Child-friendly holidays in Italy

From:  One Stop Italy.  Visit our website at www.onestopitaly.com.  Contact us here.

One of the most frequently-asked questions at One Stop Italy is from parents enquiring if the villa they are considering for their holiday in Italy is “child-friendly”. My answer is invariably neither a Yes nor a No, but an explanation of what I understand by the term.

Italy is probably the country where children will receive the biggest welcome anywhere on earth. In restaurants the waiters will scurry to get a highchair for the little one, and at weekends you will see extended families enjoying their meals together. Everyone from granny to the tiniest of tots will be at the table.

This welcome extends to the rental properties on our books – I can only think of a couple of places where the owners stipulate “no children under 12” and that is usually because of expensive furnishings and decorations. Everywhere else they are welcomed. But that does not mean to say that a holiday house is “child-friendly”. Even a fenced-in swimming pool can be a danger if the gate is accidentally left open. There are unlikely to be stair-gates. Gardens may be terraced according to the lie of the land, not flat. Etc. etc.

So in a nutshell, it’s a question of keeping an eye open for the safety and security of your children, just as you would in any unfamiliar place. And asking our advice as to which properties we think are particularly suitable for toddlers or children of a particular age.