Family holiday in Italy - destinations please

[Talou1]

Hello,we are looking to visit Italy next year. We have been to Rome, Florence and Venice but looking for a seaside resort and tbh other than Sorrento we don't have a clue! Children are 12 and 9. We would like a beach (doesn't have to be sandy) a little culture would be nice (town squares, castle, old town). We really like Nice, is there an Italian equivalent? Apologies if this question is a bit broad! Many thks

We stayed near Caorle. North of Venice and it's was good, we went to Venice, Trieste and Verona on trips

How about Costa Smerelda on Sardinia rather than the mainland of Italy?

Or maybe one of the lakeside towns or villages rather than a coastal town?

Good question... I also want to know the answer!

The Italian Riveria or Liguria is quite similar. Portofino would probably suit you just east of Genoa. Further along you have the Cinque Terre national park and lots of lovely towns. I stayed in Lerici a couple of years ago. Quite small so you might not want to stay there for long but gorgeous.

Perhaps Santa Margherita? It's one of the cheapr destinations on the Itialian Riviera and has sandy beaches. Plus you can do day trips to Porto Fino

I'll just point out that rail travel in Italy is generally very good and very cheap so you might like to factor that in to any plans.

Lake Garda? Peschiera Del Garda is a lovely town with lakeside promenade/pebble beaches near by. You can then day trip all around the lake by boat/car.

Sicily would work, Taormina is lovely.

Also stayed at Arabella Island which has beach and 30 miles to Venice but that's more of a rural feel, bit like Italian centreparcs with some natural wildlife around.

Following

Genoa. We flew with KLM via Amsterdam. This is definitely the route I'd recommend. KLM is a lovely airline and their staff provided the kids with cookies and activity packs as they board the plane plus Amsterdam airport is fantastic. Other options from the UK include direct flights from Stanstead with Ryanair and BA and fly to Milan and catch a train to Genoa.
The historic centre and port are very close (a 10-minute walk) to each other and the architecture is absolutely stunning everywhere you look. Take time to absorb the atmosphere - observe the street artists, admire the stylish Italian ladies drinking Espresso Martinis in the bars, browse the market stalls and listen to the buskers.
It’s got a great aquarium. We went on a backstage tour where you get to see what goes on “behind the scenes”. My dc also loved the “design your own fish” interactive game. Our guide took us outside onto a private viewing platform to watch the dolphins interact with their trainers. All but one of the dolphins here have been rescued from other aquariums and zoos.
You can take the train to Nervi from Genoain 15 minutes. Nervi is a beautiful old harbour village with sandy coves and a rugged coastline lined with restaurants and lidos. When you get off the train you’re almost directly standing in the sea. A path stretches along the shore with amazing views, museums and parks. One of our favourite museums was Grimaldi. Aside from the beautiful art collection they have a photography workshop for kids which was a lot of fun. The dc got to make and develop pictures the old way with the use of sunlight and different developing fluids.
In old harbour of Genoa there are lots of boat trips available. Our trip was organised by the Galata Museo del Mare (museum of the sea). It was 1.5 hours with 4 other people. We got a beautiful view of Genoa and when you’re on the open sea you can go for a refreshing swim. You can also take expeditions to the Cetacean Sanctuary to spot whales and dolphins. There’s also the real pirate ship replica from the movie Pirates was once the most expensive movie prop of its time. I loved watching children dressed as pirates excitedly climb aboard to explore.The port is lined with mini play parks and fairground rides to keep little ones entertained. You'll never have to walk far before they're asking for a park break. Most are free, but some require a small fee (like this one) to enter.
The museum of the sea is a must-visit attraction. It's very hands-on with a great VR experience and a chance to take a tour around a real submarine docked outside of the museum
The dc even liked the cathedral. In the back right corner though sits a bomb from World War II that fell through the church but never exploded which they found cool!

Would also recommend Lake Garda, for some beaches and activities, also Gardaland and water park, and easy to walk or drive into the hills. About 40 min drive or bus from Verona or its airport.

The Italian Riviera is more built up than the French & I prefer the French but the Italian Riviera is not completely without charm! We stayed in Sanremo - similar to Nice in that it was big with the smart rich set in the 20's & 30's and still has remnants of that time such as the old casino, Russian church etc. It's got a lovely palm fringed promenade & an attractive old town. Unlike Nice (which I also love) it's not had millions spent on it tarting it up so it has a faded glamour feel! The closest airport is Nice - it's about an hour & a half by train, changing at Ventimiglia.
Someone else has mentioned Sicily which is another good option. Taormina is very beautiful & has Greek ruins, a lovely old town & a little island attached to the rocky beach. It is very popular with Italians though so a bit rammed in the summer months. Fly into Catania & it's half an hour by train. Catania itself is worth a day or two. My favourite place was Ortigia (Syracuse) but there isn't a beach there, just swimming platforms leading to the sea.It is a beautiful place though!
Amalfi on the Neapolitan coast is a lovely town with a nice beach & surrounded by a beautiful hilly backdrop. Much prefer it to Sorrento! The Neopolitan Riviera is pricey though and also very busy! Fly into Naples & there's a number of ways to get there. A day trip to Pompei is completely do-able.
The only place Italian beach wise I've not liked is the Lido de Jesolo which is basically a sand split rammed with hotels and a beach about 30 minutes by boat from Venice. It didn't cost a fortune thougb!

Thks everyone for your very informative replies. Lots to choose from, I may have to go several times! Shame... Rice Crispie, Genoa wasn't even on my radar but sounds fab. I love a boat trip and DS loves wildlife and aquariums. They all sound interesting. 😃

Rice Crispie - Genoa sounds great. Any recommendations on where to stay?

I've also been sold genoa brilliant descriptions