Three Generations in Italy: SouthFlorida.com

Grandparents, parents and young children all enjoy a trip of a lifetime

"You are very brave," a friend told us when we confided that we were planning a three-generational trip to Italy - a group of six: parents, children and grandparents, ranging in ages from 18 months to 60 years old - and that we planned to drive ourselves from one place to the next.

"It will be a waste; the children are too young," said another friend.

But already having several three-generational trips to theme parks and cruises to Bermuda and the Caribbean under our belts, and having seen how the children have enjoyed them, we decided the time was now, while the parents could savor the romance of Italy to the fullest, and while the grandparents were still healthy and active.

We started planning a year ahead of the springtime trip, researching first the itinerary (on the Internet, guidebooks, magazines and newspaper travel sections), settling on Rome, Florence, Portofino and, for the middle generation, Veronica and Kyle, a romantic side trip to Venice, while the older generation, Georgina and Humberto, stayed in Portofino with their grandchildren, Aidan, 4 years old, and Julian 11/2 years old.

Once we agreed on the available dates for the trip, some of us cashed frequent-flier miles on British Airways and others Delta vouchers for having been bumped against our will on a flight on one occasion, and having lost our luggage for 22 days on another trip. Since we were saving money on international flights, we decided to splurge on hotels, carefully selecting first-class and deluxe properties that would appeal both to the parents and grandparents, have fun things for the children as well, and were conveniently located.

Convenience was definitely the key when it came to the first hotel we picked, the Hilton Rome Airport. Situated at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) Airport, it is a short walk via covered walkway from any gate to the hotel's front door, so we didn't have to be looking for taxis when we arrived tired from our flights.

After a nap, we took the hotel's free shuttle into the center of Rome, where we walked to the Trevi Fountain to throw the coins that tradition holds ensure a return to the Eternal City. The children are sure to come back, as they really embraced the custom, throwing quite a few coins and taking advantage of the opportunity to wet their hands and splash each other with the fountain's water.

From the shuttle's stop, we could also walk to the Via Condotti with its Gucci, Armani and other designer boutiques and the Spanish Steps (a great climbing opportunity for the kids), the Colosseum and Roman Forum. One day Veronica and Kyle went to the Vatican to visit St. Peter's Square and Basilica and the grandparents and grandchildren went to the Piazza Navona to enjoy yet more fountains and a gelato in an outdoor cafe.

For the two-hour drive to Florence, we rented a minivan from AutoEurope, a Ford with seating for seven (we were six, but the extra room was nice for our luggage). And armed with DK guides and maps, we set out. We were not afraid of getting lost, as we'd be seeing other parts of Italy if we were, and some of us had taken Italian lessons and listened to tapes for months before the trip. The language skills were a godsend when we did get lost.

Our hotel in Florence, the Villa San Michele, an Orient-Express property, is a former Franciscan monastery dating back to the 15th century. Situated on a hill overlooking the Arno Valley and Florence, its fa�ade has been attributed to Michelangelo. The adults in our group appreciated its history, architecture and art; the kids loved its gardens, fields, walking trails and heated pool.

We had a free shuttle that took us into the heart of Florence, and the parents and grandparents took turns going into the city to see the sights: the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, the museums including the Accademia with Michelangelo's David and the Uffizi with Da Vinci paintings, among other treasures.

We drove ourselves from Florence to Portofino, once a fishing village, now a tourist haunt on the Italian Riviera. It was a three-hour drive, which we extended with a side trip to the Leaning Tower of Pisa and a rest stop for dinner. Our hotel in Portofino, the Splendido Mare, another Orient-Express property (there was a 15 percent discount on the Splendido Mare if you combined it with a two-night or longer stay at the Villa San Michele) was steps from the main square and the harbor. The grandparents and grandchildren stayed in Portofino for four nights, enjoying walks around its harbor with its views of fishing boats, yachts and a medieval castle, and gelato time in the outdoor cafes. Boat rides along the coast to visit other villages were easily arranged.

Grandparents and grandchildren were happy as clams. Throughout the trip, Aidan asked lots of questions: "Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa lean?" "Why were there so many fountains in Rome?" "Why were the fishermen tending to their nets in Portofino?" And Julian seemed to get to know his grandparents much better each day.

For their part, Veronica and Kyle were thrilled to drive on to Venice for two romantic nights of gondola rides and visits to St. Mark's and other points of interest. They stayed at the Hotel Danieli, a former Doges' palazzo, now a Starwood Hotels property, just steps away from St. Mark's Square and gondola rides. Veronica had been wanting to stay with Kyle at the Danieli ever since she saw the movie Only You, which was filmed in part there.

"It was a dream come true," she said.

Indeed it was.

Georgina Cruz is a freelance travel writer who lives in Vero Beach; Veronica Cruz, a native Floridian, lives in Fairfax, Va.