Italy is a great place to bring children. Not only is the entire country full of fascinating things for them to see, but Italians are generally very indulgent of younger family members. You will quickly notice many Italian kids out with their parents for the evening passaggiata or in upscale restaurants where the chef will happily prepare mezza portizione (half portion) for them. They also get in free to a lot of museums:-)
Some of our top choices in Italy for family vacations:
Rome
At any age, Italy’s capital has so much to captivate the imagination. Take a family tour of the Colosseum with a local guide who will bring the history of gladiators and emperors alive.
What child won’t be fascinated by the underground world of the catacombs? Explore these extensive burial sites and escape from the summer heat for a while.
While the Vatican and St. Peter’s might be a bit much for little legs and short attention-spans, nearby Castel Sant’Angelo makes for a great alternative. An ancient mausoleum transformed into a castle to protect the pope from barbarians and in the summer months you can visit the secret passageway built to help him escape.
For older kids, bike and Segway tours make fun and interactive ways to see the city.
Tuscany
Florence may not be the most interesting city for young children, so consider staying in the Tuscan countryside instead. Here you’ll find farms, cycling, horse-riding, delicious food and beautiful, clean Renaissance towns to run around. Siena in particular is great because cars cannot enter the center and the large central square is great space for letting off some energy!
Truffle-hunting is always popular with young visitors who love following the dogs through the woods. Afterwards, the whole family can enjoy learning to make fresh pasta with truffles to enjoy for lunch – a great day to remember!
Veneto
Although fascinating, Venice can be frustrating when you get stuck trying to navigate tiny streets and have to wait to cross narrow bridges, especially with a pushchair. But Venice is not the only town in Veneto which is built on canals. Treviso is a small, walled town where 2 streams meet and flow in and out of the houses. The town also claims to be the birthplace of tiramisu and you can spend a happy afternoon learning the rules of making this simple but delicious dessert with a local chef.
Veneto is also the gateway of the Dolomite mountains which can be seen in an easy day-trip or used as a base for a great outdoor vacation. There are plenty of opportunities for hiking and sports throughout the year and kids are welcomed everywhere. The rope ladders and bridges of the Adrenaline Center will keep your family occupied for hours as they climb through the trees, the Little Train of the Dolomites is a fun way to see the mountains and for new mums there are pushchair-friendly routes.
On the boarders of Veneto is Italy’s biggest lake: Lake Garda. It’s easy to drive round the lake, or there are frequent boats between both shores. You’ll also find lots of water sports for all ages, castles and islands to visit and Italy’s adventure playground ‘Gardaland’ nearby.
Naples and Pompeii
Like Rome, Naples has wonderful castles to climb and underground worlds to explore, plus an imposing volcano and the best pizza ever!
The ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum are easy day-trips from the city (we recommend going with a private driver, not taking the local train which can be a bit of an ordeal!), where local guides will tell you all about the destruction of the town and show you what happened to the people who couldn’t escape the eruption of Vesuvius. At the moment the volcano is safely sleeping and you can take a ride up the mountain, look out over the Bay of Naples and visit the crater.
Jump on a ferry boat for a day on the island of Capri or a private tour of the Amalfi Coast by boat can be a fun way to escape the city.
Puglia and Matera
Down in the heel of Italy’s boot, stay on a local farm (massaria) or in an ancient trullo for a different sort of vacation. Puglia has beautiful countryside, amazing food and incredibly friendly locals. Must-see places include the city of Matera caved out of rock, where kids will enjoy going up and down the steps and in and out of the little houses and churches that make up the ancient town.
Puglia is famous for its ancient cave systems and Grotte di Castellana are some of the most extensive and beautiful. The tour 70m underground to see stalagmites and stalactites, fossils and caves which are millions of years old brings a sense of wonder to visitors of all ages.
There are also amazing beaches, fascinating hilltop towns like the white city of Ostuni, the intriguing trulli of Alberobello, the wonderful Castel del Monte, which anyone who has seen Wonder Woman might recognise and two incredibly clean seas to choose from.
