Italy By Rail: Our Family-Friendly Itinerary

While air travel becomes ever more functional, the pleasures of the train are undeniable. you can lose yourself in a book, chat with your favourite people or watch from the window as scrolling landscapes unfold. A rediscovered love for rail journeys and a move towards more sustainable travel has fuelled a European-wide rail revolution over the last few years – but Italy has been running its brilliant services for decades. 

The country’s comfortable, efficient high-speed trains reach speeds of up to 300 km per hour, quickly linking cities and making it easy to dot between destinations on one perfect holiday. We’ve devised a fantastic itinerary that includes three Rocco Forte Hotel properties across the country.  

Shortish journey times mean tiny train fans will adore this trip, while it’s a grandparent-pleaser too. Why not take your whole family on our action-packed Italian adventure?

Stop one: art and ice cream in Florence

Start in Italy’s most inspirational city. Whether your family wants to feast on Florence’s myriad works of art or just its famed gelato, Hotel Savoy makes the perfect base from which to do it. 

Overlooking the Piazza della Repubblica , our hotel is at the heart of the city. A quick stroll from Florence’s must-see sights including the Pitti Palace and Uffizi, it comes with large suites and interconnecting rooms that are perfect for families. 

Inside the hotel, your little ones get their own Rocco Forte Kids passports and snuggle-soft bathrobes. And outside, we can arrange an array of child-friendly activities so everyone enjoys this special city, from bike tours through its alleys and piazzas to a treasure hunt in the galleries of the Uffizi.

Then it’s time to bid Florence goodbye. From here, it takes just one and a half hours to reach Rome by train (less than half the time of the journey by car). Along the way, the tracks cut through some of Italy’s most beautiful countryside, leaving behind the green and golden landscapes of Tuscany for Lazio’s olive grove-dotted hills. 

Stop two: journey back in time in Rome

Next stop is Italy’s capital and beating heart. In this living museum, there’s history to capture everyone’s imagination. Hotel de la Ville is perfectly placed for you to explore it all. 

Grandparents in tow? Let them reminisce on the golden age of cinema with a trip to Cinecittà, the studio behind classics including Cleopatra and Roman Holiday. Meanwhile, kids can walk in the footsteps of gladiators at the Colosseum or taste the world’s best pizza. Our concierge team will be happy to help you make the most of your time in the city. 

It’s a slightly longer journey now, from Rome to Bari – the gateway to Masseria Torre Maizza and Puglia’s magical towns and sweeping beaches. It takes around four and a half hours to reach Italy’s ‘heel’, on a journey that crosses the countryside of the interior before reaching one of the country’s most charming regions.

Stop three: a relaxing end to your holiday in Puglia

Surrounded by olive groves and trimmed with blossoming bougainvillea, Masseria Torre Maizza will provide the perfect ending for your family adventure and is only a 40-minute drive from Bari Centrale station. The living is easy here, whether you want to spend sunny days at our beach club Lido Bambù, take a boat trip to the whitewashed town of Monopoli or enjoy a spa treatment while the children are thoroughly entertained with our Rocco Forte Kids programme. Whatever you choose to do, savour precious time together as you reminisce on your revelatory rail journey.

Find out more about our Italian hotels here.