Our Guide to Exploring Italy

I absolutely love Italy and I think it is probably my favourite holiday destination. In fact, we are travelling to Italy again this summer. Cannot wait! I realised I have a fair bit of Italy content on my site now so thought I would bring it all together in one post.

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Perfect for you to read if you're looking for some inspiration for your next trip!

Rome & Vatican City

I will be honest as say I wasn't overly fussed about going to Rome but my eldest was dying to visit so we booked a trip for his birthday. Ah I am so pleased we did as I absolutely loved it!

We attended a service with the Pope in Vatican City which is one of those shared experiences I will never forget.

We booked a package deal for this break with Jet2 City Breaks direct from Newcastle. You can check current deals and prices here.

Rome was nowhere near as busy or expensive (barring accommodation costs) as expected and it was actually pretty chilled out. I loved all of the art, history and food and if you're looking for a city break packed with things to do, Rome is a very good choice indeed.

Venice

We spent 2 days / 1 night in Venice with no set plan. We just wandered around, popping into bars and down little alleyways. We had THE best time. Venice feels different to other parts of Italy and has a charm all of it's own. I'd definitely recommend as a romantic break for couples.

We booked our own hotel and travelled to Venice by train. However if you'd like to book a short break as part of a package deal, Jet 2 has some great options available here.

Read more about this trip here: https://www.northeastfamilyfun.co.uk/2024/08/venice-i-love-you.html

Florence

We spent the day in Florence as part of a wider holiday in the Tuscany region with out children. We loved the architecture and food markets. It was a lovely city to walk around and ideal for an Italian day trip.

You can easily visit Florence from Pisa Airport. We booked our own flights but if you prefer to book a package deal, you can check out these short breaks to Florence by Jet2 Holidays.

Read more about this trip here: https://www.northeastfamilyfun.co.uk/2020/02/how-to-spend-5-hours-in-florence.html

Verona

Verona was never on my radar as somewhere to visit but as we were spending the week in Lake Garda which is just a 10 minute train journey away, it seemed rude not to visit. I thoroughly enjoyed our trip and when we visit Lake Garda again, I will revisit.

Verona is a compact city with it's own Roman Arena, fantastic shopping and restaurants and you can view Juliet's Balcony too. It's a child-friendly city that's easy to walk around.

We booked flights only to Verona Airport (with Tui) and organised our accommodation seperately but if you'd like to book a package deal, Jet2 Holidays have some offers available here.

Read more about this trip here: https://www.northeastfamilyfun.co.uk/2024/08/a-day-trip-to-verona.html

Genoa

I visited Genoa with my three children and found it to be the most child-friendly city I have visited in Italy. There's loads for kids to do from an aquarium to maritime museums, boat trips and lots of children's play areas. It's an easy city to walk around and you can catch a short train to the seaside.

Read more about this trip here: https://www.northeastfamilyfun.co.uk/2018/06/how-to-spend-weekend-in-genoa-with-kids.html

Lake Garda Eurocamp

We spent a week at Camping Del Garda in Pescheria and I would recommend as a base to both families with kids and couples. It's within easy walking distance of the town, beach, ferry port and train station and you can even walk to Gardaland Theme Park. Such a good location!

The facilities are fantastic too with restaurants, bar, swimming pools and playgrounds. We loved the easy access to the lake and enjoyed many a sunset dinner here.

Read our full review here: https://www.northeastfamilyfun.co.uk/2024/06/del-garda-village-and-camping-lake.html

Villa Pia : An All Inclusive Villa in Tuscany

We stayed at Villa Pia for a family holiday over October Half Term and loved it. This staffed villa sleeps 25 guests across various rooms and apartments. You can pop into the kitchen and help yourself to drinks (including wines/coffee machine / beers / juices) and snacks at any time and a team of cooks from the local village will prepare your breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The food is just incredible! Facilities are fab roo with reading areas, toys for the kids, a games room, swimming pool, tennis courts, trampolines and more. I think this place would be ideal for a large family gathering.

Read our full review of this place here: https://www.northeastfamilyfun.co.uk/2019/11/villa-pia-review-all-inclusive-italy.html

Sirmione

We spent the day in Sirmione as part of a week in Lake Garda. It's a lovely spot with lakeside restaurants and cafes, it's own 14th century castle and themal spa.

Malcesine & Limone Sul Garda

We also visited Malcesine and Limone Sul Garda as part of our week in Lake Garda. We travelled up Monte Baldo by Cable Car, enjoyed freshly squeezed lemonade and pizzas overlooking the lake. The scenery is stunning - you're surrounded by a crystal clear lake and mountains.

Read more about this trip here: https://www.northeastfamilyfun.co.uk/2026/05/a-day-exploring-malcesine-limone-sul.html

I have so much more of Italy I want to explore and will add to this post as we do just that. If you asked me to pick a favourite spot, I'm not sure I could! And one thing I will say is that I've never, ever had a bad meal in Italy and food and drinks are so reasonably priced over there compared to Newcastle too.