I will be in Italy in Rome and Umbria, and having to drag a teenager out of bed, so that our start time is not just as everything is shutting down!

What do YOU do when it gets quiet in the afternoon and you are not near your accomodations?

I'm not sure what you're asking. What I do between 12 and 3 in Italy is eat lunch. If I feel I need to go back to my accommodations because I am tired and need a nap, I take a taxi if I'm in the city. If I'm daytripping somewhere, I find a bar and have a gelato or a soda and rest up.

But even if you don't want to do that, you won't have a problem in Rome finding sites to see. Many of its greatest attractions never close. Just work up a strategy that has you visiting those places during the hours when churches or museums are closed.

In Umbria, you might have a total shutdown except for restaurants if you are staying in the smaller hilltowns. Not in Perugia. But in Umbria, there is always a drive to a different town or a walk you can take. A new piazza. A different view. And when the churches reopen, they stay open until 6.

My husband has a very demanding job that requires he be up and running -- literally -- by 6:45 each morning, and by nature he is a night owl. So when we go on vacation, he really wants to sleep in, no matter where we are. I'm up by 8, so I often go out before him, and have fun!

You probably don't want to do that with a teenager, although if you both had cell phones, it might work! Let the teen sleep in a morning or two. Or even 3. My prediction is they will soon want to be up with you (and before breakfast is carted away, so they don't have to eat pasta every day for breakfast).

Book yourself into places that don't have TVs. That way there's no temptation to stay up all night.

I have not been to Umbria, but this will not be a problem in Rome. There are plenty of things that do not close down in the afternoon. All the major sites, Colesseum, Vatican, Forum, etc. are open and lots of great shopping as well. However, don't hesitate to pull up a chair at a small cafe, sip your espresso and watch the world go by. I bet once your teen has had a taste of Rome, he/she won't want to sleep in too late every morning. But I agree with Nessundorma, let them sleep in for a few hours and go out yourself in the morning.

I went to Rome with a teenager and he did manage to break the mould and get his bum out of bed in time for breakfast and a morning exploring. We did stay out all day once but as it was mid summer and hot found it very tiring. After that we did something in the morning, had lunch, then came back to the hotel to cool down, rest, read, have a snooze and went out again an hour or so later. It made all the difference and gave us the stamina to really enjoy the afternoon and evening. We then didn't go back to the hotel till late at night.

Most people want to get out and about on holiday, even teenagers. Anyway, does your teenager dictate what happens? When I was that age and wouldn't get up my dad would get a cup of freezing cold water and throw it over me!

Why not do as the Italians do during this 'break' eat and make love.
(althouh not necesarily in that order)

;-)

Muck

I'm with you muck !

I'm honestly not sure I would in any way reward the teenager who won't get up with a trip to Italy in the first place.