April Italy holiday with toddler turning 2

[CeeCee2322]

Hey everyone,

My partner and I are looking to take our toddler on holiday for his 2nd birthday in April. I'd love to go to Italy and my partner will only consider if I have a plan as I am MUCH more invested in this trip haha.

So I'm looking for any suggestions if possible please!

TIA

What kind of trip do you want? We’ve been to Italy a few times with kids and had a great time. Rome is tiring but great fun, lots of great food, need to take a pushchair. Venice I’d avoid until your DC a bit older, ditto Amalfi coast I think. I’ve heard great things about both Sardinia and Sicily but weather maybe cooler then (unpredictable!). Tuscany beautiful. I’m sure you’d have a brilliant time!

I have been to many places in Italy and for that age, I would say Sicily for best weather, Sardinia for best beaches or Lake Garda for activities.

I would leave the major cities like Rome, Milan, Florence and Venice until your dc is older.

Trieste would be a good choice as you have a small child. The airport, Ronchi dei Legionnari, is close to the city. A walkable city, parks interspersing the streets, St Giusto Cathedral, and a great café culture. By the port, there's an aquarium. You can take the tram to Opicina and walk in the carso (chalk area to the north of the city, a boat to one of the Slovenian or Croatian coastal towns, or walk the coastal road north to Barcola (about an hour). It is historically an Austro-Hungarian port city and the gateway to Mittel Europe so it has a feel quite unlike the cities seen as thoroughly Italian and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

We thought that Lake Garda was very toddler friendly. Almost every town we visited had at least one play area, and even a handful of cafes/restaurants had play areas. Pescheira and Bardolino have little tourist land trains (on weekends only in April) which my DS loved! We found a carousel in one of the towns and a couple of sandy beaches. Gardaland theme park has enough rides and activities for toddlers to make a good day out.

Oh yes! Lake Garda is a good shout. Make sure to check the weather in April as it may be cool. But beautiful and very family friendly. There are a few nice cities nearby too (eg Verona is short train ride away) for day trips if you want to. Toddler will like double decker train!

Agree with the posters suggesting Lake Garda, but I think May would be a better time to go. Early mornings and evenings will
be pretty chilly in April but May should be lovely though.

I like Lazise, there are plenty of campsites’ with mobile homes/cabin accommodation, children’s activities and a pool on the outskirts. There’s a nice little play area just outside the town walls and it’s not far to the theme parks. Fly to Verona and transfer is around half an hour.