Italy trip report

[devonpow]

We just got back from an 8 day trip to Italy (we had our 16 and 11 year old boys with us - their first trip there). I haven’t been to Italy since our honeymoon 19 years ago and was so excited to go back! DH and I had wanted to do primarily Amalfi coast but our kids had different ideas so we went with what they wanted (Rome and Venice)

I had been obsessively checking the weather because of the terrible heat wave they had a few weeks ago. My younger son is a big “indoor kid” and it would have been a major struggle with him if it has been excessively hot. We feel so lucky the heatwave ended before we left. It was still hot in Rome (low 90s and humid), but that was an expected and manageable heat for us.

In Rome we stayed at a great Airbnb right by the Spanish steps. Our first day we did a golf cart tour (which my DH had hemmed and hawed over) which turned out to be great! Our tour guide (we had the same guide for all tours we did in Rome) was fabulous and took us all over, including her favorite gelateria (fabulous), the big sights like piazza novona, the Jewish ghetto, trevi fountain, etc etc. Every stop we walked around and learned all about them, but having the golf cart there to get us place to place was so easy for the kids and we had no concerns with the heat etc.

The next day we did our Colisseum and Forum tours. The underground part of the Colisseum was fabulous (it wasn’t open the last time DH and I were there a million years ago), so getting tickets for that is definitely worth it in my opinion. Having a private tour guide was pricey but with the crowds the way they were it was a huge plus - she dealt with all ticketing, was a great guide focusing on what the kids wanted to see/know, navigated us to less crowded places etc. The Forum was the only part of the trip where we really felt the heat - but we brought cooling towels and those worked really well.

Day 4 we did the Vatican and this is the one thing I would have done differently/skipped, just because the kids were not interested at all and I can’t really blame them lol. As much as I want them to be awed by seeing the Pieta in St Peters…my teen boys just don’t care. They both appreciated the Sistine Chapel but the rest of the Vatican museum they were not interested in. Our tour guide got us the early morning tickets which was a huge plus - we were in the museum an hour before the general public and it was still crowded (and the Vatican museum is not air conditioned for the most part - you felt it!). I can’t imagine what it was like in the afternoon.

Day 5 we took an early train to Naples and had a driver bring us to Pompeii. I have a weird fascination with pompeii because I took 3 years of Latin in middle school and the Latin text books are all stories of a family in Pompeii (who of course perish in the last book - a little bleak!). Pompeii was amazing - they had opened up a few new areas since last we were there including an incredible villa. My boys of course were entertained by all the phalluses included everywhere lol. We got very lucky and had some cloud cover and a nice breeze so the low 90s temp did not feel bad at all.

After our tour our driver took us to Amalfi for a few hours - we loved it here! Definitely doing the Amalfi coast on our next trip. The views are just spectacular, we couldn’t get over how beautiful it is. Then back to Rome.

Day 6 we took the train to Venice. We got a great Airbnb that was on the Grand Canal - was a touch noisy in the early mornings since obviously the Grand Canal is a very busy, working water way, but the views made up for it. Venice was CROWDED. We were fairly close to the Rialto bridge and it was just not fun to walk around by there. Rome was crowded but you felt it so much more in Venice with the narrow streets. We tried to stay away from the major touristy areas and it was much better in the districts away from Rialto and St Marks.

Day 7 we did a walking food tour which was awesome. He took us to really out of the way places both for history and food. We had a LOT of street food and Prosecco lol. We were in non touristy districts and it was great to be away from the crowds and seeing interesting off the beaten path locations

Day 8 was our last day - we were supposed to have a private boat tour all morning taking us to Murano and Burano but it rained that morning (first bad weather of the trip!). We took a vaparetto to Murano later in the afternoon after the weather cleared and just did a lot of shopping (and eating!).

It was such a nice trip. I know private guides are pricey but with the heat and the crowds I was so happy we had them - it made a big difference particularly since it was a shorter trip we had to fit a lot into. We had amazing food every day - my 16 year old was in heaven at having multiple courses at almost every meal lol. My 11 year old loved that we put no limit on gelato. Next trip we are definitely focusing on the Amalfi coast - hopefully it doesn’t take another 19 years!

[mrsd2006]

Sounds amazing! Italy is our favorite place to visit. We did the Amalfi coast last year= spectacular. Can't wait to go back- next time will probably be Rome (for the 3rd time) and Tuscany (first time)

[osumelissa]

Sounds like a great trip! I think splurging on private guides is so worth it!

[mrsukyankee]

Fabulous trip!