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Italy is and has always been our No. 1 most requested destination at Ciao Bambino, and for good reason! Not only do Italians adore children of all ages, the country is stuffed with more ancient ruins, glorious landscapes and cultural masterpieces than you could experience in several decades’ worth of travel (and that’s not even counting the food). It’s this wealth of choice that can make planning a family vacation here feel daunting … with so many possibilities, how can you figure out the best places to go in Italy and distill them into a week or even two?
Meet Laurel Perry, an Italy expert and Ciao Bambino Family Vacation Advisor who works with families to solve exactly this dilemma. Laurel, who lives in Tuscany for four months out of each year, knows Italy from corner to corner and creates incredible custom itineraries that represent the trip of a lifetime for many of her clients. She went live on our Facebook page to offer a few tips — here’s just a glimpse of the wisdom she shares in the video above:
- Why you shouldn’t visit Florence without a family-friendly guide
- Her best strategy for avoiding crowds at the Vatican
- Where to head for beautiful beaches (including a couple you’ve never heard of)
- What kids like most about exploring Venice
- Under-the-radar Tuscan towns and activities that parents and kids will love
It’s not often you get access to such amazing family travel advice from an insider. Don’t pass up the chance!
Let Us Help You Plan an Unforgettable Italy Family Vacation
Ciao Bambino’s Italy planners can work with you one on one to book vetted kid-friendly accommodations, craft a custom itinerary that’s tailored to your needs and interests, arrange private guides and activities, and more. Reach out via our contact form, and a member of our Family Vacation Advisor Team will follow up directly. Follow us on Facebook for the latest Italy content, from live videos to destination and accommodations reviews!
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By Laurel Perry
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17 CommentsLet Ciao Bambino! Plan Your Dream Trip with Kids
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Italy sounds amazing it is on my bucket list. My friends have been and have came back with such great reports about the place and also your wonderful planning service. We’ll reach out to you shortly to plan for next year.
Hiya I am planning on visiting Venice I’m august with my husband and 2 children (4 and 7 years old). I think they will love Venice but would like to get the train to winter Florence or Tuscany from Venice. Or even a beach nearby or a nice family friendly resort. Please can you give me ideas. I think they will get tired walking around all day
Hi Rupa, Thanks for your comment! I will have one of our Family Travel Advisors reach out to you to discuss logistics. Wishing you a wonderful trip! -Katherine
We are planning a 2 week trip to Italy next year with a 9 and 7 year old. We are very unsure how to do it and where to go. My husband and I have already visited Rome and are due to spend the weekend in Napels and surrounding areas such as sorrento and capri so won’t want to visit again. I would love to go to Florence and Venice and the lakes but not sure if they are all close enough?
Hi Rachel! We know Italy backward and forward – we’d be glad to help with your travel plans for next year and work with you on deciding where to go. A Family Vacation Advisor will reach out in email about next steps. Happy planning!
We are planning to visit Italy next year over the Christmas holiday with our 5 year old son. We will be visiting my sister who will be studying in Bologna but we are undecided as to staying in Bologna or visiting somewhere a little warmer in the Southern region. Where would you recommend for a family to visit in Italy during Christmas?
Hi Danielle – Italy is lovely at Christmastime and there are so many possibilities…I’ll have one of our Family Travel Advisors reach out via email to talk more about our planning service and how we can help. Best of luck with your travels!
My husband, my two children (8 and 4) will be in Italy in July. My husband is a native of Tuscany, so we have 4 to 5 days of family time before we join his family in Montepulciano. We would like to take the children somewhere they have not been – any suggestions that are fairly close to Rome.
Hi Victoria, that sounds wonderful! We can certainly help – I’ll have a Family Travel Advisor reach out in email. Happy planning!
Hello, we are a family of 5 – our three girls are aged 10, 8 and 4 years. We are looking forward to going to Italy from 24th May till 4th June this year. We have booked 4 nights booked in central Rome and I think I have been able to organise our time there. We have 7 nights left and I am unsure where to spend this time best. I do not want to visit another I Italian city on this visit as I think we will have exhausted the children patience with 4 days in Rome. We would like to stay in a beautiful village or small town with a bakery or restaurant within walking distance. We envisage hiring a car and would like to visit other small towns too. Most importantly though our children love to swim and would like to be near the sea or a lake I suppose, I am worried that it will be too cold for them to enjoy it at that time of year though? Lots of Villas that i look at have pools which might do the trick but would it be too cold to enjoy a pool? I am finding it impossible to find one with a heated pool. I have had a few thoughts – visit Elba island, visit central Italy around northern lazzio – Vertibo and Lake Bolensa so that we could visit the lake and the thermal springs. Alternatively Lake Trasimino for similar reasons. My other option is to stay around Grosseto to visit the beach, the thermal springs at Saturnia and visit a couple of hill top villages. I am trying to do my research but everything just says that everywhere is lovely, whilst this is encouraging it’s also baffling. Any advice would be appreciated. One last thing, we only want to stay in rome and one other location, i dont really want to be travelling around any more than that as i feel as if we lose a day everytime we move hotels. Thanks in advance
Hi Nicola – We’ll be happy to help you narrow down the choices and plan the rest of your trip! One of our Family Vacation Advisors specializing in Italy will reach out in email to talk about next steps. Happy travels!
Typically, how long does it take for a travel advisor to get back to you? I submitted a form last week and haven’t heard anything yet. I just filled out the form again today. We will be outside of Florence for two weeks in August and I want to make sure we plans some activities and get some kid friendly tour guides before they are all booked up. Thanks!
Hi Jennifer! Thank you for submitting a second request. We private messaged you on 6/12 and today. Please check your spam folder for any messages from Ciao Bambino. Sorry for the delay. Happy travels!
Hi Laurel,
I loved listening to your Italian experience with kids. I am sure you can help me. I am bringing my 14 year old grandson to Italy in July. You are so right. I do not want to drag him around. I have our first 3 night in Rome, arriving early Saturday am and staying in Trastevere. I am looking for suggestions. I know I would like him to see the Vatican and would like to buy a tour with a guide who appreciates a kid who is excited by architecture and mythology. I saw a Gladiator school which could be a fun experience and I love a guide for the coliseum who you could hopefully recommend.
From there I was hoping to take the train to Florence and I would love a guide and a recommended hotel. (I will not have a car) I love the idea of Tuscan countryside for those nights and would need recommended places available to public transportation. Olive/wine farm tour was fun for my 14 yo granddaughter a couple of years ago.
,Our Monday 31 early am flight is out of Rome returning to NYC. Is the beach you mentioned available on the weekend before we leave or I am open, I thought we would end up in Rome but maybe better to extend the Tuscan area where he could bicycle saftely. I am a little, a lot rusty ,but he does bike in NYC.
Thank you Ethel for your message! One of our Family Travel Advisors will get back to your shortly to help. Best, -Amie