Family Holidays: Umbria family holidays and breaks

Take the Family holiday rating 4 stars out of 5

Why

Italians everywhere love children, but this is particularly true in the small Umbrian villages, where the ageing population will delight in watching your children play and explore. The variety of things to do in Umbria will ensure that all age groups are kept happy on days out or you may prefer to stay by your pool and enjoy the great summer weather and some of the most breathtaking scenery in Italy. The food is ideal for the younger palate and restaurants are welcoming of families.

Top left: Church
Top right: Village

Bottom left: Houses
Bottom right: Ruins

When

The peak months of July and August will see high temperatures in Umbria with long hot cloudless days, but try and go in late May or early June when it is slightly cooler and you will see fields full of sunflowers. September is also ideal when the crowds of August holiday makers have left and you can visit such places as Assisi at a more leisurely pace. You may want to coincide your visit with one of the many festivals which take place every year such as the Umbria Jazz Fest in early July or the Hot Air Balloon Grand Prix which takes place in Todi from the 09th to the 16th July.

How

Umbria is so central that there is a choice of flights you can take. British Airways, Alitalia, RyanAir and Easyjet fly into Rome from where you can reach your destination in less than two and half hours. British Airways to Pisa, Meridiana to Florence and Ryanair to Bologna Forli are also possibilities. Check Ebookers, Opodo and Expedia for flight deals with all major airlines. Once you arrive in Italy, hiring a is essential, so take a look at Take the Family's car hire page for our favourite car hire companies.

Do

Enjoy the small beaches at Lake Trasimeno where you can find a good selection of watersports, or visit Isola Maggiore, one of the three islands on the lake, with its 15th century village

Take your family to the stunning town of Orvieto, perched on top of a sheer cliff in southern Umbria. Visit the cathedral and the alternative underground city. Sample the local Orvieto Classico.

La Cita della Domenica is a Natural Park just outside Perugia where you can walk through the forest and around the lakes or go on the miniature train. Includes an adventure playground

Visit Assisi and the Basilica of San Francesco

Visit Todi, one of the prettiest hilltop towns in Umbria, with its lovely central square and impressive cathedral and medieval public buildings. Home to the annual hot air balloon festival in July

Eat

Food is important in Italy and there is no shortage of choice for you. There are different types of restaurants; ristorante, trattoria or osteria, all varying in formality and price range with ristorante being the most formal. If you don’t want to sit down and take your time over your meal, you will find plenty of shops selling slices of pizza, pannini or the local speciality of torta al testa (flat bread filled with prosciutto or cheese).

Cost

Getting to Italy has never been cheaper thanks to low cost airlines and if you book early enough you should be able to get fares of approx £150. Car hire however is expensive and even a small car will cost in the region of £200 per week. Accommodation costs vary. Self catering apartments vary from £320 to £1,000 per week, whilst hotel rooms range from £40 per person per night to £90 per person per night.