Italy with DC 7&9

[CaptainChannel]

We are going to a wedding in Sicily towards the end of July and would like to tag on a week or so somewhere in mainland Italy. Our DC will be 9 and 7 - we would like a mix of culture and some beach/lake for swimming. Bonus if we can hire bikes and do some leisurely cycling with the kids!
We are fine with heat.
Grateful for any recommendations

Sicily is quite a large island - where is the wedding?

Near Catania - we have been to Sicily lots of times (due to family member living there) so just looking for recommendations for a tagged on week in mainland Italy.

Lake Garda? Venetian riviera? What sort of budget/accommodation?

We've got about 4K to spend. Totally flexible about accommodation type.

Oh sorry I totally misread that - you want mainland. I mean really you can take your pick. Puglia is lovely and obviously has a long coast and lots of pretty towns to wander around. It’s much less busy than the northern tourist hotspots. It will be super hot though. The beaches tend to be stony rather than Sandy but plenty to choose from.

Lake Bolsena will have plenty to do for kids and is just north of Rome. I only went once when I was quite young but seem to remember having a good time. Otherwise the northern lakes all of which are lovely but Lake Garda would be my recommendation from those - lots of options for places to stay and not too far for a day trip to Verona or even Venice (depending on which side you stay)

Lake Garda definitely.

Come to the lakes. Less hot than sicily. Great cycling and beaches. Lake como area or Lake garda. I'd avoid beaches by the sea in August. V crowded with Italian families.

Thanks all I shall investigate the lakes

Florence may work for you... you have Sienna, Lucca nearby, and the Fortie Dei Marmi for the beach. I've not been to the latter but I think it's quite pricey.

Sienna is 80 km from Florence and Lucca is further. Not really nearby. There are opportunities to visit all sorts of Tuscan towns if you hire a car but staying near a smaller town like SG gives you the best of both worlds. A pool and great towns to visit. Plus the food of course!

We stayed in Desenzano on Lake Garda last summer and it was lovely. Boat trips, hotel had free bikes, roman ruins at Sirmione, train to Verona. Lots of places to eat. Pedalos from the beach. Enormous weekly market.

@MissAmbrosia
I stayed there as a parent helper on a school trip with DD! The Italian teacher organised it. I loved it there. We even went to Venice and I think there’s a little theme park quite close. Is it Gardaland?

Yes - Gardaland. We didn't go there but did go the big animal park nearby.

Lake Garda is so lovely, and Desenzano is a good base, I think. The smaller lakes - Idro and Iseo - are lovely too, and a lot quieter.

Agree on a lake Garda we went for a friends wedding in 2014 when the kids were 5 & 1 & have been back 3 times since. We have stayed with Eurocamp there are a few sites around the lake with lots for the kids & good on site restaurants etc. Verona / Venice / Milan are all in reach for a day trip & loads of beautiful towns around then lake. Gardaland is amazing if you like theme parks - my kids still rave about it & we haven’t been for nearly 3 years.

www.laroccacamp.com

Can recommend this place on Lake Garda.

Desenzano even has some Roman mosaics - which I love! We took the girls there and we were surprised to see a mosaic tiger! Not a highlight for most I guess, but I love mosaic art! And Roman history .

I live in Puglia and unless you just want beach + nightlife, then it's boring as hell in summer. We tend to spend the summer in the UK and the last two years when it's not been possible, my DD has been distraught and bored stiff as she's not a beach lover.

I'd recommend the lakes as many pps have. From Garda you can get to Verona and Venice easily etc.

I'd also agree on the cities if you aren't beachy. Siena is about an hour from Florence on the train, and Pisa is nearer still. We visited both from Florence this summer.

I had a great holiday in the Naples area as a child: Pompeii for fascinating culture stuff, Naples for a city visit or two, Sorrento/Amalfi/Capri for the beautiful coastal part of the holiday.

With my own family we love Tuscany - you can’t go wrong there. I would highly recommend Norcenni Girasole campsite, it’s got fantastic pools etc, and if you look on their own website they have lovely mobile homes with hot tubs as well as apartments in a traditional building in the site (if you don’t fancy the more standard Eurocamp type accommodation). Great spot for day trips to Florence, Siena etc either yourself or on their guided tours by coach.

If you’re going to Lake Garda, definitely do Gardaland! We had a brilliant day there. Take swimwear for your kids as there’s a kids water play area which is very nice when it gets scorching.