jecac

Our family of 5 will be visiting Italy in early August. We will be staying for 16 days total flying in and out of Rome.. My three children (ages 16, 15 and 12) are all year round swimmers. We would like to visit a beach for a few days. We plan on visiting Florence and Venice for a few days each but not sure in what order. I know the beaches will be crowded, crowded, crowded. Would it be better after we arrive in Rome to go to Venice and then go to the beach on the east coast of Italy or go to Florence and stay in Cirque Terre for a few days. We thought the last 5 to 7 days would be spent in Rome before we head home.

kybourbon

Lido di Jesolo is just a bit north of Venice (by boat/bus).
http://www.jesolo.it/

zeppole

Please understand that the "beaches" of Cinque Terre are pebble beaches, not sand. There are a few sand beaches in Liguria near Cinque Terre (Sestri Levante is a good choice), but not really in Cinque Terre. The attraction of Cinque Terre is the steep hillsides, although if you are willing to put up with rocky beaches, the water is very clean and pure. The Ligurian beaches are favored by very wealthy Italians and foreign tourists from America, Britain and Germany.

The Adriatic coast has a mixed reputation for clean water, but it has lots of sand beaches. It is flat and famous for its rows of rented beach chairs and umbrellas. I have never experienced them, I have heard that some of the towns -- Rimini (the home of Federico Fellini) and Cesanatico (designed by Leonardo da Vinci) -- have charm. Although Eastern Europeans have in recent years become frequent visitors to that coastline, they are also still favored by Italian families.

Culturally and scenically the two coasts are extremely different. THe food is very different as well, with pesto dominating the Mediterranean, and richer fish and pasta dishes over on the Adriatic.

Whether you prefer to visit Venice or Florence shouldn't dictate your choice of coast, or vice-versa. You can go to both Cinque Terre and Venice, or Florence and Rimini. You won't be adding all that much travel time.

macanimals

With three kids of your age group, I'd opt for the Cinque Terre. Swimming will be "different" wherever you go but the option for outdoor activity in the CT would sway me. Besides, everytime I get near the eastern coastline, I have been overwhelmed by the crowds and the "system" that has evolved there--hotels, bars, lifestyles--not my cup of tea(nor for my kids).
Have fun--Paul

logos999

When I was a child, Rimini was the place to go. A paradise for us kids. Later it became awfully crowded and expensive. Then the algae and the Russians came ;-). Today, I would stay as far south of Ancona as possible somewhere between Bari and Brindisi.

Alec

Your choice of a day at the beach is limited. The best is to go the beach at Ostia Lido while you are in Rome and have more time to spare, as it's only a short train ride away (from Metro station Piramide), though very crowded with hot-and-bothered Romans escaping the summer inferno in the city!
From Florence, many locals take a train to the Tuscan coast at Viareggio. The beach there is almost all private concessions, where you have to pay to enter and hire a parasol, deckchairs etc. There is a small strip of public beach further north from the centre - easy to spot as it's the most crowded! Under Italian law, a bit of the sand nearest the water (where there are no deckchairs) is supposed to be public land, so you can just use that bit to swim from but then you cannot use any of the paying facilities like shower and changing rooms. From Venice, the easiest is to go to Lido, where there is a long crowded beach (famous from film 'Death in Venice'), or take a boat to Punta Sabbioni and then bus to extensive beach at Lido de Jesolo. There are other beaches nearer the airport and other islands in the lagoon.
If you want to stay at a beach resort, such as Viareggio or Ostia, your major problem will be accommodation, as it's heavily booked and most only take guests on full or half board (2 or 3 meals a day included), often with a minimum stay. I think day trips will be better.

zeppole

To me the big shadeless sand beaches of Tuscany are unappealing in the broiling sun, and the beaches around Venice are dispiriting. I would want to go to a town with some charm.

You may not react to Eastern Europeans as negatively as some Italians do (but if you do, the Tuscan beaches are also favored by Russians).

capxxx

Forte dei Marmi is a nice beachy town. It is a little north of Pisa.

But as others suggest, the beach experience in Italy can be disappointing. Crowded beaches, highly privatized (you pay for the deck chair in row A aisle 332, and that is the only spot you can use), and the water is kinda dirty and tepid.

What about a mountain lakes instead? Or a farm in Tuscany with a big swimming pool?

zeppole

Please don't interpret my posts as suggesting that the beach experience in Italy will be disappointing. It can be, if you don't choose carefully, but it can also be exquisite.

I think swimming in the Mediterranean is lovely. THe water around the Portofino peninsula is pristine. Places like Camogli

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...amogli_001.jpg
Paraggi

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/5004032.jpg

or the Cinque Terre, despite the pebbles underfoot (buy beach sandals) are exquiste places to swim, and if you insist on sand, there are few places as charming as Sestri Levante.

http://www.qviaggi.it/images/stories...1182639732.jpg

The problem with many of the Tuscan beach towns in August is that the heat is intense and the beach area is vast. It's nicer, I think, to be nearer the cafes and treats of a town with promenade right on the water.

By the way, the water in some of Italy's northern lakes is too cold for swimming.

StCirq

Ostia Lido is a horror, IMO. I'd steer clear of that one. I also wouldn't go to CT in August. Personally, I'd head south of Rome to Sperlonga or Gaeta, maybe stop in Anzio and take the boat out to the Island of Ponza. It will be incredibly crowded and hot, yes, but it's also an interesting experience to see throngs of Italian families enjoying their holiday. And there's plenty of gelato and fresh coconut and Italian ices to keep you cooled down.

rex

With 16 days total, I would urge you not to forget Sicily. Flying Rome-Palermo will not take nay longer, nor cost much more than your excursion (of a few days, I hope) to Venice.

From Palermo airport, you can make your way to Scopello in less than 90 minutes. Take a snorkeling cruise to Zingaro.

They can get their "water itch" scratched there for sure.

To go to the Aeolian islands or as an alternative, Lampedusa (I have never been there) will cost you quite a bit more time in transit each direction.

See http://www.sicilyguide.com/sights/beaches.htm

Best wishes,

Rex

Weadles

I've been to Rome a few times in August, and would never do it again unless I had to for a departure. It is BROILING hot and makes sightseeing miserable. If you must spend more than a day or so there, head south to Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, or Ischia, all of which will be much more pleasant than Rome.

The same is true IMHO for Florence and Cinque Terre, both of which can be stifling in August ( especially Florence) although if you stay at a hotel with a decent pool, you might be OK.

I would nix all of the above and head for the lakes. But if you decide to do that, make reservations as soon as possible. The lakes are a prime tourist destination in August, as is, to be honest, the rest of Italy and not just for Italians!

jecac

Thank you for all of your responses. I love this website and all the information everybody is willing to share.
My family, especially my husband loves the beach and therefore thought we would try to get a few days of sun/sand. Thank you zeppole for the pictures, that gives me a better idea of what the beaches look like. We know August will be hot but that was the only time we can travel due to work schedule and kids swimming activities. We are from the east coast and used to the heat/humidity.
Does anybody know about the FINA World Swimming competition that will be in Rome? The competition ends the day before we get there but can't find any information about where the pool is? Thought that might be interesting for the kids to see if we are in the area. Tried the FINA website but didn't see anything there.
Thank you again. We will have to figure out where to go. My husband likes the Viareggio area so we will see. There is so much to see and it seems like 16 days just isn't enough time to see all the culture, history and try to relax a little along the way not to mention all the wonderful food my children want to taste.

RufusTFirefly

I'm also from the east coast and am "used to" heat and humidity. BUT when I'm home, I'm not out and about every day actively sightseeing in the heat and humidity (though I do have to mow the lawn once a week). So just do some advance planning--outdoor sightseeing in the morning and evening; reserve the "heat of the day" for indoor sights or less strenuous activities. And dress light, light, light. And who knows? You might actually luck out and hit a cooler than normal August.