Family Friendly Italy

Hotel Review - Borgo San Luigi (Tuscany)

2013-01-16T10:25:00.001-08:00

The road leading to the main villa The approach leading to the main villa of the four-star Borgo San Luigi is the stuff of Tuscan dreams: a cypress-lined driveway transports you to a classical 17th century Renaissance villa set amidst a lush, green parkland. Ideally located between Florence and Siena, and along the via Francigena, this characterful resort was once a small rural

Where to take the kids in Italy?

2012-12-31T18:25:00.000-08:00

A traveler on TripAdvisor asks, "My husband and I would like to travel to Italy this summer with our children ages 6,5,2. I would appreciate any recommendations on family friendly areas and things to do. Thanks!" Here's how I responded: Italy's a great place to take kids, and there are a number of great regions for families with young children. The ideal family vacation in Italy would

Hotel Review - Villa il Poggiale (Tuscany)

2012-11-18T15:55:00.002-08:00

The main sitting room Located just outside Florence, Villa il Poggiale is a dreamy retreat in the heart of Chianti, and it hits all the right chords in both service and style. This authentic and tasteful country estate is a place where families and children will feel completely at home. In fact, Villa il Poggiale considers itself a family home first and foremost, and kids are

Book Review: Baby Travel Tips

2012-11-13T20:33:00.001-08:00

Rick Hartwig has tapped into a deep-rooted anxiety among parents who often cite the stress of flying with young children as the one of the main reasons they don’t travel or don’t travel internationally. Long flights, jet lag, and flight cancellations are bad enough. But our fellow passengers seem increasingly vocal about their annoyance by the mere presence of a child on their flight (

Hotel Review - Castello di Gargonza (Tuscany)

2012-10-31T14:12:00.001-07:00

A heavy autumn fog shrouded Castello di Gargonza on the early Sunday morning of my visit, much like a theater curtain waiting to open before a big performance. Upon my arrival, church bells in the tiny Romanesque town peeled out, almost as if to signal my arrival through the castle’s main gate. Once inside the walls of the hamlet, it was truly as though I’d stepped back in time into a perfectly

Gorgeous short film of Basilicata

2012-09-15T15:58:00.001-07:00

I'm in love with Basilicata right now. Francis Ford Coppola's gone to Basilicata and taken me with him (figuratively, of course). It's unimaginably beautiful in this remote region, and if you don't believe me, maybe you'll believe your own eyes. For anyone interested in getting off of the well-trod path, have a glimpse of this dreamy 4-minute film. When you're ready to pack

Is a City Pass Worth the Price for Families in Italy?

2012-05-02T16:50:00.001-07:00

photo credit: Context Travel One question that frequently comes up for me as travel consultant is whether it's worth buying a city pass. The concept of the city pass is to package free or discounted admission to several major and lesser-known monuments, museums, and special exhibitions, and frequently they include a limited-time, transit pass for busses and subways. In Italy, these passes

Gladiators and police clash in Rome!

2012-04-12T17:09:00.001-07:00

A visit to Rome's most recognizable monument, the Colosseum, typically involves an encounter with a kitchy gladiator who poses for your pictures (then asks you for money). For years, men in full gladiator and centurion battle gear, including helmets, swords, tunics and feathered helmets, have set up here, and elsewhere in the city, and have made a fairly decent living doing this, either

The Buzz in Basilicata

2012-04-10T13:32:00.001-07:00

The communal kitchen at Palazzo Margherita photo credit: Palazzo Margherita The buzz around Basilicata right now is the recent grand opening of Francis Ford Coppola's stunning 9-room boutique property, Palazzo Margherita. Mr. Coppola owns other hotels, but the fact that he’s chosen Basilicata—a region practically unknown, undiscovered, and most certainly not on

An easy day trip to Rome's ancient ruins

2012-04-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

Pompeii tops the list of sights that many families want to see during a first-time trip Italy. However, depending on your itinerary, it's sometimes a challenge to get there from other popular destinations in Italy, like Venice and Florence, both of which are also typically at the top the list of places families want to see. Unless you're planning to stay in or around the Amalfi

Socializing with the Natives

2012-02-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

Ever lament the fact that traveling sort of puts you in your own private bubble? This is particularly true if you travel to a country where you don't speak the native tongue. Young children seem to have very little problem making new friends, regardless of the language barrier. Neighborhood playgrounds are a natural setting for integrating with local families. Particularly in major cities in

Getting Through the Airport

2012-02-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

I used to think the recent invention of the Family Security Line was created out of an airport's desire to accommodate frazzled parents. After all, if you're traveling with children, you're likely unpacking and re-packing practically the entire contents of your three carry on bags in the span of a few minutes. Simultaneously unbuckling your pants, taking off your kids' shoes, and ensuring

Tips for Creating a Kid-Friendly European Trip

2012-02-10T22:48:00.000-08:00

If you’ve been considering a family trip to Europe, now is a good time to start planning. As a travel planner specializing in family travel to Italy, as well as being the mother of 4-year old twins whom I’ve dragged across the pond a fair number of times, I like to suggest several ‘rules of thumb’ for making an overseas trip to Italy or Europe more kid-friendly. Scale back your expectations.

Italy: Three Special Places to Take the Kids

2012-02-10T12:00:00.000-08:00