I took my older relatives on a 2-week tour of Italy. It was fun, but I wish we'd done 3 things differently for a better trip.

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• I planned a two-week trip to Italy that my relatives, who are between the ages of 60 and 77, will be taking.
• We didn't encounter everything as planned: There were some issues with our rented items, and we finished more slowly than expected.
• It turned out differently than I had pictured it, but I'd definitely choose to do it again.

The moment I got her created, I couldn't wait to watch her discover one of my favorite countries.

Among my relatives, there are 4 people aged 61 to 76.

Our trip was enjoyable, but there are a few things I wish I'd planned differently - both for my sake and theirs.

We should've scheduled more structured group tours earlier.

I had been to Italy five times previous to this trip.

I thought my relatives wouldn't be keen on spending the trip stuck on a bus, traveling from one city to another.

We also had an optional street food tour of Naples, but for the rest of our time we were on our own to explore Italy's sites.

It was nice to have the flexibility, but it wasn't always the best scenario.

In Rome, for instance, I naively presumed we could take a brisk, 2-mile walk to the Pantheon before it closed. However, my relatives' pace was slower than what I'm used to walking with friends my own age in the United States.

Missing that activity pushed us back on our schedule, so we had to skip a visit to the Trevi Fountain. In looking back, a pre-arranged bus tour with set stops would have been more convenient for our group.

My relatives also really enjoyed the three tours we had booked, so I wish I had planned more guided visits to places like Pompeii and the Vatican.

I wish I had told my family members about essential travel apps before we departed.

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Traveling in 2024 is vastly different from how it used to be when my relatives were younger, and not everyone among them was accustomed to using popular travel apps like Google Translate and Uber.

If I had provided my family with a list of apps to download before our trip and taken the time to explain how to use them, they would have felt more at ease navigating a foreign place.

I knew where my aunts were headed while trying to follow the directions on Google Maps.

After two mishaps, I regret not booking hotels over Airbnb.

When planning accommodations for our group of six, I looked to Airbnbs rather than hotel rooms, partly so we wouldn't have to split up.

I loved my recent hotel stay, but I feel that I could've asked more questions about the fine print of each room I was considering.

Our Airbnb in Sicily had beautiful views of the mountains, but it also had a narrow, dimly lit staircase that felt hazardous for my 77-year-old uncle.

If it was a hotel I probably could have phoned the staff beforehand to inquire about accessibility.

As it was a rental, I had to rely on photos and the owner's written descriptions. In the online listing, the person who was renting the home seemed pretty casual about how many stairs it took to get to the apartment.

We later ran into problems at our Venice Airbnb with the heating and WiFi. Although this wasn't a major issue, our hosts were responsive on the app, and talking with them over chat made me wish we could have communicated with someone in person, like at a hotel.

You can usually switch to a different hotel room if something goes wrong, but it's not as simple with rentals.

I wish the hotels had been more consistent and easier to get around for our group.

Although a few things didn't go as planned, I'm thankful for the amazing memories I shared with my family

In the end, a somewhat disappointing rental car or missed visit to the Trevi Fountain didn't spoil our trip.

After spending two weeks in Italy, we were completely drained but thankful for the unforgettable experiences we shared together.

Spending time traveling with older family members was much different from going on vacation with friends my own age, but I would still choose to do it again if I had the chance.

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