Any opinions on the best way from point A to point B? One way air looks waaay expensive. I've heard that picking up a rental car in France and dropping in Italy is also pricy. I had thought that we'd take the train, but my wife just found a couple of blog posts complaining about Italian trains being dingy and late. Anybody traveled that route by rail, particularly on the night train?

thanks...

I dont know where your wife found that information, Italian trains are not dingy, unless maybe she was referring to small regional or commuter trains, then it may be possible.

I was in Venice last year and took the train from Venice to Nice.I had to change in Milan first,there is not a direct route to Nice.

There is one budget airline, AlpiEagles, that flies from Nice to Venice Marco Polo. Prices start at E19, but with taxes and fuel surcharges the ticket will cost E110 (more if the cheap seats are gone). And some days of the week have no flights.

IMO, the night train would be a good choice, particularly if you book far enough ahead on sncf.com or trenitalia.com to get a special fare.

There is a night train to Venice if you can sleep on the train.

Thanks so much for the replies. I think we will take that train, but I do not think the kids would be able to sleep on it, so I think we might break it up over 2 or 3 days. Where would you stop for a day on that route, Turin, Verona, Milan - or someplace else? Also, does anybody know if there is a big penalty on the fare for breaking the trip into legs like that?

I adore Italy and I think the trains are often dingy and late, especially along the line that runs through Liguria. I have never heard anybody say anything favorable about taking any overnight train in Italy.

You can just buy point-to-point tickets. There are often discounts for children. I'm not an Italian train expert, but some on Fodor's are and you can also ask on the Slow Travel website.

How old are your kids and what time of year are you traveling?

An overnight in Torino gives you the opportunity for the automobile museum, the movie museum or the Egyptian museum -- plus lots of chocolate.

Going along the Mediterranean coast with an overnight in Genova or nearby gives you the acquarium plus the chance to swim. You can peak in on Cinque Terre during a 2 or 3 day stay.

An overnight in Milano is good for the Last Supper, climbing the roof of the Duomo and window shopping in fashion heaven. If you are traveling in high summer, Milano is not someplace you want to be, but you can day trip to Lago Maggiore (1 hour away) and tour the lake and its islands.

Verona is great for its marvelous castle, its Roman arena and Romeo-and-Juliet kitsch.

If your kids are younger, you might prefer stopping Peschiera del Garda (on Lago di Garda) and going to Gardaland, Italy's premiere amuseument park. You can take ferry or hydrofoil trips on Lake Garda to visit other towns, and do a day trip to Verona. For sheer variety, Lago di Garda offers you the most for a 2 or 3 day stop.

When are you taking this trip? Booking far enough in advance may give you a price break over waiting until you get to Europe. However, train fares in Italy are quite reasonable so you could wait until you get to Nice, particularly if you don't take the night train. It's good to book ahead for that one. How many children will be traveling and what are their ages? You can price the segments for daytime rides (for example, Nice-Milan and Milan-Venice) at sncf.com and trenitalia.com. On the Trenitalia site you can get a "Freedom to Travel" (Liberta di viaggiare) fare for as low as 15 euro for Milan-Venice if you take an InterCity train rather than the EuroStar Italia.

Thanks for the input, Ness, I would love to see the Duomo in Milano, so that's a possibility. I was just looking at some photos of Verona too - I think the kids would enjoy the Roman ruins and my wife and I would enjoy the Shakespeare angle and the relatively low tourism profile. Tim, we are researching this trip way in advance. We'll be traveling in early June 07. By then our boys will be 8 and 10. Right now the plan is to fly into Toulouse, rent a car, and spend a week exploring the Dordogne, then we're joining a bunch of other family members to rent a large villa for a week (buying out a B&B actually) in a village near Nice, and then we'll lose the car and spend our last week getting to and seeing Venice. I have not been to Europe in 20 years so I'm pretty excited already!

johng,

given your interests, I really do recommend that you check into the possibility of staying 2 or 3 nights in Desenzano or Pescheria del Garda, where you'd the fun of the lake plus easy day trips to Milan and Verona.

It sounds like stopping for at least one night somewhere between Nice and Venice would work very well for both the parents and the kids. You've been given some good choices on where to do it.