ROME WITH KIDS?!

[bee74]

HELP

Just had this crazy idea of going to Rome for 6 days with the kids and my partner in March. My vision is of the children taking in all the amazing sights, eating pizzas and gelatos, walking in awe through the forum, being overwhelmed by the beauty of it all and last but not least to practice a bit of Italian (they think I am the only one who speaks strange!) ...

Do you think the vision will be very far from the reality of them whining and complaining it's too far to walk and too much to see and 'not interesting'... ?!

I must book soon as flights are going up and hotels are getting booked! Is it a waste of good money?!

Thank you

[EDmummy]

You don't say how old your kids are. We took our then, 8 yr old and 13 yr old and they definitely took in some culture but also managed a bit of moaning. I would say 4-5 days would be long enough if you paced your activities (not try to cram too much in a day). I would highly recommend getting a hop on hop off bus pass and chose accommodation reasonably central to the attraction you favour the most (we stayed in an AirBnb near the Colosseum. Enjoy! Great city.

[Convex]

yes depends on the age of the kids, but my main thing would be realistic about what you can do in a day and tailor it to what your kids can handle.

be prepared to cut things short and change plans e.g. if they are grumpy then a happy day at the park is better than an unsuccessful visit to the coliseum!

its more a family holiday that happens to be in rome than a cultural trip to rome. if that makes sense.

[Justasking]

Gelateria del Teatro is my favorite - Via dei Coronari 65/66. Nice area too. Rome is not great for little kids, in my experience, more fun for the school age kids who can get into character.

[bee74]

sorry children are 4 and 7. They have travelled a lot (India, Caribbeans, Africa, Italy... ) but they have always been more adventure / beach type trips or longer stays when we have just immersed ourselves in the local life. I have been to Rome many times and love it, but I was single and childless.

So I am wondering whether I am deluding myself that the children would enjoy the cultural city sightseeing trip and I better stick stick to the adventure/ beach combo rather ...

[Convex]

ah sorry you already know all that then!

i reckon just go and see how you get on. maybe get them some age relevant books before they go so they recognise stuff.

[curlykaren]

I took my son for a long weekend as a treat for his 5th birthday. (We were there during late Jan) It was wonderful, almost exactly as you described in your vision. Two years later it remains one of my fondest memories of time spent together. Having said that we have always been very big on this type of activity and he is very used to visiting castles and museums etc.

[DaveR]

I went to Rome with the kids last summer, had a fantastic time (even with the heat). We stayed in an apartment that was slap bang in the centre so we could walk most places, and a couple of times when we were out and the kids got very tired it was a short and fairly cheap cab ride home. They loved the Colosseum, Pantheon etc., and also the less obvious stuff like the fountains that are everywhere. Lots of pizza, pasta and ice creams, obviously. With 6 days you could also fit in a day trip to the beach!

[bee74]

Hello DaveR... how long are your children? Thank you

Yes, day to the beach and catacombs!

[landsberger]

DaveR is right, you're an hour from the beach in Rome by train (which is an adventure in itself) if that's what they want to do. Obviously I don't know your kids or their interests or ages, but, like the Spanish, the Italians love kids and particularly off the beaten track, will treat them very well.

[JDR]

Friends went and the activity I fancied the sound of was fiat 500 and Vespa tours! Don't have details, guess worth a Google?

[bawdy-nan]

would love any Rome with kids tips...we're going in the summer for a week with 11 and 13 year old - planning to take a trip to the seaside for sure and have a flat that's pretty central ,,...

[apenn]

Rome is not buggy friendly, but we managed with a toddler. Restaurants open late for dinner so you kind of miss out on lots of good eating since the kids will need to eat earlier than the non-touristy places open, but again, we managed.

Top tip - if you have a baby you can jump to the front of the queue at big attractions like the Vatican. Someone in the queue there told us and we didn't believe them until we asked a security guard in a very strange conversation:

Me: Excuse me, but is it true that if you have a baby you can come to the front?

Guard: How old is your baby?

Me: 18 months

Guard: Bring me your baby.

I walk back (far back) to get my husband and son, finally return to the guard.

Guard: Go.

I have no idea what kind of unofficial age limit works with this.

-A