anchyangel

Buongiorno to you all!

I am starting to plan and to gather information on what to do and what to see in Tuscany this summer.
We will be stationed in Pisa for two weeks as a base (last week of July and first week of August), and from there we wold like to take a day-trips by car.
As adults, we are interested in historical sights, old architecture, ambience etc, but as parents who are taking their 3y old daughter along we need to combine some "attractions" for her too. She is all about swimming, sports, bouncing - oh just like every other toddler

Ideal day-trips would be like this: 10am starting, 2h max drive, sight seeing and lunch (3-4h)and then to continue to some kids friendly "attraction".. preferably in the middle of way back.. that in total would mean that we are by 9pm back in Pisa.

I would love if you have some suggestions, more than one itinerary, because we plan to take 3, 4, maybe even 5 day-trips, so our summer holiday wouldn`t be a classical by the beach rest.

We don`t mind also visiting toddler amusement parks also, that would be great too.

Thank you ind advance!!!

sparkchaser

Well, there is the Pistoia Zoo for starters.


You can take the kid to the nearest Lego Store. That's a day trip.

Mattoncini LEGO Store
Giocattoli Rimini
Via Flaminia, 187
47923 Rimini RN



There's also the Cavallino Matto amusement park which would make another day trip.

Cavallino Matto
Via Po, 1
57024 Marina di Castagneto
Castagneto Carducci LI

nochblad

How about the Pinocchio Park at Collodi - http://www.pinocchio.it/?lang=en

Roughly 37km from Pisa and less than an hour's driving.

anchyangel

Thanks sparkchaser and nochblad for your replies!

I like your ideas!

So, first day trip could be: sight-seeing Pistoia, and going to the Zoo after! I somehow see this day going smoothly

Second day trip could be: Cavalino Matto, but what to combine with it? I think it would be a bit boring to spend whole day over there (both for her and for us), especially as she wouldn't be permitted to go on all rides because of the height?

Trird day could be visit to Luca, and then Pinocchio Park...? but somehow i think its not a good combination, and i dont know why..

I would love for us to go to San Giminiano, Siena and Arezo, but have no idea with what kids friendy attraction to combine that?
Also la Spezia is on the list too, and Genoa on maybe list.
For Florence in any case i will give one whole day, been there couple of times, so to remember it a bit

anchyangel

as for Lego store, and Rimini: it is to far just for a Lego store..? and as i see its just a store? indoor? not what i had in mind for this travel
but thanks for that idea too

sparkchaser

I see what you are saying but I have been told (and had quasi-verified by an employee at the one in Nürnberg) is that stores in different countries have exclusive box sets. So it might be worth checking out for that?

jubilada

We spent many hours at the Pinnochio Park when we took our then 4 year old.

jubilada

Sorry, submitted too soon. We found that driving around and sightseeing a lot did not suit him.
We rented a villa with a pool and spent much more time there than we had planned.

anchyangel

@sparkchaser i can imagine it could be the case, but (while we are, and were as kids interested in Lego) she consider it as blocks for collecting dust that`s why i`m avoiding it... i know some kids are ecstatic for Lego (as we were) but that`s not the case with here at this point


@jubilada: Pinnochio Park seems quite nice and just perfect for a toddler, from what i can see online (not much, but still something can be found..)

I can imagine! here, at home it`s the same.. sightseeing, mission impossible if there is not a prize at the end. That`s why I thought that combining these two cold end up with a good result: first just a right amount of sights with on top ice-cream lunch and then all fun for her..
she`s not that kind "are we there yet", and will stand for anything if she knows she will get what she wants in the end..
As we will be staying at a friends house, for some not beachy days, i thought it would be wise to get out of their faces and let them be without a kid bouncing from the ceiling, while we do a bit of sightseeing/fun on our own

sparkchaser

Yeah, now that I think about it I would avoid the Lego store entirely for a 3 year old. She'd be happier with a cardboard box.

anchyangel

LoL
Yup, if filled with dolls and decorated as doll house

bvlenci

When we were at the Pinocchio Park, it was rather dilapidated and poorly maintained. This was about ten years ago, so maybe it's been spruced up since then. It's also fairly expensive, though. I wouldn't go far out of my way to see it.

I think Lucca would be a good destination. There is a park on top of the walls, and a very nice carousel in Piazza Napoleone.

kalnalcl

I took my daughter to that area when she was 3 (12 years ago yikes!). She enjoyed the Pinocchio park as well. We stayed in Pistoia and the zoo there was great!

One place that we really enjoyed for both parents and kid was Vinci. We did a tour of Leonardo's childhood home, an olive oil tour and the di Vinci museum there that is fantastic for all ages.

anchyangel

@kalnalcl great idea about Vinci! I will research it a bit, sounds quite interesting! thanks!

And about Parco Preistorico Peccioli? anyone been there?

How about high season crowds? is it bad? never considered this area to be interesting as a summer destination, but now i see i was kinda wrong?

bvlenci

I've never been to the Parco Preistorico Peccioli, but I looked it up and see that most of the Italian visitors said that it was run down but that their little kids enjoyed it. Once again, it seems a bit expensive for what it offers. Several visitors mentioned that there are picnic tables and a playground outside the park.

It pains me to say it, but it's very common in Italy for parks of this sort to be built and then a totally inadequate budget allowed for maintenance. The same is true for gardens. The original plantings die and then they fill the beds with petunias.

Another place that comes to mind is Genova, which has a nice aquarium.

If you think a boat ride might be fun for your daughter, there are some canal boats in Livorno.

A lot of the places mentioned shouldn't be very crowded in late July and early August. Lucca might be more crowded. However, it could be very hot. Italians tend to visit rural Tuscany in autumn or spring. In July and August they head to the mountains or the seaside. As a matter of fact, there are some nice beaches in Tuscany, where your little girl might enjoy playing in the sand. The beaches will be particularly crowded on the weekends. The best time to go is late in the afternoon on a weekday.

It doesn't take much to amuse a small child. Chasing pigeons in the piazza can be as much fun as an amusement park. My granddaughter loved fountains at that age, and there are countless fountains in Italian cities. I would advise you to take it slowly, and don't overplan.

anchyangel

I know I shouldn't over-plan and take it slow, but if I don't plan it in advance, we will end-up either getting bored in one place for two weeks, or spending hundreds of kilometers driving around without a plan and thus spending time and money for nothing..
If I wanted to stay and relax at one point, i would go to some all inclusive spa and forget about the world, but that would be sooo boringgg, both for us and for out daughter...

I would like to make possible plans, and then to take one or all of them, depending on the weather, depending on the mood at that point..
If I make plans in advance, i can see better routing, and don't waist holiday time on that, also check total expenses so have in mind that info too.

sparkchaser

Can you leave your daughter at home with a relative?

anchyangel

For now, only "plans" I can see are theese:

1. Day-trip to Pistoia, town sights, lunch and then Pistoia Zoo.

2. Day-trip to Collodi and Pinocchio Park with visit to Lucca after for lunch or dinner, depending on time spent by then..

OPT: Combining those two into one: Pistoia downtown, Zoo, lunch in Collodi and then visit to Pinocchio Park?
Saves two trips in same direction, but a bit tiring I think.. And visiting Luca whenever, some other day, evening for a dinner..

3. Day-trip to Vinci and after Florence. Getting back probably late. Florence is must for mu husband, I would gladly skip it, because I`ve been there couple of times.

4. La Spezia sights and after spending the rest of the day on some beach between La Spezia and Pisa...


I want to figure out something also that include visiting San Giminiano andd/or Siena?

Any suggestion or modification to plans are possible hehehe, here I am, planing ahead and braking my mind so i can fully enjoy after with family!

bvlenci

I certainly didn't suggest not planning, just not overplanning.

I really hope you didn't mean to sound so testy, when I was just trying to help you, and spending considerable time looking things up for you.

anchyangel

@sparkchaser: or to leave her in Lego store for two weeks babysitting lol..

No need for this tone, btw.