Who: Elena Ferrario 54, Francesco Baragiola Mordini 55, Tobia 19, Gemma 15, Scarlett (toy poodle) 5
From: Busto Arsizio, Palazzolo sull’Oglio, and Milan, Italy
Where they’re going: Sardinia, Pistoia, Rome, Abruzzo, Lake Maggiore and Valle Vigezzo, Italy
Trip length: More than five weeks
Budget: Between €8,000-9,000 (£6,932-£7,799/ $9,446-$10,627)
With a husband who travels for work and a son who plays tennis at a high level, holidays are often the only chance for Elena Ferrario and her family to be together for longer than a few days.
Many Italians get four weeks of paid annual leave and August has traditionally been the country’s great holiday month, with businesses slowing down and beaches filling up. The excitement (and prices) build to a frenzied crescendo that peaks on Ferragosto (15 August), a public holiday that signals the height of the summer season. But heatwaves, overtourism and rising costs are prompting some families to take their summer holidays earlier, or even wait until September.
“Every year we choose Sardinia in June because the island is less crowded, the weather isn’t sweltering, and the sea temperature is pleasant,” says Ferrario. “Then, we’ll go to Pistoia [in Tuscany] to visit the Gori Collection at Fattoria Celle. Then, we go to Rome at least once a year. It’s also a convenient stop on the way to Abruzzo, an extraordinary region we discovered last year. This destination was chosen by our daughter who stayed there last year and met a great group of friends she wants to see again.”
More like this:
• A solution for working parents who want to travel
• How hotels could help solve your summer childcare crunch
• The case for taking the same holiday again and again
The rest of the family’s summer will be spent closer to home. They have a summer house on Lake Maggiore, where their son Tobia will join them to compete in the Lesa Cup. “Our house becomes a hub for the tennis players,” says Ferrario. “Finally, we’ll spend a few days in the mountains in Valle Vigezzo, where my parents have a house. Sport is never missing: a run through the woods at sunset or on the beach at dawn is a must.”
For Ferrario, domestic travel is partly practical. With elderly parents, she and her husband can’t both be too far away at the same time. But that constraint has also changed the way the family sees Italy.
“We’ve discovered enchanting places without having to go to the other side of the world,” says Ferrario. “It has taught us to appreciate our beautiful country even more.”
—
If you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter – a handpicked selection of features, videos and can’t-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week.
For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
