Bookings · Famiglia in Italia

Lodging

The two remaining stays — most time-sensitive items on the board.

Sorrento apartmentAug 1–3 · 2 nights

Target Sant'Agnello near its station (quieter + local, one stop from Sorrento) — or Piano di Sorrento if the boat picks up at Marina di Cassano. Sleeps 4, A/C. No pool needed — the boat day is the swim day. Confirm the departure marina with the boat operator first.

Airbnb Sant'Agnello → VRBO →

Rome apartmentAug 3–6 · 3 nights

Target Monti near Cavour metro (Via dei Serpenti / Via Urbana / Via del Boschetto). Walk to the Colosseum, one stop to Termini for Orvieto + the airport train. Sleeps 4, A/C essential. Avoid the blocks right at Termini.

Airbnb Monti → VRBO →

Tours & Experiences

The reserved-slot stuff. August sells out — the top three matter most.

Colosseum timed-entryAug 4 · morning

Official tickets only — coopculture.it. August slots vanish weeks out; set a reminder for when your date opens. Grab arena-floor access if offered. Pair with a Roman Forum walk on the same ticket.

CoopCulture →

Bio Reggiani cheese tour + private driverJul 30 · 9:00 AM

Book the 9 AM guided tour (~1 hr, ~€22/pp) at the organic Parmigiano farm — cheese-making, calves, aging warehouse, tasting. Then arrange the driver: Bologna pickup ~8:15 AM → tour → drop at Modena station (~10:15) for the train on to Parma. Ask the Bologna Airbnb host for a driver rec, or book an NCC private hire.

Bio Reggiani →

Bologna pasta-making classJul 31

Private, in a local's home kitchen — the boys hand-roll tortellini, then everyone eats what they made.

Top pick — Alessandra (Cesarine): "Let's Learn How to Make Tortellini" — 2 hrs, private, max 6, sfoglina-taught. €115/adult, €57/child. Right length for kids.

Roberta (Cesarine): ~3 hrs, tagliatelle + tortelloni + tiramisu; famously warm host. If stamina allows.

Marta & Andrea (Cesarine): pasta + proper tiramisu, young fun hosts, family-table meal.

Alessandra's class →Browse Cesarine →

Gladiator school — Gruppo Storico RomanoAug 4 or 5

Verdict for the Taekwondo skeptics: it holds up. Real technique instruction (stances, strikes, shield work) then a paired foam-sword tournament in the arena — the learn-drill-spar format they already know. Reviews show even reluctant teens converting. On the Appia Antica: ~€20 taxi or the 118 bus. Bring mosquito repellent — seriously.

GetYourGuide →

Sorrento lemon grove — I Giardini di CataldoAug 1 · late afternoon

A working family lemon grove hidden in central Sorrento (Via Correale, near Piazza Tasso). ~45-min guided tour with tastings ending in lemon sorbet (~€30/pp) — or just wander the free garden and get granita in the grove. Fresh lemonade + gelato for the boys, limoncello for the grown-ups. Perfect arrival-evening energy; booking ahead optional but easy.

Giardini di Cataldo →

Florence Duomo dome climbJul 29 · the birthday

463 steps up Brunelleschi's dome — the birthday adventure. Timed reservation required (Brunelleschi Pass). If slots are gone, the Giotto Bell Tower is the walk-up fallback with nearly the same view.

Official Duomo site →

Orvieto Underground tourAug 5 · low urgency

Tours run regularly (~45 min); just confirm English times that week. The funicular from the station to the hilltop needs no booking.

Orvieto Underground →

Private boat to Capri — deposit paid ✓Aug 2 · locked

Still to confirm with the operator: date stays Aug 2 (the Aug 3 move doesn't work — it collides with checkout + the Rome travel evening), which marina he departs from (decides Sant'Agnello vs Piano lodging), and what's included (lunch, drinks, towels, Capri docking fee).

Trains & Entry Tickets

High-speed trains are dynamically priced — early booking = cheaper + reserved seats. Regionals are fixed-price; buy those day-of in the app.

Bologna → Naples high-speedAug 1 · ~3.5 hrs

The biggest fare of the trip — book earliest for the best price. Frecciarossa via Trenitalia (or compare Italo).

Trenitalia →Italo →

Florence → Bologna high-speedJul 29 · evening · ~37 min

Book an evening departure that gives the birthday stopover room — around 6–7 PM is comfortable.

Trenitalia →

Naples → Rome high-speedAug 3 · afternoon · ~70 min

Book a mid-afternoon departure — leaves the Pompeii morning unhurried (ruins → Circumvesuviana back to Naples → Frecciarossa).

Trenitalia →

Campania Express seats — both legsAug 1 + Aug 3

Aug 1: Naples → Sant'Agnello (luggage day — reserved seats, A/C, bag space). Aug 3: Sant'Agnello → Pompei Scavi. Separate operator (EAV) — Trenitalia won't show these trains. Only a handful of departures daily, so match times to your Naples arrival.

EAV / Campania Express →

Pompeii timed entryAug 3 · morning

Official site only (pompeiisites.org). Book the earliest slot you can — the ruins are shadeless and the morning is everything in August. Luggage storage is free at the entrance.

Pompeii official →

Install the apps + AirFly for the flightBefore departure

Trenitalia app (all national trains, in-app tickets self-validate) + GoEAV app (Campania line). And for the boys' headphones: seatback systems use a 3.5mm jack — either pack wired headphones or an AirFly transmitter (Duo/Pro pairs two Bluetooth headphones to one screen). Order and test before the flight; toss a cheap wired pair in the bag as backup.

Regionals — don't pre-book: Florence airport → Lucca (Jul 27), Lucca → Florence (Jul 29), Modena → Parma and Parma → Bologna (Jul 30), Rome → Orvieto (Aug 5), and the Leonardo Express to the airport (Aug 6). Fixed prices, frequent trains — buy in the app day-of.