Is Italy family friendly? 5 reasons why we say YES

Thinking of making Italy the next destination you cross off your travel bucket list? Great idea. Here are five reasons why Italy is family friendly in our books:

1. The variety

This is our primary consideration when planning a trip. While we enjoy history, and hiking, and theme parks, we rarely take a trip that consists solely of history, or hiking, or theme parks. Give us a trip where you can explore historical sites one day, hike the next, and hit a roller coaster on the third, and we’re happy. This is particularly true for families who may want to travel together and need to consider the differing interests of their members.

Italy provides a huge amount of diversity. There’s something for everyone, whether you love to seek out quiet spots in nature or enjoy the hustle and bustle of a major metropolitan center. On our trip to Italy, we hiked, swam, boated, visited museums and archaeological sites, and went to a professional sporting event. We traveled by Segway and stand-up paddleboard and ate and ate and ate. Nobody had to suffer through any one activity for very long before we switched it up and did something different.

2. The recognition factor

We are now traveling with teens who have had years of exposure to popular culture – film and TV – as well as social studies classes at school. They’ve learned about the gladiators who fought in the Colosseum, they recognize the Leaning Tower of Pisa as a landmark, and they know who the Pope is. So much of modern-day North American society still draws on roots from ancient Rome that this trip was more meaningful to them than perhaps any other we’ve done.

How to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa on a short stopover

3. The weather

Our travel dates are still limited by the boundaries of the school calendar, and we typically travel during summer break, in July or August. We visited Italy in August, and while people will tell you that it gets hot in Italy in August – it was no hotter than it gets where we live, in the Great Lakes region of Canada. The hot weather meant that our beach days were glorious, and we had great conditions for hiking and boating. If you’re visiting off-season, Italian weather is ideal year-round. Spring and fall might provide even more comfortable temperatures for many visitors, and winters in Italy aren’t nearly as harsh as what we experience at home.

The best Cinque Terre beaches for kids (and adults!)

4. The food

Rhapsodizing Italian food is nothing new, but it bears repeating for families in particular. Those traveling with small children who are more likely to be picky eaters will find plenty of recognizable food choices in the form of pizza, pasta, and gelato. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are some world-renowned restaurants in Italy for those with a more sophisticated palate. And families like ours with teenagers might be interested to know that the legal age to consume alcohol in Italy is 16. This opens up a fun world of local wines and cocktails for teens to sample responsibly while under parental supervision.

5. The ease of transportation

Italy is serviced with direct flights from major airports around the world, making it easy to get to, and it’s got fantastic rail infrastructure, making it easy to travel within. Major city centers have plentiful taxi and Uber options, and being in Europe, Italy is inherently more walkable than its North American counterparts. These factors combine to make for a trip that’s not too logistically complex.

Train travel in Italy: what you need to know

BONUS REASON – The open air

We traveled to Italy in 2022, after 2 years of Covid-19 restrictions, cancelations, and closed borders. While we were excited to be able to get out and explore again, we also felt some trepidation at engaging in behaviours that were decidedly riskier than what we’d engaged in up until that time: taking public transportation, visiting crowded museums, and navigating congested public spaces.

While some of this couldn’t be avoided, our exposure level was moderated by the fact that so much in Italy functions in an open-air environment. Café seating is largely outside, many shops keep their doors open as a matter of course, and the main draws in Italy – the historical ruins, the monuments, and the beautiful landscapes – are all appreciated outdoors. While we certainly hope that this reason becomes less of a deciding factor in the years to come, we can’t deny the peace of mind it gave us in 2022. It’s just another reason why Italy is family friendly.

In conclusion…

Many families looking for travel destination ideas wonder, is Italy family friendly? We’d say a resounding YES. Italy has so much to see and do. The sights are places your kids will probably recognize. The food appeals to all palates. It’s an easy country to navigate, and the climate is ideal. Over to you – have you been to Italy? Would you agree with our assessment? Let us know in the comments below.

The best two week Italy travel itinerary