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Italy with Children: Where to Stay?
Researching and booking a hotel or vacation rental can be a daunting task for every traveller, but the stakes are especially high when travelling abroad with children. We hope these carefully selected suggestions for lodging help you to find the perfect situation for your family holiday in Italy. Meanwhile, I'm dreaming of spending a week with the family in Florence at the Palazzo Belfiore, a 14th-century palazzo recently refurbished into spacious holiday apartments in the characteristic Oltrarno neighborhood, our favorite area to stay in the city.  Family run, Palazzo Belfiore offers the benefits of self-catering lodging plus helpful owner proprietors who can offer assistance with dining, local events, or activities, and is host to the Arte al Sole children's art and cultural program during the Easter holiday.

Family-friendly hotels & holiday rentals in other regions:

Rome and Lazio   Florence and Tuscany   Milan and Lombardy  Turin and Piedmont
Genoa and Liguria   Perugia and Umbria   Naples and Campania  Venice and Veneto         

Featured Sponsor
Arte al Sole: An Italian Cultural Adventure for International Children is an English-language day camp with programs offered in Rome; Panicale, Umbria; and Lucca, Tuscany,  offering children an opportunity to explore the art, science, history and culture of these regions through a fun, engaging curriculum in English. New for 2014, we have a spring holiday week in Florence city center, and additional new summer locations in Montepulciano and in Monopoli, Puglia.


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Family-friendly Riva del Garda
By Christy Rounds

When my husband asked a well-traveled European friend where our family should spend a month in Europe, his emphatic reply was Riva del Garda, Italy. With three young children, ages 6, 4 and 3, we needed a place that provided lots of activity to keep the little ones entertained. Lake Garda delivered in style!

One thing to note... Riva del Garda is primarily a European vacation destination. Don’t be surprised if English is not spoken as often as other tourist regions. German will get you much farther than English in this part of the country.

Riva del Garda is located on the north side of Lake Garda in a little valley surrounded by mountains. At the top of the valley, Arco Castle is nestled into the southern edge of the Italian Alps, providing a spectacular view of Lake Garda and the surrounding mountainside. A 30-45 minute hike up the mountainside brings you to the castle, which is open to the public. The flat, grassy castle grounds provide space to run, awe-inspiring views, and the perfect spot for a picnic lunch. Read more...

Lake Garda with the Family

Lake Maggiore with Kids
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The Old Port of Genoa: An Exciting Seafaring Destination for Kids
By Anna Merulla of Beautiful Liguria


Genoa is the birthplace of 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus, whose voyages of discovery led to European settlement of the New World. When Columbus was a young boy he lived in Genoa and used to frequent the Old Port, where, from a very young age, his exposure to the shipping trade and experiences with navigation led to his own career as a mariner.

Today the Old Port (Porto Antico) is still an exciting place to visit for the whole family, offering many inspiring kid-friendly activities that involve kids in a combination of knowledge, curiosity, fun, and games at the same time.

Families can start with a visit to the largest Aquarium in Europe, walking in between the tanks which house many different types of fish and reptiles in exhibits that recreate the natural and original environments of the individual species. Furthermore, once a month kids can experience "a night with sharks" in the Aquarium. The only things that they have to take with them in this adventure are their sleeping bag, pajamas and toothbrush. During the "night with sharks" kids visit the Aquarium tanks to discover unknown behavior of the marine environment at night and end the evening in front of the shark tank. Read more...

Cinque Terre with Kids

Family-friendly Liguria Hotels and Other Lodging

Liguria Parks and Playgrounds

Liguria Restaurants with Kids

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We Can Plan Your Stay in Italy for You!

Please visit our sister site Elaia Travel for details about our full-service trip and event planning services