Italy tours aimed at families
Of course, a family can join most general tours, but—especially with younger children—you really want a tour that is going to cater specifically to families.
They will move at an appropriate pace, and be sure the sights and activities are fun for all and not just intriguing for adults and an unending cultural deluge for the kids.
(Also, none of the other participants will throw you nasty looks for bringing boisterous youngsters on "their" tour.)
You can check the family tour operators below to see if they currently have any Italy trips on offer—or just take your trip on your own and sign up for guided family-themed daytrips and activities while you are there.
Kid friendly walks & activities
- intrepidtravel.com - One of my favorite tour companies offers several family itineraries. They make a concerted effort to travel like real independent travelers—small groups (max of 12 people), staying in mom-and-pop accommodations and getting around by public transport (trains, local buses, bikes, feet) rather than a big tour bus. Aimed at a slightly more adventurous, slightly younger crowd, and close to true, independent travel. Partner
- Gadventures.com - Similar to Intrepid, but based in Canada. G Adventures offers a variety of adventure trips, including many hiking, trekking, and multi-sport active vacations—and many Family Adventures as well.Partner
- Smithsonianjourneys.org - The Smithsonian run highly regarded, rather expensive educational and adventure trips specifically designed for the whole clan—including an "Treasures of Tuscany" family journey.
- Vacationkids.com - Not a tour company, but an outfit that will hook you up with a travel agent to arrange your family vacation.
- Ricksteves.com - PBS superstar Rick Steves runs a highly successful tour company—with both general tours and family-specific tours—that really tries to highlight all the best of the independent travel style espoused in his books and TV show in a group format. I've bumped into several of his tour groups in Europe over the years, and the participants always gush about what a great time they're having. He also keeps his groups smaller than most (24 to 28 travelers versus the 40 to 60 many big companies cram onto the bus), and the smaller the group, the more authentic the experiences each member is going to have (to say nothing of more room on the bus). (Disclosure: I know Rick, but have recommended his product long before that, even if we were once guidebook competitors!)
- Journeysinternational.com - This outfit started as a families-only tour company, and they still cater largely to that crowd.
- Learningjourneys.com - This educational-trip offshoot of the famous Perillo Tours has plenty of family adventures.
- Familyadventures.com - Thomson Family Adventures forcuses on adventurous family trips to mostly exotic locales—Alaska, Baja, Belize, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Galapagos, Morocco, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Tanzania, Thailand, and Turkey. They do also offer Europe, though (Italy, Ireland, Croatia, Scotland, Swizterland, Turkey, and the Azores).
- italiakids.com - Lots of good advice and resources for doing Italy with kids.
- Ciaobambino.com - Family-oriented travel agency with good tips on its blog, like how to spend 72 hours in Milan with kids, or vital Vatican tips with kids.
- Minitime.com - A trip-planning site aimed at families.
- Familytravelnetwork.com - Nancy Schretter's family trip-panning site has impressivley been around since 1995 (as has, apparently, its site design), with lots of good advice but a clunky presentation.
- Myfamilytravels.com - The Family Travel Forum has been prioviding vacation advice to families since 1996. I liek how it is divded into sections for Baby, Kids, Teens, Multigen, Students, and Others.
- Familyvacationcritic.com - Family travel advice from the same folks who bring you Cruisecritic.com.
- Bambinidiroma.com - In Italian only, but packed with events, resources, and more for kids in Rome.
Tips
Before you sign up for an escorted tour, you need to ask some questions.
- What is the cancellation policy? Do you have to put a deposit down? Can the company cancel the trip if they don't get enough people? How late can you cancel if you are unable to go? When do you pay? Do you get a refund if you cancel? How about if they cancel?
- How jam-packed is the schedule? Do they try to fit 25 hours' worth of activities into one day, or is there ample time for relaxing by the pool or shopping? If you don't enjoy getting up at 7am every day and not returning to your hotel until 6 or 7pm at night, certain whirlwind escorted tours may not be for you.
- How big is the group? The smaller the group, the more flexible the schedule, and the less time you'll spend waiting for people to get on and off the bus. Also, the larger the group, the more some quaint little village will treat you like an invading barbarian horde to be fended off by throwing large amounts of overpriced souvenirs in your general direction. Tour operators may be evasive about group size until they know how many people have signed on, but they should be able to give you a rough estimate. Some tours have a minimum group size and may cancel the tour if they come up short.
- What is included in the tour? Don't assume anything. You may have to pay to get yourself to and from the airport. A box lunch may be included in an excursion, but drinks might cost extra. Beer might be included but not wine. How much choice do you have? Can you opt out of certain activities, or are you committed for a full day? Are all your meals planned in advance? Can you choose your entree at dinner, or does everybody get the same chicken cutlet?
- How much is "optional?" Many tours look cheap but are larded with the phrases "optional excursion" and "optional tour." That's brochure-speak for "you have to pay more if you want to do this."
Do you like to let your bus driver worry about traffic while you sit in comfort and listen to a tour guide explain everything you see? Or do you prefer to rent a car and follow your nose, even if you don't catch all the highlights? Do you like to have lots of events planned for each day, or would you rather improvise as you go along?
Or do you like it somewhere in between, with some of the travel details planned for you so you can devote your energies to planning your daily sightseeing? The answers to these questions will determine whether you should choose a guided tour or a vacation package or travel à la carte under your own steam and ambition.
Even if you're on a fully escorted tour with a live guide, invest in a good guidebook. It will give you more background on and insight into your sightseeing beyond the pat infonuggets dispensed by the tour guide.
Plus, it will serve as a trusted companion for the time you spend away from the group and will help you discover off-the-beaten-path sights, go shopping, or pick a restaurant.
If you do choose an escorted tour, think strongly about purchasing travel insurance, especially if the tour operator asks to you pay up front.
Important: Do not buy travel insurance from the tour operator! If the operator doesn't fulfill its obligation to provide you with the vacation you've paid for, there's no reason to think it will honor the insurance either. Also, one of the things travel insurance protects you against is the bankrucptcy of the company providing the travel (and if they're bankrupt, they can't very well pay your insurance claim).
Get travel insurance through an independent agency. » more
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