Thinking of taking *11 year old son* to see *Classic sites in Rome/Athens* etc - any tips - cruise perhaps?

[ejm1]

Hi - any tips please - what is the best combination of destinations - how to make it educational without it being a guided (deemed "boring") trip! Best time of year to go? Any ideas welcome. thanks.

We went to rome in May for 5 nights. it was fantastic the 3 DC's had a great time. buy the rough guide and see all the trips in there. we loved Ostia spent all day there. go as an independent traveller not on a cruise and that way you get to see the bits you want to. stayed in a lovely 3 bed apartment next to maddelaina church right in the middle of things but in a quietish street. it was lovely and warm then and not too busy.

Hi yes cruise would be fab

The one we went on went to Rome, Pisa plus a couple of more beachy places. Our kids were about 8 and 10 and absolutely loved Rome, although we didn't bore them with the church bits[!] - [We did that many moons ago pre kids- fantastic]
There was enough to see/do -Colloseum, Pantheon, fountains, (had water fights too it was over 40*) lovely ice-creams and coffees etc.

They also liked Pisa but less so, was more "When are we going back to the pool/kids club ?" back on ship kind of day. It was only a half day trip so was fine. Glad rest of the cruise was not sightseeing tbh as they enjoyed it, but was enough for them at that age . Your boy is older tho.

We also did another cruise around Greece,Turkey and Cyprus but missed out most of the sites to do more beach stuff as they were a bit too young. (but me and dh said we would go back some day)

It has stayed with them tho as now they are much older when I have mentioned Egypt/Jordan cruise they are dead keen.

We were in Italy last summer - had 6 nights in a villa near Sorrento, so did Vesuvius, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Solfatara, and then 5 nights in Rome - we omitted the Forum as dh and I were bored rigid there before we had dc, but did the Pantheon, Colosseum, Vatican.

Our dc were 9,11,13, had all had "the Romans" as a school topic, they loved it. In between days were the beach, hanging out at the pool by our villa, eating ice-cream, and Rome Zoo.

We were there in July, it was pretty hot. I'd choose Easter if I had to do it again.

Personally, a cruise sounds like hell to me - stuck on a boat you can't get off until they say so? Not for me at all. But I'd totally recommend Italy!