OCTOBER IN ITALY WITH KIDS – Our Family’s Advice

I love October in Italy. In fact, along with September and May, it’s one of my favorite times of year to be here.

I realize it’s not a possibility for many families, as your kids’ schools may not have a break during the month of October, but if you can sneak away, it’s a fantastic time to travel here with kids.

Let’s take a look at:

Why Italy works for a family trip in October
Reasons Italy in October may not work for you and your kids
Our family’s top spots to visit in October – based on our experiences traveling and living here
A few more tips for family travel in Italy in October

This isn’t a full-blown guide to Italy in October. You can find my guide for that here. This is a family-focused guide, based on our life and travels here.

Who are we? We’re a family of 5 – mamma, papà, and 3 boys (ages 5, 8, and 12 as I type this up). We’re based in Tuscany but travel to all corners of the country, all months of the year – including October!

Andiamo – Let’s go!

Check out my monthly guides to Italy with kids – January – October

You may want to read
Italy With Teens
Italy With a Baby or Toddler
Best Places to Visit in Italy with Kids
Fun & Memorable Things to Do in Italy with Kids

Italy in October with YOUR Family – Yay or Nay?

Come to Italy in October with your kids if:

You’re trying to avoid Italy’s hot summer temps
Your family loves local festivals – We have plenty of them in the autumn!
You’re interested in road-tripping around Italy – Small towns and villages are still open and lively.
You love fall colors (like the changing colors of vineyards or larch trees)

You may want to skip Italy in October with your kids if:

You like rigid schedules and want to participate in outdoor activities – If you’ve got a bike ride planned and it starts pouring, you’ll need to be flexible and head to a museum for the afternoon.
You want to explore the Dolomites and use gondolas – Many gondolas close up mid-September, so it’ll be harder to access some areas. Still, there’s plenty to explore with kids in the Dolomites in October.
You’re seeking a budget holiday. October is a very desirable time to be in Italy, and prices will reflect that, unless you’re visiting areas that are off-season in October (like the Amalfi Coast in late October).
You want to have a beach-focused trip or you want to ski – You probably will be able to go to the beach, but it’s not guaranteed the weather will cooperate. Puglia and Sicily are your best options. If you want to ski in Italy, October is too early.

Places to Visit with Kids in October in Italy

Honestly, pretty much everywhere in Italy is worth visiting in October.

But here are some ideas for you:

Tuscany & Florence

Two boys inpect the huge sculpture of a giant coming out of the ground. It's surrounded by grassy area and there are bushes and Tuscan countryside behind it. — *Giant hunting in Peccioli*

October is a little quieter in Tuscany, which makes visiting its towns easier if you’ve got kids with you. Lines are shorter, restaurants are less crowded, and museum visits are a little less overwhelming. Our family starts heading back out to some of the more popular towns that we take a break from during the busy summer (San Gimignano, Chianti towns).

We do see more rain in Florence in October, so you may have fewer playground visits, but there are museums with kids programs and other indoor activities (like cooking school) to keep kids engaged and entertained.

Check out my site dedicated to Tuscany – The Tuscan Mom

More on Tuscany with Kids:
Florence with Kids
Florence with a Baby or Toddler
Florence with Teens
Stibbert Museum in Florence
Accademia (Florence) With Kids
Lucca With Kids
Montalcino With Kids
Montepulciano With Kids
Forte dei Marmi With Kids
Brolio Castle With Kids

Puglia

If you can get to Puglia by early October, you’ll probably have some beach weather for the kids. It’s a wonderful time to be at the beach in Puglia because the summer crowds have disappeared and you may have an entire beach club to yourselves. We’ve explored Puglia at different times of the year, and early October is probably my favorite time to be there.

Good To Know: Some beach clubs are already closed in October, and others are open but without facilities like restaurants. It’s not a problem – you’ll just need to call ahead to find one and you may need to bring your own picnic lunch.

Even if you don’t want to spend time at the beach, it’s a wonderful time of year to be in Puglia with kids. Let them witness the olive harvest, join a mozzarella-making class, cycle back roads with Mimmo, and visit Puglia’s unique towns like:

Beaches & beach clubs we recommend:

Tip: Rent a car for exploring Puglia. Bari Airport is an easy rental location.

Another Tip: If you’re in Puglia, you may want to detour into Basilicata and check out the incredible cave city of Matera. It’s fascinating, kids love it, and an October visit with lower temps is doable.

Emilia Romagna

child walking in labirinto della masone bamboo labyrinth near parma, italy

I love exploring Emilia Romagna with my kids, because it has something for everyone – delicious food, fast cars, charming towns, and even a bamboo laybrinth!

I tend to avoid Bologna and Emilia-Romagna towns in the summer because it’s so hot (like a really draining heat).

If the weather’s iffy, head indoors to see how prosciutto or parmigiano cheese is made in Parma, or sample balsamic vinegar in Modena. Racecar fans won’t want to miss a stop at one of Italy’s car museums, including those of Ferrari and Lamborghini.

Read more about Emilia-Romagna with Kids

Rome

Boys battling like gladiators in a sandy arena while instructor looks on. — *An intense training session at Gladiator School*

Rome is an excellent option for families visiting Italy in October. Attend Gladiator School, take a family tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum, eat pizza and gelato, throw your coin into the Trevi Fountain, explore Rome’s children’s museum, play in Villa Borghese’s Gardens, and be entertained in Piazza Navona.

Read about Things to Do in Rome With Kids

Sicily

You can still swim in Sicily in October, so let your kids build sandcastles and play in the water in Sicilian family-friendly beach destinations like Cefalù and Sampieri. Sample chocolate in Modica, learn about Sicilian carts in Ragusa, learn about the caves in Scicli, wander the streets of Ortigia, live the luxe life in Taormina, and explore fascinating Palermo.

Venice

The Venice Biennale (art) runs during even years and it’s still going in October. The festival has plenty for kids to do (like workshops), and the larger than life pavilions are fun and sometimes interactive.

Besides the Biennale, you can take a vaporetto or gondola ride, watch a glass-blowing demonstration on Murano island, take a Carnevale mask-making workshop, climb towers, dine on tapas-style cicchetti, and get lost on the small side streets.

Check out my guides to
Venice with Kids
Burano with Kids
Taking Your Kids on a Gondola in Venice
Where to Eat with Kids in Venice
Venice Playgrounds & Parks
Climbing the Scala Contarini del Bovolo

The Dolomites

boy standing in alpe di siusi in the italian dolomites — *Up on the Alpe di Siusi with my son*

I wouldn’t plan a huge hiking-focused trip to the Dolomites in October (weather might not cooperate and some of the main lifts/gondolas close up mid-September). But, it’s still worth a visit to explore Bolzano (say hi to the Ice Man!), wander some of the smaller towns like Castelrotto and Cortina d’Ampezzo, and sprinkle in some hikes or bike rides!

We like to stay in Fiè allo Sciliar, just up the hill from Bolzano, and within reach of Alpe di Siusi.

Good To Know: If you’re in the area in early October, you can take the lift up to Cinque Torri and explore the WWI open-air museum. The lift closes mid-October and it’s too much of a hike up/down.

Milan

Milan may not jump out as a must-see destination with kids, but it’s a prime spot for preteen and teen shoppers, kids who love science, young foodies, and soccer fans (AC Milan & Inter Milan are based here). My oldest son loves the climb to the roof of the Duomo and walking around on top of it.

Read more about
Visiting Milan with Kids

Pompeii & Mt. Vesuvius

Boy looking into large crater of Mt. Vesuvius. — *My son, peeking into the crater at the top of our Mt. Vesuvius hike*

The not-so-hot weather in October works well for a visit to Pompeii and/or Mt. Vesuvius with kids. It’s far, but you could even take a day trip from Rome to Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius. My son and I did, and we had a blast!

Tip: If it’s foggy or rainy, skip Vesuvius. Spend the extra time eating pizza!

Learn more about
Pompeii with Kids
Mt. Vesuvius with Kids

Activities for a Family Trip to Italy in October

People walking into Dozza, Italy. Colorful murals decorate the archway and buildings. — *Exploring Dozza*

Need some ideas? How about:

Cooking classes
Food tours (in a city or in factories – parmigiano Reggiano, aceto balsamico)
Playing at the beach (Sicily or Puglia in early October)
Visiting cities that are too hot in the summer (like Bologna)
Exploring outdoor ruins that are very hot in summer months (like the Greek Theatre in Taormina or the Roman Forum)
Soccer games
Going to car museums (like Lamborghini and Ferrari)
Checking out small villages and towns (like Dozza or Ostuni)
Visiting a pumpkin patch!
Truffle hunting
Attending a sagra

Italy in October with Kids – Our Travel Tips

F1 racecars on display at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy. — *Inside the Ferrari Museum – Maranello*

Know the holidays. We don’t have any major holidays in Italy in October, but All Saints Day (more on that below) is on November 1st. You may find more crowds in cities or on public transport as Italians pass the extended weekend (if Nov. 1 is close to a weekend, Italians will make a long weekend of it).

Halloween in Italy. Halloween isn’t an Italian holiday, but it’s more popular every year. Costumes tend to be more on the scary or gory side for older kids, and younger kids wear costumes like their counterparts in the US. If your kids love the holiday, do a little bit of research (ask your hotel concierge or your vacation rental owner) if they know about any trick-or-treating or decorated houses in the area. We have a neighborhood in our town that goes all out, and the shops in town hand out sweets after dark. You’ll also find celebrations at American chains in Italy (like Hard Rock Cafés).

All Saints Day (Tutti I Santi) on November 1st is a holiday here, and it’s a national one. Schools and businesses close up and Italians remember and honor loved ones who have passed, often by visiting cemeteries.

Be ready for a variety of weather situations. Pack layers (dress like an onion!) and stash a travel umbrella or two. Bring comfy shoes. Pack for any specific activities you’re planning on. For example, make sure you bring clothes you can hike in if you’ll be up in the Dolomites. Sure, you can go shopping (Bolzano’s a good spot to stock up), but your time will be better spent exploring!

Get more packing tips in
Family Packing List for Italy
Kids Shoes for Italy
Italy Packing List for a Baby or Toddler
Kids’ Packing List for Italy

Think about a multi-generational trip. While October isn’t crowd-free in Italy, it’s better than summer months and the winter holidays. The not-so-hot temps make travel here pleasant and doable for all ages. We’ve enjoyed travel with my mom and dad here on October weekends in Tuscany and the Cinque Terre. Italian schools don’t have any October holidays, but if we had a week or so for a multi-generational trip, I’d go to Puglia (early October), explore Emilia Romagna (cars and food!), visit Rome, or head up to the Dolomites (early October).

Read more about Taking a Multi-Generational Trip to Italy

You may also want to read
What to Do if Your Child Gets Sick in Italy
Who Was? Books for a Family Trip to Italy

Candice Criscione

Candice, a mamma of three, is an Italy trip planner and travel guide who has been living, traveling, and working in Italy for over two decades. She uses her extensive experience in Italy to help travelers plan their first (or tenth!) trip to bella Italia. She lives in Tuscany with her husband and three boys and when she’s not writing for Mom in Italy or The Tuscan Mom, you can find her cycling the Tuscan hills and exploring Italy with her boys!