Italy with a Toddler

April 1, 2025 by Liz Picurro Leave a Comment

Traveling with a toddler is a unique experience. It will, of course, change the way you travel. But if you’re ready to embrace those changes – it is absolutely rewarding. Liz’s family, including her young nephew, recently visited her in Italy for the holidays and she learned a LOT about traveling with little ones! Here is her top “Toddler in Italy” advice:

Fewer Daytrips and more Overnight Stays

Liz’s family was visiting her in her small town and therefore they did a lot of day trips to larger nearby cities. Day trips are do-able, and the train rides are entertaining, but she discovered that having a home base that you can go back to for a mid-day nap is incredibly useful with a toddler. It can give you more time to explore and enjoy the city at a slow pace. Cities with a lot to do and see like Rome, Venice, and Florence deserve a few days each.

That being said – don’t fear the train rides. Toddlers ride for free if you don’t book them a seat. And, with the way the trains are set up, it’s easy to keep them entertained while you travel. Much more relaxing than a car ride!

Enjoy the Piazzas and the room to run

One of the nicest parts of Italy is the big piazzas — open squares where kids are allowed and even encouraged to run. Making use of these areas is the perfect way to enjoy Italy with a toddler. Liz’s nephew loved chasing the birds and running around the piazza with his new toddler friends. You’ll often find other kids enjoying the space to run and make noise while their parents sit nearby and sip a spritz.

Venice especially has enclosed campos that are perfect for a toddler to run around. Without the danger of falling in the water or wandering off too far.

For the locals, piazzas are about community. They’re a place to hang out and enjoy the sunshine. And a place where children are expected to run. Our best advice for Italy with a toddler: revel in the piazzas.

Italian Food is Delicious

Italian food is incredibly kid-friendly. In almost every restaurant (even the most specialized) you can find pasta pomodoro (spaghetti with tomato sauce). If your toddler is more adventurous in their tastes, there are plenty of other kinds of pasta, cheeses, and meats for the little ones to enjoy! And, of course, gelato abounds. Liz’s little nephew had a great time at all the restaurants.

Not Every Activity Can or Will Involve the Toddler

Not every activity that you want to do in Italy will be suited for your toddler. If you have a group, it’s nice to have one person watch your toddler chase pigeons in the piazza while the others go to enjoy Michaelangelo’s David. This is obviously more difficult if you’re just a couple, but traveling in a multi-generational group can help spread the child-care burden and make sure that everyone gets a little adult time to enjoy the wonders of Italy solo.

Find out what’s most important to each adult and what the others don’t mind missing. While Liz’s family was on the Parmigiano tour, for example, Liz was able to step away with her nephew when his attention wandered. Having someone who could step away from the tour to play with the toddler was incredibly helpful. And it made the tour all the more enjoyable for her sister and brother-in-law who were the most excited about taking the tour.

Find Kid-Specific Activities – Even if They’re Not Specific to Italy

In Bologna, Liz found an optical illusion exhibition. While not in any way Italy-specific, this was a great highlight for little Noah. Every city will have exhibitions, museums, and activities that are geared toward the local children. Embracing these kinds of spaces can make your trip all the more fun as you watch your little one enjoy and explore. The exhibit was also pretty cool for the adults on the trip.

Much like the illusion exhibition, playgrounds and parks are not unique to Italy. However, taking some time from the museums and sightseeing to let your toddler get some of their energy out on the playground or in a park is a great way to balance your vacation

Slow Down and Watch

This is advice we’d give to anyone traveling in Italy, even without a toddler. To sit in a café and soak up the vibes. To watch the world around you and absorb the culture instead of rushing from site to site. It’s absolutely our preferred way to see and enjoy Italy! And with a toddler it’s even more important.

They are learning about the world and absorbing new sites and sounds all the time. And they get pretty excited about small things (like dogs and boats). Take some time to sit (or stand) and watch the boats go by in Venice. Or the dogs and people pass in Florence — it’s a perfect way to spend the afternoon.

Castles are Great Adventures

Castles, old ruins, and other open-plan adventures are perfect for toddlers. While you delight in the frescos, toddlers can enjoy the freedom to roam and explore interesting new structures they’ve never seen before. The Italian countryside is dotted with old castles. Many of them are in quaint little villages that offer a perfect fairy-tale feel to your vacation.

So while you’re traveling in the countryside for wine tastings and unique meals, stop at a castle for a fun family activity!

Backpacks/Carriers are Key

Italy can involve a lot of walking. A stroller is usually the perfect way to transport your kid. But, sometimes there are spaces where a stroller is impossible. Liz’s family decided to climb the Florence belltower and used a backpack for the stairs between the platforms. It was difficult but effective.

A backpack was also the perfect way to contain and ensure Noah’s safety on the Vaporetto (ferry) in Venice. With all the luggage, having a hands-free way of containing and carrying your toddler will make a big difference.

Are you ready to explore Italy with your toddler? Let us know! We’re always excited to help families make new memories in Europe!

A Summer Family Vacation in Italy

March 20, 2024 by Liz Picurro Leave a Comment

Regina and her family were overwhelmed with planning a summer getaway to Italy. With three kids (ranging in age from 10 to 18) and a very limited window of opportunity to get everyone together in one place, they needed to make the most of their time, without overdoing it. They wanted to see as much as they could, experience the art and history but also have some relaxing time by the sea to really feel that summer vacation vibe. We put together an adventure in Italy with spectacular views and a little bit of everything! Here is their report of the adventure:

Florence

We had many many highlights and favorite moments! Florence was literally steaming hot, but the kids surprised us by totally loving the two tours we had — the walking tour which ended at the Accademia, and then a short but awesome whirlwind into the Uffizi!

They are old enough and curious enough to have been utterly wowed by the history — and both guides we had were AWESOME! It was too hot to climb the Duomo, but no matter, we walked and walked and felt always in the orbit of that amazing dome. Of course, beautiful food and endless gelato helped keep spirits up too!

Plaza Lucchesi was fantastic — can’t tell you how much fun that rooftop pool was at the end of a dripping hot day, before heading out for dinner!

Sorrento

We loved Sorrento. As you predicted, the location of the apartment was perfect. And we all enjoyed having a little more room to spread out. (you cannot overestimate how amazing it was to have a washing machine to deal with our very very sweaty clothes!)

We had some of our very best days in the orbit of Sorrento. The amazing joyful cooking class at Villa Pane, the drive through the Amalfi Coast with Carmine (who works with Fabrizio — we totally loved both of them).

I would say the boat ride — which we were able to salvage after the initial cancellation — was quite simply one of the most wonderful days we’ve had in recent memory.

So much fun! Such a great way to get glimpses of the gorgeous coastal towns without having to spend too much time amidst the crowds. I would recommend this small boat trip to EVERYONE!

Ischia

But as amazing as all this was — our favorite 2 days of the trip were on Ischia! Seriously, we didn’t want to leave! I briefly pitched the idea to Jim that we could retire there! We loved the hotel (the Continental Mare) — here was the view from our balcony:

We had the most amazing experience at a hydrothermal park/beach – Negombo Thermal Park and Preserve. So so incredible.

We got there when it opened at 9, and stayed until 7pm. The first half of the day was spent going from one thermal pool to the next

… and the afternoon was spent floating in San Montana Bay. The kids made us promise to return — and truthfully, we could have stayed several more days there happily.

Rome

So by the time we got to Rome, we were wiped out! After Ischia, we didn’t have a lot of tolerance for the 100+ heat. But — we had dear friends from White Plains (one of whom was Roman born) who coincidentally were there the exact time we were. So we canceled our tours and spent the time with them roaming around Italy, having great food, and getting some wonderful views. Such a beautiful city — we will return some November! (We would totally return as well to our awesome Hotel Dei Mellini!)

Really, for us, it was more spectacular than we could have imagined. You took what could have been a chaotic and unwieldy trip to Italy and made it as smooth as it possibly could have been! And we are so grateful!!!!

A Family Adventure in Greece

November 20, 2023 by Liz Picurro Leave a Comment

Long-time clients Alicia & Jay came to us for some help with a bucket-list trip to Greece with her mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law. The whole family wanted a mix of sightseeing, relaxation, luxury hotel amenities, gorgeous beaches, and incredible food! We were thrilled to put it all together for them. Here’s their feedback:

We can’t thank you enough for planning such a perfect family trip to Greece! We had an amazing time! We had beautiful, warm, and sunny weather for most of the trip.

Athens

As you already know, when we arrived in Athens on Saturday morning, there was a mixup with our transportation and we ended up just taking taxis to the hotel. However, after this, the trip was mostly seamless! The Athens Gate Hotel was wonderful and very helpful in confirming our transportation for the following day. When we arrived on Saturday, we had lunch and explored Hadrian’s Arch and Monastiraki Square. We had drinks and dinner at the Athens Gate rooftop, which had beautiful views of the Acropolis.

On Sunday, we had our tour of the Acropolis. When we got to the meeting point, there was no one there to meet us for the tour. We contacted the tour company and they arranged for someone to meet us back at our hotel so we could leave from there. The tour of the Acropolis was amazing and our tour guide was incredible. It was definitely good to do it early in the day because it was 90+ degrees, and it wasn’t too crowded as we were climbing up, but on our way down we noticed that the crowds had increased significantly.

After the tour, we grabbed lunch and headed to the airport.

Crete

We absolutely loved the Minoa Palace Resort in Crete! What a beautiful resort, which certainly earns its 5-star status.

We spent the next four days mostly between the beach and pools and walking to nearby restaurants for dinner. The hotel staff couldn’t have been nicer, arranging taxis and even salon appointments for us. We loved our rooms with the private pools!

The Cretan Cooking Class was an incredible experience and one of the best meals we had the entire trip. It was amazing to see the family’s villa high up in the mountains with incredible views.

We also explored Chania Old Town on Wednesday, which was beautiful. We stopped for lunch along the water at the perfect time because the skies opened up and gave us quite a storm. I think that was the only time it rained the entire trip in Greece!

Santorini

I think Santorini was collectively our favorite place! The Petit Palace Hotel blew us away with its incredible views. Talk about a grand entrance – the hotel’s entrance is literally two doors on the side of a cliff and all you see is the water below when you walk through. Our rooms were again spacious and impressive – from the unique bathrooms to the balconies. We saw the best sunset of our entire trip from our hotel room balconies. The hotel had a shuttle that runs back and forth to Fira, and the staff was very helpful with arranging taxis for us elsewhere.

We spent time exploring both Fira and Oia, which was my favorite place, as well as the black sand beaches – we spent a day at one of the beach clubs called Wet Stories. Marissa, Joe, and Bob did a hike from Fira to Imerovigli, which they said was amazing! We also did a tour and wine tasting at Santo Wines, which was great!

The highlight in Santorini for all of us was the Sunset Boat Tour. The tour ended up being all adults and relatively small (we lucked out with a fun group). The crew was spectacular and the food they prepared was delicious. We all swam in the Aegean Sea and enjoyed drinks, good music, and beautiful views.

Conclusions

We all agreed that it was so nice to have one extra night in Athens at the end of the trip. We loved the Sofitel – the convenience of the two-minute walk from baggage claim was ideal. We had dinner at their rooftop restaurant and it was great to be able to freshen up and get a good night’s sleep before the long flight back to Boston.

Overall, you knocked it out of the park again! This was the most memorable family trip. Thank you from all of us for planning the best escape to Greece!

Top 5 Destinations to Celebrate Halloween

October 12, 2022 by Liz Picurro Leave a Comment

Whether you adore dressing up for the day, can’t wait to take the kids trick-or-treating, revel in scary stories, or just enjoy a great themed party – Halloween is a perfect time to celebrate Fall. Although it feels like a modern holiday, Halloween can trace its roots back to the ancient pagan festival of Samhain. Samhain celebrates the change of seasons and the transition from summer to winter — a time when the veil between our world and the other world is at its thinnest. While every destination that celebrates Halloween will have the traditional core elements, there are a few destinations that stand above the rest for their Halloween style.

Fire performer at the Derry Halloween Festival [Photo Credit: Mitch Hodge via Unsplash]

Ireland

Since Halloween can trace its origins back to Gaelic and Celtic culture, it seems fitting to celebrate in Ireland! Wander through historic castle ruins, and feel the lines of magic and reality blur at the edges of the ancient forests and in the soft steps of the meadows. In Ireland, you’ll enjoy bonfires, folk stories, light shows, and music — all centered around a spirit of celebration, the changing of the seasons, and a little bit of myth. Dublin offers perfectly spooky haunted tours and Bram Stoker-esque castles. Check out the Púca Festival. which concentrates on storytelling, music, and food in the historic Boyne Valley. Or, make your way to Northern Ireland for Europe’s biggest Halloween festival in Derry! This giant marvel invites you to explore different worlds, enjoy interactive light shows circus & fire performers, and take part in costume parades. Ireland offers something for everyone from parties into the wee hours of the morning to kid-friendly apple bobbing and face painting. With all the festivals rooted in tradition, this is a great addition to your Irish adventure.

New Orleans

Second only to Mardi Gras, Halloween in one of the country’s most haunted cities is a big to-do. At any time of year, New Orleans offers voodoo shops, ghost tours, and haunted sites, but Halloween magnifies all these historic, frightening, and gothic elements tenfold. The haunted atmosphere of the city is given an extra boost with towering skeletons, ghostly horsemen, and endless themed parties. The famous parades are complete with frightening floats where revelers throw candy into the crowds. New Orleans does have a few kid-friendly activities, but this is primarily a holiday geared toward adults. Celebrate with your friends at elegant weekend-long parties. Elaborate costumes, exciting galas, and incredible balls grace the streets of the French Quarter, and the houses are decorated to the nines! If you can’t visit New Orleans in February for Mardi Gras, but are still looking for that party vibe, October is the time to go.

London

Full of history and tradition, but with all the trimmings of a big city, London offers something unique. It seems like in every corner of London from October 22nd- 31st there’s a Halloween celebration. Enjoy a modern Halloween with themed menus in restaurants and bars, Madame Tussaud’s Alien Escape Experience, Crystal Maze experiences, countless themed escape rooms, and endless costume parties. But London also boasts a long, dark, and storied past, with plenty of ghost tours, serial killer walks, graveyards, underground passages, and dungeons. Throughout the last week of October, London will allow you to immerse yourself in an interactive Halloween, blending historical and modern scares.

[Photo Credit: Andrei via Pexels]

Disney

*[Photo credit: Aiden Craver via Unsplash]*

Trying to celebrate Halloween in the most kid-friendly way possible? Look no further than Disney! All of the Disney Parks and cruises worldwide celebrate Halloween in style. Marvel at specialty shows, meet-and-greets, and fireworks displays that you won’t see at any other time of year. The kids will love meeting their favorite Villains who only come out for Halloween. Or getting unique photos of the other characters in specialty Halloween costumes. Mickey himself hosts a Not-So-Scary Halloween Party which requires advance tickets. Your favorite rides also get a makeover adding spooky — but not-too-scary — Halloween elements. When you tire of rides, parties, and villains, you can enjoy specialty foods or head into the shops for some seasonal merch. In Disney World, Halloween brings in a huge foodie element with lots of new specialties to try and enjoy. The kids will love the Coco-themed installation! Running through the 2nd of November, it teaches them more about the Day of the Dead. With all sorts of things you’ll never see any other time of year, Halloween is a great time to enjoy a Disney experience.

Canada

Canada is one of the best destinations for leaf-peeping, getting out into nature, and enjoying Halloween in a quaint, kid-friendly way. Canadians celebrate Halloween very similarly to Americans with scary movies, trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, and autumn festivals. You can enjoy small-town fairs, as well as carnival rides, pumpkin patches, or apple bobbing for the kids. Victoria on Vancouver Island is British Columbia’s most haunted city. They celebrate with a lot of spookier activities including haunted night ziplining. The bigger cities like Toronto and Vancouver are dotted with parties and Zombie walks. All over Canada, there are plenty of events for all ages. Infuse your Halloween with a little bit of wholesome, light-hearted fun. This is the perfect place if you don’t want Halloween to be the main focus of your Autumn outdoor adventure but just have it sprinkled into the great outdoors.

Are you ready to add a little travel to next year’s Halloween celebrations? Let us know! If you’re considering a late-October or early-November adventure, it’s worth adding these incredible Halloween experiences to your trip!