Italian holiday ideas for a first trip abroad with my son

[Custardslice3]

Hi,
I'm finally biting the bullet and trying to figure out a holiday abroad for myself and my son. He's 10 and has complex needs and it's always felt too big a thing to try flying and being away somewhere with none of our usual routine or support, but he is asking about visiting another country and I have finally committed and sorted out our passports, so now I just need to work out where we go and get it booked! I find decisions extremely overwhelming, partly because I'm maxed out on everything I do caring for him, so would really appreciate any help people might want to give!!

Basics that I know: between 19th-28th June (7 nights, so could leave 19th/20th/21st). Direct flights needed from either Bristol/Birmingham/Southampton/Heathrow, ideally not more that 2-3 hours. Easy transfer (max 1hr) from airport to accommodation at the other end. Ideally walking distance of beach, pool at accommodation, and I think probably self catering.

I feel like I've lost hours of my life researching this online already and just keep going in circles! ChatGPT suggested Calella, Spain would be best. It does look like a good option in many ways. We could fly to Barcelona, it would be easy to do a day trip there and maybe one to a waterpark, and lots of time on the beach. The big thing that is putting me off is that I don't think either my son or I will be fussed with Spainish food especially! And food is a big part of the holiday. I'd much rather be in Italy.

Does anyone have ideas of somewhere in Italy that would have the same kind of vibes and be as simple practically as Calella?

Should also add that I'm trying to do this in a budget of £1000. I can exceed that if I need to, but because it's such a gamble whether the holiday will go well, I don't want to blow a massive budget on it.

Should add that other options that aren't Italy or Spain would also be welcome. And my son would love to do a glass bottomed boat tour, so somewhere that we can do that is a priority.

I have children with complex needs too and we usually go for all inclusive holidays. I’m sure you’d find something nice on the cheaper end in June as it’s not school holidays. Try TUI or Jet 2. I don’t think there’s much in Italy for all inclusive though so if you’re ok to look in Spain / Greece / turkey / balierics / canaries
it may be a bit above your budget but there’s no spending money needed for food as AI do all meals snacks ice creams etc and drinks - plus they’re often by the beach, and have good pools
you should also ask the airline about disability support, my DD and I get wheelchairs through the airports, quick and away from people (DD and DS both autistic and DS also ADHD, big issues with noise dnd busy places, the disability support is always good
good luck with whatever you chose

Is it for this June? I would start by checking the destinations and prices flights from the airports that work for you on those dates, to find out where you can get to within budget.
Does it have to be a glass bottomed boat, or could other types of boat be considered? I would consider Lake Garda or Lake Bled in Slovenia.

Also late June is already school holidays in a lot of Europe. Where we are (Slovenia) they get a thumping 10 weeks - usually break up 3rd week of June, go back 1st week of September.

I went to Calella a few years ago, it was great. Lots of food options. And nice shops. You can easily visit Girona on the train which is lovely.
Italy I found a bit complicated with having to book into beach clubs, as most beaches are private lidos and very busy. Spain is cheaper if you're after a beach holiday.

An all inclusive or half board in Spain would be a safer bet imo. You can find familiar food on the buffet because, quite frankly, most of their guests are Brits and they cater for them.
I would look on Jet2 or TUI, if you fly to Málaga there are lots of resorts very near the airport. Look for a hotel aimed at families where they will cater for your son.
Alternatively somewhere like playa blanc Lanzarote has lots of apartments or hotels, very family orientated and has a water park.
As well as assisted travel the Spanish airports do a thing for hidden disability

www.aena.es/en/passengers/travellers/passengers-with-special-needs/invisible-disabilities/invisible-disabilities-badge.html

Thank you all, there are so many things to consider!

My gut tells me that self catering would work best for us. My son would struggle with queues for buffets and noisy dining areas and overeating is a big issue which would be tricky for me to keep a handle on in a buffet. Also I think my son will really enjoy the experience of shopping for bits for breakfast/lunch and seeing the different things available.

I wonder if maybe I should just stick to Calella. I've been there years ago so I know lots of things about it would work for us, and the slight familiarity might help with the anxiety I will no doubt be feeling anyway! I'm sure we will find things we will both enjoy eating, it's just that I know the pizza/pasta in Italy would be a definite hit. My son doesn't have especially restricted eating, but he won't eat things that have cooked pepper in them (or other veg that go slimy when cooked) and I think that will be more of an issue with Spanish cuisine.

@PeatandDieselfan the glass bottomed boat is because he loves spotting wildlife, but it has to be in nature, not in a zoo etc. So I hope seeing fish through the boat will be a great experience for him.

@Pippick that's really helpful, thank you! If we end up in Spain I'll definitely apply for one of those badges!

I do want to have easy access to a beach as my son (and I) will enjoy that, but he struggles with settling to one thing for long so we definitely need to be somewhere with lots of options. Beach time, wandering around a town, walking along the coast, day trips. But nothing too structured (so not organised trips) as he wouldn't manage that.

Sardinia. The most child friendly place I've ever been. Alghero is on the cheaper western side. We also found it less windy.

Have you thought about Lake Garda? Not sure about wildlife apart from water fowl but you may be able to choose a town like Bardolino for plenty of shops and access to public transport.

I don’t know Calella - but IME there are often pizza and pasta restaurants in Spain where I have visited. I think Calella is a fairly touristy destination so I don’t think you will have any problem finding food that is familiar for your DS, including burgers etc if he eats things like that.

If you are thinking of going to Italy though, like others, I would recommend Lake Garda as a great family destination.

If food is a big part of it and you want Italy without making the logistics too hard, I’d probably look at Alghero in Sardinia before Calella. It feels a bit more special than a standard resort town, but still manageable for a first trip abroad because the airport is close, the beach is easy, and you can keep the days very simple. It also seems like a good fit for your son if a boat trip is high on the wishlist. If Alghero feels too much, then Lido di Jesolo near Venice would be my easier mainland backup.
These were the kinds of pages I found useful when looking at it:
https://algheroturismo.eu/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g187880-Activities-c55-Alghero_Province_of_Sassari_Sardinia.html
https://www.ferryhopper.com/en/destinations/italy/sardinia

Thanks for all the suggestions, I went for it and have booked us our first holiday abroad! I went with a Tui package in the end to the Canary Islands. It’s a longer flight than I wanted originally, but the travel time to airports at both ends is manageable and the flight times work. I hope! The accommodation is self catering, but it’s very close to shopping centres with lots of easy food options, supermarkets and the beach. And I was able to get a really good price for a two floor apartment with a little terrace/garden, two bedrooms, lounge/kitchen and balcony for just the two of us - it will really help my son to not feel cramped if we are having down time. And a pool.

I’m both brimming with excitement and extremely anxious 😬😆🫣

Next hurdle is insurance. My bank includes worldwide travel insurance so I went to activate that and after an hour on the phone to them this morning they have said they will insure my son, but including covering some of his diagnoses (such as ADHD) but specifically not including ASD.

Im struggling to get my head around the implications of this and whether I need to look for different insurance for him (which would be a shame since this is effectively free and I’m trying to stick to a tight budget). Does anyone have experience of this?

Thanks