Self catering apartment in Italy with 5 & 2 year old - what to take

[messybessie]

I always overpack and forget really useful stuff.

What would you say were must haves for an apartment to keep the kids happy. We are going for 2 weeks so hopefully it will be sunny.

We also don't want to spend a fortune while we're there. Everytime we've been self catering before it's been in france and we've driven. We are flying and will have a hire car.

What do you need but can't get? What's ridiculously expensive?

They don't sell the same types of squash at all, so if your kids will only drink a certain drink, best take some (in hold luggage due to liquid restrictions in hand baggage....)

If you have room I'd recommend a coolbag with some ice packs as then you can buy bottles etc to take to the beach - drinks in bars can be ferociously expensive there.

They sell standard cereals etc but obviously things like marmite are harder to find.....tea bags there are vile but that may just be the water.

Otherwise you can get pretty much all the same sorts of things as here!Markets are way cheaper for food than supermarkets but I guess that's the same anywhere....Which region are you going to?

If you are going soon, it will be HOT! So you may need things to occupy them in the middle of the day if they are not likely to sleep as with children that age the beach is probably too hot at lunchtime....

We are going to the Lakes, so hopefully it will be hot but not unbearable.

Coolbag is an excellent call. Must remember plenty of drinks bottles too. I was hoping we could have breakfast and lunch in the apartment most days and eat out in the evening if we couldn't be bothered to cook.

We also have a washing machine so I'm thinking 5 days clothes should be enough.

yes 5 days clothes are a good idea if you can wash as everything should dry in a couple of hours! another tip is to avoid peak times in supermarkets - 8-10am and from around 5pm - they get mega busy and I have yet to find a supermarket in Italy that has enough tills open. If you go in just before or just after lunch they tend to be much quieter.

Have a fab time :)