Italy: is it good
for a family trip?
Yes, and the route from Boston is well served. About 11 flights a week connect Boston to Rome, including a dedicated winter service block, so this is not a summer-only option.
The Fredette Family in Italy
How Italy scored with our kids.
Six things we rate every trip on, out of 10, from our own family travel, plus our overall score, which is simply the average of the six. Flight ease and value are calculated the same way for every destination.
Flight ease
8.0/10About 8 hours nonstop from Boston. We score every flight the same way: start at 10, take off half a point for each hour beyond 4 (a quarter point per hour past 10), and a point for each connection. Delta and ITA Airways fly Logan to Rome nonstop, seasonally, and the train north picks up from there.
Kid friendly
10/10We spent three months in Italy with Boundless Life. Kids love beige food, and Italy is full of it: pasta, pizza and chicken nuggets anywhere you want. Everyone is so friendly about having kids out in public, especially in restaurants, and there are beaches, green space and everything else that makes traveling with kids fun.
Walkability
7.5/10Rome, Venice and Florence are super walkable, and the trains between them are accessible, easy and clean. Venture into Tuscany and you really need a car. That is not a bad thing: we drove to Montepulciano and Montalcino, to Lake Como, and even to Croatia. One of our coolest experiences with the kids was staying in a loft in Como and taking the funicular up the mountain to the lake overlook.
Value
5.8/10Italy's cost of living index is 61.3 (Numbeo, mid-2026, where New York is 100 and the US overall is 69.7), about 12% below home. We score value the same way for every destination: costing the same as home is a 5, and every 10 points cheaper or pricier moves it a point. It is a country-wide average, so big cities and tourist hot spots run higher and small towns and villages lower. Rome, Venice and Florence run above this number; the smaller towns run below it.
Food
10/10Incredible, for the kids and for the parents. Something we do not talk about enough in these guides: sitting outside for a meal, with some of the best wine in the world at an affordable price, while the kids eat everything on their plates and you enjoy a beautiful dish. It makes for a great experience.
Weather
8/10Hot summers, but mild the rest of the year.
Overall
8.2/10One of the best countries in the world for traveling with kids, and it treats the parents well too.
Frequent service to Rome, then a train north.
About 11 flights a week run between Boston and Rome, including Delta's winter block, which keeps this route active outside the peak summer months. Reaching Florence or Tuscany from there means the train, since there is no nonstop into either.
Rome, plus three months in Tuscany.
Our full guide covers Rome and Tuscany, including three months our family actually lived there, with real notes on which tours were worth it and what we would skip.
Search Vrbo rentals, already set to central Rome. Look for two bedrooms and a full kitchen. Where we would stay. Affiliate link, our disclosure.
What families ask us.
Is there a nonstop flight from Boston to Italy?
Yes, to Rome. About 11 flights a week connect Boston to Rome, including a Delta winter block, more frequent service than many of our other European routes.
Is Italy good for a family trip with kids?
Yes. Our full guide covers Rome plus Tuscany, including three months our family actually lived there, with real notes on the tours that landed and what we would skip.
Is there a nonstop flight to Florence or Pisa?
No. Fly into Rome, then take the train to Florence or Tuscany, which is the routing our full guide is built around.
How does Italy compare to Greece for a family trip?
Both are strong options with real tradeoffs on flight length and trip structure. See our direct comparison, Greece or Italy With Kids, for how we would choose.
How long is the flight from Boston to Italy?
About 8 hours nonstop to Rome. Delta and ITA Airways fly Logan to Rome, about 11 flights a week including Delta’s winter block. For Florence or Tuscany, take the train north from Rome, since there is no nonstop into either.
Where this fits.
Three months living in Tuscany, the tours that landed, and what it costs.
Two fully fine-tuned guides, side by side.
A $99 planning consultation, or full booking from $499.