How to Take a Family Train Trip to 3 Italian Cities

Italy’s fast and efficient train system makes getting around easy for traveling families. The three major cities — Venice, Florence and Rome — are easy to combine into a week-long vacation. You could easily find enough attractions to spend a week in each of these cities, but you can see the highlights of all three in a well-planned week.

You can fly into either Venice or Rome and fly home from the other without having to back-track. The total travel time between Venice and Rome is only 3.5 hours. Of course, you’ll want to see the main sights, but do allow some time to stroll through a neighborhood or two and sit in a café to soak up the atmosphere.

For example, after you’ve ridden the length of the Grand Canal on the Vaporetto and toured St. Mark’s Square and Doge’s Palace, cross Rialto Bridge into the rabbit warren of narrow lanes in San Polo. Here, you’ll find mask makers, tiny shops and artisan studios, as well as churches filled with art and squares where neighborhood children play soccer. Of course, the biggest attraction in Venice is just being there.

In Rome, after the Colosseum and St. Peter’s, explore the streets of the former ghetto of Trastevere. Kids will want to stop at one of the pizza shops there, and the daily market is lively and colorful. The Borghese Gardens are a good place for kids to run off some energy.

In Florence, follow your tours of Pitti Palace and its gardens (a real kid-pleaser) with a stroll through the surrounding Oltrarno neighborhood, where you can watch artisans creating mosaics, sculptures, ironwork, leather, and magnificent Florentine decorated and marbled papers. They not only welcome visitors but also usually have small objects for sale.

Longer is better, of course, and with a day or two to spare, you can either see more of each of the “Big Three,” or you could make a stopover to see Bologna or hilltop Siena. The main train lines between the major cities go right through both. You don’t need to stay overnight in either of these, as you can check your luggage at the train station while you tour.

To make the most of your time, reserve tickets in advance to big attractions and museums, such as Uffizi and Pitti Palace. You can also reserve tours in advance through GetYourGuide; these can include general tourist sites or special interest experiences, such as food tours (always popular with kids) or pizza- or gelato-making classes.