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mamalia
06-18-2008, 01:57 PM
Hi Everyone,
We just returned from a three week Italy trip. I just wanted to post some travel tips for toddler travels because BBB has been so helpful for me. I've been getting advice here since DD was an infant! And you all recommended the travel forum where I got itinerary advice. So anyway, I hope this helps someone. FYI: DD is 3, potty-trained, and we went to Lake Como (Varenna), Bologna, Cinque Terra (Vernazza), Venice, Florence, and Rome.

PACKING
Packing Cubes! The double sided one by eagle creek (REI) was perfect for my daughter's entire wardrobe. We did laundry three times during our stay, I packed about seven days worth of clothes. One side contained all of her dresses (3) and pants (3 long, 5 shorts/skirts). I chose shorts/capris that were versatile enough to go under dresses or be on their own. The other side contained her shirts and socks.
Freebie Lancome cosmetic bag held her undies (probably took about 9 just in case).
1 Fleece jacket for the plane and as cold weather. (The Children's Place)
1 rain jacket. (Target)
Toddler rolling backpack! (Target). It was a total lifesaver. We packed her toys in here.
Maclaren Volo Stroller - VERY lightweight, held up amazingly on the cobblestones, and the mesh was perfect for when it got spilled on. Would have been nice to have the recline of the Techno for naps though, but we got the Volo during the amazing target clearance (that I found out about on the bargains board - thanks guys!).
Toddler Harness - the puppy backpack one from Target. Probably better to get a dark color. Only used a couple of times in really crowded spots or when we were both occupied and she couldn't/didn't want to be in the stroller.
Sandals (Ecco)
Slippers aka flip flops, thongs (Reef) - only for inside the hotel or at beach. Do NOT use on traveling days! We almost lost a slipper when taking the train between Monterosso and Vernazza returning from the beach.
Shoes (Merrel jump breeze)
Bandaids
Travel Spray Neosporin
Children's Tylenol
Children's travel Benadryl (my husband ended up using it!).
Saline Solution (left from when we travelled with her as an infant, for clearing nose).
Nail clippers
She used our shampoo and conditioner, but when she was younger I packed travel sized J&J.
Hooded towel (Carters infant size) - really only used for beach.
Rubber bands, Hair Bows
Sun Hat (Gap) - recommend white one with chin strap.
Spray Sunscreen (Coppertone)
Face Sunscreen (L'occitaine) - she uses mine
Travel size hairbrush (Conair) - we share
Cliff Bars
Box of Cereal Bars (Trader Joes)
Nuts
Lollipops
Travel Size Box Milk that don't need to be refrigerated (Trader Joes) - only took two and in most places you could buy milk. We stocked up on juice boxes while we were there.

CONTENTS OF TODDLER BACKPACK
Kumon Tracing Book
Kumon Folding Book
Fancy Nancy Sticker Book
Random Sticker Book
Color Wonders Coloring Book
2 paperback books (Richard Scarry & Little Critter)
Crayola first scissors (only cuts paper)*
Crayons*
Color Wonder Markers*
Pencil*
Glue Stick*
* All in ziplock bag
Jellybeans for ears
Chloe mini doll from PBK - perfect sized for travel friend
Farm Animals Tube from PBK - lots of time spent for imaginary play

Toddler Friendly Spots
All of Italy (I'm only half joking because they really do LOVE children).
Bellagio (Como) - Garden Melzi, very beautiful and calm. Entry charge for adults around 4E if I remember right. The views, and the cute chapel make it worth the entry fee.
Varenna (Como) - Castello Vezio, hike was a bit steep and scary in some parts but my daughter did the whole thing by herself because she was determined to see the castle and predatory birds. Small restaurant at top (didn't eat there though), great views. Daughter did not want to leave "her castle." I had to explain it belonged to the Greppi family. :)
Bologna - Garden Margherita (south of the city center). Lots of children's playground equipment; toy train; pond with turtles, ducks, koi; trampoline (more for adults). Yet so large and green it feels like a botanical garden.
Venice - Santa Elena (vaporetto stop). Children's playground equipment, small cafe, mostly locals with their children, soccer court, great view of S. Marco skyline. Just a couple piazzas from S. Marco where the library is (and close to S. Giovanni church), there is a piazza with a nursery school. Local families gather here and there is movable plastic playground equipment, tricycles, etc. They were very friendly and willing to play with my daughter.
Vernazza (CT) - great park below train station with an old school whirly-go-round. The little beach there has more sand and an enclosed area that my daughter loved playing at.
Monterosso (CT) - larger beach. But we thought it was rockier.
Florence - Merry-Go-Round (1E per child) in the piazza next to the high end shopping street.
Rome - Roman Forum, there is a downed column that has a hole in the center of it. Most people sit on it, well my daughter turned it into a kitchen and had fun cooking with twigs, rocks, and leaves.

TODDLER FRIENDLY MEALS
Margherita pizza - this was her favorite
Davona? pizza (close to pepperoni, but a little spicier)
Cheese plates (especially parmesan and brie) - yummy for her and me
Bread - of course
Salami plates - she loved this!
Proscuitto - but I only felt comfortable letting her eat cotto (cooked) which is weird because I let her eat sushi
Ribollita - like a stew with vegetables and bread. Looks like mush, very hearty and tasty. She LOVED it and had it for two dinners straight in Florence.
Gnocchi pasta
Spaghetti Carbonara (egg and bacon sauce)
Fresh Fruit cups - we sometimes would let her have this off the dessert menu and then just share whatever we were eating
Gelato - duh
Gosh I forget the name already but it is a pasta that is shorter curly tubes with a cheese and meat sauce...she loved it, even the green spinach ones. Kinda gross but she thought they looked like worms and pretended to be a bird while she ate it up. I think the pasta started with a G, and was typical for Bologna. Maybe gramigni?
Tiramisu - it mostly tastes like coffee not alcohol. And some were heavier on the coffee than others. She mostly liked the creme part and the cake/lady fingers part that was not drenched in coffee.

TODDLER SOUVENIRS
Mini sized book with gold imprinted initial from Scrittorio in Florence.
Playing with Art in Florence (from Accademia) - LOVED this book because it goes over the artwork and tourist attractions in a toddler friendly story format. I hope to find more at other museums...unfortunately Rome doesn't have them.
Pinocchio bell from Bartolucci - CUTE little tourist trap, but she LOVED it. We bought ours in Rome.
Venetian Glass Ball on a silk cord from Le Perle in Venice.
Carabeneri matchbox sized jeep. We bought it at the train station - detail was really good.

MISCELLANEOUS TIPS
Apartments (or hotels with fridges) are really helpful for storing milk or juice and for the space they provide.
Occasional days with short breaks midway for apartment/hotel time to play with her toys.
Airplane trip so that you arrive at your destination in the early evening (around 5pm). You end up falling asleep on their schedule.

USELESS
Travel Potty Insert - most of the toilets in Italy were styled differently so it did not fit. We just tried to plan trips so that she could use the bathroom in our hotel or in nice restaurants. In emergencies, we would either wipe down the toilet extensively and put a layer of toilet paper down or hold her above the toilet in a sort of sling hold (gripping below the knees and around the chest).

GEAR DEBATES
Carseat - I debated and debated about what to do. In the end we decided against one because we were going to be traveling by train and had to pack light (we only took two suitcases, one of which was carry on size and the other was a rolling duffle). My daughter is tiny and so the harness style one would not have worked. Unlike in the U.S., the Italian taxis will allow children in without car seats. I hated travelling in them without a car seat, but we only took them a couple of times (to two hotels and once to the airport in Rome), the rest of the time we walked or took the train/metro. I said prayers and then had DD sit on the floor between my legs and held her. Car seats were not used by people on the trains, and would have been too difficult to use (stops are short so you have to quickly depart, you don't always have a seat on shorter trips, and you need to carry all of your luggage with you when moving between cities which is not fun). I know others might face the same dilemma about car seats. FWIW, I'm a worrier, but would make the same choice for a European trip. I'd only bring the carseat if we were renting a car.
Ergo - I really wanted a toddler carrier but didn't want the bulk of a hiking one. We tried the ergo, and DD didn't like it. She said the straps dug into her legs. In the end I am glad we didn't buy one. Her stroller worked perfectly fine. And at this age, DD was able and willing to walk up and down stairs when necessary.

citymama
06-18-2008, 02:08 PM
Wow, this is so helpful! We have been toying with the idea of a trip to Italy with DD this Fall; she will be 2.5 yrs then.

What were your and DD's favorite cities/regions you visited? We're still trying to figure out where to go - it has been years since either of us were in Italy, and never with a kid! I like the idea of taking the train everywhere since I am not thrilled about driving in Italy!

I haven't had a chance to read the entire post, but am bookmarking it for future reference! Sounds like a great trip.

mamalia
06-18-2008, 02:36 PM
Great, I'm glad you found it useful! I did write a novel though. :)

Our favorite place was Vernazza in the Cinque Terre because it is a complete escape. There's the beach, the natural beauty, small not too touristy, especially in the evenings and mornings, locals are VERY friendly, and the great seafood. That said, she really did enjoy the other parts of Italy, and I highly recommend at least one "more famous," artsy/cultural type cities. I had been before, but experiencing Venice, Florence, and Rome with my husband and daughter was amazingly different. Even museums were fun because we played games with the art like:
Finding Baby Jesus and Mama Mary
Finding the animals in scenes
Trying to tell what emotions were felt (he's sad, scared, happy, etc.)

One of my favorite memories is being in the Doge's Palace, and "finding" Titian's baby Jesus with St. Cristopher. It is up a stairway, but you don't see it until you turn around to come back down. I pretended not to know where it was. We climbed up together, "looking and calling for baby Jesus," and then when she turned around, sad that she didn't find him, she saw him and said in an amazed hushed voice (it really is a beautiful painting)..."Mama, there is baby Jesus!"

Before we left we read these great travel books: "Travelling with Clara," This is Rome, and "This is Venice." The last two are by M. Sasek, Children's Classics really. And she enjoyed seeing the real landmarks from her books.

You may not have had the chance to see this section from above, but here are the most kid friendly spots we found. She also REALLY liked her gondola ride in Venice. :)

Toddler Friendly Spots
All of Italy (I'm only half joking because they really do LOVE children).
Bellagio (Como) - Garden Melzi, very beautiful and calm. Entry charge for adults around 4E if I remember right. The views, and the cute chapel make it worth the entry fee.
Varenna (Como) - Castello Vezio, hike was a bit steep and scary in some parts but my daughter did the whole thing by herself because she was determined to see the castle and predatory birds. Small restaurant at top (didn't eat there though), great views. Daughter did not want to leave "her castle." I had to explain it belonged to the Greppi family.
Bologna - Garden Margherita (south of the city center). Lots of children's playground equipment; toy train; pond with turtles, ducks, koi; trampoline (more for adults). Yet so large and green it feels like a botanical garden.
Venice - Santa Elena (vaporetto stop). Children's playground equipment, small cafe, mostly locals with their children, soccer court, great view of S. Marco skyline. Just a couple piazzas from S. Marco where the library is (and close to S. Giovanni church), there is a piazza with a nursery school. Local families gather here and there is movable plastic playground equipment, tricycles, etc. They were very friendly and willing to play with my daughter.
Vernazza (CT) - great park below train station with an old school whirly-go-round. The little beach there has more sand and an enclosed area that my daughter loved playing at.
Monterosso (CT) - larger beach. But we thought it was rockier.
Florence - Merry-Go-Round (1E per child) in the piazza next to the high end shopping street.
Rome - Roman Forum, there is a downed column that has a hole in the center of it. Most people sit on it, well my daughter turned it into a kitchen and had fun cooking with twigs, rocks, and leaves.