med ports, toddler friendly excursions advice needed

[ladeeesquire]

hi! dh and I will be doing a 9 day med cruise on carnival in october with our 3.5 yr old dd. She is a fantastic traveler, really loves to cruise, and as mature as you can expect a 3 yr old to be --not bragging, just the facts :-)

 

We will be making the following stops:

 

monaco

livorno

civitavecchia

naples

messina

palma de mallorca

marseilles

 

I realize that this is not the most toddler friendly itinerary but I really want to visit these places. I'm looking for advice on whether to diy or hire a guide for each port--specific guide recommendations highly welcome --which will help us enjoy the major sites at each stop in a way that will be most accommodating of our dd.

 

Thanks in advance!

susan

[kitty9]

The Jacques Cousteau Aquarium in Monte Carlo is great for kids. Monte Carlo is a very easy walking city, as it's very small. You can walk from the aquarium to the area with the casinos, and then to the royal palace and the cathedral where Princess Grace was married and later buried. Of course, you can't go into the casinos with a child, but you can walk around the area which is very scenic.

 

The biggest problem you'll have in Livorno and Civitivecchia is the LONG ride on buses. It's about an hour by bus to Florence and about 90 minutes to Rome from Civiticecchia. European buses are not air conditioned in the manner that we in North America are used to, and they can get terribly hot. I'm not sure how your toddler will handle such long bus rides if the weather is hot and humid. You might want to consider private tours for both those places.

 

I've been to the other ports, but in all honesty, I can't think of any ship's tours that would be especially child friendly. Just choose ones that interest you, as your child won't find much of interest.

[onthelake]

You mentioned that you really want to visit these places so that is the key. What is you want to see? Then you can decide how to make each day 'kid friendly.' I remember that my son, at that same age, was almost trampled in the Sistine Chaple even though I was holding his hand and 'trying' to protect him. (OK, I am exaggerating a little bit).

 

We have gone on a number of cruises in Europe from ages 3 to 15 and all have gone well and none have been 'less' for having a child along although we sometimes do something/spend more time at a site that we would not have if we were witout DS - like Tivoli Gardens.

 

You probably do want DIY or private tours as much because of the weather as your DD. Have a great time.

[Keith1010]

In a few of these places you could consider avoiding the shore excursions and just walking around and possibly go to the beach.

 

For example in Monte Carlo you could go to the beach which is located just a few miles from the cruise ship pier. Also there are some nice places to walk around outside including some very nice outside gardens.

 

Keith

[ladeeesquire]

thanks for your responses so far! especially the aquarium. I will definitely put that on my possibility list.

 

I don't think I made myself clear though. I'm just about positive that we are not going to do ship excursions. First of all, I generally don't like them. Way too many people and no flexibility.

 

What I was really wondering was whether in each port we could easily do it diy or, if we need a guide for a private tour, if anyone had a recommendation of a specific guide or plan of action that would make it as painless to my dd as possible. I already know its going to be pricey to do the private tours so I just want to make sure I use them only if necessary.

 

Also, my understanding is that in mid october the weather should be fairly temperate 70s, low 80s. Should I be expecting high humidity at that time of year?

 

I welcome all info and suggestions!

 

susan

[Essiesmom]

Have you joined the roll call for you cruise yet? I suspect folks who will be sailing with you are forming groups for independent tours that might suit you and your toddler. EM

[klauer]

The ports of call section might be better to get some specific advice. I have not been to all the places you've mentioned, but you do have to get to Rome and Florence from the ports somehow, whether by bus, car, or train. I think that will be the biggest challenge with a toddler, more than what to do when you actually get there. Naples is another port where most cruisers go somewhere else like Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii, etc. You have to consider that if your child gets tired you may be an hour or two away from the ship.

[kitty9]

You might be able to do Florence on your own as the best sites are in the old walled city, but you will need to get there from the port, which is at least an hour away. Rome is a different story. You really can't do that city on your own unless you want to get on and off buses, which won't be easy with a toddler. Plus, the sites in Rome are very spread out. Again, like in Livorno, you'll have to get to Rome from the port. Your best bet for Rome would be a private car. With that, they can get you right near all the sites, and when the little one is tired, you can head back to the ship. I don't know how long you have in Civitivecchia, but remember you'll be using up at least 3 hours just getting there and back.

[jac1976]

I don't have advice for all of your ports, but I think it's great that you are going and taking your little one with you! Italians love children. I lived in Naples for 2 years and my son was born there. In October it shouldn't be that hot or humid there.

 

I think your answer really depends on what you feel comfortable doing yourself. Rome can be done on your own. Yes it is spread out and it would involve a lot of walking, but if you bring a good stroller (make sure it has sturdy wheels) or a backpack for your daughter and you should be good to go.

 

I love the city of Florence. What day will you be there? On Mondays, most museums and such are closed. (just an FYI)

 

As for Naples, many people find the city dirty (they have a big trash problem) so they do end up taking day trips to other places. There are many places that are easy to get to and can be done on your own- Pompei, Sorrento, and Capri just to name a few. If you go the Amalfi Coast route, please note that the road to the Amalfi Coast is VERY twisty and turny. Many many people who don't have motion sickness problems get car sick on this road. It can also get crowded with traffic jams, but that shouldn't be too bad of a problem in October. When my son was 2, we took him to Paestum (best Greek ruins outside of Greece) and he had fun just wandering around and exploring.

 

The only thing I would caution you against is renting a car. A lot of Italian cities have crazy rules about who can drive where (for instance only residents of Florence can drive in the city limits during certain time periods every day.) This can make driving in cities difficult. Driving in the country is much easier. Driving in the city of Naples is CRAZY (they are notorious for not following traffic rules) and I would highly recommend you get a driver if you want to drive some place.

 

In terms of DIY, I have found the Rick Steves books to be extremely helpful, not only with itineraries, but also with information and walking tours within certain sights as well.

[stinesheri]

we just took a med cruise with our 8 year old and while 8 vs 3 is a big difference, the private tours are the way to go, particularly in Rome, Florence and Naples. those were very long days, and having the car and driver whisk us everywhere was fantastic.

 

In Pompeii and the Vatican we had a private guide -we used Rome in Limo - www.romeinlimo.com - and they arranged the guides. Our guides both made sure our daughter was engaged, even more than us. One even said - I'm gearing this towards her, since you will understand it anyway. This was fantastic as my daughter was always included, and they made sure she was interested. Finally, my daughter was a little under the weather on our Florence day. Having the driver at our disposal meant that we could do as much or as little as she was capable of doing. We just told him our driver what we 'needed' to see, and if she was up for more (thankfully she was!) we could then fill in at the end.

 

we did the aquarium in monte carlo, small but nice, and then wandered around the gardens.

 

Check out the port boards for info on tour companies, but I can't recommend Rome in Limo enought - they were wonderful!

[ladeeesquire]

Have you joined the roll call for you cruise yet? I suspect folks who will be sailing with you are forming groups for independent tours that might suit you and your toddler. EM

 

thank you all for your comments! they are very much appreciated.

 

Yes, I'm on the roll call. That's actually been kind of a stressor. I was one of the first people to sign up for one of the private excursions and when they found out that the three of us included a 3 yr old, the person arranging the group wasn't very nice. She sent me a few emails telling me that she thought it would be a bad idea for my dd to be on the tour, that she wouldn't enjoy it and might not even be welcomed by some of the other cruisers. OUCH. Then she tried to kick me off the tour. OUCH again. I certainly don't want to spend my vacation time with people who don't want us there.

 

Since then, I kind of started questioning whether or not we should even go. But, this will actually be her 3rd cruise and she's always been fine and everyone has always loved her. I feel like I'm defending myself :rolleyes:

[stinesheri]

I actually feel the same as BOTH of you! I wanted to bring my daughter, who had an amazing time, but did not want to be around other peoples children!

 

We decided that we would just do our own tours. Yes, it would have been nice to be around other adults, and it will cost more for just the 3 of you than if you joined a larger group, but we were able to tailor our tours to what we wanted to do, and at our pace - which is actually must faster than many other people!

 

This way you don't have to worry about others pre-concieved notion about your child and have to make excuses if she gets tired and needs to stop. In the end, you will be better off on your own, and certainly more relaxed. Our Roll Call had a meet and greet, where we met some folks who we had drinks with - along with our daughter, whose company they seemed to enjoy, and that was just fine. There is also kids camp, where she can have her much needed kid time, and you a little rest. Don't cancel because of the tours, just do your own thing.

[Kerry's Girls]

thank you all for your comments! they are very much appreciated.

 

Yes, I'm on the roll call. That's actually been kind of a stressor. I was one of the first people to sign up for one of the private excursions and when they found out that the three of us included a 3 yr old, the person arranging the group wasn't very nice. She sent me a few emails telling me that she thought it would be a bad idea for my dd to be on the tour, that she wouldn't enjoy it and might not even be welcomed by some of the other cruisers. OUCH. Then she tried to kick me off the tour. OUCH again. I certainly don't want to spend my vacation time with people who don't want us there.

 

Since then, I kind of started questioning whether or not we should even go. But, this will actually be her 3rd cruise and she's always been fine and everyone has always loved her. I feel like I'm defending myself :rolleyes:

 

I take my kids everywhere, but I do understand both sides. I also chose to do private tours just our little family so a) we could do what we wanted to do and b) I wouldn't have to worry all day that my kids were bothering others who were trying to enjoy once-in-a-lifetime places. On our roll call, others with kids arranged tours and people chose to join groups with kids or didn't. I suggest you set up your own private tours (or do-it-yourself plans) and if you want to let others join, you can post it and they'll be choosing to join a kid-friendly tour. We planned do-it-yourself for Rome and Athens, and then ended up joining up with another family to share a van & driver for the day. We did the Vatican in Rome, which was the only place that was not kid-friendly. I actually like the Hop on/Hop off busses with kids - I've been using them since my twins were two and find it a great way to go, and my girls have always loved it.

 

Have a great time!

 

Best,

Mia

[rebeccalouiseagain]

3 year olds love trains. They can walk around and they love the whole excitement. Go to Rome by train and then take the hop-on-hop off bus. Sit upstairs. You can get off at a multitude of stops. Will be educational for you and user friendly. Kids love the double decker tour buses. I doubt the Vatican will be of any interest to her but she would love the Colluseum and Trevi Fountain- where she can throw in her coins.

 

In Livorno, if you can, I would do the Cinque Terre. It starts with an hour bus ride and then transfers by ferry to four of the five towns. It is a long tour but there are plenty of opportunities for your child to roam around and she will love the boat rides. This is way better than going to Florence. If they don't offer this tour- I recommend Pisa. Its a beautiful town not far from the port with ample areas for her to run around and be 3!

 

In Monaco you can walk around. Go to the Palace and best of all there are little amusement rides by the waterfront (at least in summer).

 

Not much help with the other stops. Have a great trip.

[graceinmelbourne]

thanks for your responses so far! especially the aquarium. I will definitely put that on my possibility list.

 

I don't think I made myself clear though. I'm just about positive that we are not going to do ship excursions. First of all, I generally don't like them. Way too many people and no flexibility.

 

What I was really wondering was whether in each port we could easily do it diy or, if we need a guide for a private tour, if anyone had a recommendation of a specific guide or plan of action that would make it as painless to my dd as possible. I already know its going to be pricey to do the private tours so I just want to make sure I use them only if necessary.

 

Also, my understanding is that in mid october the weather should be fairly temperate 70s, low 80s. Should I be expecting high humidity at that time of year?

 

I welcome all info and suggestions!

 

susan

 

We did a med. cruise last year with our kids. Granted they are older than your 3 year old (10 and 13) We did not do any ships tours at all. We did a private tour in Rome which was great as the driver took us right to the door of each of the sights. We told him where we wanted to go so he took us to the Colloseaum, The Forum, The Pantheon, St. Peters Basilica and a few other sights. This was great as it was not tiring at all and we got to see heaps. We didn't go to the Vatican museum as it takes too long and the kids would not have enjoyed it all that much.

 

In Naples I would suggest a boat trip to the Isle of Capri. Trying to do Pompeii with a 3 year old could be exhausting. We did a ferry trip from Salerno (our port) to Positano which was relaxing and stress free.

 

Florence is easy to do on your own. You need to grab a taxi from Livorno port to the train station. It is about a 5 minute ride. You then get a train from Livorno to Florence. If you want further details let me know and I will send you a link which describes in detail how to do this. You arrive in Florence and then just relax and wander about soaking up the atmosphere of this wonderful town. You don't need to go to museums and galleries and kids just don't enjoy them generally. We went to the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio bridge, walked along the river, checked out the markets, had lunch in a lovely restaurant, a gelato and just wandered the streetsl. We had a lovely day but not enough time. You don't need a prive tour for this port in my opinion as it is simple to do and enjoy on your own.

 

 

As for the weather in October. We were there in September and the weather was warm but not hot. Not humid at all. I would expect October will be coolish in the northern ports and warm the further south you go.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

My son has been to a lot of ruins and castles in his life time. They are great playgrounds for kids and I get the chance to learn something in the process. Its a win-win. If you are in Europe take advantage of all the public parks and landmarks that are usually inexpensive to visit and make for wonderful backdrops.

[shoppgirl]

We did a med. cruise last year with our kids. Granted they are older than your 3 year old (10 and 13) We did not do any ships tours at all. We did a private tour in Rome which was great as the driver took us right to the door of each of the sights. We told him where we wanted to go so he took us to the Colloseaum, The Forum, The Pantheon, St. Peters Basilica and a few other sights. This was great as it was not tiring at all and we got to see heaps. We didn't go to the Vatican museum as it takes too long and the kids would not have enjoyed it all that much.

 

In Naples I would suggest a boat trip to the Isle of Capri. Trying to do Pompeii with a 3 year old could be exhausting. We did a ferry trip from Salerno (our port) to Positano which was relaxing and stress free.

 

Florence is easy to do on your own. You need to grab a taxi from Livorno port to the train station. It is about a 5 minute ride. You then get a train from Livorno to Florence. If you want further details let me know and I will send you a link which describes in detail how to do this. You arrive in Florence and then just relax and wander about soaking up the atmosphere of this wonderful town. You don't need to go to museums and galleries and kids just don't enjoy them generally. We went to the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio bridge, walked along the river, checked out the markets, had lunch in a lovely restaurant, a gelato and just wandered the streetsl. We had a lovely day but not enough time. You don't need a prive tour for this port in my opinion as it is simple to do and enjoy on your own.

 

 

As for the weather in October. We were there in September and the weather was warm but not hot. Not humid at all. I would expect October will be coolish in the northern ports and warm the further south you go.

 

I enjoyed reading your great tips about touring with children. I will be taking my girls, 10 and 8 next summer and am already starting to think about all the wonderful things we can do together. The private tours are pricey but worth it I am sure. We will probably do at least one, but if can do some on our own, then that would be a great option too. Your desciption of taking the train to Florence sounds great and the ferry ride to the Isle of Capri. Would you mind providing me with more details about how you did this? I just want my girls to see the city, and not necessarily spend time IN museums etc.

 

Thank you!

[Onessa]

We've travelled various parts of Europe with our DD since she was barely three (she is now 15YO and taking driver's ed! :eek:)

 

We had done a land trip in Tuscany when DD was 4YO -- the gardens in Florence (I can think of the letters of the name of the place, just not getting them all "right" Girdarno -- that's wrong but I swear it is somewhat close) were nice -- they are right in town, just across the Arno from the Ufficio side not far from the Ponte Veccio. Nice views of the city, good running around opportunities. This is where our DD took her first ever photograph (hey, she grew up when there was still "film" in cameras!)

 

As an alternative, taking the train or private transport to Lucca might be nice instead of Florence. It is a bit closer trip from the port and I have wonderful memories of us circumnavigating the city from up on the walls -- there are parks and paths and it was a lovely afternoon.

 

There are generally some nice play parks in just about any urban area. It is a great way to meet other kids -- sometimes locals, like the 5YO girl that my 4YO met in Milano -- the two of them chattered away the 5YO in Italian, my DD in English - but they managed to play ball and tag! sometimes other tourists -- like the little boy from San Francisco in a park in Venice (one of his dad's gave us a great recommendation for a nearby restraunt for lunch)

 

Even when she was very very small, we'd put together a daily visual scavenger hunt list each morning (when she was a pre-reader, I'd draw a little picture next to the words) - so she'd stay engaged looking for an "orange baseball cap" or a "statue of a lion with wings". When she'd finish the list we'd celebrate with a little treat (Gelato, Kinder, or something I'd picked up at the dollar tree pre-trip)

 

Our last trip to Italy was last November -- at 14YO she was most interested in the the art museums and European fashions. Maybe a bit easier to deal with, but I sometimes miss the 4YO who was enamored with the statue of the piggy in one of the market areas!

[rebeccalouiseagain]

It is really a pleasure to travel with pre-schoolers and kids. I have the best time with my son. He is getting older now but when he was little- the airport was a thrill for him. Even now he says things like "Mom, can we do one of those early flights where we have to get up in the middle of the night. I love them!"

 

Kids just get pleasure in the most mundane things sometimes! He loves anywhere he can shop. Museum- great! Gift shop! Castle- Cool! Gift shop! In fact he loves being able to shop on the ship.

 

His enthusiasm is contagious!

[graceinmelbourne]

I enjoyed reading your great tips about touring with children. I will be taking my girls, 10 and 8 next summer and am already starting to think about all the wonderful things we can do together. The private tours are pricey but worth it I am sure. We will probably do at least one, but if can do some on our own, then that would be a great option too. Your desciption of taking the train to Florence sounds great and the ferry ride to the Isle of Capri. Would you mind providing me with more details about how you did this? I just want my girls to see the city, and not necessarily spend time IN museums etc.

 

Thank you!

 

Hi:)

 

If you had to choose one port to do a private tour in than I would chose Rome. It is the easiest and most stress free way of seeing numerous sights in Rome in the short amount of time that you will have there. Keep in mind that the port of Civitavecchia is at least an hours drive to Rome so that is 2 hours of your day travelling. You can do it on your own via train and many people do but it would require alot of walking or public transport from one sight to another. A private tour would take you right to the entrance of each sight and you won't waste precious time. To save money perhaps find another family of 4 and share a tour with them. There is plenty of info on here regarding the various private tours. We used all around italy and they were very good. We even had time to sit down at a nice restaurant and have lunch.

 

As for Florence personally I would save yourself a whole lot of money and do it yourself via train. You can get a taxi to the train station and they charge 5 euro per person. You can share with other people going to the station. It is not difficult even if you don't speak Italian as the people that work in the station speak English and in Florence also most people you will encounter will speak English also.

 

Here is a link to a site which describes in detail the process of getting to and from Florence.

 

http://www.ftroute.com/LIV_FIR_LIV.htm

 

Unless your ship provides a bus directly to the train station than I would just get a taxi from the port to the station. We had no trouble doing this. Otherwise as described in my link it can be a bit of a hassle to get to the station.

 

I agree with you with regards to museums and galleries with kids. Unless you are desperate to see the Uffizi gallery or the academia than I would skip it. It takes hours of time and realistically most kids don't find the experience all that interesting. There is plenty to see and do in Florence without stepping foot in a gallery. We did go to see The Duomo though which is amazing. You can walk to the top of the dome to get a great view of Florence. Make sure you get the kids a gelato in Florence as it is famous for its gelato. Florence is just a lovely place to wander around with many areas blocked off to traffic. It is also a compact city and you can walk everywhere. If we had more time we might have walked over the river to the Boboli gardens. Get yourself a map before you go or buy one when you get there. I have been to Florence 3 times before but a map still came in handy.

 

Try and get off the ship as early as you can and get an early train. My husband insisted on having a shower before we left and we missed the train we wanted to get on and had to wait an hour for the next one. That's one hour less to spend in Florence - still annoyed about that! The train you need to get back to Livorno is about 3.20pm if I recall correctly. It can be a busy train with all the various cruise ships in port. We actually ended up having more time in Florence that those who did the ships tour.

 

We didn't get the ferry to Capri as our cruise changed ports from Naples to Salerno but that is what we had planned to do. Apparently this is easy to do and takes approx. 1/2 hour. In a way I regret not going to Pompeii but we ran out of time as we have always wanted to visit Positano.

 

Your cruise may be a way off but it is always good to start planning and researching. There were people on our cruise who had no idea what they were going to do in each port. If you plan what you are doing in each port ahead of time you will make the most of the short time you have in each place.

[shoppgirl]

Thank you Grace for all your suggestions!!!! I have lots to think about and look forward to planning! I am an obsessive planner and spend months planning my vacations!!!:D

[luvtravelbug]

DH and I did the Med in January......sans children. Someone suggested Rome In Limo, and I second that. Throughout the cruise, I kept running through my head the way I can bring our children (6 and 3) with us and make it fun for them. We did all private tours, except when we did Athens on our own, and I think my children could have been accommodated on all the them. Flexibility is a huge bonus on a private tour. Rome is one of those cities that can take your breath away, and being able to relax on a private tour will make it even sweeter! Happy planning!

[koalagurl]

Great info!! We are bringing our 4 and 6 year olds this summer. I am having just as much fun researching and planning as I hope we will on the ship.

[BWP]

Hi, I totally get your anxiety. We leave next week for a 12 night med cruise on the Brilliance of the Seas - and we'll be travelling with our 17mnth DD, 6yr DS & 7yr DS :eek:.

 

Very port intensive itinerary - Nice, Monte Carlo, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Capri, Positano, Venice, Split & Dubrovnik!

 

We're not doing any ship excursions or even private tours - we've opted to do it all on our own, by making use of ferry/bus/train systems. Cheaper this way, and if it starts to unravel and go pear shaped (and let's face it, it so often does with kids!), then we can just call it a day and head back for the ship.

 

The plan is to head out early every morning, but not cram too much into the day. We're taking plenty of pre-packaged sealed snacks with us, to keep them plied with food, and we'll stop often for ice cream! For our 6&7 yr old boys, I've printed off a kid-friendly information pack for each of the places we're visiting, with pics and fun trivia, so that they've got an idea of the place before we get there and they can look out for some of the key sights.

 

All sounds good in theory, but we'll have to see how it pans out in reality.

If I live to tell the tale, I'll report back and let you know how it went ;)

[Essiesmom]

Might I suggest that you refer to Rick Steves' tour guides - he tells you what to see cheaply, and with kids. He doesn't much like cruising, but has put out a brand new book on Mediterranean ports, which I pre-ordered and received this week. He is big on walking tours, DIY, and in some ports has his own recorded tours, free downloads for ipod/mp3. He tells you how to get to the train station, what train/bus to take, etc. EM