Summer 2026 - planning hub

Thirty-one days,
one house in Calabria,
the whole family.

The trip everyone is converging on - Rome to the Adriatic to Puglia to a three-week stretch of sagra dinners and rooftop stretching, then back through Campania to the airport. This page holds the schedule, the gyms, the meals, and the packing so nobody has to text the group chat twice.

31days
6stays
21nights in Caccuri
4 - 70ages

Heads up - book Jul 24 night

For Sat 25 Jul - Colosseum day

The Colosseum doesn't release the slots for a given day until roughly the day before. Someone in the group has to own the buy the night of Fri 24 Jul - if they wait until breakfast on the day, the slots disappear. Get the combined Colosseum + Forum + Palatine ticket so one swipecard covers the whole day.

Colosseum ticketsSkip-the-line fallback

The trip at a glance

Six stops, four ages, a lot of pizzas

A loose pass starting around the Vatican, dropping south through the Adriatic and the Trulli, then a long anchor in Calabria, a Campania two-step, and the airport.

  1. 01stop

    Rome

    Jul 22 - Jul 26· 4 nights

    Settle the jets, tackle the Vatican, earn the Colosseum.

    Via Della Vite, 13 (centro storico)

    Lazio

    Villa Borghese is the low-stakes green winner with the 4-to-7-year-olds.

  2. 02stop

    Pescara

    Jul 26 - Jul 27· 1 night

    Pick up the cars, breathe the Adriatic, prep for the drive south.

    Via Giovanni Chiarini, 49

    Abruzzo

    Lungomare is wide-paved, flat, stroller-easy.

  3. 03stop

    Alberobello

    Jul 27 - Jul 29· 2 nights

    Two days for cone-shaped houses and Valle d'Itria drives.

    Largo Martellotta, 39b & Via Fiume, 9

    Puglia

    Trulli doors and rooftops are pure magic for this age group.

  4. 04stop

    Caccuri

    Jul 29 - Aug 19· 21 nights

    Three solid weeks in the deep south - the trip's anchor.

    Centro Storico house

    Calabria

    Rooftops for play, day trips, the anniversary, the birthdays, Ferragosto.

  5. 05stop

    Caserta

    Aug 19 - Aug 21· 2 nights

    Two nights with a Sorrento stop and a Napoli day trip.

    Royal Caserta Hotel

    Campania

    Napoli via train avoids parking headaches with kids.

  6. 06stop

    Rome Return

    Aug 21 - Aug 22· 1 night

    Drop the rentals, train to the airport, fly home tomorrow.

    Hilton Garden Inn Fiumicino

    Lazio

    Quiet hotel night, pool if there is one, then the morning flight.

Day by day

The schedule, with everything we know

Tap a day to expand. The big days (Vatican, Colosseum, Anniversary, Tropea, Ferragosto) open by default. Use the room notes, alert callouts, and dinner suggestions to plan together.

Rome

Jul 22 - Jul 26

Rome nights are warm but B&Bs run cold A/C - layer a light sweater.

  1. eveningLand at FCO, transfer to the apartment

    Tap water + jet-lag snack for the kids before bedtime.

  2. eveningLight dinner near home, early night

    Pizzeria al taglio or pane e olive for an easy first meal.

Dinner playWalk-in pizzeria al taglio, panino + olive, fruit for dessert.

ImportantBOOK COLOSSEUM TICKETS THE DAY BEFORE (Jul 24). The morning window for Jul 25 opens the previous day and sells out in seconds - the whole group should know they need to do this the night before, not the morning of.

  1. morningColosseum (timed entry)

    Combine with Forum + Palatine on the same ticket.

  2. middayRoman Forum + Palatine Hill walk

    Wear hats, take water, plan a slow forty-minute loop.

  3. afternoonCool-off gelato + nap push

Dinner playMonti - trattoria with grilled branzino + insalata for adults, kids pasta.

Pescara

Jul 26 - Jul 27

Alberobello

Jul 27 - Jul 29

Caccuri

Jul 29 - Aug 19

  1. all daySlow morning, prep the antipasti board

    Order any extras from the butcher 2-3 days out.

  2. eveningAnniversary dinner at the house

    Calabrian antipasti, sagne 'ncusse, branzino al sale, dessert.

Dinner playAnniversary dinner - check local chef options 8-10 days out, or cook at home.

  1. all dayDrive to Tropea, walk the cliff top, swim at the beach

    Spa below the Santa Maria dell'Isola is a kid highlight.

  2. middayLunch seaside - pesce spada alla griglia + insalata

  3. afternoonGelato + small aperitivo for Nathaniel

  4. eveningDrive back to Caccuri, late supper at home

Dinner playTropea seafood lunch; light dinner back at the house (grilled protein + contorni).

Watch outFerragosto is the biggest holiday in Italy - don't count on shops, pharmacies or even some supermarkets being open. Restaurant bookings should be made AT LEAST a week out, if not earlier.

  1. all dayBeach day, sagra, or stay in and cook

    Most shops and many restaurants are closed. Some restaurants run a fixed Ferragosto menu.

  2. eveningPrepare dinner at home with antipasti, grilled anything, fresh fruit

Dinner playCook at home - antipasto misto, grilled proteins, gelato for the kids.

Caserta

Aug 19 - Aug 21

Rome Return

Aug 21 - Aug 22

Gym + bodyweight stops

Move every day - even in the centro storico

A gym at each major stop. In Caccuri, the historical center has no gym, so bodyweight + isometrics + a packed resistance band carry the long stretch.

Doria Center

Rome · Centro / Piazza di Spagna

Confirm hours

Day passes available. Ask the desk for the day-use rate. Open early through late evening - perfect for morning lifts and a post-rest session.

Open in Maps

Margutta

Rome · Centro Storico (Via Margutta)

Confirm hours

Hole-in-the-wall neighborhood gym, walkable from the apartment. Confirm day-pass at the front desk.

Open in Maps

Evolution Fitness

Pescara · Centro / lungomare

Confirm hours

Day passes, full strength + cardio floor. Best to drop in once before driving on to Alberobello.

Open in Maps

Martino Angels

Alberobello · Trulli area

Confirm hours

Local gym - small but well-kept. Confirm morning hours before going.

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Caccuri - Bodyweight / Isometrics

Caccuri · Casa rooftop + centro storico

Bodyweight plan

No formal gym in the historical center - run body weight circuits on the rooftop. Build a tight isometrics ladder: split squats, push-up variations, hollow rocks, handstand holds against the door frame, single-leg deadlifts with a milk jug. Resistance band packed in the suitcase.

Pump Club

Caserta · Near the Royal Caserta Hotel

Confirm hours

Day passes, decent strength floor. Easy walk from the hotel - drop in for an early session before the Sorrento / Napoli day trips.

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Train with Moose - in Italy

1,500 kcal, 150 g protein, kept simple

The plan follows the Moose clean-eating framework: lean proteins, fresh vegetables, hydration, portion control - then makes it Italy-shaped. Total tracks to ~1500 kcal with ~147 g of protein per day.

Macro split

40%Protein150 g · 600 kcal
35%Carbs130 g · 520 kcal
25%Fats45 g · 405 kcal
  1. 01slot

    Breakfast

    · 350 kcal · 30 g protein

    3 whole eggs + 2 whites, cooked in olive oil, with a slice of pane integrale and tomatoes. Coffee is permitted - black.

    In Italia - Uova strapazzate, pomodoro fresco, pane integrale

  2. 02slot

    Lunch

    · 450 kcal · 45 g protein

    About 150 g of grilled fish or chicken over a mixed-leaf salad, plus a small portion (60 g cooked) of pasta, farro or rice if we trained earlier that day.

    In Italia - Pesce alla griglia, insalata mista, piccola porzione di pasta

  3. 03slot

    Dinner

    · 500 kcal · 50 g protein

    Branzino al sale, pollo alla cacciatora with extra vegetables, or vitello tonnato with rucola. Skip the bread basket, finish with fruit.

    In Italia - Branzino al sale con verdure grigliate

  4. 04slot

    Snack

    · 200 kcal · 22 g protein

    Pick whichever is fresh at the market. Quantity: roughly 150 g of yogurt OR a small mozzarella + a fistful of nuts.

    In Italia - Mozzarella di bufala, noci, frutta di stagione

Ground rules

  • Protein at every meal - the floor is roughly 30 g per sitting for the high-protein train.
  • Hydration target around 3 L of water per day, more on Ferragosto, beach days, and the long drives.
  • Italian bread and pasta stay - just smaller portions, swapped in at one sitting per day, not both.
  • Cocktails, limoncello grappa and gelato count. Keep them to the second half of the day and budget the kcal.
  • Family-style meals with kids and grandparents: plate the protein first, fill half the plate with contorno.

Where to eat

Family-friendly + high-protein options, by stop

Skip restaurant names - we don't want to ship something that isn't real. Instead, the dishes and trattoria shapes below are exactly the play in each town.

Rome

Jul 22 - Jul 26

Family-friendly

  • Pizzeria al taglio for the kids on night one (no-fuss, recovered jet-lag).
  • Trattoria near Piazza di Spagna or in Prati - kid menus plus a fish option for adults.

Clean plates to look for

  • Branzino al forno + insalata for the high-protein dinners.
  • Pollo alla griglia with cicoria - no bread basket, ask first.
  • Carpaccio di pesce or tuna in padella as lighter options.

Pescara

Jul 26 - Jul 27

Family-friendly

  • Lungomare seafood spots have wide piers and outdoor seating that the 4-to-7s love.
  • Look for rooms with a kid menu and a high-chair, not a luxury venue.

Clean plates to look for

  • Antipasto misto with grilled octopus and white beans.
  • Pesce all'acqua pazza - a one-bowl fish + tomato + herbs dish, easy to share.
  • Pasta alla chitarra with shellfish (smaller portion).

Alberobello

Jul 27 - Jul 29

Family-friendly

  • Eat in Rione Monti inside the Trulli or visit Locorotondo for a sunset dinner - the kids run on the piazza.
  • Look for caciocavallo + grilled vegetables as a shared family plate.

Clean plates to look for

  • Braciole di carne with cicoria - small protein portion if it is a heavy day.
  • Purea di fave + grilled fish or meat for a clean combo.
  • Capocollo + insalata for older appetites needing a cold option.

Caccuri

Jul 29 - Aug 19

Family-friendly

  • Most meals at the house - this is the easiest stretch for clean eating when we control the kitchen.
  • Local sagra dinners when we're invited - bring a bottle and just enjoy.

Clean plates to look for

  • Sagne 'ncusse at the anniversary - plate the grilled protein first, take a single scoop of pasta.
  • Tonno sott'olio + insalata for a no-cook hot night.
  • Pomodori ripieni + grilled fish on Ferragosto, since most restaurants are closed.

Caserta

Aug 19 - Aug 21

Family-friendly

  • Caserta centro has a few terraced trattorias with kid menus and space for strollers.
  • Pizza on the Napoli day - one sit-down Margherita, that's it.

Clean plates to look for

  • Mozzarella di bufala + grilled Secondigliano-style meats for a lunch.
  • Pesce alla griglia dinner at the lungomare in Napoli on the day trip.
  • Insalata di mare as an appetizer shared family-style, lighter than fried.

Rome / Fiumicino

Aug 21 - Aug 22

Family-friendly

  • Hotel restaurant is the play - everyone is running on fumes and the kids are overstimulated.
  • Airport food is fine; one last panino before the plane.

Clean plates to look for

  • Plain grilled fish or chicken if the hotel menu has it, hold the dessert.
  • Carb-only at the airport if that is what's left - the train starts tomorrow.

Critical alerts

Don't wing it on these

The things that go wrong if they're not handled in advance - tickets, traffic rules, holidays.

Important

BOOK COLOSSEUM TICKETS THE DAY BEFORE (Jul 24)

Standard timed-entry slots for Jul 25 open roughly a day or two in advance and disappear in minutes. The whole group needs to be ready on the night of Jul 24, with one person owning the buy. Combined tickets include the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill on the same swipecard - don't buy them separately.

Trigger - Reminder: night of Jul 24 → book by breakfast on Jul 25.

Important

Vatican tickets - if standard timed-entry is sold out

The official Vatican tickets frequently sell out a week or more ahead. Two clean workarounds: (1) a licensed private-guide skip-the-line from GetYourGuide or Viator - buys you an early morning slot with English guide for ~80-150 Euro per adult, kids usually free; (2) a last-minute reseller on Tiqets that picks up official blocks as they release. Don't show up at the gate and hope - it doesn't work.

Trigger - Jul 23 evening - decide between guide vs reseller before 9 AM on Jul 24.

Important

Car returns (Aug 21 at Termini)

Both rentals must be dropped at the same place on Aug 21. Refuel BEFORE the drop - a full refuel at a Termini-area station is half the cost of a rental company refuel charge. Box both key sets, take photos of the cars at the drop, and keep the receipts until the final credit card statement arrives.

Trigger - Aug 21 morning - map a Service Area near Rome to fuel up before the drop.

Warning

Do NOT drive into a ZTL (limited traffic zone)

ZTLs gate the centro storico of every city here - Rome, Pescara, Alberobello, Caserta, Napoli. The cameras are invisible and the tickets come weeks after the return, billed to the rental car company. For Pescara: park on Viale della Riviera and walk in. For Sorrento (Aug 19 stop): the Achille Lauzo or one of the exterior garages. For Alberobello: the paid lot at the bottom of Rione Monti. General rule: if the sign is a small white circle on red, don't enter.

Trigger - Every walk-in between Rome and Caserta - scan every entry sign before driving in.

Warning

Ferragosto (Aug 15) - country winds down

Aug 15 is the single biggest public holiday in Italy. Local shops, pharmacies, half the supermarkets, and many trattorias close. Beaches are packed. Restaurants that do open often run a fixed Ferragosto menu. Pre-stock the house on Aug 14 and plan one cook-at-home dinner for the day. If you do want a restaurant booking, lock it AT LEAST a week early.

Trigger - Aug 14 - groceries in. Aug 15 - beach or sagra, not errands.

Heads up

San Rocco (Aug 16) - the local saint's day in Caccuri

The day after Ferragosto, every comune does its own saint's celebration. In Caccuri this means mass, a procession through the centro, and a communal dinner in the piazza. It is one of the warmest nights of the trip for the kids - say yes to the invitation, bring a bottle, and let the kids stay up late.

Trigger - Aug 16 - walk down to the piazza before the procession starts.

Heads up

Anniversary dinner (Aug 3) - lock the plan at least a week out

If we're hiring a local chef or booking a restaurant in Crotone, the booking window is at least 8 to 10 days before. The fallback is cooking at home: order the antipasti and any proteins from the local butcher 2-3 days out, and pre-buy the wine. Sagne 'ncusse and branzino al sale both transport cleanly.

Trigger - By Jul 24 - confirm chef or resto. Jul 30 / 31 - place the butcher order.

Heads up

Tropea birthday day trip (Aug 8) - timing

The drive is roughly 2.5 hours each way. Plan to leave by 8:30 AM to get the beach before the noon heat. Lunch seaside, gelato in the piazza, drive back before dinner. This day is intentionally just for Stef and Nathaniel - the rest of the group can take a slow day at the house.

Trigger - Aug 7 evening - pack the day-bag and pick the music for the drive.

Packing list

What goes in the suitcase

Tap an item to check it off - this is saved to your browser, so it stays checked when you come back on the phone the next morning.

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Documents & money

0/6

Summer essentials

0/6

Shoes

0/4

Layers

0/3

Swim & outdoors

0/4

Gym & bodyweight kit

0/4

Tech

0/5

Kids & med kit

0/6

Casa life - long Calabria stay

0/6

Last thing

This page is the trip. Print it, bookmark it on the phone, share the link in the family group chat. Anything the group needs to know that the calendar doesn't already show - tickets, gyms, the Eagles dinner, the day the AdBlue goes in - lives here so we're not DMing at 11 PM the night before.

Six stops
Six gyms
21 nights

Puglia for two nights, Calabria for the long answer, Campania for the closer. Italy all the way through.