast, this isn't it.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9cb528326a.jpg
Hotel Cristallo
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...30f00e8e88.jpg
View from room

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...083c2b9f0.jpeg
Senigallia next to the fortezza

Thanks for the correction, bvlenci.

No, Senigallia doesn't have dramatic coast line. There is some dramatic coastline south of Ancona, on the Riviera del Conero. However, it's not really the best place for a family with children. I haven't been in all of the Riviera towns, but the ones I've seen had narrow, pebbly beaches, with a sharp drop-off in the sea bed. They are often extremely crowded in the summer, especially on weekends. Senigallia can be crowded on weekends also, but nothing like, for example Portonovo on the Riviera. They often close off the access road, so if you're arriving by car, you might have to turn back,

Here is an album I've made of Senigallia.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/XDgzp9ZRDrwdthoz2
I stayed once at the Hotel Universal for a spa weekend with a friend of mine. It's a nice hotel, but I can't compare it with others. We live near enough to Senigallia that we've never needed a hotel, except once when we were arriving from a late flight in Ancona., and we were tired and had nothing to eat at home.

Here's a link to information about the Riviera del Conero.
Beaches in the riviera - Conero.it

Another difference between Senigallia and the Riviera del Conero is that you can easily get to Senigallia by train, but public transportation to the Riviera is mainly by slow bus from Ancona, unless you have a car. If you have a car, it would be best to stay within walking distance of a beach, because parking at the beach is a big problem there. Parking at the beach can be a problem in Senigallia also, but there are parking lots near enough to walk there, and there is a bus that runs all along the beach and connects to parking lots.

Yes, I was there in June--it wasn't crowded and thus parking was not a problem. I can imagine that it might get mobbed more in-season. I took the train from Venice to Pesaro and rented a car there.

For hiking, I drove to the Riviera del Conero and used trails there. Very beautiful. Because it wasn't crowded, the beaches were pleasant as well.

I'm over-posting because that was my last international vacation and it's nice to think of it.

It is so nice to reminisce! I spent a day in Sirolo while staying in Senigallia--I like a pebble beach, and the harder to get to the better. There was a shuttle, but we hiked down and back. In late May it was delightful, but I imagine summer would be crowded. I also stayed a night in Fano, which had a wonderful town beach (again pebbles).

Nice photos, bvlenci. I didn't mention Menton, France but it's a stone's throw from Ventimiglia, Italy. Hub and i were there in cool weather so did not go to the beach. And what about Comiglia? I haven't been there so need info.

We go to Senigallia by car throughout the summer. We usually go early in the morning for a walk along the beach, and usually on weekdays. For crowded times, we know a church one street back from the beach that has a fairly big parking lot, mostly unused on weekdays and Saturdays, We always go to the part of the beach north of the port (or west, depending on how you look at it). I can see that Leely was very near the port, on the south end. The northern side has a fairly long stretch of "free beach", meaning no bathing establishments. However, you have to bring your own umbrella, chairs, etc. There is an occasional enclosure where you can leave your gear overnight, unprotected, but not very risky. There are also some cold water showers, unenclosed, and some bars have showers for a fee. All of my beach photos above are on the free beach. The northern beach used to be the "hoi polloi" beach, while the "better class" went to the south side, but these distinctions have mostly disappeared.

I have a friend who much prefers pebble beaches because she can't abide sand inside her bathing suit.

Oh golly, bvlenci, there has to be a funny remark about that. 😁

Orbetello
 

I recommend Orbetello and the surroundings. Nice sandy beaches, Argentario mountain is great for hiking, biking, and you have many options for accommodation, from camping, to family B&B , to apartments ....
Enjoy!!!

Yes Orbetello is in the Maremma, or maybe just next to it. It's a lovely area. Part of the Maremma is a nature reserve with limited car access. I've never spent time on a beach there, but we walked in from the main road once.

The Isola del Giglio, a small island just off the coast in that part of Tuscany, is also very nice.