Italy with toddling 14 month?

[Prach]

Hi all, we want to go to Italy in mid - may for a family holiday. It will just be me, hubby and 14 month old who has recently started walking. Not after a beach holiday as such, but would love to take her for a day or two. Looking to relax. We like walking and visiting historical/cultural sites but we're fine with minimising those activities given our additional family member :)

Any recommendations on where to go? We have been to Rome and Florence pre-baby so anywhere other than those two places really!

Bump. Anyone?

I did that. It was great. We did Rome. Toddler loved it and so did we. I don't know about other cities with toddlers though.

Thanks TowelNumber42!

Any tips for taking a toddler to Italy?

At that age you’ll be fine! Take a buggy that can cope with cobbles and you will be laughing.

What about Tuscany? Stay in the countryside with a pool and visit Florence, Sienna and San Gimignano.

Sorry, not Florence. But substitute Lucca and you’ll have a great time.

Sicily?

One of the italian lakes, they have beaches for paddling/bathing. Or somewhere north of Genoa on the coast.

Taking a toddler to Italy is the same as taking a toddler anywhere else. In other words, hard! We've taken our DC to Italy several times at various ages and I would say it's not the most convenient country, as the old cities are full of uneven streets, narrow pavements and generally places where pushing a pushchair isn't great. However, the food is good, people are friendly and tolerant of DC and the weather in May should be lovely.

Where to go? Umbria is nice - Perugia or Assisi have lovely historic centres, Puglia is lovely, gorgeous beaches, old towns. Both of those are a bit quieter too than Rome and Florence. As is Lucca, if you fancy Tuscany. I think wherever you go you should make sure there are some good playgrounds, as Italy in general is not very good with these. I find these DK family guides brilliant as they tell you where the playgrounds are, the museums that are kid friendly, the best beaches for kids, etc. Might be worth getting yourself a copy www.amazon.co.uk/Family-Guide-Italy-Eyewitness-Travel/dp/0241309212/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&keywords=dk+italy+with+kids&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1554986793&sr=8-1

Thanks for all your suggestions! So helpful. You've given me plenty to go off and research 😊

Just to add that we use a sling quite a lot, so will definitely take that and look into get a lightweight dry sturdy buggy! (currently have a second hand bugaboo cameleon but not sure I want to travel with it)

We took a nearly 2 year old to Sardinia.

It was fantastic people are so sweet to toddlers there

Definitely don't take a Bugaboo. I had one for my first and bloody thing was so heavy and took up loads of space. I had a lightweight McLaren for DC2 and it was 100 times better. I had a sunshade, that attached with ties and folded up into a little circle. It's No. 4 on this list: www.madeformums.com/reviews/best-buggy-covers/

Just to say, we ended up choosing Rimini as it combines a sandy beach with a bit of culture. We are heading off next week! Have also bought a second had Mclaren to take with us.

Thank you all for your help and suggestions!