Hello,

We have 4nights/5days open on our first trip to Italy.
3N - Venice, daytrip to Padua
4N - ???
7N - Rome
1N - London
We are going to skip Florence because we have small children ages 3 and 10) and grandma w/ us.. So, instead of Renaissance art, we rather prefer the Tuscan countryside, nature views.
Can you please tell me if this can be done keeping in mind the kids and grandma in tow?

From Venice, we will train to Florence. Just go around town that day. View Ponte Vecchio. Maybe climb up the duomo w/ the 10 y/o. "Maybe", my husb and I can go to the Accademia, while grandma babysits the kids. 1night in Florence, then quick sidetrip the next day to Pisa.
Next, we will rent a car from Florence, then drive to SE Tuscany area, where we will stay for 3 nights. We would like to do 1 daytrip to Assisi (grandma's wish), the rest of the time, just low key driving around Tuscany, allowing for afternoon swimming for the kids in the pool.
Waiting for advice eagerly.... thank you!

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Originally posted by eebtee:
From Venice, we will train to Florence. Just go around town that day. View Ponte Vecchio. Maybe climb up the duomo w/ the 10 y/o. "Maybe", my husb and I can go to the Accademia, while grandma babysits the kids. 1night in Florence, then quick sidetrip the next day to Pisa.
Next, we will rent a car from Florence, then drive to SE Tuscany area, where we will stay for 3 nights.

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For the very reason that you have 2 kids and a grndma I would slow it down and stay one night more in Florence. Florence actually has things to offer to your kids: there is a wonderful musem full of wax reproductions of human inner organs that should keep the older of your kids fascinsted for a whole afternoon, and don't think that kids aged 3 can't appreciate art, as long as you allow them to keep their own pace and don't oppress them with long explainations. Searche for the most colorful and strange images and let your kids try to guess whtì's going on. If your ten years likes to draw, he may bring a pad and colors to reproduce one or two of them. He may enjoy sitting on the floor of the gallery. Also, the medieval areas of the city might be fun. Have him look up the buildins and try to logate the jutting medieval (and renaissance) toilets: they had a hole so that the waste fell right on the heads of the passers by.
You may find a place to sleep near Florence but out of town. Pisa in a short daytrip: kids may enjoy it because of the tower, but the city does not offer too much since being flattened out by bombs during Ww2. Than you may move on and get to Assisi, find a place to sleep in the countryside there too, not far from the town, for another couple of nights.