Food, cooking, arts trip in Italy...
January 31, 2016 1:22 PM Subscribe
Please help me figure out how to craft a fabulous vacation for my two kiddos and myself to Italy this summer..
Hi all.... I want to take my kids on a fabulous trip this summer....but I want to figure out the best way to cater it to what we love to do. My daughter will be 16, my son will be 9 when we travel. We all LOVE food, love new tastes and adventures....My daughter is an AMAZING cook and teaching little brother. So food and cooking definitely on the table. New food, new tastes, etc. We are musicians...I sing professionally, Daughter is a college level oboist and son is taking piano lessons. We love the arts, all aspects, music, theater, visual, all of it. The Arts are on the table. And, we just love people and adventure. I want a trip where we have a loose schedule but we can walk around among the town or village....meet people, really learn the culture... we speak no Italian (other than what I have sung), my daughter has very basic Spanish. I guess my question is....is there a travel service that will let you really cater your trip this specifically? I've been searching but as soon as I put in that I have a 9 year old....I get tours and groups that have a "kids club" or shuffles the kids off to some activity. DO NOT WANT. My son will thrive and I want to be with him, not shuffle him off. I want a trip that all three of us can do together....semi guided according to our interests but lots of room to explore, do cool stuff and really make the most of our time. Somewhere in Italy, hitting Rome, maybe Venice while we are there but lots of time in small towns and villages. Money isn't really an object. How do I figure out how to book this? Please share any and all tips including great things you have done in Italy in case I end up crafting this myself. Thanks all!!
Hi all.... I want to take my kids on a fabulous trip this summer....but I want to figure out the best way to cater it to what we love to do. My daughter will be 16, my son will be 9 when we travel. We all LOVE food, love new tastes and adventures....My daughter is an AMAZING cook and teaching little brother. So food and cooking definitely on the table. New food, new tastes, etc. We are musicians...I sing professionally, Daughter is a college level oboist and son is taking piano lessons. We love the arts, all aspects, music, theater, visual, all of it. The Arts are on the table. And, we just love people and adventure. I want a trip where we have a loose schedule but we can walk around among the town or village....meet people, really learn the culture... we speak no Italian (other than what I have sung), my daughter has very basic Spanish. I guess my question is....is there a travel service that will let you really cater your trip this specifically? I've been searching but as soon as I put in that I have a 9 year old....I get tours and groups that have a "kids club" or shuffles the kids off to some activity. DO NOT WANT. My son will thrive and I want to be with him, not shuffle him off. I want a trip that all three of us can do together....semi guided according to our interests but lots of room to explore, do cool stuff and really make the most of our time. Somewhere in Italy, hitting Rome, maybe Venice while we are there but lots of time in small towns and villages. Money isn't really an object. How do I figure out how to book this? Please share any and all tips including great things you have done in Italy in case I end up crafting this myself. Thanks all!!
Response by poster: I would like to go for a month but with the reality of summer oboe camp/ shared visitation... 2 weeks will probably be the most I can reasonably plan. Thanks for the Jubilee info... Did not know. That is just the kind of info I need.
posted by pearlybob at 2:21 PM on January 31, 2016
posted by pearlybob at 2:21 PM on January 31, 2016
I don't know of any tour companies that offer as much flexibility as you would want/need for the trip you are describing. I would recommend that you choose the cities you wish to visit then arrange for local guides in each location. Give the guides information about what you and your kids are interested in and they will be able to suggest activities and (probably) in most cases make arrangements for you. You can find the names and contact info for good guides in TripAdvisor forums. There are also several websites you can contact
Private Guides of Italy
Tours By Locals
Private Guide.Com
buon viaggio!
posted by pjsky at 2:24 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Private Guides of Italy
Tours By Locals
Private Guide.Com
buon viaggio!
posted by pjsky at 2:24 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
In suspect you don't need an organised tour, you need a guide book you can sit down and browse to plan the kid-friendly trip you really want to take. The Lonely Planet guides have listings for cookery courses in every location they can find them, and will have tons of listings for all sizes of places in Italy. Tours by Locals as suggested above can also help you fill in.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:42 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 2:42 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
Rome with Kids is an excellent resource by the wife of one of my friends and colleagues. They have lived and traveled extensively throughout Italy for many years. A great resource.
posted by TryTheTilapia at 5:28 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by TryTheTilapia at 5:28 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
I agree - I'd skip the tours and maybe look for a company that organises homestays if you want to meet people, really learn the culture... (or poke around on AirBnB, Wwoof Italy, etc for listings who have "hosts are awesome tour guides"). Two weeks isn't that long though - you could easily spend the whole time exploring Rome or maybe a 2-3 small towns near each other.
It is increasingly common for small farms to have guest lodging to supplement income, and I've had great experiences being shown how to cook something, taken around the local area, etc. Historical sites will offer guided tours if you want them, and I imagine Italy would have lots of vacation-cooking class options if you wanted something more formal. Maybe try Slow Food International (or this site specific to Umbria and Tuscany which I can already see lists cooking classes).
I will note that Spanish is not Italian, and when I was in Italy and got flustered and started speaking in Spanish (ie "not English") it was completely useless. However, if she knows Spanish she will have a really easy time picking up enough Italian to get by.
I loved Italy.
posted by jrobin276 at 5:35 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
It is increasingly common for small farms to have guest lodging to supplement income, and I've had great experiences being shown how to cook something, taken around the local area, etc. Historical sites will offer guided tours if you want them, and I imagine Italy would have lots of vacation-cooking class options if you wanted something more formal. Maybe try Slow Food International (or this site specific to Umbria and Tuscany which I can already see lists cooking classes).
I will note that Spanish is not Italian, and when I was in Italy and got flustered and started speaking in Spanish (ie "not English") it was completely useless. However, if she knows Spanish she will have a really easy time picking up enough Italian to get by.
I loved Italy.
posted by jrobin276 at 5:35 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Agree with everyone that you do NOT want a tour company for this.
Also? Your kids are old enough to be involved in the planning! One of my favourite parts of the East Coast trip that was my birthday/graduation present from my Dad was getting to plan it myself. You don't have to be like my Dad and hand the reins pretty much completely over (especially since I was 21 at the time) but you can definitely get at least your daughter involved in research and stuff. Bonus: it's a great family bonding activity, and can serve to avoid fights when you're actually there.
posted by Tamanna at 6:06 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
Also? Your kids are old enough to be involved in the planning! One of my favourite parts of the East Coast trip that was my birthday/graduation present from my Dad was getting to plan it myself. You don't have to be like my Dad and hand the reins pretty much completely over (especially since I was 21 at the time) but you can definitely get at least your daughter involved in research and stuff. Bonus: it's a great family bonding activity, and can serve to avoid fights when you're actually there.
posted by Tamanna at 6:06 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
I don't think a tour company would be necessary, although you could save some time by finding somebody like my Italian teacher, who runs small tours but will also help more experienced travelers find things more off the beaten track. After two multi-month long trips in my twenties, I was just there in October for two weeks and the time flew by, so keeping your list of cities to see relatively short will help, especially since you can lose time so quickly with travel. For example, I adore Venice, but you'll have to fight to not be swallowed by the tourist crowd. Staying between Rome and Florence and exploring the hill towns in between might be a better choice, especially if you stay multiple days in one of the smaller towns and just hang out in a beautiful place without feeling the need to see every museum and historic site.
posted by PussKillian at 6:23 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by PussKillian at 6:23 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: wow. Was just coming back to ask if I needed to think about renting a cottage / home and work 'out' from there and saw the last 5 comments come up. Maybe renting a home for the two weeks, just outside Rome or Florence, with day trips, car rentals, is the best idea?? Could I hire a local chef to come teach us some lessons? What specific villages do I need to target? I'm so thankful for the ideas so far... Please keep them coming. No detail too small!!
posted by pearlybob at 6:37 PM on January 31, 2016
posted by pearlybob at 6:37 PM on January 31, 2016
Consider when driving in Italy -- you don't want to do it in any of the major cities. Too stressful! If you rent a car in a smaller town you are likely to get a stick shift, not an automatic. You should get an international drivers license -- 99% chance you won't be asked for it, but if you are and you don't have one it will be an expensive headache. Easy to get at your local AAA. Think they are still only about $15 good for 1 year.
Traveling by train in Italy is very easy and a great option if you are not lugging heavy suitcases. Some stations don't have working elevators which means you have to carry your luggage up and down a flight of stairs to get to the platform.
If food is a big factor I would recommend Bologna for sure. Florence is magnificent and not so large that you can't wander across the river and experience 'real' Italian neighborhoods far from the tourist hordes. In Tuscany -- Siena. Lucca and San Gimignano are also great places to visit (or stay).
posted by pjsky at 7:33 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Traveling by train in Italy is very easy and a great option if you are not lugging heavy suitcases. Some stations don't have working elevators which means you have to carry your luggage up and down a flight of stairs to get to the platform.
If food is a big factor I would recommend Bologna for sure. Florence is magnificent and not so large that you can't wander across the river and experience 'real' Italian neighborhoods far from the tourist hordes. In Tuscany -- Siena. Lucca and San Gimignano are also great places to visit (or stay).
posted by pjsky at 7:33 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Linda Sorgiovanni is a private guide who works out of Florence. She will drive you on custom tours into the country-side, arrange visits to restaurants, farms, etc.
I took a half-day market tour with her in Florence and it was an absolute highlight of my two trips to Italy. She is knowledgeable, funny, well-known and liked among the local vendors, and really, really interested in showing you more than just the obvious tourist spots. I left her tour wishing I could actually be her.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:27 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
I took a half-day market tour with her in Florence and it was an absolute highlight of my two trips to Italy. She is knowledgeable, funny, well-known and liked among the local vendors, and really, really interested in showing you more than just the obvious tourist spots. I left her tour wishing I could actually be her.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:27 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
I don't think you need a travel service for this. You're describing the typical vacation to Italy that the vast majority of all American and European tourists take.
Cooking classes are very common as a tourist activity and available in any city of size, and quite a few smaller towns that are popular with travelers, taught in English. Any guidebook will have options for this. Ask ahead of time whether a well-behaved nine year old with kitchen experience would be allowed.
Half the towns in Italy have an incredibly important bit of art history sitting right there in the duomo or local museum. A few famous or delicate ones need to be booked well in advance (six months plus), but this is generally something you can do online. I'd also recommend making reservations for the major museums in the cities, like the Uffizi or the Vatican Museums, because they get very crowded. (This needs to be done a month or so in advance and can also be done easily online.) I wanted to see the Piero della Francesca frescos in Arezzo, in Tuscany, and called a few days before to reserve. Some Italian helped here but probably wasn't necessary.
On my most recent trip to Italy, a few months ago, I was able to attend a tour of the Capuchin Crypt in Rome that included a historic concert in the 17th century church associated with the crypt. The ossuary itself was interesting, but what was actually a lot cooler was listening to the type of music that was written to be sung in this type of space. This is yet another thing you can book yourself online. I'm not sure if events like this exist in other Italian cities.
The cool thing about arranging this stuff yourself is that you can pretty much do whatever you want aside from the few activities that have to be planned in advance. If you want to spend the morning wandering around Florence eating gelato before your cooking class, you can do that. If you have a free day and decide to go to Orvieto on a whim because it's the next train leaving from the station and it's only half an hour away, you can do that. And, hell, most of those tickets (aside from things like concerts and one on one classes) are pretty cheap, so if you book reservations at whatever museum and the nine year old is arted out, you can blow it off without worry.
Speaking Italian isn't that important. I've been to Italy four times, traveling all over the country. The first time I spoke no Italian and did fine. The second time, since I'd been to Italy before I got appointed the trip's unofficial translator (despite still speaking basically no Italian) and we all got around fine. The third trip, I tried to study up on my Italian but really didn't get far. I did fine. This past trip was longer and more involved, so I did some pretty intense DuoLingo tutorials and actually speak pretty passable Italian now. Sometimes it came in handy, but it wasn't by any means vital. Italy is a heavily touristed country, especially by Americans and Brits. You have to go really far off the beaten path to find a language barrier. Nthing that Spanish is pretty useless, though knowing other romance languages is somewhat helpful for reading signs and menus and such.
In terms of planning, the best thing to do is to figure out how long you have and how fast/how much you want to travel. In my opinion the best trips are ten days to two weeks and stick to one or two regions of the country. For example Rome and Campania, Florence/Tuscany/Cinque Terre, or Venice and Milan. It's easiest to start by deciding on one or two cities that really pique your interest and then plan travels in the surrounding areas, rather than making a vast list of EVERYTHING WE HAVE TO DO and find yourself zipping around the country trying to cross everything off the list. But if you have months at your disposal, sure, see the whole country!
If you're worried about driving, plan your trip around taking trains. Train travel in Italy is super convenient, though to an extent the city you base yourself in will dictate which other towns are easy to visit. Just like everything else I've mentioned, train tickets can be booked easily online.
FWIW if you want personal recommendations, my two favorite Italian towns are Orvieto and Verona. Not only would I go back there in a heartbeat, I'd live there. Verona has a great opera festival in spring/early summer IIRC.
The best thing I have done in Italy was my self-curated walking tour of the best Roman gelaterias. The second best thing was WWOOFing on a farm in remote rural Tuscany, but that is probably not in the cards for you on this trip.
Also, jesus christ and all that is holy, DO NOT GO IN AUGUST. If you can only go in August, go to Croatia or something instead. Or stay home and watch Fellini movies.
posted by Sara C. at 8:33 PM on January 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
Cooking classes are very common as a tourist activity and available in any city of size, and quite a few smaller towns that are popular with travelers, taught in English. Any guidebook will have options for this. Ask ahead of time whether a well-behaved nine year old with kitchen experience would be allowed.
Half the towns in Italy have an incredibly important bit of art history sitting right there in the duomo or local museum. A few famous or delicate ones need to be booked well in advance (six months plus), but this is generally something you can do online. I'd also recommend making reservations for the major museums in the cities, like the Uffizi or the Vatican Museums, because they get very crowded. (This needs to be done a month or so in advance and can also be done easily online.) I wanted to see the Piero della Francesca frescos in Arezzo, in Tuscany, and called a few days before to reserve. Some Italian helped here but probably wasn't necessary.
On my most recent trip to Italy, a few months ago, I was able to attend a tour of the Capuchin Crypt in Rome that included a historic concert in the 17th century church associated with the crypt. The ossuary itself was interesting, but what was actually a lot cooler was listening to the type of music that was written to be sung in this type of space. This is yet another thing you can book yourself online. I'm not sure if events like this exist in other Italian cities.
The cool thing about arranging this stuff yourself is that you can pretty much do whatever you want aside from the few activities that have to be planned in advance. If you want to spend the morning wandering around Florence eating gelato before your cooking class, you can do that. If you have a free day and decide to go to Orvieto on a whim because it's the next train leaving from the station and it's only half an hour away, you can do that. And, hell, most of those tickets (aside from things like concerts and one on one classes) are pretty cheap, so if you book reservations at whatever museum and the nine year old is arted out, you can blow it off without worry.
Speaking Italian isn't that important. I've been to Italy four times, traveling all over the country. The first time I spoke no Italian and did fine. The second time, since I'd been to Italy before I got appointed the trip's unofficial translator (despite still speaking basically no Italian) and we all got around fine. The third trip, I tried to study up on my Italian but really didn't get far. I did fine. This past trip was longer and more involved, so I did some pretty intense DuoLingo tutorials and actually speak pretty passable Italian now. Sometimes it came in handy, but it wasn't by any means vital. Italy is a heavily touristed country, especially by Americans and Brits. You have to go really far off the beaten path to find a language barrier. Nthing that Spanish is pretty useless, though knowing other romance languages is somewhat helpful for reading signs and menus and such.
In terms of planning, the best thing to do is to figure out how long you have and how fast/how much you want to travel. In my opinion the best trips are ten days to two weeks and stick to one or two regions of the country. For example Rome and Campania, Florence/Tuscany/Cinque Terre, or Venice and Milan. It's easiest to start by deciding on one or two cities that really pique your interest and then plan travels in the surrounding areas, rather than making a vast list of EVERYTHING WE HAVE TO DO and find yourself zipping around the country trying to cross everything off the list. But if you have months at your disposal, sure, see the whole country!
If you're worried about driving, plan your trip around taking trains. Train travel in Italy is super convenient, though to an extent the city you base yourself in will dictate which other towns are easy to visit. Just like everything else I've mentioned, train tickets can be booked easily online.
FWIW if you want personal recommendations, my two favorite Italian towns are Orvieto and Verona. Not only would I go back there in a heartbeat, I'd live there. Verona has a great opera festival in spring/early summer IIRC.
The best thing I have done in Italy was my self-curated walking tour of the best Roman gelaterias. The second best thing was WWOOFing on a farm in remote rural Tuscany, but that is probably not in the cards for you on this trip.
Also, jesus christ and all that is holy, DO NOT GO IN AUGUST. If you can only go in August, go to Croatia or something instead. Or stay home and watch Fellini movies.
posted by Sara C. at 8:33 PM on January 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
One more thing: if you want to see all the sights of Rome, I wouldn't book a house outside Rome. I'd book a hotel room or maybe an AirBnB in an interesting neighborhood right in the city. Rome is a gigantic clusterfuck of a place with days (maybe even weeks) of stuff to do. Commuting into the city every day is going to be a waste of your time. Besides, there is very little in this world as good as waking up in Rome, going to your corner bar, and having a caffe and a cornetto before tromping off to look at art or churches or ruins or whatever you happen to run into first.
One popular way of doing this would be to spend a few days in Rome, then take the train to somewhere in Tuscany like Fiesole or Siena, where you'd have easy access to Florence (which is a much more approachable city for day trips).
posted by Sara C. at 8:39 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
One popular way of doing this would be to spend a few days in Rome, then take the train to somewhere in Tuscany like Fiesole or Siena, where you'd have easy access to Florence (which is a much more approachable city for day trips).
posted by Sara C. at 8:39 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
I've done two trips to Italy. My biggest and most valuable piece of advice: give yourself at least 2 days for Rome if you intend on seeing all the major stuff. Three days if you can spare it. Too often people try to rush though and see the highlights and it becomes exhausting. Also, I would agree that staying in Rome proper is way better. One trip I did that and it was sweet - wake up, breakfast, coffee, and just walk to whatever you wanted. The city is very walkable. The second trip I did I stayed in a hotel further out and it was annoying because I had to budget time to travel into the city during the day.
So - if you want to see Venice and Rome, the typical trip people do is Venice-Florence-Rome, with maybe a stop somewhere in Assisi or other small side town in between. Did that trip my second time and it was great. The trip was ~2 weeks.
My first trip was Rome-Sorrento-Almalfi Coastline-Pompeii, and again about 2 weeks. You should look at travel books and try to figure out what you and the kids care about the most, because you won't be able to see everything in a two week span of time. I think I used Eyewitness back when I went, but there are plenty out there. Check out your local library - I know mine has all kinds of travel books so that way you don't have to buy them.
There is amazing food everywhere in Italy, so don't worry about that. I would go in a heartbeat again for the food alone. Cooking classes also abound - they are a typical touristy thing to do.
I would highly recommend not doing a travel service and instead planning this yourself, based on my experiences but that's just me.
Also - look into train schedules. There's lots of trains in Italy, and once you get into any town/city, having a car is a big liability. If it were me, I'd try to avoid renting a car if at all possible.
Feel free to memail me if you have specific questions as you get into it more.
posted by FireFountain at 9:01 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
So - if you want to see Venice and Rome, the typical trip people do is Venice-Florence-Rome, with maybe a stop somewhere in Assisi or other small side town in between. Did that trip my second time and it was great. The trip was ~2 weeks.
My first trip was Rome-Sorrento-Almalfi Coastline-Pompeii, and again about 2 weeks. You should look at travel books and try to figure out what you and the kids care about the most, because you won't be able to see everything in a two week span of time. I think I used Eyewitness back when I went, but there are plenty out there. Check out your local library - I know mine has all kinds of travel books so that way you don't have to buy them.
There is amazing food everywhere in Italy, so don't worry about that. I would go in a heartbeat again for the food alone. Cooking classes also abound - they are a typical touristy thing to do.
I would highly recommend not doing a travel service and instead planning this yourself, based on my experiences but that's just me.
Also - look into train schedules. There's lots of trains in Italy, and once you get into any town/city, having a car is a big liability. If it were me, I'd try to avoid renting a car if at all possible.
Feel free to memail me if you have specific questions as you get into it more.
posted by FireFountain at 9:01 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
I've just come back from Rome and I've also spent quite a lot of time in Florence. You could easily spent two weeks in any of the main cities, so prioritise ruthlessly!
I had several people recommend me city walks guided by Walks of Italy and I was very tempted and would have booked some if it weren't so late notice.
I thoroughly recommend guided tours of specific attractions - you get so much more out of it when someone is telling you the context and often you get to skip the lines. We had a guided tour of the Colosseum, which was great and gave us access to areas that you couldn't get into otherwise. I also wish we'd paid for the guided tours of the Vatican museums and St Peter's as it was huge and overwhelming even with an audio guide. Rome requires a lot of imagination to make sense of the ruins.
When planning, make sure you've researched what days things are open. We were there over a weekend so missed out on a lot of things because Sunday and Monday are the main days things are closed. It's not good if your only days in a city are Sunday and Monday!
I would suggest that the 'time it takes to see' times in the guidebooks are ridiculously short. I think my guidebook suggested 2 hours for the whole of the Vatican, including St Peter's and the Sistine Chapel. We took something like 6 hours and we saw nowhere near everything. Likewise, it said 2 hours for the Colosseum and the Forum/Palatine Hill. We spent a day and a half seeing these, and that was going into the attractions at opening times and not stopping for lunch.
The other thing to bear in mind is that you're balancing a flexible itinerary against queues. Last time I was in Rome it was August and the heat was extreme. I went to St Peter's when it opened at 7am and we still had to queue, and then we queued for 2 hours to get into the Vatican museums too. I don't think that is abnormal. If you can tie yourself down to buying a ticket in advance, you get to skip (most of) the queue.
Enjoy!
posted by kadia_a at 11:30 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
I had several people recommend me city walks guided by Walks of Italy and I was very tempted and would have booked some if it weren't so late notice.
I thoroughly recommend guided tours of specific attractions - you get so much more out of it when someone is telling you the context and often you get to skip the lines. We had a guided tour of the Colosseum, which was great and gave us access to areas that you couldn't get into otherwise. I also wish we'd paid for the guided tours of the Vatican museums and St Peter's as it was huge and overwhelming even with an audio guide. Rome requires a lot of imagination to make sense of the ruins.
When planning, make sure you've researched what days things are open. We were there over a weekend so missed out on a lot of things because Sunday and Monday are the main days things are closed. It's not good if your only days in a city are Sunday and Monday!
I would suggest that the 'time it takes to see' times in the guidebooks are ridiculously short. I think my guidebook suggested 2 hours for the whole of the Vatican, including St Peter's and the Sistine Chapel. We took something like 6 hours and we saw nowhere near everything. Likewise, it said 2 hours for the Colosseum and the Forum/Palatine Hill. We spent a day and a half seeing these, and that was going into the attractions at opening times and not stopping for lunch.
The other thing to bear in mind is that you're balancing a flexible itinerary against queues. Last time I was in Rome it was August and the heat was extreme. I went to St Peter's when it opened at 7am and we still had to queue, and then we queued for 2 hours to get into the Vatican museums too. I don't think that is abnormal. If you can tie yourself down to buying a ticket in advance, you get to skip (most of) the queue.
Enjoy!
posted by kadia_a at 11:30 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
I've been living in Italy for the last four years and there are many opportunities for culinary adventure. If you're looking for a cooking class be aware that Rome, Florence and Venice all have different regional cuisines and so if you like a certain kind of Italian food you should make a plan for that location. Tuscany is more meaty (boar, beef and pork), Venice will have more opportunities for learning about seafood and baked goods, and well... Rome will have all of the above, probably.
I would suggest either starting in Venice or Rome and working your way toward the other. With two weeks you have plenty of time to spend a chunk of time in each spot. Cortona and Orvieto are great places to stay put in a small town for a few days. Both have medieval roots and are good jumping off places for more adventure.
Have Fun!
posted by schneckinlittle at 3:26 AM on February 1, 2016
I would suggest either starting in Venice or Rome and working your way toward the other. With two weeks you have plenty of time to spend a chunk of time in each spot. Cortona and Orvieto are great places to stay put in a small town for a few days. Both have medieval roots and are good jumping off places for more adventure.
Have Fun!
posted by schneckinlittle at 3:26 AM on February 1, 2016
Mamma Mia! I forgot to mention that Lucca is where Puccini was born. There is a nice, little museum dedicated to him there and concerts everyday of the week featuring his music. Also, Venice was home to Antonio Vivaldi -- again, concerts featuring his music all over the city. In Venice you can do a wonderful mask-making workshop at TRAGICOMICA. They aren't cheap, but they are the real deal! They make masks for major opera companies, movies, etc. etc.
posted by pjsky at 8:13 AM on February 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by pjsky at 8:13 AM on February 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
nthing trains, and pointing to the man in seat 61 as a useful resource for understanding how they work/where to book tickets etc.
I am biased and always suggest Sicily but that's because a) THEY PUT THE TRAIN ON THE FERRY which is awesomely geeky b) there is a live volcano you can go up, er, unless it is being too live on the day c) I have an unhealthy relationship with Pasta a la norma d) it will change the way you react to the word 'Syracuse'
posted by AFII at 8:20 AM on February 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
I am biased and always suggest Sicily but that's because a) THEY PUT THE TRAIN ON THE FERRY which is awesomely geeky b) there is a live volcano you can go up, er, unless it is being too live on the day c) I have an unhealthy relationship with Pasta a la norma d) it will change the way you react to the word 'Syracuse'
posted by AFII at 8:20 AM on February 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Two points if you are near Florence -
1. Florence has a week-long Gelato Festival every year, although it looks like they've started making it a rolling festival, where they spend a week or so each in a bunch of different cities. (They're in Florence in April, and then again in the first week of September.) The festival sets up a bunch of booths in different piazzas in the city, and you can buy a book of "festival passes" - these are five or six coupons that you can trade in at any of the booths for a scoop of gelato. I discovered the piazza where all the "artisinal" gelato makers were hanging out and gorged myself on a coffee gelato that was a single-origin bean coffee, then something with dark chocolate and candied orange, and then something really over the top like "pumpkin spice with candied hazelnuts and a blueberry sauce ripple" or something like that. WOW.
2. The Food and Wine Academy of Florence runs cooking classes catered to the tourists, so it's not 100% "authentic" - but I had fun in the pizza and gelato class, and still use some of the tips I got there. They also have a combo "tour the food market and then cook with the stuff you got" itinerary that may be fun. (Ironically, I'd already booked the gelato class for that same day when I discovered the gelato festival was going on; so I ended up having four scoops from the festival, one from a place near where I was walking around for the day, and then another scoop in the class, and that's how I learned that apparently I have a maximum limit when it comes to daily gelato intake.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:19 AM on February 1, 2016
1. Florence has a week-long Gelato Festival every year, although it looks like they've started making it a rolling festival, where they spend a week or so each in a bunch of different cities. (They're in Florence in April, and then again in the first week of September.) The festival sets up a bunch of booths in different piazzas in the city, and you can buy a book of "festival passes" - these are five or six coupons that you can trade in at any of the booths for a scoop of gelato. I discovered the piazza where all the "artisinal" gelato makers were hanging out and gorged myself on a coffee gelato that was a single-origin bean coffee, then something with dark chocolate and candied orange, and then something really over the top like "pumpkin spice with candied hazelnuts and a blueberry sauce ripple" or something like that. WOW.
2. The Food and Wine Academy of Florence runs cooking classes catered to the tourists, so it's not 100% "authentic" - but I had fun in the pizza and gelato class, and still use some of the tips I got there. They also have a combo "tour the food market and then cook with the stuff you got" itinerary that may be fun. (Ironically, I'd already booked the gelato class for that same day when I discovered the gelato festival was going on; so I ended up having four scoops from the festival, one from a place near where I was walking around for the day, and then another scoop in the class, and that's how I learned that apparently I have a maximum limit when it comes to daily gelato intake.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:19 AM on February 1, 2016
What a great experience for your kids!
When I was nine, we were on a two-month long vacation in Italy, and visited some Alpine village, Genoa, Milan, Bologna, Florence, Pisa and then lived in a rented villa on Elba for a while. I don't remember how long we were each place except that we visited relatives in that Alpine village (or very small town) and that we were on Elba for my birthday in September. Since then, I have tried to be in Italy at least once a year and I have learnt some Italian. My parents gave me a lasting love for the country.
Even the bad memories are good. Once we got lost somewhere and had to stop at a roadside bar for food and directions. I will never forget the taste of the simple cold pizza rosso we had there.
I have brought my own kids to Rome several times and they love it so much that I am having a hard time convincing them that we might go elsewhere.
One thing: don't be too ambitious - with children things take time, and one sight a day is often enough. They need time for playing and just relaxing doing nothing.
I agree with everyone that you should avoid August, but if that is not possible, then avoid Florence. For all the rest of Italy, there are things to do which are wonderful even in August, but Florence is just hellish. If you want to go to Tuscany, smaller towns like Siena are much nicer.
In August, you need to be able to relax pleasantly from 11 AM to 4PM every day. A pool, or a garden or a beach are good, but you need shade too.
The churches can be very nice and cool and most are filled with world-class art.
Starting with Venice - there is the Lido for a beach, and you can take trips out to the islands in the lagoon - eat lunch at a garden restaurant on Torcello either after you've seen the sights during the morning, or go out in the beautiful light of the afternoon. The boat trips out there and back are an attraction in itself, and an opportunity to talk about the history of the lagoon and Venice. The actual streets of Venice are shady and quiet as soon as you get away from the crowd. I like to stay near the Arsenale, because of the homey atmosphere with far less tourists. So much to see - I'd stay for at least 4 days. Don't imagine you can see everything! Just enjoy in the pace of your kids. Food in Venice is marvelous, but can be difficult to find, because the bad tourist places are so dominating at the first glance.
I think for me, the next stop would be Siena. Maybe stay in a villa outside the city limits, or don't. You get a lot of the history and art of Toscana but with less frantic crowds than Florence - this might be a great place to find a cooking class - I've seen several advertised but I haven't tried it myself.
Now either you could stay in Siena for several days, rent a car and make excursions from there into the many interesting sights of Tuscany, or move on to one of the resorts Italians love, less known to tourists. On the route between Siena and Rome there are four beautiful lakes surrounded by villages and forests, or you could go to the sea. Viterbo is a beautiful small town on this route.
Rome needs at least four days. In my experience, it's better to rent an apartment than to stay at a hotel in Rome. Not because there is any problem with the hotels, but because the city is so overwhelming, it's nice to have some space to relax in. Eat out for all meals anyway. Dont worry about the Jubilee - Rome is planned for mass tourism and has been since antiquity.
You won't need a car in Venice or Rome, but might enjoy having one in between. Italy does have good public transportation all round, though.
posted by mumimor at 1:33 PM on February 1, 2016
When I was nine, we were on a two-month long vacation in Italy, and visited some Alpine village, Genoa, Milan, Bologna, Florence, Pisa and then lived in a rented villa on Elba for a while. I don't remember how long we were each place except that we visited relatives in that Alpine village (or very small town) and that we were on Elba for my birthday in September. Since then, I have tried to be in Italy at least once a year and I have learnt some Italian. My parents gave me a lasting love for the country.
Even the bad memories are good. Once we got lost somewhere and had to stop at a roadside bar for food and directions. I will never forget the taste of the simple cold pizza rosso we had there.
I have brought my own kids to Rome several times and they love it so much that I am having a hard time convincing them that we might go elsewhere.
One thing: don't be too ambitious - with children things take time, and one sight a day is often enough. They need time for playing and just relaxing doing nothing.
I agree with everyone that you should avoid August, but if that is not possible, then avoid Florence. For all the rest of Italy, there are things to do which are wonderful even in August, but Florence is just hellish. If you want to go to Tuscany, smaller towns like Siena are much nicer.
In August, you need to be able to relax pleasantly from 11 AM to 4PM every day. A pool, or a garden or a beach are good, but you need shade too.
The churches can be very nice and cool and most are filled with world-class art.
Starting with Venice - there is the Lido for a beach, and you can take trips out to the islands in the lagoon - eat lunch at a garden restaurant on Torcello either after you've seen the sights during the morning, or go out in the beautiful light of the afternoon. The boat trips out there and back are an attraction in itself, and an opportunity to talk about the history of the lagoon and Venice. The actual streets of Venice are shady and quiet as soon as you get away from the crowd. I like to stay near the Arsenale, because of the homey atmosphere with far less tourists. So much to see - I'd stay for at least 4 days. Don't imagine you can see everything! Just enjoy in the pace of your kids. Food in Venice is marvelous, but can be difficult to find, because the bad tourist places are so dominating at the first glance.
I think for me, the next stop would be Siena. Maybe stay in a villa outside the city limits, or don't. You get a lot of the history and art of Toscana but with less frantic crowds than Florence - this might be a great place to find a cooking class - I've seen several advertised but I haven't tried it myself.
Now either you could stay in Siena for several days, rent a car and make excursions from there into the many interesting sights of Tuscany, or move on to one of the resorts Italians love, less known to tourists. On the route between Siena and Rome there are four beautiful lakes surrounded by villages and forests, or you could go to the sea. Viterbo is a beautiful small town on this route.
Rome needs at least four days. In my experience, it's better to rent an apartment than to stay at a hotel in Rome. Not because there is any problem with the hotels, but because the city is so overwhelming, it's nice to have some space to relax in. Eat out for all meals anyway. Dont worry about the Jubilee - Rome is planned for mass tourism and has been since antiquity.
You won't need a car in Venice or Rome, but might enjoy having one in between. Italy does have good public transportation all round, though.
posted by mumimor at 1:33 PM on February 1, 2016
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How long were you planning on going?
posted by romakimmy at 1:45 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]