Please tell me how mental you think my holiday plans are

[DitaVonCheese]

Evening DH and I have a 2.5 yo DD and I'm pg with #2. We've booked cheapo flights to Rimini for the start of May, when I'll be around 28-30 weeks. Please tell me how loony each of these two things are:

• I am currently too bloody broke/skinflint to pay the exorbitant charges for actually taking luggage, so we were planning to take hand luggage only, despite the fact that DH thinks we'll need a rooftop box for the car for weekend trips to see DMIL once #2 arrives My reasoning is that all we need is clothes for half the week (then do a wash), a very small amount of toiletries and a bib and set of plastic cutlery for DD, will buy nappies there. Oh and a couple of books and a camera. Have I missed anything vital? Can always add overpriced luggage and am quite looking forward to the challenge but interested to know whether anyone else has done this.

• Having looked at a lot of holiday apartments, our favourite is, conveniently, about three hours' drive from Rimini. Had hoped to get a train but that is looking like a major palaver, so will probably be a drive. I am thinking that a three hour drive through Tuscany is not such a bad thing, particularly as our flights on the way there (theoretically) arrive at some reasonable time like noon, so we can take our time (slightly more fraught on the way back). I have driven in Italy before and rather enjoy it. One of the attractions of the place we've found is that it is midway between Florence and Rome, so day-trippable to both, and as DH (and DD) have never been to Italy before, I would quite like him/them to be able to visit there. Or should we be looking for somewhere a bit more accessible?

Any views appreciated :)

Hi,

Don't think you are too mental!

• The luggage - I think you could do it with 2 lots of hand luggage. I used to take my son at that age on my own from France to England to visit parents for a week with just a medium sized rucksack, large handbag and pushchair. It is easy enough to get things down to the bare minimum if you really have to. I don't think I even had to do any washing just for a week.Take stuff like mini shampoos etc and just buy more if you need it, and enough nappies for the trip with a few extra. (On car trips it's the roof top box for us with one 6 year old - because we can take everything we do). It may sound obvious but wear your 'biggest' clothes - thick jumpers, coats, etc (we have been by train to Switzerland a few times with minimal packing and always wear our walking boots for the trip - DH's size 11's are just too big for the luggage). Take a lightweight nylon bag in your luggage and you can put them in there as soon as you are through check in. I don't really think you need any more than you have said, perhaps apart from a couple of toys for your daughter? I used to take a few sticker books, a couple of small things in the large handbag, usually wrapped up as the fun of opening them passed a bit more time. I always used buy a small toy, magazine with toy or two at the shops once through customs - once you are through you can just carry the stuff on the plane in a carrier bag. Inflatable toys, balls etc are also good space savers and fun.

• the 3 hour drive sounds OK but will it really be 3 hours with stops, roadworks etc? Also if it was me I wouldn't be looking at the time of arriving but the time you will be leaving home - if you are getting up at some unearthly hour of the morning, say 4 or 5am to get to the airport will you feel like getting off the plane, getting the car, becoming familiar with it and then the 3 hour drive on unknown roads, foreign country etc? If that's not a problem for you it sounds OK. For your day trips I wouldn't drive into Rome (horrendous traffic, parking difficult, parts of the city restricted to traffic), I live 20km south of Rome and never drive in, always take the train. Park at the nearest station and leave you car. I would also do the same for Florence, although I don't think traffic is quite so bad there.

Hope this is some help, and you enjoy the holiday

Did you check on the airline policy on Pregnancy? You will probably need a doctor's note to fly then. Also check your insurance policy!

Thanks for the replies

Porto I just had a small panic and checked (it's Ryanair, so thought they'd charge me £30 just to be up the duff ) but it's fine from 28-36 weeks with a doctor's note, which shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks yonker, that's really reassuring. We'll have to take mini toiletries only because of the stupid 100ml rules. DD is a bit obsessed with sticker books at the moment, so they should hopefully be a good lightweight way of keeping her quiet on the plane :)

I think we'll need to be up at 5-6 am for our flight, but having DD means that we're often awake at that time anyway! I've driven loads in Europe so not worried about that at all - more worried about DH because he's a nervous passenger at the best of times I did do one skiing trip when we were up at 4 for the flights then had a 5 hour drive on hairpin bends/snow at the other end so this should be reasonably pleasant :)

The accommodation we're staying at is 20 min from a train station so I was already planning on training it for our day trips :)

Any suggestions for toddler-friendly things to see in Rome much appreciated :) I think DH would like to see the coliseum, not sure he'd be too fussed about the Vatican or St Peter's which I think is what I mainly did last time I was there (and underwear shopping ).

Thanks again, I'm a bit excited now

Hi again,

Good to hear the driving doesn't bother you - most people have a real worry about it when coming to Italy! (Don't really blame them - seen 2 crashes today on the way to school and back). If your DH is nervous could he sit in the back with your DD and keep her amused for the trip? My sister in law is very nervous in a car but was OK driving from here to Sorrento as she was in the back keeping DS occupied, she didn't even really look at the road.

Stuff for toddlers in Rome - sorry to say there isn't much in some ways but for a day you will have a good time without the boredom setting in. I would think about getting on of the open top tour buses, there are 4 or 5 to pick from, from the station and tour round on that if the weather is good. It is good if you only have a day, and my son from being very young has loved sitting on the top of the bus riding around. They do all the main sights.

If you go to into the coliseum buy your tickets on line before you go, the queues are often long and nothing worse with a bored toddler. If you buy on line there is virtually no queue.

Your DD may like the cat sanctuary in Torre Argentina, www.romancats.com/index_eng.php it is in the centre of town and you can go in for a visit (only takes about 20 minutes) and see the cats. It's free but they ask for a small donation. My son also loves throwing coins in fountains - I always have to keep loads of small change for that. He also likes the Pantheon for some reason, I think the 'hole' in the roof fascinates him, one of my favourite buildings in Rome as well. Some parts of Rome are not good for very young children walking around due to the narrow pavements and traffic, but Piazzo Navona is good as it is entirely car free, and nice for a walk to look at the fountains, paintings on sale etc. And of course there are the great ice creams on every street corner

Enjoy yourselves!

Thanks for that - cats and throwing money sound right up her street Oh and icecream, she'll be in heaven! Fab tip about the coliseum too.

I actually love driving in Italy - I like the way no one really seems to pay attention to the rules, I find it very liberating