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Posted

I should clarify my last comment. I wasn’t saying that I think Tuscany is better than Cinque Terre. I like them equally.

If you choose to go to Tuscany, I think it’s better with a car because it’s spread out. Driving there is fairly easy, and most major car rental companies will rent you a car seat. If you stay in Rome, don’t get the car until you are leaving the city, and even then, try to get it on the outskirts of the city or even take a train to Florence or Sienna and pick it up there. Driving in Rome sucks.

On the other hand, if you choose Cinque Terre, a car is pointless. You can take a train into any of the towns and you can’t drive in the towns at all. You can also take a train to nearby places like Livanto, Porto Venere, and La Spezia. And there are small hikes and beaches. So that has a lot of upside for you. Damn, I might do that now.

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Posted
42 minutes ago, wild_turkey said:

I would probably do some combination of either Rome or Tuscany, followed by Cinque Terre or Amalfi Coast. That gives you access to historical stuff if you want it, then beautiful scenery and chill vibes, coastal Mediterranean slow pace of travel, and great food. You could fly into Rome, spend ~3 nights and see the Colosseum, The Forum, and the Vatican. Then leave the city and relax. Tuscany is better IMO with a car, which you could easily do. Cinque Terre you arrive by train and a car is completely unnecessary.

This is the exact trip we did - doing CT and not Amalfi. Fantastic trip. Combination on historical sites, beach and hiking, used a car and train for Tuscany.  Had some busy days and some much more slow and relaxed. I highly recommend it for a first visit to Italy. 

Posted
1 hour ago, Mo Horn said:

This is the exact trip we did - doing CT and not Amalfi. Fantastic trip. Combination on historical sites, beach and hiking, used a car and train for Tuscany.  Had some busy days and some much more slow and relaxed. I highly recommend it for a first visit to Italy. 

For CT, we stayed in Porto Venere and then took a boat over to the towns. The cruise ships have made the towns crowded as anything during the day, but once they clear out (around 5-6pm, if I recall), it was much more calm. I liked Porto Venere because it was never as crowded as the 5 towns and I felt like a local after a couple of days. 

Posted
16 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

For CT, we stayed in Porto Venere and then took a boat over to the towns. The cruise ships have made the towns crowded as anything during the day, but once they clear out (around 5-6pm, if I recall), it was much more calm. I liked Porto Venere because it was never as crowded as the 5 towns and I felt like a local after a couple of days. 

Fair. During the day we were hiking the trails so didn't really care what the towns looked like during the day. 

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Posted
2 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

Fair. During the day we were hiking the trails so didn't really care what the towns looked like during the day. 

Were all the trails open?  We could only hike from Monterroso to Vernazza in 2018. 

Posted
For CT, we stayed in Porto Venere and then took a boat over to the towns. The cruise ships have made the towns crowded as anything during the day, but once they clear out (around 5-6pm, if I recall), it was much more calm. I liked Porto Venere because it was never as crowded as the 5 towns and I felt like a local after a couple of days. 

Both times I’ve been, we stayed in Monterosso. First time was June 2011 and it wasn’t too crowded. I think it was still gaining popularity. Second time was July 2017 and it was fairly crowded during the day. Didn’t bother me much because I wasn’t trying to see or get to anything, unlike fighting a crowd in a big city or historical site, which drives me nuts.

The crowds significantly thin out in the evening and it’s very pleasant then. Either stay in one of the towns, or maybe Porto Venere or Levanto so you can train home later at night and enjoy the evening after the day trippers have gone.
Posted (edited)

The only one not open when we went in 2022 was the lovers lane, which is the paved flat trail. It is now open, from what I understand. We did 1 in each direction from Vernazza, which is where we stayed. Breakfast was still quiet, hit the trail before the cruise people, get back after they leave.

Edited by Mo Horn
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Posted
10 hours ago, wild_turkey said:

I would probably lean against Sicily or Sardinia because you won’t get the true Italian experience. You deserve that first unless you have some burning reason to go to Sicily.

As an Italian... he's going to get a far more Italian experience in Sicily than he will visiting an overrun city like Florence.  The Italian experience is not in the big touristy cities.  Going to an Adriatic town like Numana, Ostuni, Mattinata or Rimini is as Italian as you can get @hookem2010.  Beach clubs on the Adriatic will be quite a bit cheaper than Liguria (and certainly cheaper than Sardegna).  Also, beach clubs are designed for families and children - you'll be in good hands.  Cinque Terre or Amalfi with a toddler and a stroller? Thoughts and prayers. 

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Posted

Rome is a great city, full of history and shit to see and do at every turn.  Was just there (for the second time) this summer as part of a much larger Italy trip (Rome, Florence, Lago Maggiore, little bit of Suisse, Milan, Bologna, Modena...you get the point

Rome with a 2 and 4-year-old would SUCK FUCKING ASS.

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Posted
On 9/1/2025 at 7:41 PM, hookem2010 said:

Good to know. Have never had miles to use before.

If you haven't, this is a great resource for finding award tickets, with useful filters.

https://seats.aero/search

Downside: free version only lets you look 3 months out and for direct flights.   But you can search by Carrier hubs, to all of Europe if you want.   As for booking way in advance, that is ideal, but you can still find decent award flights late.   Here is Houston to Amsterdam or London in a few weeks.

image.thumb.png.05ade859521a44ddbb89e40eb252c1d7.png

 

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Posted
22 hours ago, texasdago said:

As an Italian... he's going to get a far more Italian experience in Sicily than he will visiting an overrun city like Florence.  The Italian experience is not in the big touristy cities.  Going to an Adriatic town like Numana, Ostuni, Mattinata or Rimini is as Italian as you can get @hookem2010.  Beach clubs on the Adriatic will be quite a bit cheaper than Liguria (and certainly cheaper than Sardegna).  Also, beach clubs are designed for families and children - you'll be in good hands.  Cinque Terre or Amalfi with a toddler and a stroller? Thoughts and prayers. 

I get what you're saying, and I don't necessarily disagree with any of it, but for someone who has never been to Italy or even Europe for that matter, it seems like Sicily would be a strange place to start and have that be the only destination. If someone wanted to see Spain, would they go to Mallorca only? If a European wanted to visit the U.S. for the first time, would a beach resort in St. John be a good starting point?

Not that there's anything wrong with any of that, if the goal for the trip is simply to be near the ocean and visit beach clubs. But with 2 young children, you can also achieve that without a trans-Atlantic flight. 

*I say all of this as someone who regularly takes trans-Atlantic flights for no reason other than to be on Mediterranean beaches and eat Mediterranean food, surrounded by Europeans instead of Americans. But I've also seen enough other stuff in Europe to not feel compelled to do that anymore.

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Posted
28 minutes ago, wild_turkey said:

I get what you're saying, and I don't necessarily disagree with any of it, but for someone who has never been to Italy or even Europe for that matter, it seems like Sicily would be a strange place to start and have that be the only destination. If someone wanted to see Spain, would they go to Mallorca only? If a European wanted to visit the U.S. for the first time, would a beach resort in St. John be a good starting point?

Not that there's anything wrong with any of that, if the goal for the trip is simply to be near the ocean and visit beach clubs. But with 2 young children, you can also achieve that without a trans-Atlantic flight. 

*I say all of this as someone who regularly takes trans-Atlantic flights for no reason other than to be on Mediterranean beaches and eat Mediterranean food, surrounded by Europeans instead of Americans. But I've also seen enough other stuff in Europe to not feel compelled to do that anymore.

I wouldn’t make Sicily the main part of my first Italy trip. Nothing wrong with it, but definitely well different from the typical things that people like about Italy. 

Posted

These are some weird takes.  I mean Palermo in and of itself has a stupid amount of history, churches, great food, culture, etc with access to other small towns, beaches and the like.  It's not like we're suggesting a week in Bolzano where, yeah, it's not quite prototypical Italy.  If you think Sicily is the equivalent of Mallorca, I don't know what to tell you.  

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Posted
21 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

@Wiler77 any thoughts?

Not sure I'm much of an expert on this topic given that I've only visited Italy twice on vacation. But I do have 3 kids, and the thought of taking my two oldest when they were 4 and 2 years old makes me say

ryan reynolds hd GIF

They won't remember it.  You want to hike and see historical shit, both of which will be limited with kids.  You'll immediately want to go back because of all the shit you missed.  Taking my kids on an international trip at that age would not have been a consideration for me.  Are grandparents or aunts/uncles not an option to leave them with?

As for my trips to Italy...I fucking love Rome. History on every corner. We only spent 3 days in Florence, but loved it.  Last trip we took was in 2019, and we did 5 days on the Amalfi Coast. Simply incredible, but the trip we did would not be possible with kids aged 4 and 2.  Day trips to Pompeii and Capri, Hike of the Gods to a Michelin star lunch and sex with wife in abandoned farmhouse on way back. Great trip.  But with toddlers? 

Morgan Freeman Good Luck GIF

Posted
1 hour ago, texasdago said:

These are some weird takes.  I mean Palermo in and of itself has a stupid amount of history, churches, great food, culture, etc with access to other small towns, beaches and the like.  It's not like we're suggesting a week in Bolzano where, yeah, it's not quite prototypical Italy.  If you think Sicily is the equivalent of Mallorca, I don't know what to tell you.  


Yeah; What Mallorca is to Spain has no correlation to what Sicily is to Italy. 

Sicily is Italy AF and unique and wonderful. 
 

Also not every vacation needs to be some capital city cultural tour. If someone has never been to France and decided they wanted to go explore Avignon and the surrounding towns and then go home… who gives a shit? They don’t need to go see the Eiffel Tower to have a great French vacation. 

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Posted (edited)

...and mind you I love Rome and have been over a dozen times to go visit family and friends. It's an amazing city and I've barely scratched the surface of Rome. As a child, my mom, my aunt and an uncles used to play in the square next to the famous keyhole.  But damn Rome has gotten overrun with tourists and Florence is even worse and that's why I think truly finding Italy these days is in less overrun places.  But I really do miss Rome and we've been talking about going back. Just have to figure out timing or we'll minimize our time in the main touristic core.  

Edited by texasdago
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Posted

I would gladly leave my kids with my parents for a couple weeks, but there is basically no chance of convincing my wife to do that. And the desire to go international when they are too young to appreciate it is because we've been putting shit off for nearly a decade now.

She was just starting grad school when we got married in 2018, then Covid hit, then we got pregnant, then we got pregnant again. I definitely have some hesitancy,  but would also like to rip the bandaid off at some point and go somewhere different. It would also be nice to get a big trip in before we are ruled by school schedules and forced to travel during the busy season. Is Italy a bit ambitious? Probably.

Posted
9 hours ago, texasdago said:

...and mind you I love Rome and have been over a dozen times to go visit family and friends. It's an amazing city and I've barely scratched the surface of Rome. As a child, my mom, my aunt and an uncles used to play in the square next to the famous keyhole.  But damn Rome has gotten overrun with tourists and Florence is even worse and that's why I think truly finding Italy these days is in less overrun places.  But I really do miss Rome and we've been talking about going back. Just have to figure out timing or we'll minimize our time in the main touristic core.  

Fully agree on Florence. I’ve never done Rome. I love Northern Italy and Tuscany, personally. 

Posted
10 hours ago, texasdago said:

...and mind you I love Rome and have been over a dozen times to go visit family and friends. It's an amazing city and I've barely scratched the surface of Rome. As a child, my mom, my aunt and an uncles used to play in the square next to the famous keyhole.  But damn Rome has gotten overrun with tourists and Florence is even worse and that's why I think truly finding Italy these days is in less overrun places.  But I really do miss Rome and we've been talking about going back. Just have to figure out timing or we'll minimize our time in the main touristic core.  

This is where we are.

Our last two trips have been a bit off the beaten path.  Piedmonte and Bologna while visited by tourists aren't what I would consider hot spots.  The Dolomites get a lot of attention (particularly from hikers) but weren't all tha crowded when we were there in June.

I think our next trip will be more southern Italy focused.  I'd like the next trip to focus on Puglia and the surrounding areas.

Posted
12 hours ago, texasdago said:

These are some weird takes.  I mean Palermo in and of itself has a stupid amount of history, churches, great food, culture, etc with access to other small towns, beaches and the like.  It's not like we're suggesting a week in Bolzano where, yeah, it's not quite prototypical Italy.  If you think Sicily is the equivalent of Mallorca, I don't know what to tell you.  

Sorry if we misunderstood each other. I'm not trying to argue with you and I'm making notes of some of your suggestions because I haven't been to Sicily or the Adriatic coast. Well, I've done Croatia, but not the Adriatic coast in Italy.

I suppose I was thinking those areas would be more difficult when traveling with young children because that adds travel time. He's mentioned a direct flight from DFM-FCO, so I thought stuff within a short drive or train ride from Rome would be more appealing from a logistics standpoint. Palermo requires a minimum of 1 extra flight with extra travel time, b ut I don't know if that's truly a concern for him or not. 

Posted
3 hours ago, hookem2010 said:

I would gladly leave my kids with my parents for a couple weeks, but there is basically no chance of convincing my wife to do that. And the desire to go international when they are too young to appreciate it is because we've been putting shit off for nearly a decade now.

She was just starting grad school when we got married in 2018, then Covid hit, then we got pregnant, then we got pregnant again. I definitely have some hesitancy,  but would also like to rip the bandaid off at some point and go somewhere different. It would also be nice to get a big trip in before we are ruled by school schedules and forced to travel during the busy season. Is Italy a bit ambitious? Probably.

I agree with everything you said. If you have a chance to go now, and you think your kids can survive the flight, then do it. If you make excuses and talk yourself out of it because of the young kids factor, then you will always make excuses, and as their lives get busier, it will be even harder. They may not remember it, but you and your wife will remember it and hopefully get some great memories from it.

Just set yourself up for success. Simplify your travel plans wherever possible to minimize the chances of things going awry. Don't get too ambitious with any sightseeing goals.

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Posted

Studying up a little bit more, I think I'd like to pivot back to the mainland and center the trip in Tuscany. It looks like there are some decent beach towns that would be easily accessible, even if they aren't as picturesque or unique as some of the island beaches. I think a couple days on the beach should satisfy that component of the trip anyway, and then we could relocate to an Agriturismo and day trip from there. 

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Posted
6 minutes ago, hookem2010 said:

Studying up a little bit more, I think I'd like to pivot back to the mainland and center the trip in Tuscany. It looks like there are some decent beach towns that would be easily accessible, even if they aren't as picturesque or unique as some of the island beaches. I think a couple days on the beach should satisfy that component of the trip anyway, and then we could relocate to an Agriturismo and day trip from there. 

A Tuscany/Cinque Terre itinerary is very doable.  I've stayed here twice for Tuscany and it is a fantastic home base and centrally located to pretty much anywhere in Tuscany you want to see.

 

https://www.borgosanluigi.it/en/index

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Posted
1 hour ago, hookem2010 said:

Studying up a little bit more, I think I'd like to pivot back to the mainland and center the trip in Tuscany. It looks like there are some decent beach towns that would be easily accessible, even if they aren't as picturesque or unique as some of the island beaches. I think a couple days on the beach should satisfy that component of the trip anyway, and then we could relocate to an Agriturismo and day trip from there. 

No offense, but when I think Tuscany beaches is pretty much at the bottom of the list.

Why do all that traveling to sit on a beach when you can do it easily in the U.S.?

Posted
1 hour ago, hookem2010 said:

Studying up a little bit more, I think I'd like to pivot back to the mainland and center the trip in Tuscany. It looks like there are some decent beach towns that would be easily accessible, even if they aren't as picturesque or unique as some of the island beaches. I think a couple days on the beach should satisfy that component of the trip anyway, and then we could relocate to an Agriturismo and day trip from there. 

We've taken our kids to Italy all their lives starting as early as 1 year old.  Anyway, the second trip we took to Italy with our oldest was to the Maremma area of Tuscany.  A little wilder, a little less overrun but an easy drive from FCO.  We used https://www.parrina.it/en/ as our base and then made regular trips to small towns like Orbetello, Porto Santo Stefano, Porto Ercole (swankier), little hill towns like Magliano in Toscana, etc.  Lots of great wineries in the area and they're totally cool with you bringing by kids... just keep them corraled.  Beach wise, there are beach clubs just west of Ansedonia... dark/volcanic sand beaches so a little darker sand but its a cool area... you can even stay in the house where Turandot was written (you know the song, trust me), see ancient ruins by the beach, etc.  

Pictures from 2010 (!!!)

Pool at La Parrina

La Parrina (shop at agriturismo)

Small beach below a restaurant near Porto Santo Stefano

Two views of the beach at Ansedonia from above and on the beach

Beach club in Talamone

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Posted
12 minutes ago, VABuckeye said:

No offense, but when I think Tuscany beaches is pretty much at the bottom of the list.

Why do all that traveling to sit on a beach when you can do it easily in the U.S.?

That's why I included Cinque Terre.  The beach at Monterosso is fine and there are some other beach towns down the coast as you drive towards (or away from) Lucca and the Tuscany region.  

Posted
11 minutes ago, VABuckeye said:

Why do all that traveling to sit on a beach when you can do it easily in the U.S.?

I know, right?  Here's are pictures of Galveston... or Italy.

bay of orange blossoms

sole-mare-salento.jpg

Glimpses of the Conero Riviera in Numana

If you are seeking the perfect blend of relaxation

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Posted (edited)
8 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

That's why I included Cinque Terre.  The beach at Monterosso is fine and there are some other beach towns down the coast as you drive towards (or away from) Lucca and the Tuscany region.  

Another option in Tuscany - https://www.calaviolinascarlino.it/en/ - honestly there are tons that are just not frequented by Americans.  I mean, Elba is in Tuscany but more effort.

Edited by texasdago
Posted
12 minutes ago, texasdago said:

I know, right?  Here's are pictures of Galveston... or Italy.

bay of orange blossoms

sole-mare-salento.jpg

Glimpses of the Conero Riviera in Numana

If you are seeking the perfect blend of relaxation

Oh, I know there are very pretty beaches there.  It just seems odd to do Italy and have such a focus on beaches.

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Posted
Oh, I know there are very pretty beaches there.  It just seems odd to do Italy and have such a focus on beaches.

Beaches are great for small kids and the parents still get the excitement of exploring a new country and enjoying the food and culture. Makes a lot of sense to me.
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Posted
1 minute ago, wild_turkey said:


Beaches are great for small kids and the parents still get the excitement of exploring a new country and enjoying the food and culture. Makes a lot of sense to me.

I hear you.  I guess if I was to do an overseas trip with small kids I'd probably do a Mediterranean cruise.  There are tons of activities for kids.  I'll get off my soapbox now.  8-)

Posted
4 minutes ago, VABuckeye said:

I hear you.  I guess if I was to do an overseas trip with small kids I'd probably do a Mediterranean cruise.  There are tons of activities for kids.  I'll get off my soapbox now.  8-)

Well and the thing is with beach trips in Italy, you can hit up a castle in the afternoon or go to a winery or stroll the center of town and then enjoy all the evening action (because those kids are going to be up late with alllllll the other kids).  There is tons to do.  Too much usually.  

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Posted
47 minutes ago, VABuckeye said:

No offense, but when I think Tuscany beaches is pretty much at the bottom of the list.

Why do all that traveling to sit on a beach when you can do it easily in the U.S.?

I don't really care about the beach, but my wife and oldest child do. I'd love to hop from village to village in Tuscany and then go hike in the mountains. I can give them a couple days at the beach, then finish the meat of the itinerary with things that will be enjoyable for everyone and give us a more authentic experience.

And then when I want to go to the Colombian Andes with my homies and look for jungle critters 6 months later, I can remind my wife of our amazing Italian getaway that was catered to her desires, and convince her she wants to take a week off work for some quality 1-on-2 time with our kids.

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Posted

That's not to say I'm not super excited about Italy. But neither of us have been to Europe at all, so just being over there is going to be a revelatory experience, even without what I would consider the perfect itinerary.

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Posted
2 hours ago, hookem2010 said:

I don't really care about the beach, but my wife and oldest child do. I'd love to hop from village to village in Tuscany and then go hike in the mountains. I can give them a couple days at the beach, then finish the meat of the itinerary with things that will be enjoyable for everyone and give us a more authentic experience.

And then when I want to go to the Colombian Andes with my homies and look for jungle critters 6 months later, I can remind my wife of our amazing Italian getaway that was catered to her desires, and convince her she wants to take a week off work for some quality 1-on-2 time with our kids.

I try to come up with this kind of stuff to then justify a skiing roadtrip

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Posted
2 hours ago, hookem2010 said:

That's not to say I'm not super excited about Italy. But neither of us have been to Europe at all, so just being over there is going to be a revelatory experience, even without what I would consider the perfect itinerary.

Another option is Sperlonga.  Less than 2 hours south of FCO.  Amazing little town - has a very special meaning to me and my family.  Great town, nice beaches, good swimming and boat rides doable in the area with caves, etc. Villa of Tiberius is walkable from town.  20-25 minutes to Gaeta.  Less than an hour from San Felice Circeo and you can go get a hiking fix here:

https://peakvisor.com/park/monti-aurunci-nature-park.html 

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Posted
1 hour ago, texasdago said:

Another option is Sperlonga.  Less than 2 hours south of FCO.  Amazing little town - has a very special meaning to me and my family.  Great town, nice beaches, good swimming and boat rides doable in the area with caves, etc. Villa of Tiberius is walkable from town.  20-25 minutes to Gaeta.  Less than an hour from San Felice Circeo and you can go get a hiking fix here:

https://peakvisor.com/park/monti-aurunci-nature-park.html 

Bookmarked for my next southern Italy trip. 

Posted
13 hours ago, VABuckeye said:

Oh, I know there are very pretty beaches there.  It just seems odd to do Italy and have such a focus on beaches.

I'd do both.  Maybe divide it up between touristy and then reward with relaxation.  Water is super relaxing + food.  Not many places offer the scenic + clear, blue water.  But you are right, there are nice beaches in a lot of places, but their differences are the problem.  If I spend 5 or 6 days in cities, I'm going to almost want that equivalence vegging out somewhere I'm not fighting for space.  I'm a super early riser to see sites without people, especially since I know how difficult it is to wake up kids and feed them, so I try to use that time to do the touristy things. 

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