Family holidays in Italy: these 10 tips you need to know

Family holidays in Italy - the top tips at a glance

We not only tell you the top highlights for a visit with children but also show you the most child-friendly beaches in Italy. Do you want to know what you can do in Italy with children? Then come with us to one of the most beautiful destinations for families in Europe. Here is an overview of our top favorites in Italy.

View of Lake Garda

• Lake Garda

• Venice

• Adventure Etna in Sicily

• Volterra in Tuscany

• Trieste

• Lake Maggiore

• Beaches in Sardinia

• Agriturismo - Farm Holidays

• South Tyrol

• Dolomites

An overview of the most beautiful places in Italy can be found here: Italy Sights

1. lake Garda

One of our favourite places to visit with children in Italy is Lake Garda. If you are planning a family holiday in Italy, Lake Garda should definitely be on your travel radar.

Whether it's a camping holiday, hotel holiday or self-catering flat, Lake Garda is one of the most versatile destinations in Italy for families. Around the lake, you can choose from beautiful destinations. How about a cable car ride up Monte Baldo, a trip to Sirmione or a visit to the amusement park Gardaland Resort?

You can read more tips here: Excursions with children on Lake Garda

2 Venice

I was completely enchanted by Venice. I visited the lagoon twice with my daughter and we couldn't stop being amazed. The water taxi rides to the small islands in the lag oon are a highlight, as is the sandy beach on the Lido.

Venice is versatile. If you don't necessarily want to book expensive accommodation, you can choose one of the campsites or a hotel outside the city and take the train to the Grand Canal.

You can read my family-friendly tips for Venice here. I visited all the places in a stress-free and relaxed way with my daughter:

My money-saving tip for Venice: take the Vaporetto lines 5.1 and 5.2 for an inexpensive round trip through the lagoon. The water taxi lines are part of the public transport system and their use is included in the 1- or 3-day ticket.

You'll pass almost all the major sights and enjoy a ride on the Grand Canal. If you're considering a private gondola ride , I recommend starting on one of the smaller side canals.

3. volcano Etna - for adventurers big and small

The hike up Etna is a real highlight in Sicily

Sicily will thrill the kids not only with the view of Etna, but also with beautiful beaches and many excursion destinations. By the way, you don't have to climb Europe's highest active volcano on foot with the kids. You can easily take the all-terrain bus and the cable car to the top.

Are your kids also relaxed on city tours and can't be ruffled by anything? Then Taormina and Palermo should be on your bucket list.

Find more tips here: Sicily sights

⭐ Family holiday in Italy - Travel guide

Planning is everything to start a relaxing holiday with kids. We can recommend the following travel guides for a family holiday in Italy.

4. Volterra - Camping in Tuscany

Here we are under olive trees on a campsite in the middle of nature.

Far away from entertainment, amusement parks and children's entertainment, you will find Camping Volterra, a campsite close to nature , 20 minutes' walk from the centre of Volterra.

On my journey from northern to southern Italy, I passed this beautiful place by chance with my daughter and we immediately fell in love.

The campsite's grounds are manageable, there are no enclosed plots. Instead, there is a bread service and a small pool with a low children's area. Ideal for relaxing if your kids love peace and nature without needing a permanent entertainment programme.

Volterra is one of the sights of Tuscany. Be sure to visit this beautiful city.

5 Trieste - the city of the three winds

Trieste is a great city to explore with the kids in a buggy or pram. Either on a day trip or in a relaxed way over the weekend.

On the spacious Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia, Europe's largest square by the sea, the children can run up and down safely. This is also where you'll find the tourist information office, where you can get a city map with all the important sights. The Great Square is the best starting point for your city tour of Trieste.

Read the best tips for Trieste here: Trieste Sightseeings

6. lake Maggiore - family holiday in Italy at the lake

The region around Lake Maggiore is incredibly diverse, and there is guaranteed to be the right activity for every type of traveller. The small town of Stresa in particular is hyped as being very family-friendly.

Just like Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore is not an inexpensive destination, but here too you can rent a self-contained flat instead of one of the expensive hotels and thus save money.

Tip: Other popular destinations for families are Lago di Como - Lake Como and Lake Lugano.

⭐ The best gadgets for travelling with children

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7. family holiday in Italy at the beach - Sicily and Sardinia.

The Turkish Steps are a great photo spot in the morning. During the day, many bathers come to the imposing coast.

Not only mainland Italy is blessed with beautiful beaches. If you want to spend a family holiday on the beach in Italy with your children, then Sicily or Sardinia are definitely the places for you.

The Italian island of Sicily is virtually surrounded by beautiful beaches, and you will find beautiful bathing opportunities with children almost everywhere. The beach of San Lorenzo on the east coast between Pachino and Noto is especially great for little ones.

Especially practical: so that the kids are not exposed to the blazing sun for too long in summer, you can rent sunbeds here for a fee for a break in the shade.

Cala Goloritzè is one of the top sights on Sardinia with the famous limestone needle L'Aguglia.

Sardinia also captivates with paradisiacal beaches. Some of them even look like the Seychelles. Cala Goloritzé on the east coast, Porto Sa Ruxi on the south coast, Cala Luna on the east coast and Punta Molentis are among the most popular beaches.

8. agriturismo in Italy - family holidays on the farm

What was called a farm holiday yesterday is now often called an agriturismo. Holidays in the countryside in a sophisticated atmosphere are very trendy. At the same time, you don't have to do without anything. On the farms in Italy you are usually catered for with high-quality culinary delicacies from the region, many farms have a pool and are nestled in picturesque landscapes.

You can spend your holiday with the kids on short walks, hikes or bike tours. You won't find hectic amusement parks around the farms, because the focus is on peace and relaxation in harmony with nature.

We can recommend the following agriturismo:

• In Tuscany, we stayed at the Agriturismo Poggio Istiano. Right on one of the most beautiful photo spots in Tuscany, the Viale di Cipressi, you can chill by the pool, prepare your own food and buy pasta, olive oil and wines directly from the farmer.

• In Sicily, check out Dipladenia Garden Country House. It's in Provincia di Catania and has a beautiful outdoor pool seasonally.

• In Sardinia, the Massidda Country Retreat in Santa Teresa Gallura has real top reviews.

• Near Lucca, the most beautiful city in Tuscany, we checked into Hotel Villa Cheli and enjoyed it very much. Already the drive up through the cypress trees is very sophisticated and then only the sight of the beautiful property outside the city.

9 South Tyrol - family destination in Italy

If you live in the south of Germany, then the journey to South Tyrol is almost a stone's throw away. But it's also worth travelling from further afield for a family holiday in Italy.

In addition to the beautiful landscape, you can explore cities like Bolzano, Bressanone or Merano in a relaxed way. Mediterranean flair is guaranteed here.

South Tyrol has a large selection of family hotels and children's farms, but of course you will also find budget-friendly accommodation such as self-contained flats.

South Tyrol is a real year-round destination for a family holiday in Italy. In summer, you and the kids have a wide choice of family-friendly hiking trails, which you can also comfortably take with a buggy if your little ones are not yet so good on their feet. In winter, toboggan runs and ski slopes are waiting to be explored.

10. dolomites - hiking in Italy with children

If you want to spend a hiking holiday in Italy with the whole family, then the Dolomites in South Tyrol could be the right destination for a family holiday in Italy for you. The mountain panorama is unique, places like the Three Peaks, the Val Gardena or the Catinaccio will enchant you.

Biggi and Flo have put together 12 easy hiking routes for you, which you can also complete with older children in hand or smaller kids in a baby carrier: Hiking in the Dolomites

If the Dolomites are the right destination for you and you want to explore the Alpe di Siusi on foot with the kids, then the little ones will be particularly enthusiastic about the themed hiking trails. If you wish, you can also take part in guided hikes and rely on an experienced mountain guide to take you to the most beautiful places in the region.

A very special experience is the Hexenquellen adventure trail, which you explore barefoot with the kiddies. The Sensory Experience Trail to the Sulphur Springs Natural Monument takes you and the children past many exciting natural monuments to explore along the way.

At the tree disc, the little ones learn how to determine the age of a tree, you chat on a tree telephone and dip your hands into the sulphur spring. Well, if that doesn't sound like a real adventure for the whole family?

Beaches for families in Italy

Sardinia in Italy offers you beautiful sandy beaches - some even look like the Seychelles.

Of course, swimming, bathing and splashing around should not be neglected on a family holiday in Italy. In addition to the Mediterranean cities, Italy also scores with its many family-friendly beaches. Here are our 10 favourites:

• Forte di Marmi

• Lido (Venice)

• Cefalù (Sicily)

• Spiaggia di Padula Bianca

• Bibione (Adriatic Sea)

• Spiaggia della Rotonda

• Lido dei Maronti (Ischia)

• Spiaggia di Castello (Apulia)

• Spiaggia di Porto Giunco (Sardinia)

• San Vito Lo Capo (Sicily)

• Tropea (Calabria)