You might not think of Venice as top European destination for kids, but it is. We spent five wonderful days relaxing and exploring the city. We stayed in a small apartment off Campo San Angelo, a short walk from the famous Piazza San Marco.

In planning our trip, I had to consider how to make Venice enjoyable for my very active, very boisterous boys, while still getting to show them this famous city with all her artistic charms.

Susan Van Allen writes about Italian travel and interviewed me for her book, 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go. I finally had time to sit down with her book on vacation this summer. Wow, what an inspirational resource for all of us who have a love affair with all that is Italian!

Susan writes about Italy’s feminine spirit and describes the places and experiences that transform travelers. Her description of Italy as a place that “brings peace and comfort, a place that stirs that soul” is applicable to both sexes and all ages.

There are certain things we tell ourselves, we promise ourselves, we solemnly vow to ourselves, when we become parents. Our children will never get parked in front of the TV. Our children will never play with war toys. Our children will never eat sugary breakfast cereal, especially not directly out of the box. Our children will never change the way we travel.

All of these are ridiculous, we discover disconcertingly early into the parenting adventure. Sooner or later you need to shower in peace, which is why God created the Disney movie.

The summer that I was sixteen, my dad gave me a used 35mm Canon camera. The camera was in good shape and, after a quick lesson from someone at the town’s camera store about how to load film and use the internal light meter, I was ready to start shooting.

I spent that summer my parents’ bed and breakfast on the coast of Maine. My photos from that period consist of images of the rocky seacoast …

Renting a car is Italy can be seamless and pleasant. Moreover, if you plan on seeing the countryside, i.e. Tuscany and Umbria to name a few, it’s necessary to have your own car.

I can’t tell you how many people email us saying that they never rent cars in other parts of Europe and don’t think they need one when visiting the Tuscan countryside. Trust me, you do! The trains do not cover the small towns you want to see in order to fully experience the best of this region.

Rome is made up of many neighborhoods and choosing where to stay—with or without kids—can be overwhelming.

The final decision should be made based on the type of experience you want to have, what you want to explore while you’re there, and the accommodation category—hotel, villa, or apartment—you choose.

While traveling as a family in Rome for the first time, it can be tempting to stop on the go and feed your hungry, jet-lagged brood from the nearest touristy establishment as a pit stop between taking in so many sites.

Unfortunately, many of the snack bars and tourist-oriented restaurants seem in my opinion to be churning out increasingly more expensive and lesser quality food.

After I published my recent article on Italy iPhone apps, Ciao Bambino’s Amie contacted me and said, “Love it! Now, can you do one just for Rome apps?” I assumed, given the number of apps in the App Store, that there would be plenty to choose from to make a Rome-only list - and I was right.

For this post, I tried to find apps that were not only good for any trip to Rome but might be particularly useful if you were traveling to Rome with kids …

Rome can be a wonderful place for families. Full of history and culture, with a lively unique feel—when done well—can make for an unforgettable family vacation. What Italy has going for it, is that it’s generally a family-oriented culture and children are easily welcomed into most restaurants and shops.

You should keep in mind, however, that while magnificent, many of the sites were not designed as museums.

Welcome to Rome Week! Given that we know Italy so well, we’re excited to add Rome to the other family vacation destinations we’ve spent a full week covering including Paris with kids, Washington DC with kids, New York City with kids, and Hawaii with kids.

We’re kicking the week off with recommended Rome travel tips and guides to help you started planning a visit to Rome with kids.