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9 Days in Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris and Amsterdam - with Children!
While my husband and I have traveled abroad quite extensively over the past 20 years, after having Madeleine (now 10), I couldn’t wait to take her! Other than a few trips to the Cayman Islands, this would be her first “real” overseas adventure.
For spring break, we planned an extremely ambitious itinerary … 3 countries and 5 different hotels in 9 days (plus 2 days for travel)! Was it a bit much for a 10-year-old? Maybe at times, but overall, I wouldn’t have changed a thing … she visited 3 new countries, learned so much, tried many new foods (no kids’ menus in Europe), walked 8-11 miles per day (with a pastry shoppe on every corner, you have to “earn” your treats), and made memories that will last a lifetime that were well documented in hundreds of photos!
Read on for our full itinerary, including hotels, recommended restaurants, tours, travel tips and more …
FIRST STOP - ROME - 2 DAYS/ 3 NIGHTS
Where We Stayed: St. Regis Rome
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ROME – DAY 1
After a long, 9-hour flight (we landed in Rome at 11:20 am), we checked into the St. Regis Rome, freshened up a bit and headed out for a quick, but kid-friendly & delicious slice of pizza on our way to see the Trevi Fountain. (I realize it may be tempting to take a nap, especially for the kids, but trust me – don't do it! If you don’t power through the day and get a good night’s sleep that night, it’ll likely ruin the rest of your trip with excessive jet lag – you must force yourself to get on schedule.)
After snapping a few pics in front of the Trevi Fountain, we let Madeleine stop for a gelato on our way back to the hotel … keep dangling the “carrot” to keep them going!
After cocktails (and hot cocoa for Madeleine) at the beautiful hotel bar, Lumen, we enjoyed watching the Sebrage Evening Ritual … the sabering of the Champagne, followed by a lovely dinner at CiPASSO Bistrot, a modern Italian restaurant, that I highly recommend!
ROME – DAY 2
This morning we enjoyed a private tour (arranged ahead of time by the hotel concierge) of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Coliseum. Afterwards, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Poldo e Gianna Osteria, then headed to the Pantheon & Spanish Steps. We finished the evening with a fabulous dinner at Life.
SECOND STOP - FLORENCE - 2 DAYS/ 2 NIGHTS
Where We Stayed: St. Regis Florence
ROME TO FLORENCE – DAY 1
After enjoying our last morning at the beautiful St. Regis Rome, we boarded a train for Florence. We arrived just in time to enjoy a quick sandwich & glass of wine before meeting our guide for our private, 3-hour walking tour of the city highlights, which included the Accademia to see the Statue of David and the Uffizi Gallery.
After the tour, we stopped at Gelateria Carabe so Madeleine could try her first cannoli, which she rated 5 tiramisus! For dinner, we opted for a kid-friendly pizza restaurant, Ciro and Sons. After dinner, we walked through the Duomo where we bought some inexpensive flying, light-up toys from one of the vendors and had fun playing with Madeleine and letting her “be a kid”!
FLORENCE – DAY 2
For our last day in the Tuscany Region, the hotel concierge planned a wonderful 8-hour private tour that included visits to the medieval towns of Siena and San Gimignano, as well as visits and lunch at two fantastic wineries. Our driver and guide for the day, Alessandro, picked us up at our hotel, and as we drove out of town headed towards our first stop of Siena, we stopped along the way at Michaelangelo Square for a photo opp … it literally overlooks the entire city of Florence!
Once in Siena, Madeleine was thrilled to have some free time to shop & explore the tiny town on our own. We met up with Alessandro once again and headed towards San Gimignano, where we would first stop at Tenuta Torciano Winery where we took a golf cart tour of the property, witnessed a truffle hunt in progress and got to pet the sweet pups, then sat down for our fabulous 3-course lunch and 13-glass wine tasting … a real treat not to be missed! We purchased a case of wine + some fantastic olive oil and an incredible bottle of the very best balsamic vinegar!
Our next stop was the medieval town of San Gimignano, where we enjoyed shopping & exploring on our own … both of these little towns have fantastic leather shops with very good prices. Madeleine was super-excited to find the perfect leather backpack purse for her souvenir. Our next stop was Casa Emma Winery where we enjoyed a short tour of the property and another lovely tasting … of course, we bought more wine!
Once back at the hotel, we headed to the Sebrage Evening Ritual where I was actually selected to saber the Champagne … So much fun! After such a large lunch and so many glasses of fantastic wine & Champagne, we opted for a super-casual dinner … I’m sure it was great, but I honestly don’t remember!
View of Florence from Michelangelo Square, Medieval town of Siena, Piazza del Campo where the world-famous horse race, Palio di Siena, takes place
Tenuta Torciano Winery in San Gimignano, golf cart tour of winery, wine tasting, truffle hunt in progress, and lemons as large as Madeleine's head!
San Gimignano, Casa Emma Winery, Me after sabering the Champagne at the St. Regis Florence!
THIRD STOP - VENICE - 1 DAY/ 1 NIGHT
Where We Stayed: The Gritti Palace
The Gritti Palace - Venice, Italy
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FLORENCE TO VENICE – DAY 1
This morning we boarded a train from Florence to Venice for a relaxing 2-hour ride. Once in Venice, we took a water taxi (pretty cool) to our hotel, the Gritti Palace.
After settling into our suite, we headed out for a quick, but delicious sandwich and glass of wine for lunch before meeting up with our private tour guide, Carlos, for a fascinating history lesson and tour of St. Mark’s Square, St. Mark’s Basilica and a ride to the top of the soaring St. Mark’s Campanile for the most amazing views of Venice.
Afterwards, Madeleine led us on a shopping excursion for the perfect Murano glass souvenir, followed by a lovely gondola ride. Finally, it was time to relax! Davin secured us the perfect table at the Gritti Terrace overlooking the Grand Canal where we enjoyed a bottle of wine and Madeleine a delicious hot cocoa … what an incredible view! We ended the evening with a fabulous dinner at Osteria Olivia Nera.
Venice, Italy - Train from Florence, St. Mark's Square, View from the top of St. Mark's Campanile and Shopping!
Venice, Italy - Gondola ride and View of the Grand Canal from the Gritti Terrace
FOURTH STOP - PARIS - 3 DAYS/ 3 NIGHTS
Where We Stayed: The Hotel de Berri
Hotel de Berri - Paris, France
VENICE TO PARIS – DAY 1
We enjoyed our last morning at the Gritti Palace before our water taxi arrived to take us to the airport for our flight to Paris. The airport in Venice is gorgeous, by the way!
Once in Paris, we took a taxi to our hotel, settled in, then took a walk down the Champs-Élysées to get Madeleine’s first view of the Eiffel Tower! From there, we walked to Rue Cler, the most famous market street in Paris. Located in the 7th Arrondissement, Rue Cler is a charming, mostly pedestrian street, lined with cafes, bread shops, cheese shops, pastry shops, fruit stands, flower shops and more … the perfect place to experience the Parisian lifestyle in action!
We snapped a pic in front of Café du Marche … the very 1st restaurant Davin & I enjoyed in Paris over 20 years ago! It was now time to tackle the line at Le Relais de l’Entrecote, the best restaurant for steak frites in Paris – they only serve a walnut salad, tender sirloin steak with their famous herby sauce and golden, thin-cut fries, plus dessert, of course! They do not take reservations, but the wait is worth it, I promise. Davin waited in line for nearly 1.5 hours while Madeleine and I enjoyed wine and hot tea at a nearby hotel lobby bar. Dinner was delicious and Madeleine loved it, too!
Paris, France - Eiffel Tower, Rue Cler, Cafe Du Marche
PARIS – DAY 2
For our 2nd day in Paris, we enjoyed a 2.5-hour walking tour where we visited Notre Dame, the flower market, and learned about the French Academy. Afterwards, we headed to the playground at the Luxembourg Gardens before touring the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay. Madeleine hit up a few pastry shops on the walk back before we headed to dinner at Benoit, the only Michelin-starred brasserie in France. The food was excellent, but the Michelin experience and service were completely absent. If you're looking for a true Michelin experience in Paris, I would highly recommend Le Violon D' Ingres - Davin and I had dinner there last April and everything, food & service, was beyond fabulous!
Parent Tip: Before heading to Benoit, we walked across the street from our hotel and let Madeleine pick a sandwich for dinner (which she ate at our hotel right before going to the restaurant) … most Michelin restaurants would be quite difficult and expensive for a child to eat, for at least mine anyway.
Paris, France - Notre Dame, the Flower Market, Palais de la Cité, the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay
Paris, France - Comparing Macarons at Richart and Laduree, Luxembourg Gardens, Benoit
PARIS – DAY 3
For our final day in Paris, we started at the Palace of Versailles, then strolled through the many food halls, cafes and pastry shops in the charming town of Versailles. Afterwards, we headed back to Paris to visit Montmartre, a charming hillside neighborhood with tons of artists & shopping - Madeleine had her portrait sketched which was a highlight for sure! Then, on to La Marais, one of our favorite neighborhoods for shopping and a falafel at L’As Du Falafel – the line will be long, but it’s the best! After a long day of walking, we enjoyed dinner at one of our very favorite Parisian restaurants, Les Marches, which we discovered about 3 trips ago and have been back every time since!
Versailles, France - The Palace of Versailles, Maison Desvalix, Au Chant Du Coq
Paris, France, Montmartre, La Maison Rose, Le Consulat, Sacré-Coeur, Les Marais, L'As Du Fallafel, Le Chou Francais, Moulin Rouge, Les Marches, Eiffel Tower
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FIFTH STOP - AMSTERDAM - 1 DAY/ 1 NIGHT
Where We Stayed: The Marriott Amsterdam
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PARIS TO AMSTERDAM – DAY 1
For our last day in Europe, we enjoyed 24 hours in Amsterdam. We took an early morning train from Paris to Amsterdam and arrived just in time to check into the hotel and grab a quick bite for lunch at Black, before meeting our tour guide. We spent the next 4 hours touring the Van Gogh Museum and the city by foot … we learned so much! Madeleine was very excited for the end of the tour because she was promised a fresh, warm stroopwafel, which did not disappoint! We ended the evening with an amazing Indonesian dinner at Sumpurna, where we enjoyed one of the recommended Rice Tables, which was basically a grand tasting … delicious!
Amsterdam, Netherlands - Train Station from Paris to Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, the canals, Stroopwafel, windmill made out of legos, flower market, Rembrandtplein
