We are planning a trip to Italy (2 couples 3 kids between the ages of 7-9) for 10 days. Our interests are scenery, relaxation, wineries, quaint towns and some activities to keep the kids entertained. We do not like tours or crowds. We are complete newbies so any help is appreciated. Would you recommend Tuscany and Florence or Tuscany/Florence and Amalfi coast. We want to make sure the pace is not too hectic. We are thinking about skipping Rome until the kids are a litter older.

I think a week in an agriturismo in Tuscany would be ideal. At least that is what we did with another couple when our kids were the same ages. Rent a mini-van so you can drive around. Get a place with a pool. You won't find one perfect spot in Tuscany to see everything in the region, but don't worry, you can always go back. Our place was 1/2 hour outside Florence. We took the train in one day and drove and parked on the outside another day. It was a great way to visit Florence as we found it to be hot and crowded - so after 1/2 day each time we enjoyed heading back to the pool and a quiet dinner in a village nearby.

But remember, you still need to fly in and out of someplace and depending on where you are flying from you will likely be in either Milan or Rome. Our kids loved Rome - there is nothing like the Colosseum! Personally I'd stay a few days in Rome then get the rental car and head up to Tuscany.

I agree with AtlTraveler that the Colosseum in Rome is fun for kids. So are the piazzas with fountains, especially at night. But Rome is intense, for sure.

Another alternative if you fly into Rome is to go to Orvieto by train (2 hours) and spend a night or two . It's up on a high mesa and you reach the town by riding a funicular that goes straight up the hill. Kids love that ride. The views of the countryside are lovely. It's very low key in the town, with few cars. There is a park near the funicular that used to be a fort, there is a deep well dug down from the top for water during sieges in the renaissance, and for a fee you can climb down the hundreds of steps (a double helix) to the bottom - or not all the way if it's too long. There is an underground tour, as the mesa is riddled with caves and tunnels, and some of the restaurants are actually in caves. And for the grownups, the Duomo is gorgeous and there is an Etruscan museum across the street. also some nice shopping for ceramics. Then you can pick up a car and drive west to Lago di Bolsena and see Civita di Bagnoregio and north through Val d'Orcia Tuscan wine country as far into Tuscany as you want to go. civita di B is amazingly poised on a cliff that is crumbling away and the town keeps getting smaller and smaller. Google it to see some photos.

But your arrival cities are more diverse than Atl suggested. you can fly into Pisa, Florence, Bologna, Venice, Naples, etc., depending on your itinerary.

My kids loved Rome when they were that age. They went to the top of St Peter's, threw coins in the Fountain, etc. They also loved Venice and Florence. We had read stories of Roman history before the trip. Your kids are not too young for any of it. It is a great opportunity for them to see things first hand, rather than just pictures in books.

I forgot about climbing to the top of St. Peter's - definitely a highlight. And in Siena there is another tower (but I thought it was scary!) as well as all the other towers in the Tuscan towns (i.e. San Giminano). We stayed right across from Trevi fountain in Rome so that was fun as well. And my kids preferred Venice to Florence - it is also a city that is flyable from the states.

Along the same lines, I would love some advice. We will be travelling in Italy at the end of May to the middle of June with our 5 & 8 year old children. We have a lot of ideas for Rome although I'd love some advice on the beaches at Ostia in case we need to get out of town. Our next stop is Venice then a villa outside of Florence (with a pool Then it's up in the air but at the top of our list is staying outside of Cinque Terre, Bologna and outside of Parma to visit family friends. We've been reading books on Italy but would appreciate any tips you have!

I know the OP says he/she doesn't like tours, but we did a fantastic tour in Venice with our then 9 year old. It was the Lion Hunt tour offered by Context Tour Company (http://www.contexttravel.com/city/Venice). The tour was geared towards our child - sort of like a scavenger hunt through Venice. Our daughter looked for lions (the symbol of Venice - they are everywhere) while the tour guide kept us all entertained with the history of the sights. We also did a wonderful Context tour of the Borghese Gallery in Rome that was geared towards our daughter.

A

mnag,
This may give you some ideas http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...o-and-rome.cfm