Why

It is easy to see why Umbria makes a wonderful family friendly destination for your family holiday. Umbria’s picture-postcard landscape, delicious local cuisine and cultural heritage provide an endless source of relaxing and interesting activities, which you and your family can enjoy. There are beautiful cities, and towns to visit including Assisi, Perugia, Todi and the Lakes of Trasimeno.

During your holiday you and your family can do discover immaculate vineyards and streams of cypress trees on long leisurely drives. Pass through city walls that protect a labyrinth of streets, piazzas and centuries of culture which will fascinate the kids or have an ice-cream at a café overlooking one of the many vibrant piazzas. Italians love children and have always a great welcome for them. There are no real top family attractions and it is more of a gentle pace for you to enjoy with your family as a relaxing holiday.

When and How

Umbria is a great year round destination but can get hot in July and August. There are still plenty of places to escape to though. Try to catch a festival and travel outside of school holidays if your children are still young as you will get better value and there are fewer tourists. May and June are best.

You can fly to Rome direct and Pisa, Florence or Bologna airports are other options. All are a drive to Umbria. But it is worth it believe us. You can also combine a trip to Rome with a country break in Umbria. There are flights from Ireland and the UK ranging from scheduled and budget flights through to charter flights. You can check special offers or deals here

Hiring a car is pretty essential to get to see all of the best of Umbria and explore this wonderful area even if it is just for a few days. You can book car hire here.

Family friendly accommodation

There are a wide range of family friendly accommodation options available. Most hotels welcome children even if there are no special facilities and you can check for special offers and deals here withbooking.com.

Italy specialists Citalia are one of the leaders in the package market for Italy and you can check their hotel and self catering accommodation only and full packages here. They have a 5% discount for online bookings.

Authentic Italy and   specialise in a wide range of villas and apartments if you want to book a self catering option and have some great villas in stunning locations with special offers and deals . Self catering is generally a high standard and in stunning locations.

Tenuta Badia '99 is a farm-holiday situated in Paciano, between Umbria and Toscana. Prices seem very reasonable and the reviews from parents are good on booking.com which you can look at for special offers and discounts.

What to do with the kids

A drive through the countryside to the old towns and a visit to vineyards is a great day out with the kids.

Visit Assisi and the Basilica of San Francesco. This is a great medieval town. There are remarkable frescos in the Basilica depicting the life of St Francis who is buried there. There are scenic walks in the town and you can stop for Gelati in the Piazza del Comune.

Enjoy the small beaches at Lake Trasimeno where you can find a good selection of water sports. It has small sandy beaches and clear warm water perfect for swimming.

Visit Isola Maggiore one of the three islands on the lake with its 15th century village
Take a trip to the stunning town of Orvieto, perched on top of a sheer cliff in southern Umbria. Visit the cathedral and the alternative underground city.

La Cita della Domenica is an animal park with various rides and attractions just outside Perugia where you can walk through the forest and around the lakes or go on the miniature train.

A trip to Perugia Umbria's capital is well worth it to see the medieval streets and soak up the atmosphere. A particular highlight for the children will be a visit to the Baci factory (the regional chocolate delicacy) in the San Sisto suburbs.

Visit Todi one of the prettiest hilltop towns in Umbria with its lovely central square and impressive cathedral and medieval public buildings.

To the east of Umbria are the beaches of Le Marche with sandy coves and turquoise waters. The resorts can get quite busy in high summer but you can escape the crowds by taking boat trips to remote beaches. You can also visit the caves in Grotte di Frasassi which will delight children.

The Monti Sibillini National Park has opportunities for hiking, horse riding and trekking.

You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday. 

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