Where to go in Italy to relax at sea with a child? Let's immediately agree that the purpose of your trip is a beach holiday, not a cultural one. We will not torment children with trips to excursions to Rome and other popular cities, but will focus on enjoying the sun and improving health.
Criteria by which the team ITALY FOR ME selected places to stay with children:
- Clean beach and comfortable entry into the water. For example, not all of Italy's most beautiful beaches are good for families.
- Good infrastructure - restaurants, bars.
- Positive personal experience, as well as feedback from our friends and customers.
So, here are the proven options for a great family vacation at sea in Italy, choose:
Montesilvano
My friends and I stayed several times near Montesilvano, traveling around the Abruzzo region. For families with children - this is one of the best places in Italy.
Watch the video how fun it is on the beach:
Animators often perform on the beaches, there are also slides for children.
The distance between umbrellas and sunbeds is quite comfortable, there are special paths leading to the sea, so as not to burn your feet on the sand.
Where to stay: In Montesilvano, there are many options for placing along the coastline for every taste and budget. Choose with a special filter closer to the sea.
I liked the 3 star Hotel Sole with family rooms. The hotel has its own pool and parking for guests. Reviews are just super!
You can consider accommodation options in the nearby town of Sylvie.
How to get there: in Montesilvano it is convenient to get from Bari or from Rimini via Pescara, where there is a train station.
Nettuno
In Nettuno, dozens of our friends had a rest with their children, and everyone was delighted. A huge plus of relaxation in these parts is easy to get from Rome.
How to get there: It’s very convenient and inexpensive to get to Nettuno, as there is a direct regional train from Rome once an hour. Travel time is 1 hour 11 minutes, ticket price is 3.60 euros.
Where to stay: Nettuno is a small city, but naturally, the closer to the sea the more comfortable. Here is a filter clipping hotels with bad reviews. I advise you to look at the hotel three stars Hotel Neptunus.
For a large company, Casa Jenny's three-bedroom apartments are 120 square meters and can accommodate up to 12 people - ideal for several families. The cost is only 200 euros / day.
I would advise independent, experienced tourists to take a closer look at the neighboring Sperlonga.
Pizzo Calabro
It was in Pizzo (Pizzo Calabro) in childhood that my girlfriend and colleague Elena Vyaznikova, who grew up in Italy, spent all the summer months. Until now, this resort remains more popular with Italians than with tourists, who are almost never found here. The cleanest sea, one of the best in Italy. Excellent conditions for families with children.
Where to stay: Choose from accommodation options closer to the coastline and train station so you don't have to carry your bags.
I recommend considering the Casa & Mare apartments, which can accommodate a family of up to five people. View, location, friendly hosts and excellent tourist reviews.
Also note Residence Pietre Bianche (White Stones) with a private pool. 300 meters from the sandy beach, guests have free access to an umbrella and 2 sun loungers. Nearby there is a wonderful restaurant. A great option for a family of 3-4 people.
How to get there: the city has a railway station, the road from Rome will take from 4 to 6 hours and cost from 50 to 70 euros. First, take the Treniatalia high-speed train to Lamezia Terme, and then take the regional train Tropea Line, which takes you to Pizzo in 20 minutes.
You can save by choosing a longer trip option, but I would advise you to just buy tickets for a few months, when they are cheaper.
Children from 4 to 12 years old get a 50% discount. The road from Naples will take about an hour less.
Marina di Castagneto Carduchi - a fairy tale in Tuscany
Marina di Castagneto Carducci in Tuscany is one of Italy's favorite summer vacation destinations.
A huge advantage of this town, in addition to a great beach, is the amusement park Cavallino Matto, official website cavallinomatto.it. Children up to 99 centimeters tall visit the park for free, from a meter to 129 cm for 19 euros, and adults pay 27 euros for a ticket. Watch the video:
How to get there: The journey from Florence to Castagneto will take 2.5 hours. Take the regional train to Castagneto Carducci station, and there take bus number 006, which takes you to the beach area in 8 minutes.
It is even faster and more convenient to get from Pisa airport, where flights from Russia are now flying. Travel time is about one and a half hours.
Where to stay:
I recommend to review and read reviews about Paradù Tuscany EcoResort - a family-friendly complex located in a coniferous forest.
There are 2 children's pools, a private beach where you can have dinner, admiring the gorgeous sunsets. Wine pizza and other Italian delicacies can be bought on site. There is a children's playground, restaurant, wine bar. Decent breakfasts. The hotel also offers bike hire and water sports equipment rental. Guests can play tennis, horse riding, windsurfing, cycling, canoeing and other outdoor activities.
Also a great option for a child is the nearby 4-star Canado Club Family Village. The hotel has excellent animators who will entertain both children and parents. The price includes 2 sun loungers and an umbrella on a private beach.
If for some reason these options do not fit, then I selected the filter link for more.
Near Syracuse
Near Siracusa there are two paradises for families - Fontane Bianche and San Lorenzo, which my colleague Tatyana Zhuk, guide to Sicily, told me. There are white sandy beaches, and you need to go to the depths. Safe place for young children.
Where to stay: Fontane Bianche has a choice of accommodation options for every wallet - you can rent a house, apartment or stay at the hotel. It is logical to choose housing closer to the sea, but since the city is not large, you can save a little and book something in a 10-15 minute walk.
If the budget allows, I advise you to pay attention to the White Bay Hotel, just read the reviews and see the photos - this is a paradise for families up to 4 people. I will quote one of the tourists:
“The White Bay Hotel is, first and foremost, its wonderful staff, from the girls who cleaned the rooms to shine, to the friendly host. Everything is so impeccable at the hotel that I give him a rating of one hundred out of a hundred!
The beach is fine sand. Sea of azure color in two steps. Yes, sometimes a wave throws algae, but the guys on the beach quickly clean everything, and in the morning they seemed to be gone.
The bay ... It is just fabulous! The best location in the village. By the way, the water here is much warmer than at the same time in other places of the island.
The rooms are large, very comfortable, and all in white. Something reminded Santorini.
But again, thanks to the hotel staff, we felt like visiting our best friends! And French champagne for our wedding anniversary with room service, as in the most expensive restaurants, it was just magical and very, very moving! ”
The hotel can also arrange transfers for you directly from Catania Airport.
In San Lorenzo, choose any free villa or apartment with good reviews - they are all within walking distance from the sea, but keep in mind that you have to cook yourself. I advise you to read reviews and take a closer look at the apartments of Baia San Lorenzo.
How to get there: experienced travelers can rent a car immediately upon arrival at Catania Airport. By public transport it is convenient to get from Syracuse by the regional train of Trenitalia, which runs once an hour. Travel time 41 minutes, ticket costs 2.5 euros.
In San Lorenzo can only be reached by car, the distance from Syracuse is 50 kilometers.
- I advise you to read about: the best beaches of Sicily
Viareggio
In the town of Viareggio (Viareggio) a long coastline with dozens of beaches, the area is perfect for families with children. If you don't want to get too far away from civilization, then Viareggio is a great choice. There are much more shops and restaurants than in the options described above.
How to get there: Viareggio has direct regional trains from Pisa, Florence, Genoa and even Rome. Easy to get to.
Where to stay: Viareggio has several dozen worthy placement options for any wallet. According to a special filter, I left you with a choice only hotels and apartments with good reviews.
When to go
I would advise, if possible, to choose for a vacation with a child at sea in Italy - June, July and September.
On the map I put the beaches, cities and hotels most suitable for families with children, use:
Prices for umbrellas and sunbeds
The cost of umbrellas and sunbeds on average from 10 to 15 euros per day, in August more expensive. Many hotels have their own beaches and include the necessary accessories in the room price. You can also take towels for free and sunbathe on the beach without a sunbed.
Tips and conclusions
Italy provides excellent opportunities to relax with a child by the sea. Great food, sandy beaches, the positive mood of the locals and the overall flavor - all this will benefit your family.
If a child is older than 12 years old and is really interested in history, then you can consider the option to relax for a week in Nettuno or Sperlonga and spend two or three days in Rome, go on a short excursion to the Coliseum. But do not overdo it - there are no Vatican museums under 30! In Sicily there are also options for interesting excursions to the gorges of Alcantara, Syracuse, to the volcano Etna - you can allocate a maximum of 1 day for this.
If you have already rested at sea with children in Italy, please share your experience in the comments. As new reviews become available, I will supplement the article with tips.
