italy with kids
 

My husband and I are planning a trip to Italy next May/June with our 6-year-old twin boys, and I'm looking for tips on where to go.

We plan to spend a week or so in Tuscany at an agriturismo, doing day trips from there.

I've been to Italy several times--lived in Rome in college---but never with my kids. We're not interested in schlepping them around from city to city (will probably skip the big cities altogether for this trip.) I anticipate our 'adventures' being along the lines of finding the best gelateria or exploring a castle vs. dragging them to crowded museums/churches.

We're looking for another week or so somewhere else (that we can get to by train) with a different feeling than Tuscany (perhaps a beach?), but a similar pace.

We want to keep it fairly mellow--staying in each place for a week or so---but want to ensure that there is enough to do for both kids and grown-ups.

I would appreciate any and all suggestions.

I suggest spending your second week in the south...we have taken our kids to both the island of Capri and to Positano. Capri we love; cars are not allowed beyond a certain point and you can wander around the cute little town. It's absolutely gorgeous and I enjoyed the action-packed piazetta every night with cafes and great people watching. It is usually very cramped and packed during the day in the summer due to all the day trippers but during that time we would hang around our pool at our hotel (Villa Brunella) and just relax or go to the seaside and hang out on the rocks. Your boys might be too young to enjoy climbing all the rock formations but my son loved it. Positano was also great and so charming...with two 6 year old boys I would stay closer to the bottom of the town, near the water. Hope this info. helps!

mdo,
See my trip report for ideas for kids in Tuscany http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34494897 feel free to e-mail me if you have questions.

Last year we did a week in Tuscany, based south of Siena, and a week in the Cinque Terre, based in Monterosso. Our boys were 7 and 4. We spent half a day in Siena and the rest of our Tuscan time exploring ruins, creeks, and tiny villages.

We had a great time in CT too and hiked the villages, rented a boat, swam, took the train and ferries, and soaked up the atmosphere. Each evening we met other kids in Old Town at the big blow-up slide, and we've stayed in touch with one family we met. We were not bored for a minute.

All these tips are great. Henry, your trip report is so detailed---fantastic!

sprin2,
I was thinking of CT. Do you have a recommendation for where to stay? Did your boys handle the hiking/walking OK? (I've never been to CT, so not sure how navigable it is with young kids, but we do quite a bit of hiking with them at home.)
Also, what time of year were you there?

We were in the CT in August and while it was crowded, that really didn't bother us, and the weather was great. We were with my mom, two sisters and niece and we stayed in a glorious apartment in New Town Monterosso. It was a total splurge for our family but absolutely wonderful. Monterosso was a good base for us due to the sandy beaches, playgrounds, and plenty of choices for shops and markets.

We hike a lot and are a pretty active family. The 7 year old was able to do all the hikes, with some coaxing and bribes; the younger boy did the two easier legs (Corniglia - Manarola - Riomaggiore). We also hiked up into the hills some. The hikes from Monterosso - Vernazza - Corniglia are steep and difficult but we saw many children of about 4 on the trails. I think if you play it up to your twins and then go at a kid-friendly pace they'll be able to do them. Of course you can always travel by rail and boat easily.

Our boys really liked the CT and of all our travels that is the one place they really want return. It's neat to hear them talk about it a year later. Our trip report is http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34523667

sprin2, your trip report was really helpful! CT does sound like a great spot for kids that aged.

Now, I'm trying to figure out the travel logistics. I'm trying to fly into either Pisa or Florence. I'd love to limit the car rental to part to just Tuscany.

Does it make sense to fly into Pisa, take the train to CT, train back to Sienna or Florence and pick up a car there? (Not sure where rental agencies are yet.) I'd prefer a smaller town. Our agriturismo is outside of Cortona.

Thanks again for all the great tips!

oopss... I meant flying into Rome (not Florence) or Pisa, or even Milan, for that matter.

Looking into open jaw tix, but we're planning to skip the big cities this trip, so I'd love to get as close to our destination (Tuscany and Riviera)as possible.

mdo:

If you fly into Pisa, you can easily train to the CT, or pick a car up right there for Tuscany. Pisa would be my choice if there are flights to there from your home.

We had originally hoped to fly to Pisa, but logistics and money made us fly to Milan. We rented our car there, spent our first week in Tuscany and then drove to the CT. We parked for one night in New Town. The next day we used the car to visit Grandma's village and dropped the car in Genoa. The train back was easy. After our week in the CT we took the train back to Milan.

I think Pisa or Genoa would be really simple. Milan wasn't too bad and probably Rome wouldn't be either.