Italy
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Would you like to enjoy a holiday in Italy with your family? If so, here's our guide to where to go in Italy, depending on what you want to do... Whether you're looking for a seaside holiday, a road trip in Tuscany or a trip through the Cinque Terre, northern Italy or the south around Puglia will enchant you and your children.
Italy is a very easy destination with children and the favourite of the French; Italians love children, and children love their pasta, so eating out will always be easy and inexpensive!
So here's what you'll find out: Where to go in Italy with your family:
Visiting Rome and Lazio
Milan and Lombardy with children
Visiting Veneto
Turin with the family
Campania with the family: Naples and Pompeii
Visit the Cinque Terre
Tuscany
Family holiday in Sicily
Sardinia with the whole family
Puglia
The Italian lakes region
Interactive map of Italy for families
Selection of books on Italy for children
When should you travel to Italy with your family?
Where to stay in Italy as a family?
Italy with baby
Italy with kids : blog
Visiting Italy as a family: what to see? The must-sees
Visiter Rome et le Latium
During your family trip to Italy, it's impossible to miss Rome, which alone deserves 5 or 6 days on site
The Colosseum: to feel like a gladiator and understand what an amphitheatre is.
The Palatine: combine the 2 visits for a full 1/2 day! Tip: try the Family Tour for a more fun visit.
Ostia Antica: see the two- and three-storey Roman ruins and get an idea of what a Roman city was like 2,000 years ago.
The Vatican Museum: walk with your head in the air under Michelangelo's sky in the Sistine Chapel.
St Peter's Basilica: to see this sacred Christian site.
The gardens and Villa Borghese: to see the masterpieces of Italian painting, but also to enjoy the zoo, the lake, the children's bikes...
The Trevi Fountain: throw a coin and make a wish.
All Rome's famous squares, monuments and fountains...
Ideal length of stay: 3 to 5 days
Tested and approved accommodation
Tip: Book your visits here to avoid long queues that will bore your children and waste your time.
Milan and Lombardy with kids
Milan and its many museums.
the majestic Duomo.
La Scala, the most famous opera house in the world!
the Vittorio Emanuel II Gallery, for shopping.
The Navigli district
The Museum of Illusions
Leonardo da Vinci Science Museum
Casa Milan, the AC Milan museum for football fans
Venice and the Veneto region
The capital of love also lends itself to a family trip to Eastern Italy
The famous canals
The glassmakers of Murano
The Rialto and Sighs bridges...
Its famous Carnival
The Fenice Theatre and its audio guide
The Museum of Illusions
Sailing on a gondola or the much more economical vaporetto
Ideal length of stay: 3 to 5 days
Family accommodation in Venice
Ideas for activities here
Our article on Venice as a family
But also elsewhere in Veneto:
Verona
Paddova
Lake Garda
Turin (Piemonte)
The Egyptian Museum, with its unique and impressive collection.
The Cinema Museum at the Mole Antonelliana, with views over the city.
The Car Museum, with a beautiful display of vehicles.
The city's many palaces and parks.
Length of stay: 1 to 3 days
Tuscany with your family
Florence: the Duomo, museums....
Pisa: the Piazza dei miracoli, the banks of the River Arno, the pedestrian streets.
Livorno: waiting for the ferry to Sardinia, for a change of scenery.
Siena: The Palio, which takes place in the Piazza del Campo, the tower, the Duomo...
Length of stay: 1 to 2 weeks
In the Cinque Terre
5 beautiful villages: Manarolla, Levanto, Monterosso, Vernazza and Riomaggiore, with beautiful walks and breathtaking scenery.
Nearby: don't miss Pisa and its famous tower.
Lenght of stay: 1 to 3 days
Sicily Stay
Get up close to Mount Etna.
Explore Etnaland as a family.
The wonderful cities of Palermo, Taormina, Syracuse,...
Ideal length of stay: 1 to 2 weeks
Activities here
In Sardegna
The Maddalena Islands: enjoy the extraordinary beaches.
The Asinara Park: go 4x4 driving and see the Albino donkeys.
Bosa: a colourful town seen from its castle.
The towns of Sassari and Castelsardo.
Neptune's Grotto: a staircase descent to discover a superb grotto.
Nuragic sites such as Arrubiu and Su Nuraxi: explore sites even older than the Roman ones!
Cagliari: the capital city, with its facades along the harbour.
Miniature Sardinia: a special activity for children!
The magnificent beaches.
Ideal length of stay: 1 to 2 weeks
In the Campania region
Pompeii: discover this city buried under the ashes of Vesuvius.
Go as far as the island of Capri.
Naples: for its narrow streets, monuments and egg-shaped castle!
The beautiful Amalfi Coast and Sorrento
The sublime island of Ischia
- Lenght of stay recomended: 2 to 4 days
In Puglia
This was our favourite family holiday in Italy, despite the busy August! We really found a unique way of life here
Admire the trulli and stay in them
discovering typical villages: alberobe
descend into the Magdalena grotto
follow the Salento coast
- Ideal length of stay: 1 to 2 weeks
In the Lake District
Going to the lakes region means enjoying swimming and boat trips... The main lakes are :
Lake Garda
Lake Como
Lake Iseo
Lake Maggiore
- Ideal length of stay: 4 to 5 days
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Tout pour préparer votre voyage en Italie
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Where to go on seaside holidays in Italy with children?
Family holidays in Italy are often synonymous with lazing around on seaside beaches. In Italy, you'll have a huge choice, as the country is surrounded by sea everywhere... Beware, however, Italians love private beaches, and some coasts are full of deckchairs for hire, so you can't even see the sea! Here are the most popular spots for family holidays by the sea in Italy
The Adriatic coast: the Adriatic coast stretches from Venice to the tip of Italy's boot. Between Venice and Rimini are some very pleasant seaside resorts, known as the Riviera Romagnola, located in Emilia Romagna - See our accommodation ideas.
The Amalfi Coast: on the western side of Italy's boot, this coastline stretches from Naples to Solento in a sheer wall hanging over the Tyrrhenian Sea. It may be harder to find good beaches here, but the hanging villages are a real beauty for those who want to combine the seaside with a stroll.
The beaches of Puglia: including the beautiful beach of the Torre Guaceto nature reserve near Brindisi; further south, the rocky coasts are perfect for swimming away from the crowds.
The Cinque Terre: a perfect destination with its villages overlooking the sea, and a few small but superb beaches in each village.
I strongly advise you to make the most of these places outside the month of August to avoid overcrowding and the Italians' taste for close encounters on the beaches!
When should you take your family on a trip to Italy?
Depending on whether you're visiting the lakes or the Dolomites in the north or Sicily, summer and its temperatures will be very different. So opt for spring or autumn to visit the hottest areas (Sicily, Puglia, or any town inland).
As is often the case, autumn, spring and even winter in the south allow you to discover the country without the influx of tourists, avoiding the queues. It's much more pleasant with young children.
What's more, having visited Puglia in August, I strongly advise against going at this time of year. There isn't even room on the beaches to rest... Read my article here
Where to stay when visiting Italy with children?
Hotels aren't as nice as in France, so they seem rather expensive. However, here you will find family accommodation that our travelling parents loved. The best thing for families is often to rent a flat or a house. This is what we did via Abritel in Sardinia and Puglia.
Campsites: for a family holiday by the sea in Italy, campsites are a great option. You'll find the same brands as in France
Italie – Emilie-Romagne – Lido di Pomposa
Tohapi Vigna sul Mar Family Village
Séjour – Selon date et type logement
Plus de bonnes adresses en Italie ici
If you're going by camper van in Italy, you should be aware that campsites are generally more expensive than in France, for very basic services.
Italy with baby: our advice
If you're going on a trip to Italy with your baby, don't worry, this country is very welcoming with toddlers.
Infant milk and baby food in Italy
When it comes to baby food and nappies, you'll find everything in Italian supermarkets. However, as in many countries, the choice of savoury snacks is much smaller than in France.
What baby equipment should I take with me to Italy?
Restaurants generally have plenty of highchairs, but few changing tables. If you're visiting towns and cities, a pushchair may seem like a good idea; however, historic centres are often cobbled and a pushchair can become a nightmare if it doesn't have good wheels.
>> See our nomadic baby equipment
Baby in restaurants: while some people are reluctant to see you enter a restaurant with young children, here in Italy the family is king. We've always had waiters who were very friendly with our children.
Ideas for family tours and road trips in Italy
Here are my favourite family road-trips in Italy:
5 days in the Cinque Terre as far as Pisa, in a camper van
Sardinia: a tour with 2 accommodations, one in the north and one in the south - or 10 days in a van, see below
Puglia: a tour with 2 accommodations and then a loop around Puglia
Northern Italy by Van - see parents' testimonials
