Primary Stay: Sirmoine, Lake Garda
If you are in Northern Italy, there are numerous, beautiful ways to explore the region. My husband and I are blessed to have been able to explore a decent amount of Italy, but this was our first visit to the country with two babies under two. While visiting Milan, we decided to take a weekend trip to Lake Garda, and it was an amazing family-friendly weekend with our two-year-old and five-month-old.
We really value good food, walking-friendly locations, and ease of moving the kids around. We want our two-year-old, in particular, to be able to run around and exert energy (so that we all get a better nights rest). Even though my husband was working a decent amount of the trip, I was able to manage the two kids solo without too much struggle. I describe below the details of our weekend itinerary and nuances with traveling with kids here!
Half-day trip: Limione
Half-day trip to Verona (these were taken from a prior trip to Italy, although the city is manageable with kids)
Itinerary:
Where: We stayed in the town of Sirmoine, in an Air B&B located in the village within the castle. If you stay in this town, definitely try to reserve a place within the castle town so that it is easier to access the restaurants and shops. When you are with kids, even a few minutes makes a difference! We stayed in and highly recommend this Air B&B! We also took an afternoon trip to the town of Limione. It is a bit of a drive, but you are already so close, and the views from Limione are worth the effort!
Transportation: We rented a car in Milan and drove to Sirmoine. It was a two-hour-drive. The nearest major city to Sirmoine is Verona. We stayed in Sirmoine, and drove to Limione for a half-day trip.
Parking: Because the castle town of Sirmoine is primarily pedestrian-only, the main guest parking lot is a 15-minute-walk away. It costs approximately 18 euros per day. Still, I recommend having a car to get to this area and to be able to drive to the nearby towns.
Duration: 1-3 days
Activities:
- Take a tour of Castle Tower in Sirmoine
- Browse the restaurants and shops at Sirmoine
- Eat pizza and gelato galore
- Take a boat ride around Sirmoine
- Visit Limione (an hour drive)
- Visit the city of Verona (especially Juliet’s balcony)
Child Management: I used a baby carrier and stroller for the baby, and I let my two-year-old walk around the town. He is still becoming independent with walking, so it was good practice and great to let him get his energy out! Additionally, the cafe’s were great about providing us with warm milk each evening for our son.
Essential Items on Packing List for the Kids:
- Baby Carrier
- YoYo Stroller
- Microwaveable Oatmeal
- Disposable Products
- Disposable mats
- Kids clothing (I take 2-3 outfit changes per day per child)
- Diapers/Wipes/Changing Pad
- Hand sanitizer, wet wipes
All in all, we left the weekend refreshed, happy, and stomachs full of pizza and gelato.
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