Well, we've almost made it...spring is right around the corner!  What a winter it has been!  I know I am ready to start thinking about my spring and summer plans...what about you?

In our last newsletter I discussed villa rentals and how they can be a great way to visit Europe with friends and/or family.  Today I thought I would take the idea of family travel a bit further. As I mentioned last time, not only am I working with many families on their trips, I am also currently planning my own family's trip to Italy for this summer.  Needless to say, family travel is on the top of my mind these days!

A villa rental can be a great option with a family, but there are other options as well.  If you prefer to move around a bit so that you can see as many of your points of interest as possible, you can also use hotels and/or city apartments (with or without a villa stay) to pull together your family's dream vacation.

When kids are involved, a family's time is generally organized differently and there are many great ways to make the trip interesting for adults, as well as for kids, so that everyone can have fun.  The overall focus is to keep things in balance with plenty of time for exploring on your own, with activities that are planned to keep the whole family interested.

Below are a few examples of fun activities in some of the more popular locations in Italy...and not to worry, if you want to visit some more off the beaten path locations, we can arrange great activities in those areas as well.

Rome - it's hard not to include this stop on a first time trip to Italy.  Many children are studying ancient Rome in school so it can be of particular interest to them...of course, you want to cover Ancient Rome with the Colosseum & Forum but what about a tour of Underground Rome, that allows insight into how Rome has been built on top of itself over and over again, as well as tours of the Catacombs and Bone Church.  An interesting exhibit in the center of Rome is the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit - a fascinating place to see models of many of his designs. The Borghese Gardens offer a wonderful place to play and relax.  And if you have time to get out of the city for a day or ½ day, the whimsical fountains, hedge maze & gardens of Tivoli are always of interest to kids, as are the ruins of ancient Ostia, which are interesting and fun to explore.  And we also have special tours for the Vatican & Sistine Chapel designed to keep the kids interested.

Florence - the city of Florence or the surrounding countryside is a great spot to try a cooking class with a focus on kids - perhaps pizza in a wood burning oven.  In Florence there is now a family museum at the Palazzo Vecchio that offers interesting tours and exhibits and a visit to the Accademia Museum to see "David" is always a highlight.  For a picnic and place to run around, a visit to the Boboli gardens is always a relaxing way to enjoy part of your time in Florence.  And, of course, outside of Florence there are many great opportunities...the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Pinocchio Park and Butterfly Garden, the Chianti Sculpture Park, the town of Siena and its famous campo, and family beaches...just to name a few.

Venice - this is a fascinating town for kids, as well as many adults.  They are truly fascinated by the streets of water, Piazza San Marco and its many pigeons and the other activities available for kids...mask making, ride in a gondola, explore the lagoon by boat and see glass blowers in action, visit the Lido for a day at the beach or even a daytrip to a water park outside of Venice.  The "Secret Itineraries" of the Doges Palace is a brief tour that fascinates, as is the main fish market in town.  The Peggy Guggenheim Museum is also a wonderful place for kids with its sculpture garden and special workshops for kids.

Suffice it to say, no one will be bored!  We keep the pace as comfortable as possible while incorporating your entire family's interests.  Our goal is to have you all come home from Italy with memories to last a lifetime!

That's it for today.  Don't hesitate to touch base to say hello or to ask questions about your next trip to Italy or beyond!

Thanks,

Megan