Italy with Kids – Seven Ways to Get the Most from Your Family Travel in Italy
Italy is a popular vacation destination for families because it offers something of interest for everyone. The land of gelato welcomes children in general and, more specifically, has sights and foods that most kids love. Whether your family is visiting monuments or relaxing in the Italian sun, here are some ideas on how to organize your vacation for fun and savings, too.
1. Rent an Apartment or Villa
For less than the cost of a hotel room you can rent a comparably comfortable and well-located apartment or villa in Italy. You will get more room for people to spread out and keep out of each other's way. You won't have adjust your schedule to hotel restaurant hours and maid service, either. You will have to make your own beds and settle for a weekly change of towels.
You can save on restaurant costs by eating 'at home' in your villa or apartment. We suggest having breakfast and dinner at home and dine in a nice restaurant for lunch. For your home meals, elaborate preparation isn't necessary, you will find excellent pre-prepared selections in supermarkets, small grocery stores, snack bars, pizzerias and "tavola caldas," cafeteria-style restaurants. Shopping for your food in Italian grocery stores and open air markets is a super cultural experience for the whole family, too.
2. Get the Best from Restaurants
The fixed-price menu of the day, often called the tourist menu, offers a full meal with savings over a' la carte. Menus are always posted outside the restaurant door so you can browse the price and selection. To choose your restaurant, use Michelin's Red Guide (restaurant guide) that profiles even moderately priced establishments. Few American tourists carry the Red guide, so the restaurants don't become mobbed with consequent price increases.
When ordering, request the house wine and tap water "aqua naturale." The tap water in Italy is drinkable.
A $15 plate of pasta for a small (or not very hungry) child may be hard to swallow, so ask for a half-portion or an extra plate to split big portions. Italians love children and waiters are usually happy to indulge their appetites. And when the children finish, promise them an ice cream at snack bar around the corner where you can also get an after dinner drink and enjoy people watching at a fraction of the restaurant price for coffee and dessert.
You can spend $20 for a coke on Piazza San Marco in Venice or on the Via Veneto in Rome and find the people-watching worth every bit of it. Or, if refreshment and budget prevail, wander a few piazzas removed from these famous spots and order your coke or, better yet, a typical Italian beverage made with flavored syrups and fizzy water.
Tip Wait for the waiter to collect your signed credit receipt from the table. Don't just sign it, get up and walk away because in most Italian restaurants, your credit card number is printed IN FULL on the ticket -- an easy way for someone to cruise by the unoccupied table and snag your receipt and obtain your credit card number.
3. Laundry
Stay in an apartment with a washing machine to do your own, but don't expect a clothes dryer, so allow enough time for clothes to air dry. If you're at a hotel, don't pay for the expensive hotel's laundry service; instead, find a local laundromat and people-watch while you wash. Always bring a travel laundry line and, whenever you spend more than one night in one spot, hand wash easy-care clothes.
4. Exchanging Currency
Buy your local currency at ATM machines, called Bancomats, using your debit or ATM card. The exchange rate will be the most favorable and the transaction fees the lowest. Save on transaction fees by withdrawing larger amounts each time. Don't use your credit card for withdrawing local currency -- big fees. Before traveling, check with your bank on the fees they charge for overseas transactions; a few have exorbitant charges.
Tip Make sure your PIN code is only four numbers; that's all Italian machines will take.
5. Telephone Calls
Buy local phone cards for making calls which is cheaper than investing in a rental phone, or bringing one from the States. They are a terrific value for calling back home, too.
Check in at home and reconfirm future reservations by stopping in an internet point where you can surf and pay by the hour at, usually, a very reasonable rate.
6. Strike a Bargain
In Italy, many stores now have fixed prices "prezzi fissi" which you'll often see on a little sign near the cash register. The days of negotiating the price of everything are gone. But, if you're buying directly from the proprietor and are selecting multiples of something, or investing in high ticket items such as antiques or jewelry, you can politely ask if there is anything that can be done to help you with your decision, like, ahem, a discount. Then you must pay in cash! Don't dicker over the price and then pull out your plastic. It is understood that the discount depends on saving on the credit card transaction fee and, possibly, discreetly keeping this cash sale off the books.
7. Museums & Monuments
Research free days at museums and, thinking of the children, consider smaller museums for shorter attention spans.
Reserve your tickets for popular spots ahead of time; the fee is worth it. Nothing dampens a visit to a popular site like standing in line for an hour and a half in the blazing sun. For any attraction, find an up-to-date schedule; even call ahead; hours change. Please remember that you are in Italy where punctuality is sometimes sacrificed for more important things, so be prepared to wait a few minutes for something to open. Adjust to "dolce vita" time.
Some sights are best seen with a guide who can whisk you past lines and bring history and art alive, for example, the Vatican Museums with the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo, the catacombs in Rome, and the Uffizi in Florence.
Enjoy your travels in Italy with your family. When in doubt, have a gelato or a glass of wine and stop doing anything, just relax and let Italy come to you.
Pat Byrne is the president of Excellent Europe (http://www.ExcellentEurope.com) a company that selects exceptional vacation rentals in Italy with families in mind. She is also the author of the Kids Europe Italy Discovery Journal (http://www.KidsEurope.com) a resource book, journal, and guide just for kids traveling in Italy that has over 500 ideas for free and fun activities in Italy.
Related Articles:
Kids Party Etiquette for Parents
Ever feel like you're out of the loop when it comes to the unspoken rules of kids party etiquette?Experienced Moms and Dads know the do's and don'ts of both hosting and attending kids parties.Here are some pearls of wisdom from these parent experts to those just starting out on the party circuit.
Sound Choices and Teens ... Like Oil and Water?
New DVD series helps guide teenagers in making strong financial decisions.
Making Halloween Parties Fun for Kids
Halloween is often a favorite holiday for kids. The costumes, the candy, and all of the festivities make it a favorite time of year for many. Part of that fun often includes a Halloween party. If it is your turn to play host this year, here is a look at some of the things to consider while you are planning. The better prepared you are, the more likely everything will go smoothly.
Teens Choose Cool Picks Holiday Holiday Top 5 - All For Under $25.00
Tweens and Teens voted on Top 5 Holiday items from Five Below. Buy everything on the list for less than $25!
Kids And Electrical Safety
When teaching kids about bicycle safety and fire safety, as well as safety on the Internet, many parents forget to teach their children about electrical safety There are a few simple rules that you need to teach your child about electricity and electrical appliances
Bush Panders America's Kids to Saudi Pederasts
President Bush and Secretary Powell should hang their heads in
shame. The administration professes to value America's children
and touts the phrase "No Child Left Behind.
Learning Tool That Talks Back To Kids
Do you remember being a kid and having to lug around heavy books? Throwing books into a backpack to take to Grandma's or on a trip because mom insisted that you read on the ride there? Books can be cumbersome, heavy and awkward to carry. Audio books have all the adventure but none of the negative weight of a hard copy book. Audio books also have other neat benefits that children will love. That's what makes them such a cool learning tool for kids; kids will use them!
Rainy Day Fun - Crafts For Kids
Rainy days can be so boring for a child..
"Green" Businesses Your Kids Can Start This Summer
FranChild - The Lemonade Stand for the Next Generation? Battling with the idea of safely and creatively teaching his kids about business, Ralph Williams created FranChild and the "My Kids First Biz" experience.
Smart Kids: Use it or Lose it This Summer
The brain is like a muscle -- you use it or lose it. During summer vacation is your child "losing it"?Picture two different athletes.
Are You a Super (Stressed) Mom? How to Gauge and Relax Through Your Kids' Book Display
You see all these mothers being supermoms They have kids who excel in academics and in extracurricular activities, and judging from their kids' book display, they are rearing Einsteins
Give a Game Break, Try Online Jobs for Teens
Teenagers are generally considered as immature and it is believed that they do not have enough capacity or skill to work in serious jobs. They mostly do not participate in business life. Even if a teen wants to work in a job, they may not find one or classic works may not fit into a teen`s school schedule or they may be hard to comply with a teenager`s life. Most of teens are spending their times with computer games. However, it would be a good choice, if you give a game break and try online jobs for teens.
Easy Steps to Scrapbooking with Young Kids
Kids grow up so fast and if you don't try to capture some of these wonderful memories through some means, they'll all slip through the fingers just in a snap. And scrapbooking is a fabulous way to preserving those memories, by combining the photos and journaling of your kids.
Writer Signs Publishing Contract Promoting New Book Helping Parents Teach Their Kids Respect, Reliability and Responsibility
Author, Songwriter and Performance Artist Consultant Jorge Arguello has signed a publishing contract with Morgan James Publishing, LLC promoting his e-book primer, "The Super Single Dad; Artfully Raising Children." By marketing and promoting his new book they intend to reach a wider audience helping single and married parents become super parents. His techniques help kids learn the three R's; Respect, Reliability and Responsibility.
Camping with Kids
There's nothing 6 year olds or older kids love more than being in the outdoors. Camping is an outdoor recreational activity involving spending one or more nights in a tent, a primitive structure, a travel trailer or recreational vehicle at a campsite with the purpose of getting away from civilization and enjoying nature. National parks and other publicly owned natural areas are popular venues for camping. Camping is often restricted by law to designated sites in order to prevent campers from damaging the environment.