Italy with kids

A family-friendly country

In Italy children are welcome almost everywhere. Restaurants have high chairs and smaller portions, children play in the squares until late on summer evenings, and waiters and shopkeepers often have a kind word for the little ones. Short distances between cities, sea and mountains let you change scenery without tiring everyone out, and the variety of the country offers something for every age: castles and knights, volcanoes and caves, beaches with shallow water, theme parks and, of course, pizza and gelato.

Planning the trip

With children it pays to slow down. Choose two or three bases instead of changing accommodation every night, alternate a day of sightseeing with a day of rest at the beach, at the pool or in a park, and plan a break in the hottest hours in summer. Apartments and agriturismi, farm stays, are often more practical than hotels: more space, a kitchen, sometimes farm animals, vegetable gardens and a pool. In the art cities, book museum tickets in advance to avoid long queues, and look for guided tours designed for families, which are increasingly common.

Some useful facts. In state museums entry is free for under-18s, and many civic museums offer reduced or free entry for children. On Trenitalia trains, children under 4 travel free without a reserved seat and young people get reduced fares, while Italo runs family offers: check the conditions when you buy. In the car, children must travel in a seat suited to their weight and height: ask the rental company when you book. Remember that children also need their own identity document.

The seaside with children

Italy's coasts have many beaches that are ideal for families. Every year a group of paediatricians awards the Green Flag (Bandiera Verde) to the beaches best suited to children: shallow, clean water, space to play, facilities and safety. The Romagna Riviera, with Rimini, Riccione, Cesenatico and Cattolica, is the queen of family holidays: equipped beaches, entertainment, cycle paths and amusement parks nearby. On the Adriatic coast, Lignano Sabbiadoro and Bibione are also popular, while in the south the Ionian coast of Puglia and Basilicata has fine sand and warm water. In Sardinia, beaches such as La Pelosa at Stintino or those of Chia and Villasimius have shallow, clear water, perfect for little ones.

Beach clubs (stabilimenti), with umbrellas, sunbeds, lifeguards and often a play area, are convenient with children; free beaches cost nothing but have no facilities. In summer it is best to go to the beach early in the morning and in the late afternoon, avoiding the middle of the day.

Art cities that children love

Even the art cities can captivate children if you pick the right stories. In Rome the Colosseum, with its gladiators, and the Forums tell ancient history like an adventure novel; the Bioparco zoo and the Explora children's museum make perfect breaks. In Florence you can climb the cathedral dome (for fit older children, there are more than four hundred steps) and discover Leonardo's inventions in dedicated museums. In Venice a vaporetto ride is enough to turn the city into an adventure, and in Murano you can watch glassblowers at work. In Genoa the Aquarium is one of the largest in Europe, in Turin the Egyptian Museum and the Cinema Museum in the Mole win over all ages, and in Milan the Science and Technology Museum has submarines, trains and planes. In Naples you can visit the underground city, and Pompeii and Herculaneum show how Roman children lived.

Theme parks and nature

Italy has famous amusement parks. Gardaland, at Castelnuovo del Garda on the Veneto shore of the lake, is the best known; in Romagna there are Mirabilandia near Ravenna and Italia in Miniatura in Rimini, with Italy's monuments in miniature. In Tuscany, at Collodi, part of Pescia, the Pinocchio Park celebrates the world's most famous puppet. For nature lovers, the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park and the Gran Paradiso offer easy trails and the chance to see deer, chamois and ibex; in the Dolomites and Trentino many resorts have themed trails, mountain farms, lakes and lifts open in summer. Caves, such as Frasassi in the Marche or Castellana in Puglia, and volcanoes, Vesuvius and Etna, are experiences children remember.

Eating with children

Children love Italian food: pasta with tomato sauce, margherita pizza, breaded cutlet, risotto, focaccia and, to finish, gelato. Many restaurants happily prepare a simple dish even if it is not on the menu, and trattorias often serve half portions. Italian mealtimes, especially dinner after 7.30 pm, can be late for little ones: pizzerias and trattorias are more flexible, and an afternoon snack at a bar helps everyone make it to dinner. Pharmacies and supermarkets sell formula milk, baby food and nappies.

Getting around with a pushchair and small children

Historic centres, with cobblestones, steps and narrow pavements, are not always easy with a pushchair: for small children a baby carrier or child-carrier backpack is often more practical, especially in Venice, full of bridges, and in hilltop villages. High-speed trains and many stations have lifts and family areas. In the car, plan frequent stops: motorway service areas have toilets, changing tables and space to stretch your legs.

Five family holiday ideas

1. Romagna: an equipped beach, bikes and a day at a theme park.
2. Lake Garda: Gardaland, ferries, castles and lakeside beaches.
3. Tuscany on a farm stay: a pool, animals, Pisa, cycling on Lucca's walls and the Pinocchio Park.
4. Trentino in summer: easy trails, lakes, mountain farms and cable cars.
5. Puglia or Sardinia: shallow seas, masserie or farm stays and short boat trips.