recommendations for a multi-generational holiday in Italy in July please!

[cheritongirl]

we are planning to go on holiday with our ds who will be 18 months or so + my parents and sister next July somewhere in Italy.
My dad used to go there as a child a lot but none of the rest of us have been.
Where would you recommend? We would like to be near the sea i think, probably self-catering, maybe with a pool - but possibly with easy-ish access to an interesting city or two??
My dad thinks we should head for an island as it will be really hot on the mainland - think he is paranoid but what do you think?!
cheers
ps this is also on the short haul thread...

what about lake garda, send him up into the mountains if it gets too hot. lots of nice little villages close enough to Venice, Milan and Verona.

Heh, skribble. How close to those places? An hour's drive? More?

We were at the south end of the lake and got the train to Venice took under 2 hours. Verona is closer about 1hr?? and milan 1hr.

We hired a car and drove all around the lake and up into the mountains at the north end of the lake.

Thanks scribble. Am trying to decide on somewhere for our holiday next year and loved Tuscany so much this year we'd like to go back to Italy.
Cheriton, depends on what you call easy access to an interesting city I guess. One of the places we stayed was on the coast south of Pisa, which was very relaxing and less than an hour from places like Lucca and an hour and a half to Sienna and San Gimignano. I posted endlessly about Tuscany over the last few months, try searching on my normal name PeachesMcLean in short haul and general travel boards and you'll find my many ramblings about what there is to do for families. It was a wonderful holiday and something for all ages I'd say. Though I don't know how hot in July.

We have been in Tuscany in August, and found it hot but bearable, especially as we were on a campsite in the hills and it did cool down in the evenings.

We were near Figline Valdarno, which is 45mins from Florence, about an hour from Sienna, under an hour to San Gimigiano. Loads of lovely villages nearby (Greve, Radda, Castellina) for buying Chianti.

This is the campsite, the pool area is fab, nice restaurants, friendly staff, yummy Gelateria.

If you don't want to drive, the campsite offer daytrips to Siena, Florence and Chianti tours etc.

Eurocamp has mobile homes, but if you book direct through the Norcenni website, it is a good bit cheaper. We stayed in a bungalow, very reasonable, but quite small. Or check out the Villa, a bit seperate from the site, but you can use the facilities. It is right next to the wine bar so you could take a babyphone and sit outside the appartment and have a glass of chianti.

I was thinking we might try that site next time. Good to hear it's good. We stayed in that company's Park Albatros site last time, in a caravan - excellent facilities.

Peaches, the site is really fab. How old are your DCs? Ours were 2 and 4 and they loved it. My DD (now 5) still asks if we can go back to Italy.

The pool is very good for little ones, the lagoon style pool is shallow enough that children can sit or stand, with tunnels and little islands. For older children there are pools for swimming and the chutes.

Try the province of Le Marche (pronounced Le Markay, it's to the east of Umbria. Go somewhere near San Ginesio or Sarnano. Fantastic scenery but virtually no tourists and about 45 mins to the coast for a day on the beach (full on Italian, lines of sun loungers). Went there for the first time this summer and thogut it was great. From UK you can fly to Ancona or Pescara. We went here www.azienda-cerqueto.com/ which was great but probably not for a toddler (pool not fenced).