Suggestions for family holiday Italy?

[Lagoonablue]

Want to go to Italy next year, 2 adults and 2 kids. Not sure where. lakes maybe or round the coast somewhere. I have been as an adult a few times but not with kids. I am struggling to find what we need.

Basically want self catering or hotel but needs to be near to airport / travel as we won't be driving. I guess I want the equivalent of a Spanish resort in Italy which isn't typical. Tuscany apartments are good but need a car for instance.

I have looked at holiday resorts in Sardinia but they are so expensive and hotels don't do a lot of family room so would need 2 rooms at full price which ramps up the price.

Any ideas?

Lake Garda, the southern part is accessible by train and less than an hour from Verona. Tuscany if you stayed between Pisa and Florence there is a good train link or to the coast such as Viareggio.

Was thinking viareggio as been before but can only get 2 rooms for 4 adults price and is too expensive.

Either the Tuscan coast - Viareggio or Lido di Camaiore which are accessible from Pisa airport or Adriatic coast- Rimini, Riccione, Cattolica via Rimini or Bologna airports; Lido di Jessolo from Venice airport. You might be better booking a villa and flights separately for self catering. Try these websites:
www.rentalia.com/holiday-rentals-italy/

www.homeaway.com/vacation-rentals/italy/r39

You can get to most places on the amalfi coast on the circumvesuvio train from Naples ( or bus). If cheaper fly to time and get train to Naples that way. Go to april for the day.

Bari. You can take the train to the city centre from the airport-15 minutes, costs 5 euros, children under 10 do not pay transport. They have very good and cheap public transport, amazing family beaches, the town is beautiful and it's very cheap, the icecreams to die for, swimming pool, food is fantastic but the heat is BAD. Don't go in august unless you're very apt at breathing fire.
But, it's never going to be a Spanish resort. And the kids will have to entertain themselves with spades and buckets and twigs.

Another Lake Garda fan here. You can book packages which just include accommodation and airport transfers, but not make you feel "processed". As LIZS has already pointed out the southern part of Lake Garda is less than an hour from Verona airport.

There is plenty to see and do in the area and one of the best ways to get around is to use the regular ferry service. This allows to you appreciate the stunningly beautiful scenery. Most accommodations have swimming pools and many cater for children as well.

There are train stations at Peschiera and Desenzano with regular bus service connections to other towns round the lake.

Lake Garda is my favourite overseas holiday destination and I would return there in a heartbeat.

All these suggestions are good and I have actually been to most of them. I just find that flights for 4 and 2 hotel rooms is super expensive in Italy. There are no child reductions for rooms which you can get in other parts of Europe. Then self catering isn't always the easiest to get to with out a car, unless we are in in the centre. I suppose I wanted a 'package' which Italy don't really do.

I will have a look at some of the self catering that is accessible.

Jesolo is very child friendly and I found it to be cheaper and more accessible from the UK than other parts of Italy (unless you live near a southern UK airport). if you're thinking of going in august, book early as Italian families head to the coast then.

I think the fact of not driving is putting you at a disadvantage. Italy is extremely car-focused and public transport is not reliable or particularly pleasant.

Have you tried going through the Ryanair website link onto Hertz rent-a-car? The prices are much lower than renting directly. At that point Sardinia from Alghero Airport with self catering would be a great choice. Or Jesolo/Garda from Treviso Airport (both Ryanair).

We never felt disadvantaged by not having a car in Italy.

Can I also suggest Croatia. We had a fabulous self catering holiday on the Makarska riviera. We stayed in a two bedroomed aparthotel on the edge of the resort, but within easy walking distance of everything.

Italy's no more car-reliant than the UK. Depends very much on where you go.

I disagree, albert. Out of curiosity, after posting here I went to look at the statistics. In 1995 Italy was the second highest European country for car ownership, UK was the 15th.

I have driven in Italy. Don't want to do it again! I have been around 6 times but usually based in cities so not reliant on public transport.

Is Jesolo nice? I know little about tbh.

Have a look at Stintino Country Paradise (North Sardinia, large Self Catering resort near Alghero) on Trip Advisor. They're very popular and would probably have airport transfer and daily excursions.
We stayed near there for a holiday and the sea was lovely. The wind came up in the afternoon, though, and we moved to the swimming pool.

I was pleasantly surprised by jesolo. I'd heard that it was a bit shabby compared to the other parts of italy I've visited but I'm very glad I went and made up my own mind. I'm pretty sure that we went with a package tour operator for this one (usually did when my son was younger).

How old are your children? There's a big water park (aqualandia) within walking distance from where we stayed but I can't remember the name of the hotel.

The children will be 6 and 10 when we go.

Interesting stat sgtmajormummy, I wouldn't have guessed. I did grow up in Italy and a lot (not all) of it is very manageable without a car, and what could be more pleasant than a Milanese tram? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Milan

Anyway, on topic I'd recommend somewhere like Cesenatico. It has a train station.

Sorry Poppym to disagree (and this is only personal opinion!) but Jesolo isn't great. I've been all over Italy both with kids and without and definitely my least favourite place. I stayed with my daughter and nephew (7 & 5 at the time) and it's a long, flat ugly man made stretch of land built by Mussolini. It's basically a holiday resort so hotel after hotel and a beach. My hotel was horrible so I'm biased but I'd never go back. Staying in Venice itself is much much nicer! For a good holiday go to the Amalfi Coast or for something cheaper but still pretty go to San Remo (also called Sanremo). It's easy to get cheap flights to Nice and then a 1 hour 30 train journey to San Remo. We did it last summer. From San Remo you can do day trips to Monaco, Genoa etc.

I live close enough to do a day at the beach in Jesolo/Bibione/Lignano from home but I don't! That's because I'd only be going for the beach, not the holidaymaker experience.

I much prefer a day trip to Caorle but that's because it's lovely and quiet and we can usually get a table at our favourite fish restaurant, even in August.
A boring predictable holiday's not quite what you're looking for, I think, OP!