A visit to the City of Love, Verona with kids is one of the most family-friendly Veneto sites to experience. The romance of Verona sparks curiosity and excitement among kids and parents alike. The city’s vibrant history is so evident in its beauty today, found from corner to corner. It also makes a convenient base for a day trip to Venice or Lake Garda.
Top Reasons to Visit Verona with Kids
A grave? O no, a lantern… For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes this vault a feasting presence full of light. – William Shakespeare
Verona is one of the most popular UNESCO Heritage Sites in Italy, with an architectural heritage that is well preserved, illustrating the city’s prominence as a military stronghold from the 1st century BC to the Renaissance. It is truly a place where kids will become excited about Italy’s rich history. Verona is still important to Italy’s economy with a flourishing local vibe, allowing visitors to get a sense of local life, which is rare for such a famous tourist destination.
Kids Activities in Verona
The majority of activities enjoyable for families in Verona are conveniently centralized in the Citta Antica, the Old City, where you will find the famous Roman Arena, Juliet’s Balcony, the open market at Piazza delle Erbe on the site of the Ancient Roman Forum, the medieval tower of Torre dei Lamberti (climb it for the view!), the commemorative Gothic arch Arche Scaligere, Romeo’s House, the Gothic church of Sant’Anastasia, and the ancient cathedral. From the area of the cathedral, you can cross the famous Roman bridge Ponte di Pietra dating back to 100 BC spanning the Adige River. The gardens at St. Peter’s Castle are a kid-friendly place to take in a beautiful panorama of the city while the kids run around a bit.
The City of Verona has a great online resource for families with information for kids about Verona’s main sites, along with some downloadable games, such as the “Love Hide and Seek” game, which will guide your family through the Old City in search of famous Romeo and Juliet sites while also pausing to “seek” some of the famous other landmarks along the way. The “Straddling the River” walk is another great activity–print out the map and the parent guide for this walk from Ponte di Pietra, across the river to the Cathedral, passing the main sites from the Arena and ending at St. Peter’s Castle.
Families can also book a fun, interactive role playing boat game with Macacotour — pretending to be members of the feuding Capulet and Montague families of Romeo and Juliet fame while solving a mystery and cruising down the Adige River viewing the sites of Verona! For younger children ages 5-11, Macacotour also offers a 90-minute treasure hunt exploring fun historical sites for kids in the city center.
Family-Friendly Verona Hotels and Apartments
Staying in the ancient center of Verona in the area around the Roman Arena and Juliet’s Balcony is a family-friendly experience with convenient proximity to all of the main sites, and charming streets to wander and get lost in shopping, dining, and enjoying the city’s magnificent multi-layered architecture.
Residenza Borsari (285-400 euro/night) – In a perfect location only a 5-minute walk from Juliet’s Balcony and the Roman Arena, the Residenza Borsari luxury b&b is in a charming historical building, with only five deluxe suites, two of them adjoining (Suites Arena 1 & 2), as well as two apartments. The adjoining suites rent together for a nightly rate of 200-400 euro including breakfast, good value for this location and the sumptuousness of the rooms, and the apartments begin at 285 euro/night. Many of the rooms have nice balconies.
Corte Realdi Suites (280-400 euro/night)- One of our absolute favorite properties to recommend for Verona family lodging (we also highly recommend their sister family hotel in Venice). Corte Realdi Suites offers either a choice of spacious hotel suites or self-catering 1-2 bedroom apartments with balconies and terraces distributed in two buildings off of Piazza delle Erbe, a great location in the historical center and near the elegant shopping street of Corso Porta Borsari. The service here as far as self-catering accommodations go is fantastic, with owners who go out of their way to provide a local experience in this quintessential neighborhood. The frescoed ceilings and ancient doors out to the terrace, with the painted external walls make for a special experience of itself. The above photo of the Apartment Mazzanti balcony says it all!
Empire Verona (200-300 euro/night) – located on Corso Porta Nuova just a short walking distance to all of the sites of the historical center, the Empire Verona Family Room is a great option for families with two separate, double, intercommunicating rooms with a large shared bathroom. They also have a junior suite with a nice internal balcony. Amenities include their spa and wellness center and the convenient parking nearby for guests.
Residenza Madonna Verona (130-280 euro/night) – four studio, 1-, and 2-bedroom apartments with kitchens, each with balconies facing Piazza delle Erbe, housed in a historic building with elegant rustic wood-beamed ceilings and remnants of ancient frescoed walls. Furnishings are modern and simple, with nice spacious marble bathrooms. The location in the heart of the ancient center, walking distance to the main sites, and only 10 minutes from the train station is especially convenient. Residenza Madonna offers a lot of value for the price in this nice location.
Lady Capulet Apartments (160-280 euro/night) – We love this elegant Renaissance palazzo tastefully restored into 4 self-catering apartments sleeping 4-6 people. Each apartment has a fun name the kids will enjoy–Ducchess, Baroness, Countess, and Empress, some have balconies and are split level. Free bike rentals and inexpensive nearby parking are nice perks for families visiting Verona. The location is perfect, on a quiet “vicolo”–a small lane, just a few minutes walk to the heart of the historical center, but in a more residential area where families will feel a bit more like locals.
How to Arrive in Verona with Kids
By Train: Verona is an easy destination to reach by train, with the Frecciarosa fast train lines connecting it to Venice, Rome, Florence, and Milan. The fast train takes only 2 hours to reach Florence, 1 hour to Venice, and 3 hours to reach Rome (nonstop on the Frecciargento for Rome).
By Car: A car is not needed if you are staying in the historical center of Verona, however, if you are arriving by car, we suggest that you inquire with your lodging about the most convenient and economical parking nearby. Please remember to be alert to the limited traffic zones (ZTL) to avoid a ticket when entering the city.
By Plane: The most convenient major airport to arrive for a Verona holiday is Venice Marco Polo International Airport, or if you are flying on a local inter-Europe airline, you can arrive to the Verona Villafranca Airport.
Kid-Friendly Day Trips from Verona
Family Day Trip to Venice
Venice is a convenient family day trip from Verona. You can arrive by train to the Venice Santa Lucia station in only one hour on the fast train. From the train station in Venice, you can hop on the Vaporetto from the dock in front of the station and take this water ferry to the Grand Canal stops. We suggest buying a 1-day vaporetto pass so that you can hop on and off all day as you visit Venice.
Family Day Trip to Lake Garda
If you have a car, the most family friendly Lake Garda destinations are all within about 20 minutes to a 1 hour drive, from Sirmione to Riva del Garda on the lake’s northern shores. The southern destinations on the lake are conveniently serviced by train or bus, and the APTV bus line also services Riva del Garda from Verona via a transfer line from Desenzano del Garda. One of our favorite destinations is the fortress town of Sirmione. The most convenient way to arrive is by train to the Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione station, just a 20-minute ride from Verona.
Image Credits: Rick Lighthelm, spencer77
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Italy Family Trip Report: Venice, Verona, and Emilia Romagna
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