Italy with kids is a trip to make anyone smile. Great food, a lovely climate, warm, hospitable people, beautiful sites and stunning locations. A family trip to Italy really does provide everything you could need from a holiday. We have taken numerous trips to Italy with kids, in fact our first holiday abroad as new parents was to Tuscany with our eldest when he was five months old. Since then we have returned regularly and in every season as we just adore the country so much. We’ve put together our guide based on all of our experience in Italy for kids. Here we have everything from the best of Italy family holidays to a breakdown of north Italy vs south Italy. We’ve also got what to do in Italy with toddlers to history that teenagers will love. An Italy family vacation will make the whole family happy and the best family holidays in Italy will always feature a lot of time for relaxing as the pace in the country is nicely relaxed. You can use the headings below to jump to different sections or read through the whole thing for a big, blast of Italy with kids inspiration.
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- ✈️ – Find great flights to Italy with Opodo
- 💳 -Get a Currensea Card to easily pay for purchases abroad
- 📚 – Get planning your trip with the Lonely Planet guide to Italy
- 🏨 – Find the best family holiday to Italy
Table of Contents
Our guide to Italy with kids: Inspiration
We have written a number of features all about our trips to Italy with kids and provide them here, hopefully, as a source of inspiration.
One of our favourite trips was a winter trip to Puglia and Matera which was just full of winter colour. I would love to recreate that trip as we really enjoyed it.
We also took a spring road trip through Verona, Venice and the Italian lakes which was packed with changing scenery and beautiful sites.
As a different way to see the country we also took a cruise all around Italy. This was a fantastic way to see lots of the country without spending ages in a car, so the kids loved it.
Italy’s best sites
Italy is jam-packed with fantastic places to visit with kids and things to do. Some of our favourites are –
- Eating gelato….everywhere
- Seeing the mind-blowing streets of Pompeii
- Taking a speedboat to the islands of Venice
- Winding your way through the beehive shaped houses in Alberobello
- Exploring the Tuscan hilltop towns
- Running around the Colosseum
- Visiting the palaces of Genoa
- Eating in the world’s oldest pizzeria in Naples
- Taking a food tour through Palermo, Sicily
- Seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa up close
- Staying in a traditional masseria in Puglia
Unique places to stay in Italy
- Staying in a former glassworks facttory in Murano, Venice
- Staying in a masseria in Puglia
- Staying on Lake Iseo, Italy
- Staying in a 14th century palace in Venice
- Staying in an historic town house in Verona
- A unique historic stay in Genoa
Read more: The best family holidays in Italy
Travelling to Italy with kids – Videos
We have made some short films about our trips to Italy with kids –
Where to go when visiting Italy with kids
Italy is such a diverse country and really changes as you travel around it. From the tranquil lakes of the north to the stunning countryside of Tuscany, the history laden cities of Rome and Venice to the laid back, rustic charm of the south. The abundance of Italy holiday destinations for families make choosing where to go a tricky one as each region gives something wonderful but very different from the others. Having this much to choose from means Italy is a destination to return to time and time again. And to always feel like you’re experiencing somewhere different.
Northern Italy including Venice, Verona and Genoa
Northern Italy is a varied region in itself with the touristy Venice being many people’s focus. But the beautiful Verona and bustling Milan are also worth more than a cursory glance.
The breathtaking Italian lakes are somewhere to come and really relax. With the fresh air and gorgeous scenery it will be hard to leave.
My favourite city in the north, perhaps my favourite anywhere, is Verona.
Read more:
A trip through northern Italy with kids
The best family hotels in Venice
10 things to do in Verona with kids
Exploring the backstreets of Venice
The best things to do in Venice with kids
Top things to do in Genoa with kids
Tuscany including Florence
We absolutely adore Tuscany. It’s one of the most picturesque regions of Italy with gently rolling hills and some of the world’s most beautiful cities such as Siena and Florence.
Go there for the history and a chance to relax and enjoy the hilltop towns nestled amongst the countryside.
Read more:
A recipe for Tuscan spaghetti with sun dried tomatoes
Central Italy including Rome, Pompeii and Naples
Head further south in to Italy for warmer temperatures and some world famous sights. Rome is a city that is absolutely mesmerising for kids, packed full of something to see at every turn. And Pompeii should be on everyone’s bucket list. It’s one of those places that you know will be wonderful but will surpass every expectation.
Read more:
Exploring the Colosseum with kids
Stepping in to the home of a Roman Emperor
The best things to do in Naples with kids
Pizza in the oldest Pizzeria in Naples
The best gelato in Rome? – Giolitti Rome, Italy
The south including Puglia and Sicily
Southern Italy is in a class of its own. Here, where the heat rises so does the friendly welcome (if this is at all possible, Italy is one of the friendliest countries to travel with kids). Everything becomes more rustic the further south you travel and the charm only increases with that.
Read more:
A winter trip to Puglia and Matera
10 things to do in Puglia with kids
Exploring Alberobello with kids
Staying at Masseria Torre Coccaro, Puglia
A recipe for vegan Sicilian tomato focaccia
Travel to Italy with kids – key questions
We have rounded up some of the key questions people planning holidays in Italy with kids for the first time have. We hope they’re useful and do let us know if you have any others.
Where to go when visiting Italy for the first time?
I really think it’s impossible to go wrong with Italy so it probably comes down to your interests. If you’re looking for a laid back holiday with some good food and beautiful sights then a villa in Tuscany would probably be perfect for you. If you love history and culture then head for the cities of Rome or Florence. To feel like you’ve stepped back in time (albeit with hundreds of other tourists) then Venice can’t be beaten. This is a country that has so much to offer that every trip will make you wish you had longer to spend there.
North Italy vs south Italy
Again this is a very personal choice. The north offers more organised things to do in terms of museums and art galleries, especially some of the big cities. However the south has a special kind of charm where long days spent lingering over great food allow for their own kind of fun. What you’re looking for from a holiday will ultimately determine where you pick but plan more than one trip or a road trip through the country to really experience all of its different elements.
Italy with toddlers
We have visited Italy with a toddler and with a baby (as well as all the ages up to teenager) and it could not be more welcoming. While some of the sites may not be so pushchair friendly – Venice for example will be a much happier time with a carrier than buggy – you will not get a warmer welcome than in Italy. The food is as toddler friendly as it gets with pasta and pizza being top of the bill and restaurants are almost always willing to accommodate kids. Be prepared to be stopped and have your children’s hair stroked or an exclamation of delight uttered as you walk past.
What to wear when visiting Italy?
Italy is a very relaxed country and it’s best to wear whatever you’re comfortable in. Bear in mind that in summertime it can be very hot and humid. We’ve been in Rome when it was 41 degrees and stifling. Equally so it can get very cold in winter – a trip to Venice in January left us desperate for warmer clothes and even the south in winter will have chilly days.
What to buy in Italy with kids
Italy has some wonderful souvenirs from colourful pastas to Pinocchio gifts throughout Tuscany and beyond. In Puglia don’t miss the opportunity to pick up a colourful Cuccu, or whistle.
Read more:
Italian food Recipes
As we love Italy so much we also love to cook up the food when we’re at home, to remind us of the warmth of this enchanting country. Check out some of them below (and visit our page full of world recipes here too) –
Vegan orecchiette with sausage and brocolli
Tuscan spaghetti with sun dried tomatoes
Vegan pasta dough recipe – authentic recipe from southern Italy
Vegan Sicilian tomato focaccia
Italian pistachio and apricot blondies
We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide and are ready to start your trip to Italy with kids.
Your Italy with kids checklist
- ✈️ – Find great flights to Italy with Opodo
- 💳 -Get a Currensea Card to easily pay for purchases abroad
- 📚 – Get planning your trip with the Lonely Planet guide to Italy
- 🏨 – Find the best family holiday to Italy
