Italian Rail Vacations for All the Family
If you’re planning a vacation that will get young and old family members on board, Italy’s rich heritage and varied landscapes offer abundant opportunities for a memorable family getaway. With Italy’s sophisticated and extensive rail system, you can readily weave together a vacation for all interests.
One that takes in headline attractions and family-oriented activities, with a little time to savor la dolce vita.
To give you a flavor of what’s possible, we’re highlighting some of the best Italy tours for families; all very different, so there’s something for all interests.
The Appeal of Exploring Italy with Family
With so much to see and do from the Alps in the North to Sicily in the Mediterranean south, Italy has the potential to excite family members of all ages. Several of our popular rail tours showcase the best of Italy, so we’ve compiled a snapshot of what makes the country such a compelling destination for family travel:
Family-Friendly Culture
Italy warmly welcomes young visitors in restaurants and on public transport. Many landmarks offer tailored tours for families whether meeting gladiators in the Colosseum or singing along with gondoliers on Venetian canals.
The Best Italy Tours For Families Bring History to Life
If history is a little stale in textbooks, it is rendered in technicolor when traveling around Italy. Nowhere has more ancient ruins and timeworn landmarks to transport your family through the ages, educating and inspiring curiosity across generations. Travel by train and one day you can scrutinize the Sistine Chapel; the next day wander the ruins of Pompeii, reliving moments that history never forgot.
A Foodie Wonderland For All Ages
Italy’s cuisine is another temptation for tastebuds across generations. High-end dining is balanced by the everyday delights of pizza and pasta. Meanwhile, sweet tooths in your family will be endlessly teased by gelato and heavenly-scented pasticceria on every shopping street.
Italy’s Scenic Diversity
From the beaches of the Italian Riviera to the peaks of the Dolomites and the active volcanoes of Sicily, Italy’s varied landscapes invite you to find a location that works for all the family.
Whatever interests family members, the best family destinations in Italy are easily reached by train. The leading high-speed operators, Trenitalia and Italo, offer reduced fares for children. Crucially, some of Italy’s most compelling destinations are just a few hours apart on sleek high-speed trains, making it possible to weave Italy tours for families that hit high notes for all travelers.
A Pick of the Best Italy Tours For Families
Let’s look at four of the best Italy tours for families to inspire your next vacation. If you need help turning your ideas into the perfect vacation, speak with our travel specialists to customize your family trip to Italy.
Tourist Jewels – Italy Tours For Families from Rome to Venice Via Florence
Three cities that collectively capture the essence of Italy are three destinations with plenty to excite all the family.
This classic route takes you from the capital, Rome, to the cradle of the Renaissance and onto the fabled canals of Venice. The total time on high-speed trains is around four hours, enough time to pause and see a little of the Italian countryside and the famous cedar-dotted hills of Tuscany.
This journey fits a breathless seven-day vacation and can easily expand into a longer trip, like our Best of Italy tour that visits all three destinations with a detour to Milan.
With the family in mind, here’s what this well-balanced tour might include:
Rome: Living History in the Eternal City
Rome’s electrifying mix of history and culture makes it an absorbing destination for all ages.
Get drawn into thousands of years of history still alive in emblematic landmarks like the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, dazzle minds beneath the gold trim of St Peter’s Basilica, and keep family gourmands happy with endless gelato and some of the best pizza in the world.
The Italian capital is more than a time capsule. Entertain younger ones with modern diversions in the Explora Children’s Museum or the immersive multimedia show, Welcome To Rome. With animated neighborhoods for walking and scenic parks like those of the Villa Borghese, the Eternal City is a well-balanced launchpad for an Italian family adventure.
Florence: Art and Culture for All Ages
Rome is also Italy’s busiest rail hub. Under two hours on frequent high-speed trains can whisk the family in style to the cradle of the Renaissance, Florence.
Florence has wowed travelers since modern tourism began with the Grand Tour. Its UNESCO World Heritage old town is a dreamy destination for family members interested in art and history.
The art of the Uffizi Galleries and the chance to look up at Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia is hard to beat. Engage younger minds at art and craft workshops or the hands-on science exhibits at the Galileo Museum or with the interactive inventions recreated at the Museo Leonardo Da Vinci.
From Florence, take a day trip to Pisa to show inquisitive minds that the tower does lean, or take a gentle e-bike tour so you can see the landmarks while children enjoy the ride. Much more than a destination for art and history enthusiasts, Florence fits neatly into well-rounded Italy tours for families.
Venice: Family Moments On The Famous Canals
Canals lined with Venetian Gothic architecture and vocal gondoliers elevate Venice to a destination like no other. Take the family across the emblematic Rialto Bridge, stop for a spritz (with or without alcohol) on Piazza San Marco, ride a gondola ride past iconic landmarks, and find time to gaze at the world-class Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
Add a layer of excitement by timing your Italy family vacation for the Venice Carnival, a whirlwind spectacle of masks and music the family won’t forget in a hurry. The Venice Carnival is usually around February, but changes annually – let our team know if this is something you want to experience on your Italy family vacation.
Northern Italy: Bustling Milan to Tranquil Lakes
For families who want to mix urban exploration and outdoor adventures, Northern Italy is a land of plenty.
This family tour from Milan to Lake Como could fill a one-week itinerary or be extended if you want to spend more time roaming around northern Italy’s scenic countryside.
Here’s a glimpse of why this is one of the most absorbing Italy tours for families, particularly if you want to experience contrasting aspects of Italian culture.
Milan: Italy’s Contemporary Heart
Bustling and modern, dynamic Milan also blends history, art, and family-friendly activities for an absorbing diversion for all the family.
Take your family to the roof of the immense Duomo, admire Leonardo Davinci’s Last Supper, and spend time playing with interactive exhibits at the National Museum of Science and Technology. Later, relax in Sempione Park after visiting Sforza Castle and spoil family members shopping for mementos in Italy’s oldest mall, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Underlining Milan’s credentials as one of the most varied family destinations in Italy are the delights of Milanese cuisine and picturesque parks like the Indro Montanelli Gardens, which houses a natural history museum and planetarium.
If kids (and fun-loving adults) demand more, Italy’s premier amusement park, Gardaland, is just an hour by high-speed train from Milan.
Put it all together and Italy’s second-largest city is a destination for urban escapades and family-friendly fun. And a busy rail hub and a fantastic base for exploring northern Italy.
Lake Como: Upscale Resorts and Mountain Retreats
One destination within easy reach from Milan is Lake Como. Sitting beneath the Alps near the border of Switzerland, Lake Como is a sub-three-hour high-speed train ride from Milan.
Adventurous families on longer vacations could even consider crossing the Alps into Switzerland, where some of our most scenic rail tours unfold.
There’s plenty of varied family fun found on and around Lake Como. Topping any itinerary is the all-essential boat ride (private or ferry) that passes glamourous villas and quaint villages before dropping passengers in elegant Bellagio, playground of the rich and famous.
For families who like to get outdoors, hiking paths lead into the Alpine foothills.
With just two primary destinations, this easygoing Italy tour for families balances urban escapades with some of Italy’s prettiest landscapes. Ideal for families with different ideas about what to do in Italy.
Coastal Fun from Naples to the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento
Maybe your family trip to Italy demands sun, sea, a dollop of stunning scenery, and plenty of cultural escapades along the way. If so, the trains from Naples along the Amalfi Coast and onto the Sorrentine Peninsula might be the Italian tour your family is looking for.
Naples is one hour and 15 minutes from Rome by high-speed train. From Naples, frequent Circumvesuviana trains head to Pompeii then snake around the precipitous cliffs and tiny coves of the Amalfi Coast to Sorrento, around one hour and 20 minutes from Naples.
You could readily bolt this journey onto a tour that also visits Rome or even onto Sicily (around six from Naples to Messina, including ferry), another compelling destination on the best Italian tour for families that we cover in a moment.
Here’s a pick of the highlights around Naples and the Amalfi Coast:
Naples
Lively and bursting with sunny Mediterranean character, Naples is a rousing stop on a family tour of Italy.
From ancient artifacts in the National Archaeological Museum to the egg-shaped castle aptly named Castel dell’Ovo, or finding out if Neapolitan pizza is the best in Italy (don’t say that in Rome) on the bustling streets of Spaccanapoli, Naples is a vibrant starting point for family adventures along the coast.
Pompeii and Herculaneum
A big reason to head south when planning Italy tours for families is to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum. Frozen at the moment Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, this UNESCO heritage site and archeological wonder mesmerizes young and old. Guided tours or scavenger hunts bring history to life, engaging kids while adults marvel at the archaeological wonders.
Ravello
Ravello’s graceful villas overlooking the azure waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea have lured visitors for centuries. Stop for clifftop panoramas or explore the gardens of Villa Rufolo, in a town that distills a little of everything that makes the Amalfi Coast an irresistible destination.
Amalfi
Sip a limoncello (mocktail or not) while chilling in Amalfi’s cute harbor before making the lung-busting climb up the cliffs for jaw-dropping vistas. Later, visit the offbeat Paper Museum (Museo della Carta), where kids can make paper and discover how the world communicated before the internet.
Sorrento
Lemons the size of melons, laidback cafes where families are welcome to linger, and people watching in the photogenic Piazza Tasso helped put Sorrento on the tourist map. If you’re looking to decompress on your family vacation in Italy, Sorrento is a likable spot to drop anchor for a day or two.
Capri
One last stop on this Southern Italian family tour invites you to forget trains and take to the water to visit Capri, a glitzy island just off Sorrento’s shore. The pastel-hued fishing homes of the Marina Grande, chairlift rides up Mount Solaro, small boat tours to the remarkable Blue Grotto and towering rock formations, and strolling around the Gardens of Augustus keep all ages entertained.
Capri is just one of several destinations that demonstrate why the coastal route from Naples to Sorrento ranks among the most spellbinding Italy tours for families.
Sicily: An Italian Family Vacation on the Mediterranean’s Largest Island
Sicily’s cultural depth and sundrenched Mediterranean charms make it a favorite for families who want a little bit of everything that makes Italy special.
There is a lot to see and do for all ages on the largest island in the Med: cultural and foodie exploits in Palermo, skipping through ancient Greek history at the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, unwinding on the sands of Cefalù beach, or witnessing the raw power of nature around the volcanic Mount Etna.
You can get a flavor of what Sicily offers for an Italian family vacation on our Best of Sicily tour, which stops at three diverse towns on the island. All just a few hours apart by train.
Another of our exciting rail tours of Sicily – Catania and Beyond – concentrates on the southeast corner of Italy.
In this small yet absorbing region lies several destinations to excite family members with conflicting interests:
Siracuse
Cicero, the Roman orator, hailed Siracuse “the greatest Greek city and most beautiful of them all” more than two millennia ago. This UNESCO World Heritage Site still bewitches visitors.
Stroll through history at the Greek Theatre and other ancient jewels in the Neapolis Archeological Park, listen for echoes in the cavernous Ear of Dionysius, or let young ones loose on the enchanting island of Ortigia.
Modica
Famous for its Baroque charm and chocolate, Modica is a delightful stop on culturally layered Italy tours for families. Wander its picturesque streets, visit chocolate workshops for sugary hands-on activities, and enjoy Modica’s gentle pace and family-friendly vibe.
Ragusa
Split into old Ragusa Ibla and a modern city, Ragusa is another jewel in the UNESCO-recognized Val di Noto valley. Ragusa is famed for winding lanes of baroque architecture perched atop a limestone hill surrounded by valleys. Nearby nature reserves beaches, and lush gardens in the town invite families to savor a little cultural exploration followed by moments of relaxation.
Catania
Catania is the perfect anchor destination on a family tour of southeastern Sicily.
The vibrant port city has a long history as a cultural center. Catania’s star draw is Mount Etna. Framing the skyline, Etna’s slopes provide ample opportunity for hiking. Climb the trails to the summit, look into the crater of the volatile volcano, and savor unsurpassed views across Sicily and the Mediterranean.
The southeastern corner of Sicily boasts an absorbing mix of destinations that might encourage you to take your family tour to the most southerly corner of Italy. However, as this snapshot of the best Italy tours for families illustrates, there is variety across the country to excite even the most demanding family members.
Unforgettable Memories with the Best Family Tours of Italy
A deep and richly layered combination of history, culture, and scenic beauty offers a world of tantalizing choices when planning Italy tours for families. Make it a journey by train, and the possibilities multiply, with travel paths to excite all the family. Whether you know where you want to go or looking for inspiration, we’re here to help.
Speak with our travel specialists to design your dream Italy vacation—one that your family will cherish forever.
