Is Italy good for a family holiday? Si, si, si!

What makes a great Italian family holiday?

What do we love the most about family holidays to Italy? Cities for budding culturists and island resorts that put juniors at the heart of all the action. Pint-sized feet galloping up the Spanish Steps and playing in piazzas. Meeting the Old Masters in Florence and licking limone gelato off sticky fingers. The whole family driving through Tuscany’s vineyards and snoozing on sun-dappled beaches. Trying Tuscan grapes and tagliatelle. Seeing castles, catacombs and cathedrals. Driving the Amalfi Coast and diving into the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Italy is a year-round favourite for families who want to city hop (hello Rome, Florence and Venice), beach flop (sizzling Sardinia is always a great idea) and whizz over to the Lakes for scenery and SUP. Short haul flights and easy internal travel make it a cherry pie choice for a family holiday. We’ve earmarked the places we visit time and time again with our families. The trips we’d love you to take because we love them ourselves. Ask us where and we’ll show you Rome and the Riviera. Venice and Verona. We’ve got tried and tested itineraries, exciting ideas for first-timers and new routes for seasoned culturists. All options can be tweaked whether you want more time to explore, need more days to reboot or want to rub shoulders with the beach for a little longer.

This country is made for child-sized escapes; family is ingrained in Italian culture and everyone from nonnas to capo camerieres will be charming you and your kids. This makes it easy to eat out as a tribe, not worry about making a little noise, and take part in all sorts of activities together. These guys also know how to make lip smackingly good food (no one is going to turn down pizza and pasta) and celebrate life, making it a special place to visit for a big dose of togetherness. Italy is always a great idea.

Itineraries

Family city breaks

Rome

Coffee, catacombs and the Colosseum

Rome is a city to quite literally roam. For tiny travellers there’s nothing better than flipping coins into the Trevi Fountain, enrolling in Gladiator School for a couple of hours and having a picnic on the banks of the River Tiber. Older kids will be quietly fascinated with underground ancient catacombs and wide-eyed at the splendour of the Colosseum. Treat teenage fans of Emily in Paris to a big plate of pasta at Antica Trattoria Angelino and gather everyone together and climb St. Peter’s Dome, a magical experience for all ages.

Visiting Rome gets you a slice of the beautiful life. A chance to watch nonnas in backstreet restaurants making arancini by hand and to tuck into pasta pomodoro at dusk on streets still warm from the sun. Families love Rome’s relaxed piazzas and Spanish Steps: kids pootle around here at sunset, youngsters thrilled with a sparkling crodino (non alcoholic fizz) while you sip an aperol spritz.

Florence

Medici, markets and the merry-go-round

The Renaissance city, scented with leather, coffee and wisteria, is worth a look for families spanning all ages. Florence has narrow streets and medieval buildings and its compact size and pedestrianised centre mean it's easy to reach all the sights on foot. Make the most of the months with a babe in arms and wander galleries, museums and the banks of River Arno with a pram and sunshade.

Toddlers who love being on the move will be over the moon rambling from sculpture to fountain in Boboli Gardens whilst older kids will be delighted climbing Florence’s Duomo. Florence is a top place to introduce kids to art and culture in bite-sized portions. Mini historians hit Palazzo Vecchio (littles get fairytale stories and juniors get an entertaining tour with period costumes and secret passages) and future creatives hang out at the Leonardo di Vinci museum working out how things work. Cap it off at Piazza della Repubblica at sunset taking a spin on the oldest merry-go-round in town.

Venice

Venetian experiences for the venturous family

Returning from Venice the kids will be swapping stories for years to come. That weekend they spent on a city made of water where canals replace the roads. The times they took a vaporetto, snaking down the Grand Canal and getting the best views from the bow. The gondola ride you splashed out on that had them so astonished, they forgot to get a photo for the gram.

Venice delivers hotel terraces with views and cool points from the kids. There are busy and touristy parts but also the gentle lap of water, the quixotic chiming of church bells and many a quieter baroque backstreet to explore. See the glistening gold mosaics at St Mark’s Basilica, cross every bridge you can find (don’t miss the famous Rialto) and order Italian tapas, discovering new flavours in mini portions. The action-orientated family can sign up for carnival mask making and watch masters of glassblowing at work on the island of Murano.

Lakes and countryside

Lake Garda

Hobnobbing with fresh air and fun

Lake Garda is a heartwarming and wholesome fuss-free holiday for all generations. Everyone slurping free samples of gelato at every gelateria and living their best life with sports on the shore and in the water. Little dippers saying arrivederci to screen time, instead riding slides at Gardaland and splashing in pools whilst gramps snoozes in the shade.

Hotel Gardea Soulfamily Resort is the place to stay. There are bedrooms designed for new parents (think cribs, bottle warmers and baby baths), a full roster of activities at the kids’ club and a wellness spa that features sweet treatments tailored to smalls. Then there are Lake Garda’s rosy-cheeked adventures: searching for the sword in the stone at Drena Castle and taking the cable car up to view-giving Mount Baldo. You’ll also want to take a boat from town to town – Desenzano, Limone, Bardolino – to see vineyards, castles and the essence of Italian life on cobblestoned streets. Venice and Shakespeare’s Verona are also easy day trips.

Tuscany

Villa stays and vineyard hopping

Criss crossing the Tuscan countryside is like rolling through a perfume of olives and roses. This is land of truffles, cattle and clay valleys. Where you can all tour medieval villages and family-friendly wine estates. This is the place for tasting thick hand-rolled pasta, climbing ancient bell towers and discovering secret gardens.

Tuscany is a great idea for the tribe who want to do their holiday a little differently this time round. The ones looking for magical days and dreamy go-slow nights. Tuscany is a place that inspires families to talk, walk and play together more. On our Tuscany Self Drive you’ll be picking up a car in Florence and weaving through the region before landing on the beach; in between visiting Siena’s shell-shaped piazza and gothic Duomo.

Or, linger a little longer at Castellare di Tonda, a wow-worthy collection of farmhouses that fit everyone from great grandparents to giggly babies. You’ve got Florence one way, Pisa the other and acre-upon-acre of beautiful countryside. Energetic little ones will love roaming between age old cypress trees, tennis courts and swimming pools, and when their heads hit their pillows you bring out the Chianti and sunset conversations.

The Neapolitan Riviera

Views of Vesuvius

The Neapolitan Riviera hums with summer feelings. It’s a rainbow of colours – canary yellow lemons, purple wisteria, emerald green caves – and promises ice-cream, cakes and deep blue sea. Because this region has hilly terrain it’s more suited for teens and it’s the teenagers who feel ever so grown up day-tripping to Capri, cruising to Positano and late night dining on summer-warm streets.

There are picture-book perfect lidos over wooden jetties, views of Mount Vesuvius and seafood by the sea. You’re spoiled with wonderful pools and adjoining family rooms at Hilton Sorrento Palace.

Sicily

Vibrant island culture

Ah, Sicily. What a scene. The heat, the history and the Hundred-Horse Chestnut. A dream for foodie and fun-seeking families, whether you’re eating wood-fired pizza under the eye of the Med or walking across Mount Etna’s lunar-like landscape.

There’s medieval magic on the east coast at Euryalus Castle’s underground tunnels in the ancient city of Syracuse and then there are sun-kissed vibes on the south coast, where everyone is doing laps of gorgeous swimming pools, learning to make pasta the Sicilian way and sailing out to Scala dei Turchi’s white marble cliffs; all possible when you stay at Verdura Resort.

Sardinia

Life’s a beach

This paradise island, west of Italy, is a winner for getting everyone their version of a beautiful summer holiday and it’s a cracking spot for donning swimsuits. Glam fams adore Costa Smerelda’s white sandy coves and superyacht marinas. Sporty types love the options of mountain biking, snorkelling and scuba diving.

Forte Village, on the south coast, puts both smalls and adults at the centre of leisure, luxury and sports under the sun. Fine dining, a Real Madrid footie school, a nature park and pools for all including Acqua Park and an Olympic-sized pool.

How to combine them: easy multi-centre ideas

We’ve mapped out a little something for everyone. Wonderful Italian cities, adventures on the lake and road tripping across the countryside that can be combined to make a multi-destination family holiday. Places with enough excitement and mellow charm to be magical for all.

We’ve chosen combinations for their ease and variety; smooth and quick travel and memories created for everyone. We can organise all transfers, train travel and logistics for your great Italian adventure so all you have to do is relax and enjoy the holiday.

Rome and Sorrento

See the ruins of Rome and the coast and cliff tops of the Neapolitan Riviera.

Verona and Lake Garda

Bring Romeo and Juliet to life in Verona before getting sporty and sunkissed on Italy’s largest lake.

Florence and Tuscan countryside

See the classics, the exceptional and the dreamy. This is get away from it all family adventure done together, freewheeling your way from Florence to the Tuscan hills.

Quick tips for travelling in Italy with kids

◉ Best times to go: Easter, May half term and summer

◉ Italy is hot in July/August. These months are good for beaches and lakes but not so much for cities

◉ Shoulder periods are wonderful if you’re travelling with preschool kids

◉ It’s easy to get around by train, but we can help with private transfers too

◉ Always carry water and snacks

◉ Restaurants are child-friendly. Simple and easy kids meals including pizza, pasta and ice cream are easy to find

This feature was created on 16th May 2025. The information within this feature is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication.