Side Trips from Florence?
 

Hello:




My husband, 2 sons (11 and 6) and I will be spending a week in Florence in August. After making our plans, some have said that that is too long in Florence and recommended that we take side trips. We very much like shopping and eating and enjoy seeing the sites, but the kids do not have the patience for long museum visits, etc.




What are the side trips that you would recommend? We would either go for the day or possibly stay overnight.




Thank you.

Perhaps it would be better to divide the week between Florence and Venice.

You can take a day trip to Pisa or even a day trip to Rome.

A lot depends on how well your 6 year old son travels.

Not sure 2 boys would enjoy one week in Florence but in Venice you can go to the different islands, shop, eat, watch the gondolas etc.

I LOVE Venice, but with the August heat and crowds, going to Venice will be even more of the same in terms of crowds.
I'd opt for a rural sojourn or a trip to the beach. Versilia has a sea beach 100 km away.
You can go by train if you don't want to drive
http://www.vivifirenze.info/cgi-bin/...=italian_style

Take them to the coast and it will be a nice break from the city.

In Firenze in August, I would recommend taking a trip to see Pisa in the morning, and then moving on to Lucca. If the weather is pleasant, you can easily rent bicycles and ride around on top of the walls. Be sure to go up to the top of the tower that has a little park with trees on the top. (I forget its name.)

For a second day, I would suggest you all go to the beach. Your hotel can probably advise you on the best beach most readily available by train or bus, but I think my pick might be Forte dei Marmi.

I think the boys would probably enjoy Siena, reachable best by bus from Firenze, but also by train.

If you all very much like shopping and eating, you might like a visit to Bologna, 45 minutes by train. For the boys, I would include a quick stop to the Anatomical theater, and also at the church at Santa Maria delle Grazie. Both are very short cultural excursions, in addition to the sights one sees just walking around Bologna. Although it is hot in Bologna, most of the streets are a portico-arcade, so you walk in the shade. And the boys might enjoy tasting real baloney in Bologna (better known as mortadella there).

I believe that there are public swimming pools in Firenze that anybody can simply pay a small fee to enter. I'm pretty sure -- but not positive -- about that. You might check into it and locate them, because in August, everybody might enjoy a swim in the latter part of the day, after a morning of touristing. Even though the boys won't be up for long museum visits, they would probably enjoy less than an hour inside the Museo San Marco and its painted monk cells.

Have a great trip! I understand why your friends think you should venture beyond Firenze, but it will be hot, and slowing down your pace to a mix of touristing and goofing off in the gardens and piazzas of Firenze (or staying up way late and taking afternoon naps) would be better than running around on day trips. The boys are not likely to get bored in Firenze so long as they are not on a forced march.

I left a comment on your other thread, but I'll just add the suggestion here that you play it by ear. (For those who haven't read the other thread, the family is doing a home swap in Florence for one week, so they'd probably like to stay there rather than move to a countryside hotel after a few days.)

Do your research on train and bus schedules, set aside some "free" days and just decide the day before what you're going to do: Stay in Florence or go to xyz? Involve your sons so they know the possible choices. Hopefully, it will encourage their patience for a few museums if they know they have a vote on what else to see.

Get reservations for the Uffizi and the Accademia so you won't have to stand in line. You can also buy tickets online for the Bargello Museum which is a smaller museum of mostly sculpture housed in the former prison. FYI, unless you and your husband are really into art, none of your museum visits will be very long.

Pisa, Siena, Lucca, and San Gimignano are interesting towns that can be visited as day trips form Florence.

Siena and San Gimignano are best visited by bus (the tourist office will give you a schedule).

Venice is one of my favorite places in the world, but I don't see it as a "side trip" from Florence.

If the boys need to stretch their legs, you might take them hiking in the Cinque Terre, which could be done in a long day.

My mistake: The Church I am thinking of in Bologna which children might find interesting is the Santa Maria della Vita.

Try to be prepared because Florence will be extremely hot in August. I would suggest to visit some "fresher" places nearby colline senesi, Montepulciano, Montalcino and so on...lovely food and places to be visited or on the coast...even an unforgettable excursion to Isola d'Elba.

Hope it helps!

Ciao :-)

We just returned from a trip to Italy. 4 nights in Florence was enough.

We spent 1 full day and evening in Fiesole with freinds at a place they were staying. Frattoria Di Amano as I recall.

We also had a GREAT day spent with a company called Accidental Tourist. Wine tasting and a cooking class.

I have 3 kids 15, 13, 11. Even they enjoyed it. They smelled the wine and learned about the production of grapes and such. But they LOVED the cooking class part of the day. We hand made ravioli and fettucine and then got to eat it at the end of the day. Our guide Alexander was very good. The owners are great and they said that most of their customers are families.

To see Italy, you have to see the countryside. Tuscany is beautiful.

Also, with the hectic pace of travel, the two days out of the "big city" were very relaxing and much needed.

I saw fliers for bike trips, horse trips and such. You will be able to find opportunities to see the countryside.

Have fun.

This place in Maiano (at the edge of Fiesole)?


http://www.fattoriadimaiano.com/en/en_info.php

HI lb,

We were in Florence for 11 nights and didn't get bored.

Siena is easily reached by SITA bus.

San Gimignano is a little more difficult as you change in Poggibonsi. See
http://www.sangimignano.net/tourist-...timetable.html

Orvieto is about 1:30 hr by train.

You can visit the Etruscan ruins and get a great view of Florence from Fiesole.

Take the no. 7 bus from the SMN train station.

Bologna is a very nice daytrip by train.

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Happytrailstoyou, mentioned "hiking in the Cinque Terre, could be done in a long day" Is is feasible to do a day trip to the Cinque Terres?

jdc

With so many fascinating venues for experiencing art in Firenze other than museums, I would skip the Uffizi and the Bargello and the Pitti with the kids. (If the adults want to see them, I recommend they take turns, without the kids.) I even think the kids might be satisfied with David in the piazza, rather than shuffling past David in the Accademia.

Climbing up into the cupola of the Duomo, visiting the monk's cells in San Marco, seeing the singular narrative fresco in the Palazzo Medici, perhaps a walk through the exquisite (and small) museum of the Duomo all strke me as better with kids than the painting and sculpture warehouses. Playing in the Boboli, with its views, is a nice introduction to art and architecture.

I think kids uninterested in museums are less likely to be bored in Firenze than adults who are uninterested in museums.

Florence and Rome are about a three hour drive between the two, or easily accessible by rail. There is loads of shopping and food in Florence- it is very touristy, but the attractions are museums and churches. My kids loved Rome, but were not overly thrilled with Florence.
Pisa is about an hour west and that is a nice day trip- less crowded, and quite enjoyable. There are some great spots on the Mediterranean coast as well- we really enjoy Cecina.

I cannot see the appeal of a side trip, for your sons, to Siena or to Bologna. In August, especially!

Many children reportedly enjoy La Specola in Florence.

http://www.museumsinflorence.com/mus...l_history.html

Also the Cascine Park is the site of lots of soccer games; in season you can also watch the racehorses work out..

We found the lodging in Florence to be both the worst and most expensive on our Italian trip. You also can't drive into Florence center without a hefty fine. Parking is expensive and a good walk from any center lodging. For that reason, I wouldn't suggest day tripping from Florence. Better to get an affordable place with convenient public transport into Florence center and day trip from there.

I do think Florence is a must see city - but really for the museums.

<i>Happytrailstoyou, mentioned &quot;hiking in the Cinque Terre, could be done in a long day&quot; Is is feasible to do a day trip to the Cinque Terres? </i>

It is 2 1/2 hours each way on the train, but I think the Cinque Terre, even for a day, would be an experience you and your family will never forget.

You can find train schedules at www.trenitalia.com

See Rick Steve's 2008 guidebook for Italy for in-depth suggestions for visiting these five beautiful towns.

<i>While doing this research, I note at trenitalia that the train to Venice is also about 2 1/2 hours each way.</i>

I found CT a good day trip with kids from Florence(I did it with a five and seven year old). They slept on the way there and on the way back, and they loved the hiking and the beaches there.

My daughter also really enjoyed the great zoo in Pistoia not too far from Florence (there's a bus but I forget the number). Pistoia has an interesting center also. It made a good half day trip.

everybody? This poster has a house swap and so the acommodations are in Firenze.

I think 2 1/2 hours on an Italian train to a place with very limited swimming at pebble beaches with two kids may not work.

ekscrunchy,

Hmmmm. You don't think the campo and the medieval core of Siena would appeal to kids? I was just thinking of lunch in the campo.

Bologna is completely porticoed. I would rather walk in shady Bologna than most Italian towns in summer. And unless the kids are squeamish, the anatomical theater is a quick site, and the statuary of the Santa Maria della Vita is awfully dramatic.

But it was also because the family was described as liking food.

But in general I think day trips should be researched, and only pulled off the shelf if the kids complain they are bored. I'm not sure they will be.

Just a thought but when I was researching a family reunion to Tuscany I found www.ciaobambino.com that specialized in family-friendly accommodations and particularly Al Gelso Bianco for Tuscany. If you want an agri-turismo type experience (with a pool!) but only want a couple of days away from Florence it might be an option - they allow for less than week stays and are only 40 minutes from florence. I checked on www.tripadvisor.com and they got great reviews and are reasonable. That being said you would need to rent a car so not sure if that is in your plans.

If they are interested in food, then I would highly recommend a trip to Bologna! But I am not sure if a 6-year-old, especially, would not be better off sticking closer to &quot;home&quot; in the heat of summer..

Here, for what it's worth, is a report including Florence and a few nights in Bologna, with lots of food info (but this was not a trip with children and it was in January!!)


http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34743272

ekscrunchy, it was just that baloney i was thinking of.

I posted this under your other thread, but will repeat it here. I should mention that we drove, and found driving around the Florence area easy:

We were recently in Florence with our 15 year old daughter. We had extra time, and took a day trip to La Spezia on the west coast where we boarded a ferry boat for a tour up the coast of the Cinque Terra. This was easily do-able in a day. I'd advise getting an early start, and picking one or two of the five towns to stop at and explore. Bring suits to swim from the beaches--the water is clear, deep blue and lovely! It was quite hot while were there, and one of the joys of this day trip was the cool air over the water. Your kids will love debarking on metal gangplank between the rocking boat and the cement dock--its a roller coaster ride!. My daughter loved this day, and it was a great change from the cities.

What time of year was this? Did you drive?

<i>I think 2 1/2 hours on an Italian train to a place with very limited swimming at pebble beaches with two kids may not work. </i>

Swimming is not the point of visiting the Cinque Terre! One goes there to see beautiful towns, witness small town life, and hike the trail between the towns.

I agree, though, that there is much to do near Florence without taking a 2 1/2 hour train trip.

I find the focus on what the kids will enjoy/tolerate rather interesting. I would hope the trip is not just for them. I understand wanting to avoid whining/moaning/meltdowns, but presumably the kids understand the concept of a family vacation. Otherwise, just go to Disneyworld.

Don't skip seeing some of the greatest art of the western world because you have kids. They won't be damaged or expire from the exposure. Promise them gelato.

Here's a posting on SlowTravel from 2005 regarding public swimming pools in Florence (scroll down to near bottom of the page). The first one mentioned was also mentioned on a recent TripAdvisor posting, so it's still available.

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/florence/san_frediano.htm

I posted earlier, but did not mention there is one thing I had wished we had done and that is spent a night (or two) in a small city.

We had our driver stop in Orvieto for a couple of hours to allow us to walk around (took the underground tour). It was great.

All the major cities are hyper busy. A small, quaint village hits the spot in my mind. A quiet night. A nice dinner with the kids playing in a less than crowded square makes mom and dad feel good.

You will need some down time. Not just for the kids, but yourselves.

When we left Florence I stated that if I had to do another full day of tours/museums I would break (and I like that &quot;stuff&quot;).

Lastly, cut your trip to Florence short and go to Venice. There is nothing like it and your kids will talk about it forever. Water taxi's, Gondola's, feeding the pigeon's, shopping, food, water, water, water..... A great hotel (with kitchen and firm beds in a great location) is Residence Corte Grimani (google it). (Sorry, I just really like Venice. While there take the water bus to Lido and in 15 minutes you are at the beach.)

No matter what you will do you will love it. Fodor's is a great site and we used it to make our trip great. Have fun.

happytrails, you're argument is really with nmiller, but not me. I don't think Cinque Terre's tiny pebble beaches are worth that long a trip from Firenze, which was my point to nmiller.

But I also think there isn't much small town life left in Le Cinque Terre, certainly not in August.

Jean,

I have to say I think bribing children with sweets or any kind of food to tolerate Firenze's art museums is worst than not taking them. Why can't parents who will be in Firenze for an entire week take turns as parents to see the less child-friendly museums.

And also, don't you think it's kind of unfair to other museum patrons to take kids who &quot;do not have the patience for long museum visits&quot; into museums as enormous and crowded as the Uffizi and the Bargello? I will never forget spending a small fortune to get to Firenze from the US and having to wait out a women who forced a crying child to tour the museum of the Duomo with her. Everybody wanted them to leave. It was so rude.

There's a Palio horserace in Sienna on August 16.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palio_di_Siena

Anyone been?

Well, if the OP's kids will be crying or being rude through a short museum visit, then she has bigger problems with this trip than we can solve here.

And, please, gelato is a daily requirement when in Italy, especially in August.

Pisa would be lots of fun for your children-the photo of them holding up the tower will give them giggles for quite a few years!
Pitti Palace in Florence has huge gardens. My 60 year old hub and me took some interesting pictures with us and some of the statues. :)
Is La Spezia the town with the English-named Beaches? If so, there's a long promenade along the beach.
Aren't there some spas in the area? Cinque Terre is a fine day trip-get off at the first stop hike to the last town, take a boat trip and sleep on the train back.

Jean, it wasn't the crying kid who was being rude! The kid was just being a kid. It was the parent who determined to get to the museum no matter who else was left crying.

It isn't eating gelato that I objected to in your advice. What I objected to was perfectly clear in my post.

<i>I find the focus on what the kids will enjoy/tolerate rather interesting. I would hope the trip is not just for them. I understand wanting to avoid whining/moaning/meltdowns, but presumably the kids understand the concept of a family vacation. Otherwise, just go to Disneyworld.

Don't skip seeing some of the greatest art of the western world because you have kids. They won't be damaged or expire from the exposure. Promise them gelato. </i>

How disagreeable. I read it to my dog, and he won't stop howling.

There is much small town life in Cinque Terre, where many families have lived for centuries. It takes place in the mornings and evenings and is especially conspicuous on market day.

There are also way too many tourists, even in May.

Sorry to bug zeppole, happytrails and the dog, but I stick to my opinion that kids can survive an hour or two in museums if the parents want to see some of Florence' treasures. I first saw David, Mona Lisa, Pieta, Last Supper, etc., as a 12-year-old, and I still remember these events. My sister, who was 6, doesn't.

Whether a gelato bribe is acceptable to all, I think parents have employed the promise of ice cream for generations.

But the OP hasn't returned, so it's just verbal pingpong at this point. She can go to museums, not go to museums, or do it in shifts with her husband. Who cares? There's no test at the end. It's her vacation, her family, her family vacation. We're all just tossing out opinions here.

I'm not sure this thread needs more input, but I confess I've used the ice cream promise! I never needed to do it with museum trips, though. My chidren have always liked museums and still talk about things they saw when &quot;we were just little kids.&quot;

Hello ibaz:

From Florence, we took a day trip by train to Bologna (already discussed in detail above), but also took the train to Santa Margherita Ligure on the coast. From there, we took a cab to Portofino and had a great lunch outdoors at the Hotel Spendido Mare.
See http://www.hotelsplendido.com/web/os...4f_chuflay.jsp

Gradyghost

If Ibaz95 ever comes back to this thread, there are several things that make a train trip to Orvieto a good excursion. It sits on top of what we call a mesa and the view down the sides is fantastic for kids because it was built there to keep armies from invading.

When you get there on the train you go up escalators to a funicular that takes you straight up the side of the hill into town. You buy tickets at the tabac in the station.

Near the top of the funicular is the well that they built for water during sieges. It's VERY deep and is reached by a double circular staircase that has windows so you can look out and see other people coming and going on the other staircase.

Then there is the underground tour showing how the hill is full of caves. there are also restaurants like Le Grotte de Funaro that are IN the caves. that's fun, too. In the restaurant there are a few windows that are actually holes in the rock, looking out on the landscape below.

Then maybe they will be willing to look at the duomo there. It's gorgeous -- even the facade.

Plus, I think it will be a little cooler there because of its height and the underground areas will of course be cool. Florence sits in a river valley and can be beastly hot and stuffy in August. And the trains are air-conditioned, of course.