Please help! Planning a trip with a 1.5 year old in tow
 

Hello! I hope you will have some suggestions. My hubby and I are planning a trip to Italy for either march or May of 2007, with a 1.5 year old. We want to go for a week, and were thinking of staying in a villa in Positano. Is it a good idea to break up the trip into 2 seperate cities? AC and Rome? We do not want a car, and are depending on public transportation...Any advice on itineraries? Thanks for your help!!!

I don't have any advice on the travel details. But, I recently read in some parenting magazine that when traveling to a different time zone with a toddler about a week before the trip you should start putting them to bed 30 minutes early and getting them up 30 mintues early. Supposed to help with the time change. I have no idea if this works, but thought I'd pass it along.

Enjoy your trip!

thanks for the tip! I never thought about that! :)

Having travelled with toddlers in Europe for the past few years, I would say that the number one difference will be planning. Just like you need to plan a little more when leaving the house with your child than you would if it was just you. You need to think a few steps ahead, make sure you pack all you could need, and remember that you will not be able to see as much as you would otherwise. This will obviously be a slower paced trip. Find play grounds and take breaks in the middle of the morning and middle of the afternoon for fun and snacking. Whatever you do, do not let having a child keep you from going. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

With only 1 week, and a toddler in tow, I'd suggest staying in just 1 location. Seems much easier imo.

Hi, lmj78! Suze got in before me. I would definitely plan to stay in just one place, where your infant can feel at home and get familiar with his/her room, surroundings etc. our kids still prefer this, and they are 19 & 15 [or perhaps the adventure gene was missed out?]
also, if they need a nap, or get ill [it happened to us once and we were so glad we weren't moving around] you are able to oblige. a happy child means happy parents!

thanks for the tips. It will be our first trip overseas and I am a bit nervous! So much planning and research! Can anyone recommend a villa in or near Positano? Thanks Lisa

Hi, i also have a query about traveling with a toddler (16mths) in Positano. Does any know of a hotel/villa without hundreds of stairs to climb? Or perhaps any other area on the Amalfi Coast that would suit?
Thanks

Don't let your baby's age dissuade you but I do think your plan for a villa/apartment is a good choice. I know of an apartment in Ravello,I haven't stayed here but shopped at the owner's shop. I'll try to find the website for you.

We're taking our 20 month old to Paris and Sicily at the end of the month. DanM, Any other tips?

You may also want to check out this website...www.ciaobambino.com. It's got family friendly accomodations and tips, but be forewarned, not knowing your budget, the accommodations are quite high ended.

Here's the link for the apartments...
http://www.amalficoastrental.com/eng/default.php

You definitely want to rent a place with a toddler. It makes all the difference between a wonderful vacation and a nightmare you never want to repeat. Young children just can't eat every meal in a restaurant! So that probably means you will only be able to go to one city because apartments and villas usually have a one week minimum stay. We traveled to Italy when our youngest was 1.5. You can read the trip report here. http://www.markandmonica.com/Travel/italy.htm

Sorry I cannot help on actual villa recommendations in Italy, but maybe a few issues to check.

* A villa tend to cater to much larger groups. You may want to include an apartment for your search.
* Are there any steep stairs leading to the flat?
* Are there any fireplaces? If so, can they provide safety guard?
* Is there a swimming pool? If so, can they be covered properly so that the child does not fall into?
* Do you need a high-chair and/or a crib?
* Make sure you get a washer AND a dryer. You'll need it. I would also rent linens--less things to carry.

You will need a light folding stroller. Again, good suggestion on sticking to one place, and finding a playground nearby.

oh yeah, that's a good tip about the stairs. Our first apartment in an Agriturismo near Pisa had steep stone stairs INSIDE the apartment. They thought we were crazy when we insisted to change to a ground floor unit (not as bright and airy).

As a parent who travelled many times to Italy with a toddler...my advice would be to SKIP Positano...or at least do not base yourself there. Your stroller will be useless there(!) My pick would be Amalfi...or even Sorrento...although some may say not as charming, your public transportation options CANNOT be beat. Ravello may be romantic and pretty...but it is REALLY boring (in my opinion)...I would not base myself there unless it was just me and my husband ;-) As for splitting your time in Rome...totally a personal choice...but it usually is more difficult to get a rental for less than a week...or more-so anyway. I wouldn't stress out about that long list of W9London's...most VRs are relly used to families and kids and you can ask about amenities and use common sense anyway about what's appropriate. (and I know there must be tons of threads about this...but really unusual to have tumble dryers in Italian homes...I wouldn't let that be a sticking point only for a week...you certainly can hang things out to dry if needed)

Positano is a delicious destination but I agree with the previous poster who suggested choosing a different destination for a trip with a toddler. I would suggest that Positano is definitely a great destination for adults and much older children. Also, if you are depending on public transportation, I would suggest choosing a destination that will be more easily accessible by public transportation. If you want a seaside destination, then I would suggest concentrating on finding a suitable village or small town on the Riviera where your youngster can play on the beach. Having travelled to England when my first son was a year and a half, I can say that the experience was so terrible that I certainly bypassed even the thought of it when son number two came along. The reason it was terrible was the adjustment for the child. My son stayed awake the entire flight which was all night and slept the entire first day we were in London and we never did get straightened out. He also got sick from the difficulty of adjusting to the time change and climate change, etc.

Here's a question for you: since you are going for only a week, can you leave your child at home? He or she will never remember one thing of the trip while you and your husband may find it restorative to be by yourselves for what will seem like a month though it's only a week. Just a thought!
Best to you in your planning,
Jane

Funny, I said the same thing almost a year ago, that I was going to post right now!

after speaking to lots of friends with toddlers and reading these posts we have decieded not to go to the Amalifi Coast but instead Sardinia. does any one know the best spot to go with a beach. I'm from australia so white sand beachs are what we expect, not the large pebbles. many thanks

I can't help you with beaches but for some general advice on traveling to Italy (Rome) with an infant, and a commentary on my first trip overseas with the bambina, please see my recent thread titled "Rome and a Baby". I am not sure how to post the link here. You can click on my name too.

hmmmm....I have had great stays in Italy with only my husband...AND with my husband and child...so I disagree about just leaving your child at home...

some of my BEST family memories have been with my husband and young son in Italy and I think it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience travel WITH a small child...and you really do get a different view of the places you visit...make more friends...and have doors opened to you that would never be if you were travelling as a couple (nothing against that either though!!)

My son spent his 4th birthday in Venice...lost one of his first baby teeth in Amalfi...learned to read during a winter in Avellino, has had "playdates" with children who do not speak a word of English (and he did not speak a word of Italian)and can talk about Rome for hours on end...fascinated by history, food, languages, etc. - and he's six.

I think travelling thoughout his toddler years made him very aware of differentt people and cultures and I hope that this perspective stays with him for his entire life. He has also become a VERY easy traveller and jet-lag, long journeys, etc. to not seem to phase him one bit.

Seriously, travelling in Italy (of all places!!) with a baby is FUN...Italians treat babies (and children) like little royalty!

I have not been to Sardinia but we did a trip to Sorrento and Rome for a total of 1 week when our children were 1.5 and 3.5. Rome is a very walkable city and ours did fine in a double wide Mountain Buggy. While apartments can be nice, we have had a nightmare with one in our travels and we tend to stay in hotels with connecting rooms or apartments within the hotel. So the apartment is not a MUST in my opinion. My children LOVED the fountains in Rome.

We went in January and found Sorrento to be practically shut down. The original plan was 1 week in Sorrento but we left after 3 days. Literally there were about 5 restaurants open in the entire old town. So, if you are going in March, you may want to consider the season. Again, I know nothing about Sardinia.

Rome was such a great winter destination we are going again this year.