Ciao! Let’s go to Italy with kids!

There’s pretty much nothing not to love about Italy with kids. You can say, “Buon Giorno” (good morning) until 2:00 in the afternoon. It’s permissible for kids to kick around a soccer ball in 14th-century piazzas. One order of small gelato gets you two flavors. Vespa scooters rule the narrow cobblestone streets rolling through history and meeting the present day, quite likely at a Gucci store! Masterful sculptures and potted flowers beautify public spaces. And, Americans kids wearing Italian soccer jerseys are welcome anywhere and everywhere. You can drive itty bitty orange stick shift cars through the Tuscan hills and enjoy the bounty of Italy in the fall –  sunshine, grapes, olive oil, ciabatta, pecorino and ringing campanili (bell towers). 

Italy with kids makes for a fantastic worldschooling destination with layers of history and culture to peel back, piquing your family’s curiosities. If you love art, history, architecture, or design, there are over 4,000 museums in Italy. Of course, you can visit the famous museums at the Vatican, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, or the Archaeological Museum of Naples, but getting off the beaten path in Italy with kids is so easy and so worth it. A growing number of local experts, grad students and tour companies lead private or small art tours/history walks/cooking classes and other experiences for families. Docents may help you and your children appreciate the genius of da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Boticelli in creative ways. You might go to the Boboli Gardens in Florence and take an open-air watercolor class. You might visit a 5th Century Roman church and learn about the elegant mosaics, then go to a studio and create your own glass and ceramic mosaics. 

If you love music, the town of Lucca is one of our favorite options. The birthplace of composer Giacomo Puccini, you can take a musical walking tour or attend the Puccini Festival, which happens every July and August. Let your kids go to la panetteria and pick out some fresh breads, la formaggeria for some cheese and la salumeria to get some cured meats. They can prepare the family’s picnic dinner and you can all kick back and enjoy a little outdoor opera. Lucca is also known for its intact Renaissance walls, which encircle the entire old city. Expert tip: you can rent bikes and experience this gorgeous town by riding the three-mile loop on 40-foot high walls! Don’t worry–they are quite wide. 

You can also just wander on your own, talk to locals, get lost and find your own gems. The allure of Italy with kids does not stop with food, art, music, or history. It’s also a modern-day mecca for entrepreneurship, craft, fashion, sport, scenery, islands, mountains, and culture. 

With so much to love and experience, some traveling families pick one region, find an Airbnb, and enjoy a string of day trips. Others prefer to see the entire country from Lake Como in the north to Puglia in the southern “heel of the boot.”  Others may explore the mountains, the islands, or choose a manner of agriturismo (Italian farm-stays that may offer farm-to-table food or other agricultural experiences) or WWOOFing (working as volunteer laborers on farms, orchards or ranches in exchange for room and board.) Still others, like my niece, move there permanently!

Here are some tips to help make the most of your time in Italy with kids: 

• While you’ll find Rome, Florence, and Venice on most packaged itineraries, definitely get off the beaten path and visit smaller towns, too. A simple search for “off-the-beaten-path Italian destinations” or “hidden gems in Italy” will give you many ideas to choose from.
• Use local guides for walking tours.
• The Italian Railway is extensive, high-speed and regular. You can purchase “family tickets” for a discounted rate and connected seats.
• Long-term traveling families enjoy the benefit of flexibility. To the extent possible, avoid Florence in the summer. It is overcrowded. 
• Always ask for tastes at gelateria – you can sample a couple of flavors before making your final choice (we always went with stracciatella). 
• “Ciao” means hello and goodbye.
• Generally speaking, Italians love babies and toddlers.
• “Il buongiorno si vede dal mattino,” or “A good day starts in the morning.” When in a fishing town, such as any of the five villages in Cinque Terre, wake up early–really early–when the fishermen head out, the coffee shops open, and the old locals greet each other. It’s a special time.
• Ordering pepperoni gets you peppers. If you want pepperoni pizza, order salumi picante.
• Ordering grilled cheese gets you literally a piece of grilled cheese. If you want a grilled cheese sandwich, you have to order mozzarella in carrozza.
• You spell bruschetta b-r-u-s-c-h-e-t-t-a, but you pronounce it bru-sketta. 
• Have a soccer ball with you, at all times – kids can kick around in piazzas, in parks, on the pitch (located in pretty much EVERY town), or even on the grounds of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. And your kids will surely connect with local kids once the soccer ball comes out. If you bring an American football, you’ll also meet curious new friends, but it will take them a while to throw a spiral back to you.
• Chianti tastes better in Chianti. Buying 12 bottles and trying to ship them back to the States can be a bit of a pain. Let me repeat, the Chianti tastes better in Chianti! 

We know Italy is a popular place and that many worldschooling families have put together amazing adventures there. We’d love to hear your suggestions and tips for traveling in Italy with kids. Please comment and share your ideas. Mille Grazie! Ciao!