Suggested itinerary for 2-3 weeks Venice/Tuscany/Rome?

[drmarkreich]

I have been reading your postings and love what you have to share. Wanted to ask if you could help out with an itinerary. We are planning a last minute trip. Me, my wife two kids aged 9 and 12 and 75 year old grandfather. We would like to have a relaxing and informative trip. It is our kids first time, whereas my grandfather is a professor of Italian culture and has taken his students on guided tours of Florence and Rome. We would like to expose our children to Venice, Florence, Rome and perhaps a more in depth look at some Tuscan towns and/or beach towns. Even open to exploring other areas such as northern lake district, Liguri or Amalfi. My kids are excellent eaters and explorers but I don't want to overwhelm them. We just want to enjoy, learn and relax too. We can spend from 2-3 weeks. We plan on flying into Venice and flying out of Rome. Can you suggest an itinerary? We are up for anything. Thank you.

Mark

[DonnaDenise]

Buongiorno,

It's great you have the opportunity to travel with three generations.

I am not "qualified" to give you any assistance outside of Tuscany. But as far as Tuscany goes, I suggest you plan at least two full days in the city center of Florence (museums, art, churches, monument, etc.) and then plan a week in the countryside.

Have a look at this page which suggest several possible itineraries - you will probably find one that will interest everyone - and not your normal stuff either

As for the countryside, check out this article with some kid friendly activities (adventure and cultural)

Venice would probably suffice 2 days and then Rome...well like any beautiful city - even a lifetime would have you discovering something new.

Buon Viaggio,

Donna Denise

[drmarkreich]

Thank you for the input. The plan that I have in my head right now is to fly into Venice. Spend 2-3 night in the surrounding areas with our relatives who live there. We would then rent a car and drive to the Ligurian coast for a few days. Then we would drive to somewhere in Tuscany, preferably a place with a pool and stay there for 4-6 nights and use it as a home base to go visit different towns. After this we would arrive in Florence and stay for 2 nights in Florence before heading to Rome to spend the last 4-5 nights. If you could suggest a nice home base for Tuscany that would serve as our home and allow us to visit many cities throughout the week, I would appreciate it very much. Thanks.

Mark

[DonnaDenise]

sounds like a good division of time in your itinerary.

So - I would suggest you look in the area of Montespertoli.

I have personally visited both Le Torri and Montalbino in that area on the list above.

They are also very kid friendly and close to give you easy access to lots of day trips.

Donna Denise

PS - you can book direct with both of those places from the link I sent you.

[drmarkreich]

Thanks again for the input. What do you think of the area Colle di Val d'Elsa for a homebase? Have you been?

Mark

[DonnaDenise]

Great location - just spent the afternoon in that area today doing a few wine tastings with my sister. It is a good distance between Siena and Florence and has some stunning landscapes. And there are many activities that will interest the kids in the area.

There are sevearl places in the same area close to Poggibonsi which are ideal for the holidays - have a look at this list for more ideas.

Donna Denise