Italy family holiday in February: Carnival, Pisa, Pompeii and Naples
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Why visit Italy in February?
I’m all for getting off the beaten track but sometimes it’s fun to tick off a few famous sights. We spent February half term in Italy, taking in highlights including the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Viareggio Carnival along with Naples, Pompeii and Vesuvius.
You might think trying to visit sights in both the north and the south of Italy in one trip is a bit of a stretch but February is such a brilliant time to sightsee when crowds are minimal and the weather is mild. Also, Europe’s biggest carnival – in seafront Viareggio – is a February fixture, so that was my main decider for travelling at this time of year.
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February is seen as a time for winter sun in the Canaries or skiing in the Alps but if you fancy taking a gamble on the weather you can have a brilliant family adventure exploring famous destinations during the off-season.
We visited some of Italy’s most iconic sights and experienced them with very few other tourists. For the most part the weather was perfect for sightseeing – we had some lovely blue sky days.
I have a bad habit of packing too much into our family holidays but I think I just about got away with it on this one.
One week February trip to Italy itinerary
- 3 nights in Pisa with days trips to Lucca and Viareggio
- 1 night in Naples
- 3 nights in Sorrento with day trips to Pompeii and Vesuvius
Pisa, Lucca and Viareggio winter visit
I spent a year at Pisa university and I’d not returned to this lovely Tuscan city for over 10 years so I decided to show my family where I used to live and take in some of the local highlights. Pisa is a great city for a Tuscany base – the rail network makes it easy to take day trips, particularly if you stay near the train station as we did.
Bed and breakfast in Pisa
We booked a stay at the Five Roses B&B on Corso Italia. This three bedroom B&B is less than five minutes walk from Pisa Centrale train station, located on the city’s main shopping street.
We stayed in a spacious family room (which has a small kitchenette, ideal for families travelling with little children). The owner, Flavia, had some great restaurant recommendations and served up delicious homemade cakes for breakfast. I’d highly recommend a stay here if you’re looking for a conveniently placed and good value stay in Pisa.
It takes around 20 minutes to walk from Five Roses B&B to Piazza dei Miracoli and the Leaning Tower. I read reviews that suggested there was a lot of noise from Corso Italia at night. We stayed on weekdays and had the windows shut as it was not very warm so we didn’t have any problems with noise. Perhaps a Friday or Saturday night in the summer would be different. However, the room has air conditioning so hopefully this still wouldn’t be too much of an issue.
We had mixed weather during our February stay in Pisa. We woke to heavy rain on our first day but this only lasted the morning and we had pretty good weather for the rest of our visit – warm when the sun was out and chilly in the evening.
Visiting Lucca in February
We made a day trip to Lucca on our first morning. This lovely medieval town is a good destination for families. There’s a car-free central square – Piazza dell’Anfiteatro – in which to enjoy coffee and donuts, ideal if kids need to run around and expend some energy.
Encircling the city are stout Renaissance-era walls, so wide that they’re a popular spot for runners and cyclists. We opted to hire a four-person “bike” – not something I’d recommend if your children are prone to arguing with one another – but with a canopy to protect you from the rain, it’s a good pastime on a wet morning. It takes about 40 minutes to complete the city walls circuit on one of these contraptions, and significantly less if you opt for two wheels instead of four.
After lunch we scaled 14th century Torre Guinigi, famed for having trees growing out of its rooftop. Despite the grey skies, we had lovely views over the city and its winding lanes.
After “waffles on a stick” and coffee, we returned by rail to Pisa, hopping off at San Rossore which is the closer (10 minute walk) of the city’s two rail stations to Piazza dei Miracoli.
Visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa in February
It’s a fun atmosphere at Piazza dei Miracoli – everyone attempting to take a selfie, either holding the Leaning Tower of Pisa up or trying to push it over. We made two visits to the piazza, once in the afternoon following our visit to Lucca and once the following morning when we climbed the stone steps to the top of the tower.
Although we arrived into Pisa during rain, we were lucky to have a perfect blue sky day for our climb. We booked tickets a few weeks in advance online and just queued for 15 minutes when we arrived.
There’s free luggage storage for small rucksacks next to the tower so you can climb unencumbered. When you enter the ground floor area of the tower, the lean is immediately noticeable. It’s less so from the top. It was pretty quiet during our visit so we lingered quite a while at the top taking in the city and snow capped mountain views. There was plenty of space for us to sit and enjoy the scenery.
I’ve climbed up quite a few towers in Italy and I always love the experience. The Leaning Tower felt particularly special on such a bright and peaceful morning.
Pisa in February
Everyone comes to Pisa for the tower but the other religious buildings in Piazza dei Miracoli together make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are a significant example of the local Romanesque style of architecture, with the cathedral dating back to the 11th century. Pisa was at its most powerful during this period as one of the region’s great maritime republics.
From our bed and breakfast at the start of Corso Italia, it was an enjoyable 20 minute walk through Pisa to Piazza dei Miracoli. Most of the walk is along pedestrian streets.
Exploring Pisa with kids
Corso Italia is Pisa’s main shopping street. Each evening it is busy with shoppers and people out having a stroll. Although there are a few familiar chain stores, there are plenty of independent shops and there’s certainly no reliance on tourist paraphernalia this far from the tower. If only the UK could maintain this level of activity on its high streets.
Between Corso Italia and the Pisa Centrale train station, there’s a huge mural painted by the pop artist Keith Haring. Tuttomondo (All the World) features Haring’s trademark figures dancing, crawling and embracing. It’s a great piece of street art to track down with kids and it’s instantly recognisable.
Corso Italia leads up to the wide River Arno. Just across the central bridge, Ponte di Mezzo, is a donut shop and next door a gelateria, La Bottega. We sampled both, they are rightly popular.
Borgo Stretto leads you away towards the tower from the north side of the river. Pisa’s main market square, Piazza delle Vettovaglie, is off to the left. In this porticoed square, you’ll find fruit and veg on sale by day. In the evening, bars open up and it’s a lively piazza to enjoy a few drinks. We had cocktails there one evening and the kids enjoyed thick hot chocolates.
To reach the tower, you wind your way from the market or from Borgo Stretto through narrow alleys until you reach the broad and peaceful Piazza dei Cavalieri, once Pisa’s centre of medieval power.
It’s a short walk from Piazza dei Cavalieri to the tower, passing a handy ice cream shop, Orso Bianco, in shady Piazza Felice Cavallotti (in case anyone in your family needs a pick me up).
Parts of Pisa are encircled by 12th century walls. There’s a section next to Piazza dei Miracoli which you can climb and walk along.
Although many people only drop into Pisa for a day, it is a lovely city to spend a few nights in. Once you leave the tower behind, there are far fewer tourists, even in high season. There’s a large student population so the city has a vibrant atmosphere. Add to that great food and wine, plus lovely streets for wandering and it makes for a good base for families.
Train times from Pisa to:
- Lucca: 30 minutes
- Viareggio: 15-20 minutes
- Florence: one hour
- Riomaggiore (for start of Cinque Terre): 1.5-2 hours
- Rome: 2.5-3 hours
- Naples (with a change in Rome): 4-4.5 hours
Eating out in Pisa
The shops in Pisa (and elsewhere in Italy) stay open until 8pm and there are plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from. We had a really good value meal on our first evening at Le Scuderie, just off Corso Italia. It specialises in metre-long pizzas and serves incredibly good value local wine on tap. Our kids loved the novelty of a pizza which takes up most of the table.
We also enjoyed the local cecina pancake (made from chickpea flour) and some excellent charcuterie at Pizzeria Il Montino, although the pizzas were not as good as those at Le Scuderie. If we’d had time, I’d like to have sampled the food at Le Bandierine or Il Galileo which our host Flavia recommended. Alas, the kids decided we were having pizza both nights.
Viareggio Carnival
I loved my first visit to Viareggio carnival as a student some 29 years ago and I wanted to share this brilliant event with my kids. Viareggio’s carnival is one of the biggest in Europe and such a fun family day out.
After climbing the leaning tower, we hopped on the train from Pisa San Rossore near Piazza dei Miracoli and travelled the 15 minutes to Viareggio.
From Viareggio station, it’s a walk of around 15 minutes to the seafront where the carnival procession takes place. There were lots of other people walking this route – some tourists, lots of families.
There are six processions throughout February in Viareggio so the carnival is a great half term experience for UK families. We visited on Shrove Tuesday – Mardi Gras. The parade starts at 3pm, announced by loud cannon fire. We arrived an hour in advance so we could grab something to eat before the parade started.
There are lots of street food trucks selling everything from fish and chips, pasta and pizza, to donuts, Nutella-filled pancakes and candy floss. It’s heavenly food for kids (and grown ups)!
The giant floats are often political or satirise well known public figures. I wasn’t sure if they’d feature anyone international who our kids would recognise. I needn’t have worried – Donald Trump loomed large in all senses from several of the floats. Highlights included a mischievous Native American spirit lifting a wig off Trump’s head while elsewhere we saw Trump dressed as a Samurai, alongside Putin and Xi Jinping, marching with swords drawn.
Ursula Von Der Leyen took a bit of a beating in the parade. Not only did we see her huddled over a roulette table with the world’s top bad guys, she also had a float of her own – depicted as a giant armoured hen, rearming Europe and hatching an atom bomb.
The Viareggio Carnival website has information on each float so you can find out what they all mean. This was really handy for explaining some of the less obvious displays.
Each float had a troupe of people dancing in front while more people worked the floats, pulling ropes and levers to bring the characters to life.
The parade goes along the sea front in one direction and then returns in the other so it’s easy to see everything. There’s plenty of space and it never felt too crowded. You have the option to pay for elevated seating from which to view the parade but it’s much more fun to walk alongside the floats and get up close to the action. The floats tower over the crowds so the views are always pretty good.
As well as cafes and bars along the route, there are picnic benches next to some of the food carts so you can take time out and grab something to eat and drink.
We found a gap in between Viareggio’s closed up beach clubs and wandered onto the beach to watch the sunset – we had perfect weather to witness the sun disappear into the horizon.
No doubt the festivities of the carnival went on after the official parade had finished at 6pm but we decided to head for the train station just before the end to avoid the crowds. Viareggio station was pretty busy but we managed to get seats on the train and it was gratifying to be back at Pisa Centrale in just 15 minutes.
Taking the train from Pisa to Naples via Rome
Despite Italian friends rolling their eyes at the mention of their national rail network, we were delighted to discover how cheap it was to travel half way across the country by rail.
We booked our train tickets about a month in advance. We chose to travel business class as it was excellent value (and my husband needed to do some work on his laptop). It cost a total of €140 for the four of us to travel from Pisa to Rome (2 hours, 15 minutes) and then from Rome to Naples (one hour 20 minutes).
Business class in the middle of the day was empty. The journey was relaxing and flew by. The scenery was great – winter vineyards lining the rolling countryside, giving way to snow capped mountains in the distance. The wifi was a bit hit and miss but that wasn’t a great surprise.
Visiting Naples with kids
As we only had an overnight stay in Naples and would be arriving and departing by train, I booked us into a B&B near Naples central station, B&B Sweet Sleep Napoli.
Sweet Sleep has a great location on the fifth and sixth floors of an old palazzo with views from its roof terrace (complete with hot tubs!) over Naples.
Sweet Sleep doesn’t have family rooms so we took two twins. There’s a generous buffet breakfast and the staff are friendly and helpful. There’s a bar and restaurant which we didn’t try as there were so many enticing (and cheaper) eateries on the doorstep.
Sweet Sleep has a handy map for guests with a list of nearby restaurants as well as the city’s main highlights.
We ate pizza fritta – deep fried pizza – at Antica Pizzeria De’ Figliole, as recommended by Sweet Sleep. Pizza fritta was the only thing on the menu, no pasta, no traditional pizza. I’m not sure it was quite the Neapolitan staple my kids had been looking forward to but it was fun to sample.
From Piazza Garibaldi we hopped on the metro to Toledo and wandered into Quartieri Spagnoli, where Maradona trumps the Madonna for devotional shrines and overall love and affection. The Argentine footballer is plastered everywhere across this part of Naples.
I’m sure last time I visited Naples the Spanish Quarter didn’t feel quite so upbeat and trendy. It’s still quite a gritty neighbourhood but definitely feels like a place on the up. hopefully the rise in tourism is a good thing for the city. The rather forlorn suburbs along the coast from Naples round Vesuvius to Sorrento were a different story.
We all enjoyed exploring the narrow alleys of the Spanish Quarter, where every turn warrants a photo. There’s lots of colour and noise, with mopeds constantly squeezing through streets and hurtling down the hill.
Naples isn’t an obvious destination to visit with kids but it did feel safe and fun – we were out exploring until 10pm and because the streets were busy, it felt fine. I think it would have been less fun in the middle of summer – city breaks in the heat generally don’t work well for families.
We tracked down a famous Banksy mural – Madonna con La Pistola – before finding a great little spot for dinner, I Gerolomini Trattoria tipica Napoletana. I had pasta con patate – a dish best served to someone with a big appetite, which suited me fine.
On our second day in Naples, we stored our luggage at the B&B and headed straight to the archaeology museum. Many of the artefacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum are now housed here so it’s a good place to visit in conjunction with these sites. Despite some members of our family not having a huge interest in history, we spent about an hour and a half at the museum and no one complained. It has some really interesting artefacts; the erotic art section was particularly enlightening.
We enjoyed a great range of fried antipasti and fantastic pizza at nearby Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba before making our way by metro to Vanvitelli and walked (and took escalators) up to Castel Sant’Elmo. Although the castle turned out to be closed, we still had a great view over Naples as we then wound our way back down to sea level, with help halfway down by a quick trip on a funicular railway.
We just had time to briefly admire the vastness of Piazza del Plebiscito, the city’s largest square, before it started raining. This was a great opportunity to experience the Neapolitan driving culture – we took a quick journey by taxi back to our B&B with the driver honking, gesticulating and muttering angrily at his fellow road users all the way there.
The Circumsuviana rail line
Unlike the Italian national rail network we experienced on our journey from Pisa to Naples, the regional line from Naples which runs through sprawling suburbs around Mt Vesuvius to Sorrento is old and battered. There is a more modern train service for tourists which also plies this route but its timetable didn’t quite fit with our itinerary.
The Circumsuviana is a handy rail line for tourists who want to visit Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius and Sorrento on a budget. The regular service means visitors can take in all the highlights of the region cheaply and easily. Journeys cost a few Euros per person.
The train we took was fairly quiet but it can be packed in rush hour and peak tourist times of year. The standard rail service cannot be pre-booked but the tourist version can.
We had planned to take the kids to Pompeii and Herculaneum using the rail network but I decided this might be too much history for one trip and opted to switch out Herculaneum for a hike up Vesuvius. Herculaneum is better preserved than Pompeii (and much smaller) but I decided climbing up a dormant volcano would be appreciated far more by my kids than a second historical site.
Sorrento in February
We arrived into Sorrento early evening during driving rain. Luckily we’d picked an apartment which was just a 10 minute walk from the station. We were met by the lovely Grazia who recommended shops and restaurants and generally made us feel extremely welcome.
Our apartment, El Royale Suites, is in a great location with balconies off a couple of the rooms and sea views visible through the trees. I’d highly recommend a stay there. No doubt it’s far pricier in high season, but in February we felt we bagged a bargain at £88 per night for this spacious two bedroom apartment. It has a large kitchen and separate sizeable living room.
I wasn’t sure how lively Sorrento would feel during February as I’d heard that some businesses close for winter. However, I needn’t have worried, there were plenty of shops and restaurants open and a smattering of other tourists. We also visited Vico Equense during our stay and it had an equally good vibe with plenty of people out shopping.
We had three nights and two full days in Sorrento. The first day was spent at Pompeii and Vesuvius (with a quick visit to Vico Equense on the way home). Our second day was spent in Sorrento. It was a Saturday and we enjoyed exploring the harbour and wandering through the narrow alleys in the town centre.
Saturday night was really buzzing with lots of young locals out socialising. We only ate out once and the other two nights we cooked in our apartment – our local mini supermarket and the butcher in Vico Equense were both really good value. The supermarket had an excellent selection of cured meats and local cheeses for us to sample and we bought cheap but delicious bottles of balsamic vinegar to squeeze into our luggage.
I wouldn’t have wanted to ply the choppy waters to reach Capri but didn’t feel any great desire to do so. Despite having lived in Italy, visited countless times for work and holidays, I’ve yet to explore the Amalfi Coast and other highlights of Campania. Perhaps next time.
Visiting Pompeii and Vesuvius with kids
The day after our arrival, we hired a car through a local agency, Sorrento Parking (lovely independent little place with great staff), and drove to Pompeii in the morning before heading over to Vesuvius after lunch.
I was rather indecisive with this part of the trip. I really should have booked an organised tour to take us to Pompeii and Vesuvius but I decided we could wing it and do it all independently by train and bus. In the end, we decided the winter bus timetable for getting from Pompeii to Vesuvius might not work so hiring a car was a good alternative.
We spent two to three hours exploring Pompeii. It’s a huge site, a whole preserved city with dozens of buildings and open spaces to explore. You could easily spend a whole day there, particularly if you visit some of the outlying villas. However, half a day felt about right for us.
The city of Pompeii, and nearby Herculaneum, were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. Pompeii was buried by several metres of ash and pumice while Herculaneum was buried by mud. It was this mud – acting like a sealant – which preserved Herculaneum so well. However, there are some incredibly well preserved areas of Pompeii too.
It’s worth doing some research to ensure you seek out areas which children might find particularly interesting. Check out the Pompeii official website and also take a look at other websites and travel blogs which give suggestions of highlights to see. There are also some really good programmes on the BBC which my kids have watched since we returned.
Here are some of the areas of Pompeii we enjoyed exploring:
Pompeii’s forum, the large open space where residents would meet, is an impressive space, and really gives a feel for how populous the city would have been. Nearby are the well preserved baths – brilliant for illustrating how advanced this society was.
The amphitheatre is particularly evocative. We stood there and imagined gladiators coming into the arena, crowds roaring, before being carted off again, possibly minus a limb or two.
To understand the wealth of some of the residents of Pompeii, the House of the Faun is a good example property. Dating back to the 2nd century BC and taking up some 3,000sqm, the remains of the house include spacious rooms and a large doorway with the inlaid inscription “HAVE” , Latin for welcome – a more sophisticated version of our doormat messages.
Close by is the House of the Tragic Poet which has a less welcoming inscription for visitors – “CAVE CANEM” – beware of the dog. There is a mosaic of a suitably aggressive looking dog.
As well as the amphitheatre, there is also a well preserved theatre where plays would have been staged, another nod to the advanced society living there at the time.
One of the more sobering aspects of Pompeii are the plaster casts of people who were unsuccessful at fleeing the city. There are various casts around the city but there’s a concentration of them in the Garden of the Fugitives.
A house which many tourists flock to at Pompeii is the brothel – lupanar. This was the busiest part of Pompeii during our visit, with a queue of people waiting to view the erotic frescos and the bedrooms. It’s remarkable to learn how much has been discovered about this ancient practice – where the slave women came from (predominantly Greece and the Far East), how much was charged (less than a loaf of bread in some cases) and the types of service on offer. What’s rather depressing is how little has changed in this industry over the last 2,000 years.
There were quite a few people with tour guides but many visitors were undertaking a do-it-yourself tour as we were. It’s quite good to be able to wander at your own pace but there were a few occasions when the kids had questions which we couldn’t answer. I think a group tour wouldn’t have worked for us but a private guide might be a useful investment.
When you enter Pompeii you receive a decent map and there’s also an app you can download in advance with further information about many of the main sites.
After our visit, we grabbed slightly overpriced sandwiches at a cafe next to the entrance to Pompeii before hopping back in the car and heading to Vesuvius.
Modern Pompeii is a town in its own right. There are lots of car parks near the entrance to the archaeological park, all making a good income. We paid €12, a flat all-day fee. The car parks were pretty empty during our visit but no doubt they get filled up pretty quickly at other times of year.
It’s a drive of 30 kilometres from Sorrento to Pompeii (it took us about an hour as we got a bit lost) and then a drive of about 25 kilometres from Pompeii over to Vesuvius. We were lucky to have dry, mild weather for our day out. It might not have been so much fun in the rain.
Climbing Mount Vesuvius with kids
Italy has embraced the online world in rather an inconsistent fashion. I’d definitely recommend bringing some cash for certain purchases but in other circumstances it’s not even possible to make a transaction with your card or phone – it has to be done online. Such was the case with Vesuvius.
We drove up to the carpark near the summit to find a rather makeshift arrangement with a few men sheltering under a gazebo and a battered minivan taking visitors to the entry point of the summit hike. The car parking was free and we just paid a couple of Euros for the transfer to the hike entrance (around three kilometres which would have been a rather boring hiking along a tarmac road).
Entrance tickets to the Vesuvius hike should be purchased in advance. If you haven’t done this (as we hadn’t, due to my indecision), you need to zap a QR code to hook up to the Vesuvius WiFi to purchase your entry ticket.
Anyway, thanks to a very helpful chap on the gate, we managed to purchase the entry tickets and then commenced the 30 minute walk up to the summit. Despite the heavy rain of the preceding day, the path was dry and well maintained, an easy if slightly steep walk, doable in trainers.
As you make the winding climb up the flanks of Vesuvius, you are rewarded with far reaching views over the Bay of Naples. Despite Vesuvius being a protected national park, various industrious locals have installed huts selling tourist tat and emergency espresso at various points along the way to the summit. It’s reassuring to know that in this remote area of natural beauty you can grab a caffeine hit, or purchase a kangaroo or a penis carved from volcanic rock to remind you of your visit.
We spent quite a bit of time at the summit. You can walk most of the way around the crater. Although Vesuvius looks reassuringly dormant and our Google searches suggest there’s no imminent chance of an eruption, there are gases coming out of fumaroles at the crater rim. We also had quite a bit of cloud moving across the crater to give the illusion of activity.
One of my boys has a keen interest in geography so he kept up a running commentary on Italy’s various volcanoes, including the vast volcano Campi Flegrei which lies partly off the coast of Naples and partly beaneth it, covering an area of some 15 kilometres. Interestingly, a lingering sulphur aroma in Naples was down to this mega caldera, not due to a lack of rubbish collection on the part of local Naples folk.
The walk to the summit of Vesuvius is easy and the views over the Bay of Naples are gratifying. I’d definitely recommend this activity for families visiting Pompeii – to be on top of a volcano which once flattened a city and will no doubt wreak havoc again in the future is enthralling for kids.
Frequently asked questions about travelling to Italy in February
What is the weather like in February in Italy?
We experienced a mix of rain and sunshine. When the sun came out, it felt like we needed sun cream (I didn’t think to bring any!). The temperature dropped in the evenings on the sunny days so we’re glad we’d brought our winter coats. We did still manage to sit outside in the evening having a drink.
How cold is Italy in February?
The daytime temperature was between 12 and 18 degrees during our visit to Italy. In theory, the further south you go the warmer it should be but it was actually warmer in Pisa than Sorrento during our February trip.
If you head into the mountains of Northern Italy it will obviously be a lot colder.
Is February a good time to visit Italy?
If your main reason for visiting Italy is the history and culture, then yes February is a great month for sightseeing. Everyone complains about the heat at Pompeii in summer – there’s no shade there. We visited some of Italy’s most popular locations – the Leaning Tower, Pompeii and Sorrento – and all were really quiet.
Queues were minimal everywhere in February. At the airports, we were fast-tracked because we were a family – Italy is family-friendly all year round. The main difference in winter is the lack of crowds and the mild weather making city sightseeing and cultural attractions more do-able for the kids.
What should you pack for Italy in February?
We travelled in our winter coats and also packed light rain jackets. We also packed lots of layers. When you’re walking around Pompeii for several hours or climbing up Vesuvius, it’s a good idea to have layers you can peel off as you warm up.
When we went to Viareggio Carnival, it became quite hot and we were in our T-shirts but as soon as the sun started to set it became really chilly so all the layers went back on and I was glad to have my winter coat.
We like to travel fairly light – two smallish suitcases for the hold of the plane. We packed a couple of pairs of shoes each as we envisaged one pair would get wet at some stage. As usual, we actually packed more clothes than we needed.
Is February cheaper for family holidays in Italy?
Yes! Accommodation is definitely cheaper. Entrance to a lot of attractions is free for under 18s so sightseeing is cheap year-round for families.
When is Carnival in Italy?
The carnival period changes each year in accordance with the Easter calendar. However, it usually takes place over several weekends in February so some of the parades will likely fall in line with our half term each year.
Dates are announced a year in advance so you can start planning in plenty of time. Check out the official Viareggio Carnival website for more details.
Looking for more on family holidays to Italy?
Here’s some further reading:
Complete guide to Italy with kids
Driving from the UK to Italy: route ideas
