pls suggest a week long italy vacation with a 1 yr old. Thanks!
Jun 18th, 2012, 06:34 AM
#1
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pls suggest a week long italy vacation with a 1 yr old. Thanks!
Hi,
My husband is travelling to latina for work and i would love to grab this opportunity to see a little bit of italy. He can extend his trip by a week and i can join him with our 1 yr old. Now i really wanted to see amalfi coast, capri and venice but it appears to be hard with a baby(canals and stairs). Please suggest some alternative areas. I know i am asking a very general question, sorry i dont have much background of italy and i have just started thinking about this. any help will be appreciated. here is what i am looking for:
-want to see beautiful scenery, charming towns etc
-not interested in museums with the baby
-want to see a few towns if possible but too much travelling with the baby might be hard
-not interested in food and wine trips
-something budget friendly
THANKS!!!
My husband is travelling to latina for work and i would love to grab this opportunity to see a little bit of italy. He can extend his trip by a week and i can join him with our 1 yr old. Now i really wanted to see amalfi coast, capri and venice but it appears to be hard with a baby(canals and stairs). Please suggest some alternative areas. I know i am asking a very general question, sorry i dont have much background of italy and i have just started thinking about this. any help will be appreciated. here is what i am looking for:
-want to see beautiful scenery, charming towns etc
-not interested in museums with the baby
-want to see a few towns if possible but too much travelling with the baby might be hard
-not interested in food and wine trips
-something budget friendly
THANKS!!!
Jun 18th, 2012, 09:24 AM
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IMHO driving is easier than in the US - although faster - since driver tke the rules of hte road seriusly. they have NO patience with people who lollygag or do not follow the rules. (Try driving in the left lane and you life wil be hell.)
But, with an infant I wuold plan on 2 places to stay at most -preferably an apt so adults can stay up later and you can feed baby easily whenever necessary. You can do a day trip from each place if you want.
IMHO in one week more places than that won;t work with an infant.
And you will need a car only if you stay in the countryside. Useless in Venice or Amalfi Coast.
But, with an infant I wuold plan on 2 places to stay at most -preferably an apt so adults can stay up later and you can feed baby easily whenever necessary. You can do a day trip from each place if you want.
IMHO in one week more places than that won;t work with an infant.
And you will need a car only if you stay in the countryside. Useless in Venice or Amalfi Coast.
Jun 18th, 2012, 10:28 AM
#6
is the driving same as US? Is it fairly easy? signs in english etc?>>
lol, reb, the written signs are in italian, though many are of course pretty self-explanatory. and names of places are reasonably easy, though you have to look out for Venezia/venice, Firenze/Florence, etc.
but why have all that stress? my suggestion is to go to one of the lakes. They are ideally suited to families with children of whatever age as you can get around by the lake steamers that will take you most everywhere you might want to go. also the shores are nice and flat for buggy-pushing.
there is all sorts of accommodation from hotels to apartments.
with only a week I'd pick just one.
lol, reb, the written signs are in italian, though many are of course pretty self-explanatory. and names of places are reasonably easy, though you have to look out for Venezia/venice, Firenze/Florence, etc.
but why have all that stress? my suggestion is to go to one of the lakes. They are ideally suited to families with children of whatever age as you can get around by the lake steamers that will take you most everywhere you might want to go. also the shores are nice and flat for buggy-pushing.
there is all sorts of accommodation from hotels to apartments.
with only a week I'd pick just one.
Jun 18th, 2012, 02:54 PM
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Reb77,
This may be a stupid question but when are you going? The time of year might influence where you go. I have not been to the Lakes region but might a spring/summer holiday be different than a fall winter/holiday?
This may be a stupid question but when are you going? The time of year might influence where you go. I have not been to the Lakes region but might a spring/summer holiday be different than a fall winter/holiday?
Jun 18th, 2012, 03:57 PM
#10
The OP is going in September which would be perfect (weather-wise) for the lake region although the more popular, easy-to-reach destinations will still get crowded on weekends.
But the northern lake region is far from where your husband will be in Latina. I assume he'll meet you on arrival wherever you land. If Milan, that's 5.5 hours on the train for him. If you rent a car and drive from there, it's about 1-2 hours to your final destination. If you land at Rome, he's only 1.2-2 hours on the train to meet you but then it's about 7 hours of driving to your final destination. You could train to one of the lakes from either airport, but it would involve at least one change somewhere. Sounds like a lot of time and effort to me.
I suggest you fly into Rome, have your husband meet you there, rent a car and drive (about 2 hours) to the Lake Bolsena area. From there you can easily explore interesting towns in northern Lazio (like Viterbo, Bagnoregio), southern Tuscany (like Pitigliano, Pienza, San Quirico) and western Umbria (like Orvieto, Todi, Deruta), all within an hour's drive of Bolsena. If you stick to secondary roads (as opposed to the Autostrada), it's not likely you'll encounter impatient local drivers.
But the northern lake region is far from where your husband will be in Latina. I assume he'll meet you on arrival wherever you land. If Milan, that's 5.5 hours on the train for him. If you rent a car and drive from there, it's about 1-2 hours to your final destination. If you land at Rome, he's only 1.2-2 hours on the train to meet you but then it's about 7 hours of driving to your final destination. You could train to one of the lakes from either airport, but it would involve at least one change somewhere. Sounds like a lot of time and effort to me.
I suggest you fly into Rome, have your husband meet you there, rent a car and drive (about 2 hours) to the Lake Bolsena area. From there you can easily explore interesting towns in northern Lazio (like Viterbo, Bagnoregio), southern Tuscany (like Pitigliano, Pienza, San Quirico) and western Umbria (like Orvieto, Todi, Deruta), all within an hour's drive of Bolsena. If you stick to secondary roads (as opposed to the Autostrada), it's not likely you'll encounter impatient local drivers.
Jun 19th, 2012, 06:16 AM
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thank you for the reply jean. I spent the entire day yesterday researching on this and now i am even more confused then before. here are my two top picks:
-From the pictures, i am soo tempted to just do the amalfi coast and venice.i know i would loveeeeeeee it but still not sure if its doable with a baby.
-We can stay at the lake region and do a scenic day train trip to switzerland.
what do you guys think?
-From the pictures, i am soo tempted to just do the amalfi coast and venice.i know i would loveeeeeeee it but still not sure if its doable with a baby.
-We can stay at the lake region and do a scenic day train trip to switzerland.
what do you guys think?
Jun 19th, 2012, 08:27 AM
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Save Venice and the Amalfi Coast for another time. In Venice you'd have to watch the little one all the time; there are no railings on the canals! And the Amalfi Coast is all stairs. The views from the hillsides above the sea are beautiful but it's all very steep. You'd have to carry the baby everywhere.
Your second option is much more appropriate for travel with a small child.
Your second option is much more appropriate for travel with a small child.
Jun 19th, 2012, 11:04 AM
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Oh...I just replied on your OTHER post, when you were traveling in July. September is a bit better. I still don't know where your train trip begins and ends...or which Lake you are talking about.
Have you travelled with this baby much yet? If you really want to do a lot of travel to various destinations, maybe the baby's Grandparents would like to take care of him/her while you and DH have a lovely 2nd honeymoon? When my kids were that young, just going to the beach for a week was about the best we could manage, sanity-wise.
Have you travelled with this baby much yet? If you really want to do a lot of travel to various destinations, maybe the baby's Grandparents would like to take care of him/her while you and DH have a lovely 2nd honeymoon? When my kids were that young, just going to the beach for a week was about the best we could manage, sanity-wise.
Jun 19th, 2012, 12:24 PM
#14
We can stay at the lake region and do a scenic day train trip to switzerland.
what do you guys think?>>
depends which lake you stay at. lake Como offers the best chance to go to Switzerland, Maggiore is further away, and if you're at Garda, forget it.
and please forget venice and the amalfi coast. you will find then very difficult to negotiate with a baby, plus they are a long way from each other.
what do you guys think?>>
depends which lake you stay at. lake Como offers the best chance to go to Switzerland, Maggiore is further away, and if you're at Garda, forget it.
and please forget venice and the amalfi coast. you will find then very difficult to negotiate with a baby, plus they are a long way from each other.
Jun 19th, 2012, 12:30 PM
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oh damn looks like venice and amalfi is out of the question
i'll look into lake como etc. i wish grandparents could come on this trip but thats not gonna happen and the baby is getting more and more difficult to handle..it was so much better when she was a newborn, i could go anywhere and do anything.
i'll look into lake como etc. i wish grandparents could come on this trip but thats not gonna happen and the baby is getting more and more difficult to handle..it was so much better when she was a newborn, i could go anywhere and do anything.
Jun 20th, 2012, 04:42 AM
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i believe you. the problem is that i am not convinced that lake como is really an italy experience. we have spent plenty of time around lakes and mountains in US, not sure how como is any different. I am not planning on a realxing vacation with stuff to do. i wanted to see beauty, something like amalfi, blue grotto etc and move on. our vacations are always like that-we just go go go and see a lot. we never spend more than half hour in dinner etc. Last time we went to colorado; we covered denver, did camping in the rockies, drove back and forth to aspen, did the hot springs in total 5 days including flying in and out of boston. it was perfect, we didnt feel rushed. So thats what i am looking to do again but i am slightly worried since i have a baby in tow now.
Another thing my husband suggested was fly into rome, go to milan, lake como and then train trip in swiss. is this too much?
Another thing my husband suggested was fly into rome, go to milan, lake como and then train trip in swiss. is this too much?
Jun 20th, 2012, 06:41 AM
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Honestly, since you do have a baby in tow now, and a 1 year old really demands an eating/ sleep schedule of some kind, you really should think hard about go-go-go way of traveling. Not saying don't take the trip, but rushing madly about may not be the best way to spend a week. People who DO travel with yoing children have given you some good ideas here.
Jun 20th, 2012, 09:38 AM
#19
we never spend more than half hour in dinner etc. Last time we went to colorado; we covered denver, did camping in the rockies, drove back and forth to aspen, did the hot springs in total 5 days including flying in and out of boston. it was perfect, we didnt feel rushed. So thats what i am looking to do again but i am slightly worried since i have a baby in tow now.>>
did you do this with a 1 year old baby? no. even you i think can see that it would not be sensible. so why do you think it would work in Italy? and why on earth do you think that Lake Como is less italian than the Amalfi?
actually it's ideal if you want to go to Switzerland, do some sightseeing, explore the lake by boat, etc. etc.
if you want a city experience, Milan is not that far away, and you might at a pinch decide to divide your time between the two places. but Rome as well? - good luck with that!
did you do this with a 1 year old baby? no. even you i think can see that it would not be sensible. so why do you think it would work in Italy? and why on earth do you think that Lake Como is less italian than the Amalfi?
actually it's ideal if you want to go to Switzerland, do some sightseeing, explore the lake by boat, etc. etc.
if you want a city experience, Milan is not that far away, and you might at a pinch decide to divide your time between the two places. but Rome as well? - good luck with that!
Jun 20th, 2012, 09:49 AM
#20
Depending on where you stay on Lake Como, Bergamo is also close.
But I'll repeat my suggestion of the Lake Bolsena area. The lake is a destination in itself, but there are lovely, interesting small towns within a short drive.
But I'll repeat my suggestion of the Lake Bolsena area. The lake is a destination in itself, but there are lovely, interesting small towns within a short drive.
