What No One Tells You About Taking Kids to Italy (But I Will)

The snacks, the strollers, the meltdowns... and the moments you’ll never forget.

Picture this. It’s 107 degrees in Florence (yes, really). We’re squeezed into a tiny restaurant, and I’m carrying my toddler out, bare-bottomed, happily calling “coo coo” (Italian for peekaboo) to the kitchen staff. She’s giggling, I’m sweating, and we are a walking comedy act at this point. Welcome to parenting in Italy.

There is so much magic about bringing kids here. But there are also things no one really tells you about, the little details that can turn a beautiful day into a funny story you’ll be telling for years. So let’s get into it.