Tour of Italy as family - Itinerary advise & tips please
 

Hello, we are a family of 4 (two boys 8 &10) and will be traveling to Italy from 1st September 2023. It’s our first trip to Europe. We are traveling from Australia.
Our Itinerary so far -
Rome 2 nights
Train to Lake Garda - 5 nights in Malcesine
Drive to Tuscany region - 5 nights just outside Siena
Drive to Amalfi Coast - 7 nights Centre of Positano
Fly to Sardinia - 7 nights in Palau
I feel that we are able to do a lot of days trips to other significant areas/cities from these main destinations
Our children are very much Aussie beach/water sport kids, so I think it will give a good mix of what they’ll enjoy whilst experiencing the culture of Italy.
i would love any feedback. Decided to start in the North to get the best of the Autumn weather.
We will be in Positano from the 15th of Sept. Do you think the crowds will have thinned out a bit? We aren’t used to crowded & populated areas, so I have concerns about being overwhelmed. I know it’s part of the travel experience but hoping it’s a slightly better time to visit.
Any tips, tricks, advise is much appreciated
Jemma

If possible, fly into Venice or possibly Verona, rather than Rome. Either of these would mean less time spent getting to Lake Garda, and you can spend the days in Rome at the end before flying home.

"Train to Lake Garda - 5 nights in Malcesine"
You need to figure out where you'd pick up the car. Either Venice or Verona would be easy.

If it was my trip (and I know it isn't), I'd rather spend more time in Tuscany at lodging with a pool than in Positano (esp. as you're planning a week on Sardinia). It's still going to be very busy everywhere, but more so in the center of Positano than in a semi-rural area outside Siena. There certainly are water activities in Positano and elsewhere on the AC, but I don't really think of the area as being the most appealing to kids. But if you've got it all planned out, then follow your plan.

Would you return the car before Positano? If so, where? I realize that on one level it's easier to get 4 people from Siena to Positano and then Positano to the airport by car, but you don't really want or need a car for your time on the AC. Traffic is crazy and parking is difficult. A current traffic scheme which might be in place again next year would limit your driving to only every other day (odd number license plate on odd number days, etc.). It's also a really long drive Siena-Positano on the boring autostrada, easily 6 hours without stops. But again, if you've got it all planned out, then follow your plan, although I think you should investigate the one-way rental surcharge, overnight parking fees, etc.

Hi, thanks for your info and tips. This is exactly the type of info I was hoping for. So between Siena and AC what would you suggest for the simplest option of travel? The fast train? I assumed I could drop off the hire car at hire car shop when we arrived. Being from Australia we have such a different transport system with no trains between cities/states and driving is the main option, so it’s been tricky to get my head around. I’ll take that onboard regarding spending more time in Tuscany….i had thought about changing this already. Any tips re Sardinia? Why do you say Positano isn’t kid friendly?

Also another questions that might sound simple but anyway….in Positano is it easy to catch taxis back up to your accommodation (we’re staying in the centre), from the beach and restaurants? Walking down doesn’t worry us, but I think having the option of a taxi home is appealing after dinner or long day on the beach. Can you easily flag them down?

You'll have a great time, Jemma. I like that you're not rushing around too much. You don't say where you're flying home from but I would look into flying to Milan or Venice (Venice would be my choice because it's so beautiful and completely unique) and home from Rome. Look at multi-city tickets on the airline websites.

Travelling using trains is one of the joys of travel in Europe - and makes me so frustrated by our transport here in Australia. Check site rome2rio for guidance on getting around but trenitalia and italotreno are the two train companies in Italy and will provide accurate timetables and pricing. Advance purchase tickets will save you money. Site seat61 is also really useful for train travel (everywhere). I would take the train to Sorrento or Salerno if heading to the Amalfi Coast, and then bus or ferry to Positano.

With regard to beaches on the Amalfi Coast - your kids may find the beaches pretty disappointing. The Amalfi Coast is beautiful, with the mountains coming down to the water and the villages purchased vertically but (in my view) the beaches aren't up to much (and no, I don't just enjoy Aussie-style beaches). I'm not suggesting to not visit - on the contrary - but just saying. I agree that a car there is not a great idea. Coastal buses are very busy so taking journeys early and late the day is worth considering. Ferries also ply the coast but have a shorter timetable. It's worth seeing the coast from both land and sea.

Have a great time.

one of the tricks to using trains is limit your bag size. Since you are stopping for long periods each time, make sure you appartment has a washing machine. It is possible to take lots of bags it just gets to be a pain. If you cannot cut down then hire a car but read about ZTL which limits access to many town centres (your hotel may advise a work-around)

seat61.com gives good train advice for Europe

early in Sept it will still be hottish so a pool is a good idea and you might like to use agriturismo.it to find nice places. Click on the Union Flag to get English. I believe that these are more where you will find real culture and get close to other families, people just chilling out, eating and relaxing rather than on the beach but hey, I've been wrong before. You do want to stay in at least one town to see the passeggiata in the evening when people just walk around town, eating a little icecream, chatting to the girls, maybe a little wine and gossip.

research the italian meal system as well, I'll not talk about it here but the whole concept of prima, seconda takes a little time to get used to. You may also enjoy the cheap lunch time meals the piatto del giorno where for only 12-15 Euros you get 3 or 4 courses plus cheap wine in the back room of bars or in small restaurants. These tend to start at 12am or at least the doors open then and the local workers fill up and are out pretty quickly. Worth watching the movement of people as church clocks strike 12. You may not see this in tourist towns but on back streets you will still see it.

Despite it being hotish some beaches may be a bit quiet as the sunbed renters may have gone away but the whole beach culture is very commercial in Italy. Some hotels do a deal with a local beach space organisation that can cut down the costs

Positano is very small. Walking will always be the primary option, but it will often be vertical (more stairs than flat sidewalks). You'll likely be walking up a narrow staircase than along a street that a taxi would frequent.

As others mentioned, most AC beaches are gravel, not sand. Still enjoyable, but not the sandy, smooth underfoot you're probably used to.
Young kids may find it less appealing.

Day trips from Positano will also be a little more difficult since it will always involve a ferry ride, or the slow, windy road.
If you're still in planning mode, I'd also vote for more days in Tuscany. I can never get enough days in Rome myself.

September will still be busy, and hot, on the Amalfi coast, though more bearable than July and August,

Have never stayed _in_ Positano, so you can take this with a good-sized rock of salt, but it struck me as a rent-a-beach-lounger, shop-for-expensive-clothes, sip-a-granita kind of place. And very vertical, as has been mentioned. Best just photographed from the ferry, IMHO. Atrani and Minori have better beaches and more decent transport connections (if you are willing to walk through a parking garage to get from Atrani to Amalfi for the ferries) as well as walking paths up to beautiful Ravello.

Going south with kids and not visiting Pompeii? Well, it’s your holiday, but know that nowhere on the Amalfi coast offers great connections to Pompeii or Herculaneum.

When driving as originally stated, don't miss the monster garden:

https://flic.kr/p/7pirfU
But I would fly to Milan and train directly to Lago di Garda. You obviously are avoiding large cities (no mention of Venice, Florence, one day in Rome) so you could by-pass Rome via the coast and see the Etruscan tombs in Tarquinia;

https://flic.kr/p/7pip8o
drop off the car at the Naples airport and continue your travels with public transportation.

jemmafoster9162, it sounds like you are still very much in the planning stages and have selected the majority of destinations based on your family's beach/water sports interests. I suggest you peruse some guidebooks and websites, watch videos (YouTube), investigate travel options and journey times and costs between points. Even using trains, you're contemplating some longish transfers. You might decide on a different itinerary that tilts more south and offers lots of sandy beaches, warmer sea water.

FYI, many people find the water temperature of Lake Garda too cold for much swimming, even at the height of summer temps which will have already passed when you're there. This year, the lake experienced a record low water level because of drought, and there was no "beach" at all in many places. If you had thoughts of taking drives into the Dolomites, the drive times might be more than you hoped to spend sitting in a car. I think your family would enjoy the Ice Man exhibits at the archeology museum in Bolzano, but that would be over 90 minutes each way from Malcesine. There are hot springs/thermal baths at the south end of the lake, 90+ minutes in the other direction. Positano will likely be comfortable enough for swimming, kayaking, etc., unless you're looking for truly warmish water. Sardinia should be very nice, even near the end of September.

".in Positano is it easy to catch taxis back up to your accommodation (we’re staying in the centre), from the beach and restaurants? "
Think of Positano as two levels: the bottom half is ONLY accessible on foot. At the midpoint there is a local bus that takes you up and around the top half. (We stayed at the top for the views, which were awesome). So nothing to do but steps steps steps from the bottom to the midpoint. And one night after dinner, we finally made it to that midpoint, only to have the bus blow by us (we were about 15 feet from the bus stop). We waited another 45 minutes for another one. Although the public part of the beach at Positano is narrow, we enjoyed it. We scooped up some "beach glass" to bring home and reveled in all the different languages being spoken around us. (Until my husband pointed out that the beach glass was probably all broken Heineken bottles haha - I still disagree!). We were there in mid September and it was crowded and hot. BUT I'd do it again, the coast there is just amazing. Even a bus ride is a great adventure!

My friend and I loved our May week in Positano and exploring the coast, including some hiking. It is beautiful and very enjoyable but busy even in May, especially on the buses. fwiw, I thought the beaches at Positano were much nicer than the Atrani ones, which were located under the main road. We took the coastal path from Atrani to Amalfi and didn't see a parking garage. Ravello is beautiful and has some lovely gardens and gorgeous views.

As others have said, Positano is steep, with lots of stairs. There is a road through town which has local (town) minibuses but we didn't use them (and to be honest, don't remember seeing them either but knew they existed). I don't think taxis would be very practical but might be wrong. Positano is fairly small.

For Malcesine, look at hotel Il Castello which is on the lakefront and has it’s own beach. We enjoyed our stay there.

Adults love Positano and tolerate the stairs in return for beautiful views, romantic sunsets, etc. I just don't know if 8 and 10 year olds would appreciate the trade-off as much.

If anyone in the family has a problem with motion sickness, the bus ride can be torture. On one very crowded bus ride on the coast road, my husband, who suffers a bit from motion sickness, had a sweaty/stinky guy standing next to his shoulder for more than 30 minutes. He tried to focus on the horizon, but he was miserable. We finally got off and took a taxi.

Hi Gemma, and welcome to Fodors!

Our Itinerary so far -
Rome 2 nights
Train to Lake Garda - 5 nights in Malcesine
Drive to Tuscany region - 5 nights just outside Siena
Drive to Amalfi Coast - 7 nights Centre of Positano
Fly to Sardinia - 7 nights in Palau

I like the look of your trip a lot, but like others I think that ist could be tweaked a bit, particularly the start and the vexed question of Positano. [I'm against it!]

first of all, i agree about flying into Venice if you can, and spending a couple of nights there [3 for preference] to get over jet lag and acclimatise to being in Italy. Plenty to entertain the kids - the Secret itineraries tour of the Doge's Palace, going up a Campanile [the one on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore is less crowded than the one in San Marco], tour the Basilica and go up into the Museum to see the horses, visit the Rialto market and let them try to identify all the different fish, and take lots of boat trips just to relax and give your feet a rest.

After that, pick up a car and drive up into the Dolomites and spend at least 4 nights there, walking and seeing sights.

Then drive to Lake Garda and spend 5 nights at Malcesine.

Then drive to Tuscany for 5 nights.

Then fly to Sardinia for 7 nights

Fly to Rome to end your trip and fly home. You seem to have 2 nights left over to bring the trip to the same length as the original but if you can, I wold try to stretch Rome to at least 3 if not 4 nights as there is so much that your lads would love.

Why not Positano? It's an outlier from your route, it will be hot and crowded as you have already identified, but most of all, there isn't as much there that your lads would enjoy as there is in other places. And you really ought to have a decent stay in Rome if you are going there at all.

so now you would have:

Venice 3 nights
drive to Dolomites - 4 nights
drive to Malcesine - 5 nights
Drive to Tuscany region - 5 nights just outside Siena
Fly to Sardinia - 7 nights in Palau
​​​​​​​Fly to Rome - 3 nights.

Update - more helpful tips required
 

Hi, I found the answers to my last question helpful. I have made some changes to the plan, and will now fly into in Venice and we have six days free until we are booked in Tuscany. My plan is to stay in Venice for three nights and then I’m looking into visiting somewhere on the Adriatic Coast, staying more to the North as we will travel to our accomodation Siena from here. 3 nights.
Some suggestions? We want to experience true Italian life & atmosphere. In some research I’ve read it’s a traditional region which attracts mostly Italian visitors which sounds good to me. Thank you