kellieR

We are a ciuple with 2 teenage kids travelling to Europe in July 2012. We would like to make most of our trip and want to spend a total of 5 nights in Italy. My kids do not like a lot of museums but are interested in becahes.

We plan to spend 4 days in Rome with a day trip to the Amalfi coast and a day trip to Florence and then visit Venice. What is the bext itinerary anybody can suggest ?

Thanks in advance

Dusty_roads

Hi Kellie,

We're a family with 2 teens that also likes to squeeze a lot into our trips, but I think you'll need to pare this back. 4 major stops in 5 days is not realistic. You'll spend most of your time traveling and not enjoying Italy.

Michel_Paris

Where are you flying into and out of? Rome/Venice?

Not a lot of time, 1st day is jetlag and getting to hotel, last day to airport.

So..what are you arrival day and leaving day (1 and 5?)

You plan 1 day for Florence and Venice? With only 5, might just do Rome/Venice, train between two

annhig

hi Kellie,

if you like beaches, go to Livorno or Viareggio, and do day trips to places like Pisa and florence.

there is I gather a beach near Rome, but it's not very popular with non-locals.

IMHO you don't have time to do more than one place, if you want to spend time on the beach.

Mimar

5 nights IS 4 days. You lose a lot of time in arriving and departing. So you only have time for Rome and your day trips. A day trip from Rome to the Amalfi coast would be a long day. How do you plan to do this?

And what are the parameters of your whole trip? Are you arriving in Rome after a long overnight flight? If so, you will be sleepy and jet-lagged for the first day or so. Where are you leaving from and how?

As a general rule, involving kids in the trip-planning makes them more willing and interested travelers. Give them guidebooks to read and videos to watch. Maybe let them each pick one sight to see in Rome.

Too bad about missing Venice. It's one spot kids are really intrigued by. No cars or trucks, just water buses and water taxis and gondolas. Unless you're big fans of Renaissance art and architecture, you could consider dropping Florence. It's main sights are museums and churches.

Sassafrass

Visit Rome or Venice with perhaps a short day trip. You could day trip to Orvieto or Florence from Rome. You could visit the islands of Murano or Burano or day trip to Padua from Venice. If you based in Florence, you could day trip to Siena, Lucca, or Pisa.

The Amalfi Coast as a day trip from Rome is not realistic.

I've toured Italy twice with teens. The absolute favorite place of every single one was Venice.

kellieR

I am taking a train from Monaco to Rome. I am arriving from the Us to paris one week before and will be spending one week in France before taking the train to Rome.

In Rome this is what I would like to do is stay in Rome for 4 days and do a day trip to Amalfi Coast and just Capri. Then the evennings to do all the sights in Rome. Take a train to Florence spend 2 days there and finally a train to Venice and spend one day there. In total I will have 7 days in Italy. I want to make most of my trip but do not want my kids to feel rushed. What is the best way to make this possible ?

annhig

In Rome this is what I would like to do is stay in Rome for 4 days and do a day trip to Amalfi Coast and just Capri.>>

Kellie - on the one hand you say that you don;t want your kids to feel rushed but on the other you want to see 4 major cities/tourist attractions in Italy in 7 days. those two desires are mutually exclusive. that is what posters above have been trying to tell you. let me set out what your current itinerary really means:

Day 1 - arrive in Rome [? what time does the train get in? if coming from monaco presumably not very early.

Day 2 - Rome

Day 3 - "day trip" to the amalfi and capri [i doubt very much if this is technically feasible but if it is, it'll mean a very early start and a late return, and you'll no sooner have got there when it's time to come back]

day 4 - recover from Day 3

day 5 - train to Florence. arrive lunch time.

Day 6 - florence

Day 7 - train to Venice, arrive after lunch...oops - no time to see Venice.

Day 8 - is there a day 8?

ie you are spending 3 of your days travelling. most of the sites of Rome are closed in the evenings - will your children be content just to see the outside of the colosseum?

the best way to make the best of your trip is to cut down on the places you stay at. in 7 days [which is only 6 nights] stay in rome for 4 nights and venice for 2. Scrub the amalfi.

OR - fly to Naples, spend 3 nights on the amalfi, then get the train to Rome and finish your trip there.

sadly, you can't do it all, and trying to will lead to your having a very rushed trip.

annhig

oops - just spotted that according to your original post, you only have FIVE nights in italy.

that's 4 whole days if you are travelling either side of those nights.

pick one place and stay there is my advice.

tommyp

I think it's pretty unanimous. I'd miss Florence, mostly museums and art and atmosphere - you can get plenty of that in Rome. And a day trip to Amalfi is just long enough to get there, take a few pics, a meal and head back. It depends on whether it's more important to be able to say you've been to Florence and Amalfi or to really travel there and have good experiences you'll remember for a lifetime.
I think Venice is unforgettable and deserves at least two or three days - and do a day trip out to Burano AND Murano - you can cover both thoroughly in a full day. Plus the express train ride is great, and scenic.
Experience Italy rather than travel through it.

charnees

What happens after Venice? Do you fly home? move to another country? What?

Annyway,what I would do if I had my choice here is take the train from Monaco to Venice. You will get there late in the day. Spend 2 nights there. (That makes ONE full day.)

Take the train to Rome. Same as Venice, you will get there late. Spend two nights (ONE full day).

Take the train to Amalfi. Spend two nights there. (Again, ONE full day. Fly home, or to wherever you are going, from Naples.

To me, this is very rushed. I don't know how your kids will feel about it. Show them this itinerary and see what they think.

Just a postscript: why are you going to Monaco? It's not all that big a destination.

Mimar

Yes, why spend time in Monaco and then skimp on Italy?

RonZ

This is an awful lot of jumping around, enhanced by a rush through France all the way to Monaco. Better figure out how much transit time is involved getting from hotel to hotel and doing day trips.

Train schedules here:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?

If you decide to concentrate more on Italy, there is an overnight train from Paris to Venice.