Italy Travel with Kids

There is less to do in Rome than you think, which you've probably already picked up on out of recent threads.

When you take trains between cities, pay to reserve seats with kids that young. We (two families) took four kids (6, 8, 12 and 14) through France and Spain exclusively on trains.

Do it.

Would allow 10 days to give time to breath and adjust, 12-14 days ideal. Certainly can do it for less, but since looking to plan ahead, make it count.

Steer away from trying to see everything. Pick 2 maybe 3 cities. Book some private guided tours of the big things (last summer, Vatican, etc). You will spend a little bit more person but get infinitely more out of a private guided tour.

Hotel or Air BnB kind of all comes out in the wash with a group that big but do whatever works best for you. Sounds like multiple families so highly recommend you build in space and time apart. No matter how well you get along with people, you will want some time to yourself.

Personally I really like Venice, Milan, and Rome for the big stops in Italy. But smaller places like Modena and small hill towns are fantastic. Go to a few places off the beaten path.

I always suggest not trying to see too much in a short period of time. So many people travel like they're checking boxes on a list, trying to see a new city every day or two, but never really experiencing any of them. We're very lucky to be able to takes multiple trips like this a year, and I understand completely that not everyone is in the same boat. That's why some people will try to visit 9 places in 11 days... They don't know if they'll ever be able to go back.

For example, if you have 10 days in Italy (not counting travel days), limit yourself to 3 cities/bases. You can do 3-4 days each in Rome, Florence, and the Amalfi Coast, for example. If you had 4 days in Florence as a base, you can do a day trip or two to places like Siena, Bologna, Lucca, or San Gimignano.

We also like to spend about half our stay at each spot seeing the sites, and half the time taking things slow, and being spontaneous. Then again, I think with all those kids this isn't an option. Lol

If you travel to the Amalfi Coast, I 100% recommend chartering a private boat for a full day to explore places like Positano, Amalfi, etc. by boat. This is IMHO the most beautiful way to see this area.