Family tours to Italy

A family affair: Taking the kids to Italy

Bookending the teenage years, the author (aged 13) and his favorite uncle (aged 19) camping in the Italian Dolomites. Not pictured: the parents/aunt and uncle who manged to put up with these two for the summer. (Hi, Mom and Dad!)Yes, you can take the kids! Trips to Italy can often have a much more profound impact on the children than the adults, opening their young eyes and minds to the diversity of the world's cultures and peoples.

I mean, look at me: my parents took me to live in Rome when I was 11, and now I make my living by traveling around the world.

What family travel in Italy is like

Italians expect to see families together, because it's how they travel. You're likely to encounter entire clans, from grandmothers to babes in arms, caravanning around. Italians tend to love kids. You'll often find that a child guarantees you an even warmer reception from hotels and restaurants than you'd normally receive.

Most Italians will coo over an infant or toddler, and an adolescent or teenager struggling to order her meal in the local lingo will receive loads of encouragement and attention.

(Honest. This is embarrassing, but, as a 12-year-old living in Italy, I was often responsible for garnering my family extra attention at restaurants, whether it was the owner deciding to oversee our meal personally or a free round of grappa at the end of the meal; they just thought it was so darn cute that this little American kid could speak some rudimentary Italian. It's a wonder I haven't needed therapy.)

Ask waiters for a mezza porzione (MET-zah port-zee-OH-nay; half-portion) to fit junior's appetite.

If you absolutely feel the need for a romantic dinner alone one night, your hotel can undoubtedly rustle up a baby-sitter for you.

Be prepared to take things a bit more slowly. Don't go into full-bore sightseeing mode. In between heavy-duty cultural sights, do some stuff just for fun—which is actually good advice for any traveler, regardless of whether he or she has kids in tow.

As an added plus, traveling with a pint-sized person usually entails pint-sized rates. An extra cot in the hotel room ranges from free to, at most, 30% tacked onto the room rate.

Most museums and sights offer reduced-price or free admission for children under a certain age (which might range anywhere from six to 18, but usually the latter).

Resources for traveling with the family

WeJustGotBack.com (www.wejustgotback.com)

Family Travel Network (www.familytravelnetwork.com)

Family Travel Forum (www.familytravelforum.com)

Family Vacation Critic (www.familyvacationcritic.com)

Single Parent Travel (www.singleparenttravel.net)

VacationKids (www.vacationkids.com) - As a travel agency, deals almost exclusively with Mexico and the Caribbean, but it also has a "Travel School" section loaded with scads of general tips for families that apply for travel anywhere.

Tours aimed at family travel

 

Intrepid Travel (www.intrepidtravel.com) - This fantastic Australian company marries an independent travel style (staying in cheap guesthouses, traveling by public transport) with the expertise of truly knowledgeable guides and a focus on cultural experiences. Intrepid has a larger than usual commitment to sustainable tourism, and travels in tiny groups, often limited to 8-12. It currently offers two family-themed Italy trips—Around the Bay of Naples and Treasures of Tuscany—both detailed above.

G Adventures (www.gadventures.com) - This noted small-group tour company offers an 8-day Amalfi Family Adventure detailed above.

InfoHub.com (www.infohub.com) - Hundreds of family tours and travel opportunities from dozens of different operators.

Rascals in Paradise (www.rascalsinparadise.com) - Essentially a private tour for your family on a set 14-day Italian itinerary, with private cars and drivers and guides everywhere you go. Itinerary can be customized.

Smithsonian Journeys (smithsonianjourneys.org) - The Smithsonian run highly regarded, rather expensive educational and adventure trips specifically designed for the whole clan. No Italy programs currently in its "Family" section, but check back.

Grandtravel (www.grandtravel.com) - Tours designed to bridge the generations of the family, aimed specifically at grandparents and grand kids traveling together (the parental generation in between is not allowed—they might get in the way of all that unconditional grandparental love; however, aunts, uncles, and close family friends are welcome as grandparent substitutes). I love how the website, in the "For Grandparents" section, explains such things as texting and Twitter to prepare the older generation to interact with their grand kids. A couple of summer Italy trips on tap.

Italy guidebooks for family travel

Italy with Kids (2006) - An indispensable resource for family travel to Italy. Featured destinations are Rome, Venice, Pisa, Florence, Siena, hill towns of Tuscany, Naples and Amalfi Coast, Milan and Lake Region. Everything is written from the parents' perspective: are the hotels family-friendly? Which restaurants are appropriate for kids? How do you say "I need a babysitter tonight?" What are the best gelato shops in each city and town? What books should my kids read before we leave? 'Fun Facts' sidebars are sprinkled throughout for the kids to ponder, and great activities are planned with the kids (and parents too!) especially in mind...

Rome with Kids (2007) - Scrambling around ruins; exploring underground excavations; searching for gladiators, secret passageways, and creepy skeletons; feasting on pizza and gelato-Rome with kids is a dream. Revel in the glory of Roman Civilization without hearing "I'm bored!" as an insider guides you through Rome with field-tested tours that tell you what to see and how to see it with children. Former Rome resident, J. M. Pasquesi, has been visiting and living in the Eternal City with her own children for over a decade. With a background in travel editing and classical studies, she shares her insider's know-how and passion for Rome to make a trip you and your children will treasure...

Other books on family travel

Take Your Kids to Europe, How to Travel Safely (and Sanely) in Europe With your Children by Cynthia Harriman (2003)

Lonely Planet's Travel with Children by Cathy Lanigan (2002)

Adventuring With Children by Nan Jeffrey (1996)

Travel Wise with Children: 101 Educational Travel Tips for Families by Mary Rodgers Bundren (2004)

Fodor's FYI: Travel with Your Baby: Experts Share Their Secrets Ed. by Fodor's (2001)

Travelers' Tales Family Travel: The Farther You Go, the Closer You Get Ed. by Laura Manske (1999)

Gutsy Mamas: Travel Tips and Wisdom for Mothers on the Road by Marybeth Bond (1997)

Safe and Sound: Healthy Travel with Children by Marlene Coleman (2003)

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