kdwyer

Hi Fodorites

I am hoping to get to Italy in the spring of 2010, and I am travelling with my husband and child. We want to see Rome, because, well it's Rome but we know it's a big city, very chaotic and traveling with a child in the city will be tiring. So I would like for us to spend a week in one other place in Italy; somewhere a little more relaxing with more 'fun' things for her (could be a beach but not necessarily).

Does anyone have any suggestions? Our daughter (3 YO - 4 YO later in spring) is a very good traveler.

I also thought about Greece, but Italy has been on my list for ages and I think I would like to see it first.

Thanks in advance!!

StCirq

Head down the coast from Rome to Sperlonga and spend a week on the beach there and visiting Anzio, the island of Ponza, Gaeta, and all the wonderful inland hill villages.

Zerlina

Spring is not the time to go to a beach resort or island. They are more or less deserted until about mid-June.

Consider an agriturismo (it doesn't have to be in Tuscany, which is the most expensive region). Many agriturismi have playgrounds and farm animals to look at and sometimees pet.

Jean

I agree with Zerlina unless you want a very quiet spot, but I'd pick a small town rather than an agriturismo just because I'd want to be able easily to wander, shop, grab a meal or gelato, without having to pile into a car, drive and park. You'd have to weigh that against the option of a place with play equipment and animals, but, if your timing is more early spring than late, the weather might reduce outdoor play time.

kdwyer

Thanks all

Jean: do you have a suggestion on this? I don't really know the "small-townness" of Italy very well...

cathies

Castellina is a little town in Tuscany that we loved. It's approx a 40min drive into Florence and you can also visit San Gimignano and Siena from here.

The countryside around there is exquisite and you could spend lots of time wandering around Castellina itself. It would be a nice change of pace after the hustle and bustle of Rome.

Jean

kdwyer, will you be exploring other towns by car or just staying more or less in place for the week? If you want to explore, then I think you need to do some research into towns in Tuscany and Umbria that sound interesting to you. You can't really pick a base until you know where else you might want to go.

Castellina is in a beautiful spot, but many people here prefer a more southerly location in Tuscany. I might pick Bevagna in Umbria for its central location, flatness (easy for walking with a little one) and ease in navigating in and out. But Bevagna is far from Siena, San Gimignano and Florence, and it's not on a rail line so it's best selected if you're sticking to Umbria.

If you want to really get away, consider Lake Bolsena which is rarely mentioned here. It might be too early to swim in the lake, but boat service starts some time in April. There are some interesting towns nearby to explore by car. The Hotel Holiday mentioned in the following link is rated 4-star because of its pool, banquet facilities, on-site restaurant and other amenities. It's a nice hotel, but don't expect a Four Seasons.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121865772078137981.html

Dobermina

I'm kind of partial, but since it's spring and not quite BEACH time yet in most places, I would recommend Modena. It's clean, peaceful, organized, and has a very pretty, amazingly compact historic center, it's main feature being a lovely duomo. The Monday morning mercato is fun, and of course Modena is one of the best places to eat in the country. Anyway, I loved it as a kid, and can imagine other kids may feel the same.....hope that helped!