Family of six/seven days in Rome

Hi ibgoggle24,

We were just there in October and this data from past Rick Steve's forum really helped us find cool Rome gems and nuggets not everyone knows about:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/unusual-ideas-for-rome

How are you planning to get to Montepulciano and Sperlonga?

Montepulciano does not have good train access-a better choice would be Orvieto

If you plan to rent car and drive you will need a van

Please use the Search function for advise on day trip to Pompeii-it can be a brutal day-better choice would be Ostia Antica

Please offer suggestions for don’t misses and hidden gems

They're all listed in a RS book, and right here.
6-7 days in Rome is quite a long-time, 3-4nights would be suitable, unless you're into diving deep into architecture, churches and art galleries.

Helloibgoggle24!
This will be a wonderful experience for your family. Our first European trip with our kids was to Rome!
You may have heard expression *a lifetime is not enough", which applies to Rome IMHO. So...having said that:
With only six/seven days, I'd skip the beach for sure. And do you have a special reason for wanting to add Montepulciano?
Rome is a big city. You have booked your Vatican visit and Colosseum, great!
First time visitors often visit : The Pantheon and Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain. Your teens might like Castel St' Angelo, with its direct route to the Vatican.
Do a couple of neighborhood walks, Trastavere, and perhaps Monti or the Jewish Ghetto. Maybe visit the Baths of Caracalla, or the Catacombs (although that might be a bit too morbid) And Rome has more than 300 churches, many with stunning art, so pop in whenever your pass by one.
I'd purchase Rome Day by Day, by Frommers. It has maps and suggestions for each day that are really helpful.
With Pompeii as a full, long day, I'd leave one day free to just wander, and see something that wasn't planned.
You will be there around Easter and this is a Jubilee year, so expect big crowds.

You definitely need to go to San Clemente Church. If you like cats, you'll want to go to the Largo Argentina ruins cat sanctuary.

If you like cats, you'll want to go to the Largo Argentina ruins cat sanctuary.

Which is now open to the public via elevated walkways (thanks to luxury goods Bulgari's generous donation) featuring the various temple ruins that occupied the area, a handful of exhibits and entry under the porticos below the streets. The site of the ancient Curia where Julius Ceasar was assassinated is believed to be in this location as well.

Montepulciano will be a challenge without a car, especially if you plan to visit on a day trip. That’s too far and too cumbersome to reach with public transportation on the same day.

Sperlonga is doable. But it’s a two hour train journey to Fondi, then you need to wait for a bus to carry you for the 15 min trip to Sperlonga.

Some places are not as well know that should be visited:

Trajan's Market
Capitoline Hill Museum
The Pantheon
Hadrian's Mausoleum (Castel st. Angelo)
Nero's Golden House

I say skip the beach and do the history and art instead.

Just throwing my 2-cents along with Roberto and Christine that Montepulciano isn't really a day trip from Rome. I'd vote against Sperlonga too, especially if you've booked Pompeii. It wouldn't make a lot of sense to head south all the way to the scavi just to turn around and do that again to go to Sperlonga. That's a lot of time spent in transport.

As Christine said, Pompeii can be a brutal day if your plan is to do it via one of the bus tours from Rome. Those usually involve 3 hours of sitting each way for a scant two hours at an enormous excavation. "Fast" rail from Rome to Naples Centrale (70 minutes) + commuter train (35-40 minutes) from Garibaldi Station (connected to Centrale) to the scavi can cut some time but it's still a looong day, especially for your youngest. Ostia Antica is interesting, much closer, and less expensive for 6 to do.

I'll cheerfully disagree with the poster above that 3-4 days in the Eternal City will do ya: there is a LOT of ground that can be covered, as myself and some of the others here have done over multiple trips. As first-timers, I wouldn't even think much about any 'hidden' stuff as just taking in the more obvious attractions can keep you very busy! I do expect the Vatican Museums to be a challenge for your youngest due to the heavy crowds. The shorter one is, the more difficult it is to see around taller folks (I am 5'1" and can attest to that).

A guidebook is your best friend for identifying the attractions which hold interest for most of you versus the rest of us, and do get your teens involved!!! In addition to scanning the guidebook(s), I'm quite sure they're internet savvy and can do online research. A plus is that having a hand in the plan reduces potential complaints of being hauled around on YOUR itinerary! (wink). 2nd plus is learning some of what goes into putting a trip together so they've a leg up when it's their turn, down the road,

You will also only be able to sightsee at the endurance level of your youngest and/or least engaged. I guess instead of asking for what we think you should do/see, how about you tell us what sorts of things your crew might find interesting?

Lots of great advice above. As a former resident of Rome, I have to ask why Sperlonga? Especially in April as it is very off-season for the beach. There are more interesting and accessible coastal locations if you are after a sea view, for some reason, but I’d focus on Rome itself and maybe a day trip to Villa d’Este where the gardens will be lovely in April. https://www.coopculture.it/en/poi/villa-deste/

It’s a short train ride from Rome, with a short walk to the site. Makes a great day out in the country with lunch. It was a favorite for guests of ours.

To avoid the wear and tear of a lot of travel and still get your 'ancient Roman city" experience, Ostia Antica would be a more pleasant option vs. Pompeii.

What time on the 12th do you arrive and what is your departure date? (i.e., does "7 days" count your arrival and departure days?)

I just noticed now you are going in April. I'd skip the beach in that case. There are lots of day trips you can consider before the beach at Sperlonga.

Besides Naples and Pompeii, where you already plan to go, there is Orvieto, the Colli Albani (Castelli Romani), Hadrian Villa and Villa D'Este at Tivoli, Ostia Antica, Cerveteri. Even Florence is doable thanks to the high speed train (90 min), although Florence deserves more than a day.

We did a walking/food tour of Trastevere with Eating Europe. One of the highlights of our Rome trip!

Not sure about a 5 year-old on a food tour? Not impossible but, well, ?????