My uncle rented a villa in the Tuscan town of Lucca for a few weeks. My wife and I have been to Italy before, but this will be the first trip for our three children. We're looking at flying to Italy on October 7 or 8, and returning back to the U.S. on October 21 or 22. Kids will be 11, 10, and almost 9. Some things we'd like to do, but can't quite figure out how to piece this together without overdoing it:

1. We'd like to hit Disneyland Paris for 1-2 nights either at the beginning of the trip or preferably at the end of the trip.
2. We'd like to spend 5-7 days at the villa in Lucca, with the rest of the trip being touring a few nights in various cities.

So, we started preliminary planning and thought maybe we'd fly into Naples and spend 1-2 nights there, including a day trip to Pompeii. If feasible, I have always wanted to take my wife to Ischia. Not sure if it's worth going for only 1 night though. I spent a weekend there during a trip in college and loved it.

After that, we'd want to hit the Amalfi coast for a night or two. Then head to Rome. I think we'd need to do 3 nights in Rome. 2 would be too quick, but I recognize we can't see everything.

After Rome we'd decide if we are going to Venice (flight or train) or possible Lake Como (we got engaged there). Could we do both?

After Venice/Lake Como, we'd head to Florence for a night or two and then to Lucca. We need to figure out what we'd do with Lucca as our home base. Just relax and do some day trips from there (Pisa is close)? Or research what's in and around Lucca and enjoy that.

Then maybe fly to Paris and do 1-2 nights in Paris to do Disneyland Paris.

Anyone have thoughts on this? I don't want to have "too much" in the trip as I realize I only have 13-15 days depending on what day we return to U.S.

** I don't want to have "too much" in the trip as I realize I only have 13-15 days **

You've listed far too many places in that amount of time. Your proposed itinerary has you traveling all over Italy (plus France!). You would be spending a good chunk of your time on transportation instead of sightseeing. I would think 4 locations in that amount of time, possibly five.

If you have a max of 15 days and are coming from the US, two of those days are travel to and from the US.

Skip Disneyland Paris for when you can afford to take your family to Tokyo DIsneyland. Or... save your money when you can take your kids to D23. Then you can make this a nice trip with Naples/Ischia/Amalfi/Rome/Lucca.

Apologies, I should have been clearer:

Current plans are to depart NYC on October 7th, and arrive in Italy on October 8th. We would flu back to US on October 22. so we'd have 14 or 15 days, aside from our travel days. but i agree it's too much, that's why i was seeking out some assistance.

is D23 worth going to? Honestly we just thought it would be cool to go to Disneyland Paris. We're disney crazy (we go to WDW annually)

Click on my name and scroll down to my trip report "In Defense of Pisa".... Pisa and the several day trips we made from there should give you ideas.

International flights left Venice early when were there...landing there is easier.

I don't have any Disney experience but does one need to speak French at the one in France?? Time-wise, I also agree about skipping it. Pompeii is awesome!

Although I usually support ambitious travel for some people, I am not sure of your interests or how your kids travel. But for the right people, a lot of what you want to do is do-able. You sound like a seasoned traveler and should know your travel style best. How much of that has been done with three pre-teens is obviously something to consider.

A week at a villa in Lucca would seem to be wonderful for everyone. I would take full advantage of that. Easy drives/trains from there are: Pisa, San Gimignano, Siena, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Volterra. A little further out are Montepulciano and even Lake Trasimeno. I would not waste time making busy Florence a separate base.

I have been to Ischia in the fall when it is supposedly quieter, and it was quite busy. We got around on very crowded buses. Maybe stay in Sorrento and go to Pompeii by train, Amalfi coast by bus and perhaps choose Capri (and Annacapri) over Ischia. Our first of a a dozen or more trips to Rome was only for a day, and we did see and do a lot.

On a recent trip to the Dolomites and Lake Garda, we spent less than 24 hours in Venice, so our daughter could get a glimpse. While she had no great desire to visit there, she was happy to have at least a limited first-hand memory of the city. So, if your family is up to it, a quick trip there isn’t out of the question. But you will spend a half day on a train each way to get there from Lucca. Unlike some, we view that type of travel as a positive experience, viewing the countryside and meeting other passengers.

Before we go anywhere new, we first google something like 24 or 48 hour itinerary in such and such a place. Our experience in our earlier travel days was that involving the kids in the planning provided dividends later.

October is a beautiful month in Italy. When we plan fall trips, we usually begin in the north and then head south to take maximum advantage of warmth that might begin to disappear in northern areas as the month progresses.

I still feel that your italian trip is too busy - you need to factor jet lag into the equation, plus the unfamiliarity of being in Italy for your children and the logistics of getting from one place to another with 3 kids.

So my suggestion would be to drop Naples etc entirely, and fly into Rome. Stay at least 5 nights. Loads to see and do there [including an easy day trip to Pompeii] then get the train from Rome up the west coast of Italy to Pisa [the line that goes to Genoa, not the one that goes via Florence] and thence to Lucca. Spend the whole week there using it as a base for touring whether by car or train. Finally fly from Pisa to Paris to get your Disney fix.

Yes, my family are huge Disney fans. Been to Tokyo Disneyland twice. Nothing in the world like Disney Sea. Jaw dropping.

D23 is for anyone crazy about the Mouse but maybe when your kids are older. I took my son when he was 17.

You are going to break your necks trying to fit in Paris for this trip. Unless you make that a priority and skip elsewhere. Your kids are already going to some pretty cool places like Ischia and Pompei.

I'd go with Annhig's suggestion as you seem to be all over the place. Less is more.

Is the villa actually in Lucca or in the hills around Lucca, I assume in the hills? So I'd plan for that to be a base for Pisa, Florence and s bit of North Tuscany. I might also look at a second base in northern Po valley or even Venice. Then Rome.

Leave Paris Disney for another time.

Another vote for Annhig's suggestion. Do Disney on the way back, when the kids don't have jetlag. If you are Disney crazy, of course you must try and fit it in.

Your first post made my eyes glaze over as you seemed to forget you will need to sleep at some point. Annhig has great advice. You want this trip to be fun and not just packing and unpacking and only seeing the inside of trains and train stations, airports, etc. The only thing I would add is trying to carve out some time more time for Paris since it sounds like you will plan to depart from there after visiting Disneyland Paris.

If you plan to arrive October 8, you might consider spending October 8, 9. 10 & 11 in Rome and travel on the 12th to Lucca. If you plan 5 nights in Lucca (12, 13, 14, 15 & 16) you can then head to Paris for the nights of October 17, 18. 19, 20 & 21. Depart Paris on the 22nd and you'll have a great trip.

I tried to schedule too much when we first took our kids to Europe as I wasn't sure we'd be able to return as a family. My kids were 10 & 13 and really loved Europe but by the end of the trip we all had bad colds and were too tired to really enjoy our last stop (London.) We were fortunate to be able to return with them once more a few years later. Both caught the "travel bug" and studied abroad in Europe and have traveled quite a bit as young adults.

How much do you enjoy walking in the rain? You've got a good chance of it.

Some of your choices will already have more or less closed down for the tourist season. That includes anything with a sea view drawing people.

Just to give yourself some weather hope I'd put Paris at the start of your trip. I'd ditch the parts of your trip heading to coasts and lakes.

Fifteen days split between Rome,Venice,Paris and the combination of Lucca and Florence is already a breakneck pace.

I also think Annhig's suggestions are good. Your original thoughts are way too fast-paced, especially with three pre-teen kids. Mentally walk through, for example, what would be involved in moving your crew from one place to another. Let's say you're going from Rome to Pisa. For example, get up, have breakfast at hotel. Pack up (ideally no more than a smallish roller bag and backpack for each person), take two cabs (or one big one if you can find it) to the train station. Herd the five of you to the correct platform, don't forget to compost (don't know the English word) your ticket, get five people and five bags on train and take seats (you will have ideally purchased reserved seats ahead of time). Once at your destination, get the five of you and your bags ready to hop off at your station. Get five people off, get bags off, trundle to the taxi stand, take one or two cabs to your new hotel, check in. Notice that I left out getting a snack, going to the bathroom, getting lost, etc. that's a part of everyone's life.

Only comment to Annhig's suggestions, a day trip to Pompeii from Rome would be a long day. Pompeii is amazing, but if your group doesn't want that long of a day, look into Herculaneum. Not quite as spectacular, but also interesting and still pretty amazing.

Uhm, October in the bay of Naples is often great, weather-wise. There's a greater chance of rain than in the summer, sure, but it won't necessarily rain a lot, it won't be too crowded, and accommodation and other services won't be closed down (certainly not until the half of the month, but probably also not later).

I think it makes sense to focus on Naples and surroundings (for at least a week; 2-4 days for Naples, ischia, Pompei and the Amalafi coast is unfeasible) and Rome, and skip the rest (except for the villa in Lucca, of course). Alternatively, skip Rome and Naples entirely and go to Paris, Venice and Tuscany (perhaps with a couple of nights elsewhere before going to Lucca).

From Lucca, can you easily do day trips to Volterra and Siena( plus small towns in Chianti nearby)