Ideas for Italy 2022 please.

[Ineedachange]

So it looks like this year is out. Fingers crossed we can all look forward to next year.
I would be grateful for any advise for a two week holiday with teeenagers next year. It is possible this could be one of our last as a whole family. DD will be finished A levels and DS will have finished his GCSE's.

We're thinking fly-drive, a week in the south of Italy (Puglia) and a week further north (Tuscany or the Lakes), but that's as far as we've got. We've been to Tuscany with the kids when they were younger and we all loved it. The following we did a road trip in California, a dream come true for me, but in fact the kids said they preferred Italy
We'd prefer a pool over the beach, we love culture but not crowded Florence or Rome in the heat. Also, we have a particular perchant for Italian food .
Your suggestions with a view for late June/ July next year would be gratefully received.

[Smileandtheworldsmileswithyou]

Amalfi cost is beautiful, but even more so the islands of Ischia, Procida and Capri which are all accessible from Naples. Procida is tiny and quiet, Capri is glamorous and beautiful, ischia is nicknamed the green island and has natural thermal springs. I would probably base my self on ischia and do day trips to the others. You could also do day trips to Positano, Sorrento, Amalfi or Ravello by boat too.if you haven’t already visited Naples that’s also fascinating and full of history with Pompeii or Ercolano. I may be biased as half my family are from Campagnia so I love this part of Italy, but it honestly is beautiful. And the food in the south is the best.

[Zodlebud]

I loved Lake Garda in June. We based ourselves in Desenzano Del Garda and used the ferry to travel to a different town every day. We also went to Venice and Verona for the day but that was with an organised small tour. Would like to take my own kids one day!

[Iseeyoulookingatme]

I just wanted to say I love Puglia it is so beautiful and also Monopoli is also lovely as well.

[Gazelda]

We're thinking of Naples next year. A good mix of culture, interest and beauty.

[reprehensibleme]

Lucca is beautiful. We stayed near Pistoia in Tuscany, not as touristy as other places but good market and plenty cafes and restaurants and on train line for Florence and Lucca and Pisa.

Getting around by ferry on Garda is lovely but expensive. We stayed in Sirmione, easy access to lake but also bus and train to Verona, Brescia (which we liked and is so much quieter than Verona) Milan and Venice.

[Melassa]

Puglia is fantastic, as is Tuscany and obviously the northern lakes. However, if you’re going to be driving up from Puglia I would advise visiting Abruzzo, Le Marche and Umbria instead of Tuscany, which is fantastic but at times over-visited. Or else stop off for a night or 2 in each region on the way up to Tuscany. For the northern Italian lakes it is a very long drive up from Puglia (as in 12 hours or so) so maybe best for another visit?

All the central regions are hilly (Abruzzo is quite mountainous in parts) with lots of medieval towns perched on hillsides, plus sporting activities for teens/the whole family. I went pony trekking in the Abruzzese mountains, rafting in Umbria and did a motorcycle tour of agriturismi and restaurants in Marche. There are also lots of historical sites - Urbino, Pesaro, Ascoli Piceno in Marche, Chieti, Teramo and L’Aquila in Abruzzo (site of recent earthquake but a lot has been restored/rebuilt), Assisi, Gubbio, Orvieto, Perugia among the many in Umbria, plus if you like a lake there is Trasimeno. These were the Papal States before unification so there is a wealth of art in the region. You could probably get a villa or agriturismo with a pool quite easily if you book well in advance and it will probably be cheaper than Tuscany.

For Puglia we love the Salento, which is the heel part of Italy, although lots of people like the Gargano further up. The food is obviously fantastic, both in Puglia and further north. Every region has its specialty and the Italians are fussy about the quality of their food so it is usually pretty good anywhere you go.

Re Campania I would avoid if driving as many of the nicer places are not easily accessible with a car, plus you don’t really want to drive in Naples at all! Better explored by train ime.

[Ineedachange]

Thank you. This is really useful.
As a family we really love Italy.
Based on this I think we were trying to do too much in one two-two week holiday.
So I am thinking that perhaps we can see Rome and Naples properly in one holiday. All of us would love to see Pompeii, Ercolano and Vesuvius. So thats week near Naples and then a week near Rome. This gives us plenty of time soak up the sun around the pool and enjoy the food in the second week. We'll also get a couple fo days to ourselvs in the second week. Hopefully a booking will hold til next year x