As travel advisors we plan an abundance of itineraries for families traveling around the world, but the most positive feedback we receive from clients is that there is nothing more magical and memorable than your first trip to Italy. For a well-rounded trip we suggest an itinerary that includes Rome, Tuscany and Venice.
Rome
If you are stretched for time, we recommend no less than 3 days in Rome but 4 is optimal. Your first day in Rome will be the most challenging as your body adapts to the new time zone but if you are arriving in on an early flight our advice is to ‘hit the ground running’ and stretch the day out as long as you can to ensure a good night sleep, allowing you to feel refreshed in the morning. Make sure you find good central accommodation giving you access to as many of the sites as possible. We often talk about the ‘big five’ in Rome, the Vatican, Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. Three of them can easily be self-guided but we highly recommend a private or small group tour of the Vatican and the Colosseum.
Don’t get me wrong this is just the tip of the iceberg, Rome has so much to offer, some additional sites you may want to visit include:
- Trastevere
- Borghese Gallery
- Catacombs
- Colosseum (underground)
- St Peter’s Basilica
- Palantine Hill
- The Roman Forum
- Santa Maria Maggiore
- Piazza Navona
- Baths of Caracalla
- Piazza del Popolo
- Aventine Hill
- Campo di Fiori market
Fun activities to enjoy include:
- Segway Tour
- E-Bike Tour
- Virtual Reality Tour
- Food Tour
- Golf Cart Tour
- Vespa / Sidecar Tour
- Photography Tour
- Rome Treasure Hunt
- Making Pizza and Gelato
- VIP Football tickets
- Helicopter tour
If you have additional time in Rome or want to wander further afield you can visit:
- Pompeii
- Naples
- Ostia Antica
- Capri
- Assisi
- Tivoli
- Tuscany
Tuscany
For the next leg of your trip into Tuscany we recommend taking a train into Florence, collecting your hired car in Florence which will shorten your time on the road to your next destination. There are so many options to choose from when deciding where you want to stay in Tuscany. Before you make this decision you need to decide the pace of your stay in Tuscany, is it day trips to surrounding towns, how many and which towns would you like to visit? How much time to you want to spend at your accommodation enjoying the facilities and services? This will determine your location of your accommodation. What you do not want to do is spend so much time traveling in and around Tuscany that you do note get any time to relax. We suggest a minimum of 5 days in Tuscany but seven would give you that perfect balance.
Each part of Tuscany has something to offer, in Northern Tuscany you can enjoy the mountains and beaches plus cities like Lucca, Pisa and the Cinque Terre. Southern Tuscany. known as the Maremma area. does not disappoint with gorgeous scenery, vineyards and picturesque small towns like Montalcino, Montepulciano, Pienza or Grosetto. Eastern Tuscany is largely untouched by tourists and offers spectacular mountain scenery and magnificent art and architecture. You will no doubt find yourself visiting one of the medieval towns like, Arezzo, Cortona or Sansepolcro.
Activities to enjoy in Tuscany include:
- Hiking
- Swimming
- Kayaking
- Horse riding
- Cooking classes
- Wine Tours
- Biking Tours
- Truffle hunting (depending on the time of year)
- Boat Tours
Venice
Leaving Tuscany and making your way to the romantic city of Venice we suggest dropping your hire car back in Florence and then taking the train to Venice. Our recommendation is to stay in Venice for a minimum of 2 nights but three would be perfect. When arriving in Venice there are many modes of transport you can use to get to your accommodation, choose what fits your family best, private boat transfer, water taxi, water bus or walking. Again location is extremely important here ensuring you have the opportunity to walk to all the key sites. If you would like to visit one of the islands then you will need to use a taxi or water bus to ferry you across the canal.
Much of Venice can be self-guided but similar to Rome we certainly suggest a guided or small group tour of St Mark’s Cathedral and Doge’s Palace.
And don’t forget to visit:
- Piazza San Marco
- Bridge of Sighs
- Rialto Bridge
- Peggy Guggenheim Museum
- Galleria dell’Accademia
