Hello, I am planning to go to Tuscany for a week in April, 2004. Since I will traveling with my wife and three children, age, 4, 6, and 9, I was wondering if anyone can share some similar experience in traveling with children in Italy. Steve
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,
Kim this is a great list. Maybe Pauline should add it as a FAQ when she gets back?
Steve the above links have tons of great info. One thing I will add is not to order a child's menu on the plane as frequently they come with candy and the last thing you want at however many thousands of feet in an enclosed space is a wired child Been there, done that, not fun!
quote:Originally posted by Cristina: One thing I will add is not to order a child's menu on the plane as frequently they come with candy
Oops! Too late for me which reminds me though, I need to post my Continental Airlines bad dream (I won't go as far as calling it a nightmare) that happened last night when we called to fix something on our ticket for our October trip.
Oh and I agree w/ you Cristina - maybe we could set up a page devoted to traveling with kids and have links to the trip reports and all the different notes from there.
Great advise in the links above! As for a few more ideas, here is what my kids are working on for our July trip: They are each picking a monument, church or historic site in a few key cities that we will visit. They will then learn about their site before the trip. When we get there, each child will be the "tour guide" and tell everyone about the place or monument. This give each a certain "ownership" in the traveling and they really seem get into the moment when they finally get to see what they've studied.
Also, I hope your children are adventurous eaters. Mine are and we always have fun. Markets are incredibly fun. Picking out candies and cookies in a foreign language is somehow an adventure unto itself. Be sure to wash all fruit very well.
As always with kids, build in plenty of downtime and soak in just "being there!"
Posts: 135 | Location: Indianapolis, IN | Registered: 29 May 2003
Steve and Jenny, Kim mentioned that we had taken our 5 year old grandson this summer. This is a direct link to the section of my website where I give hints, etc. about traveling with children. Hopefully, it will be useful to you. Tavels with Children I am planning on adding a section with ideas from others (you will see a non-working link) but just haven't gotten to it. Maybe I should.
www.janeandken.com Reports and Photos for Italy, Spain, Tanzania, Peru, China
Posts: 4031 | Location: San Diego, CA | Registered: 26 June 2001
Fortuitously, on the page in today's NYTimes facing the Q and A column featuring Pauline's answers about hiking in Italy is an article "Circus Minimus" about the Parcu Scuola de Traffico, established so children can learn good driving habits by driving small vehicles around a miniature town. The URL of the article is
(subscription required). The park is at Piazza Barcellona 10 at the Via delle Tre Fontane, open mornings and evenings, closed Monday and Tuesday; lessons are given for children ages 6 to 15; entrance fee $4., half-hour lessons about $10.
Posts: 225 | Location: Ithaca NY, USA | Registered: 07 November 2002
Thank you everyone for your kind replies. I am so exicted about the trip, so are my children! My oldest is 9 who's going to help planning the iterary, my second son is 6 and he likes the idea pizza was from Italy. Anyway, I just booked the ticket from USAir for February 2004 school vacation week, and we are looking at the apartment rentals in Rome. I have posted a second question for choosing an ideal location in Rome for children. Campo dé Fiori or Trastevere? http://slowtalk.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=759607521&f=862600685&m=1066049125&r=1066049125#1066049125 Any help is greatly appreciated! Steve
Kids in Italy are treated well(at least the ones on vacation!). You will get a lot of attention. My parents were surprised especially at really really nice restaurants nobody cared that there were kids (now that does not happen in the US!)
Besides the monuments there is the telephone that works a little different, the electric sockets which are round holes - silly things like that are usually interesting for kids.
Posts: 275 | Location: Italy | Registered: 16 April 2003
one little airplane trick - its better to have 2 rows (or three in your case) on the aisle side as opposed to the big middle row- this way when the kids kick the seat or get a little wild (I mean kids need to move a bit) they kick your seat and don't bother anyone.
Posts: 275 | Location: Italy | Registered: 16 April 2003
I have been to Italy several times with my children (last time summer of 2003 in Tuscany). My kids are 11, 8, 4. Great restaurants can be found on Divina Cucina website.
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Been there, done that, not fun!
which reminds me though, I need to post my Continental Airlines bad dream (I won't go as far as calling it a nightmare) that happened last night when we called to fix something on our ticket for our October trip.
