KidsOnBoard.netWe think Melisa had planned the perfect itinerary for a family’s first trip to Italy! Over 14 days, the family visited Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan. They visited the Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, took a trip on the Vaporetto in Venice and even booked hard-to-get tickets to view “The Last Supper” in Milan. She shares with us a brief of her itinerary, and highlighted the sights you shouldn’t miss.
This story was first published on KidsOnBoard.net, a travel community site for parents, by parents.
After catching the redeye from Singapore to Rome, we finally arrived at our destination! Before our trip, I had read all about how rainy Rome could be in December, but I was so happy to be greeted by clear blue skies and 12-degree weather!
Rome
Upon arrival, we decided to beat jetlag by heading to Villa Borghese Gardens, one of the biggest public parks in Rome, and just a stone’s throw away from our Airbnb apartment (more on that later). We rented bikes, and off we went on the tour of the Gardens!
The next day, we got up early and took the Rome Metro to visit the Colosseum. The Rome Metro is pretty easy to navigate for tourists as most of the attractions are along two main lines.
We had pre-booked our tickets online, so we barely had to queue when we got there, which was just before 10am. We opted not to take a guided tour, and instead explored the place using a guidebook, reading signs along the way.
We also explored the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum after the Colosseum.
Also read: 15 Little Towns in Italy Too Stunning To Be Real
One of the highlights of our trip to Rome was visiting the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica (photo above). There are many interesting exhibits in the Vatican Museums. And while many websites warned of long queues, again, there were none when we arrived at 10am – maybe this was because it was winter?
The Museums are huge, and you could easily spend hours there. The kids’ favourite room was the Egyptian Room, with exhibits of mummies and statues.
Florence
Our next destination was Florence – we took the intercity trains (booked via Trenitalia). Florence was smaller and more compact than Rome, and it was easy to walk around, although taxis are recommended if you have luggage.
From Florence, we took a day trip to Pisa, home to the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Pisa was a short 45 min trip from Florence. However, the highlight of that day (to me) was not the Pisa, but the fact we were caught in a train strike! Thankfully, we managed to get back to Florence eventually!
We also visited the Duomo in Florence. Prior to visiting, we read up on Brunelleschi’s Dome, which is nothing short of an architectural marvel! We also scaled the 414 steps of the clock tower next to the dome, to get this aerial shot of the the town of Florence.
Venice
Next up – the Magical City of Venice!
Visiting Venice is a must, if it’s the first time your family is visiting Italy. Imagine this: a city built around canals, and not a single vehicle or tall building in sight on the tiny island, narrow alleyways without signage, and small bridges traversing waterways. What an experience for our Singaporean city kids!
While there, a trip on the vaporetto (water taxi) is a must, although tickets are expensive, at EUR 7 each.
Milan
Our last destination on this trip was Milan – the fashion capital! Here, we paid a visit to the Duomo (picture above) and also, its rooftop.
As it was close to Christmas, there were Christmas markets set up around the Duomo, adding to the festive cheer!
If you’re into shopping, there’s plenty of that right here, although there’s nothing much else here that would interest the kids.
Also read: 15 Free Things to do in Italy
(Editor’s note: soccer fans alert! San Siro, currently home to both Inter Milan and AC Milan, runs a stadium tour that will have the fanboys and fangirls swooning with joy. Check out Ling Tan’s visit to Stadio San Siro with her boys here. )
Being typical Singaporeans, we had booked our tickets for the Last Supper as soon as they became available!
No photos were allowed during the tour, but we definitely learnt a lot about the famous painting, even though we are non-Christians.
Above: Our two-bedroom apartment in Florence.
Apartment booking with Airbnb
While researching apartment-style accommodation for our trip (since we sometimes eat in and do laundry to reduce the number of things we have to pack), I found that renting a two-bedroom apartment from Airbnb is literally 50% of the same price you would pay if you rented a similar apartment along the same street from a hotel! If you are like us, and prefer apartment-style accommodation, check out Airbnb the next time you go on a holiday!
To get around intercity, we travelled by trains. I booked my train tickets on Trenitalia as they seem to have better frequency. Our train journeys were all scheduled between 11am – 1pm+, easier to manage with the kids.
Check for offers online, and book early if you have finalised your travel plans! For example, I managed to find Bimba Gratis fares – kids below 14 travel free! If travelling on Saturdays, there were also some offers. I snagged some decent deals for our trips, between Florence and Venice, and also between Venice and Milan.
Ciao Italia! What a fun-filled 14 days we had – certainly wish to be back, some day!
Contributed by Kids on Board
