Italy With 2 Small Children (Ages 1 and 4)

Posted by ETNF on 06/15/26 03:02 PM

I am planning 8 nights in Italy with 6 adults and my 2 small children. I lived in Rome for a semester in college and feel like I can get around OK but I'm curious if anyone has any experience with taxis or public transport and car seat usage. I'm organizing a car service to/from FCO into the historic center (Largo Argentina) where we are staying and I'm wondering if I need to bring a car seat with me for those rides or if those can typically be provided by the transport company. I'm also curious about travel strollers and buses (we will be taking the bus to/from Termini for a mid-week overnight in Florence) and whether or not there are designated stroller areas on busses (like in London) or I'll be opening and closing it up frequently. Finally, I'm looking for family friendly tour guides or companies for a few organized tours for the 8 of us. I'm seeing that in the Colosseum most tours say age two and up, so I reckon I'll have to hire someone for our little group to see the Colosseum and Forum and I'd like to do the same for the Vatican and Vatican Museums. Tour guide recommendations for the family in Florence also welcome!

Any family-friendly trip planning advice would be greatly appreciated!

Posted by ChristineH

Gettysburg PA

06/15/26 04:31 PM

9546 posts

Car seats are required for both of your children
You will have to ask your transport company to provide

Pretty sure buses in Rome don’t have stroller areas

Posted by NickB

Maryland

06/15/26 04:45 PM

1217 posts

My experience traveling with three children under six for more than a few hours was to train each of them to enjoy riding up high in a backpack, even if you bring a stroller. Now... in honesty... letting them munch Goldfish over my neck was another thing.

Posted by margie

Bend, OR

06/15/26 05:25 PM

2162 posts

You might want to google for kid friendly Rome blogs. My daughter did this for Paris. You’ll probably get a lot more useful info than here.

Posted by LissaJ

06/19/26 05:13 AM

8 posts

We used Ciao Bambino to plan tours in Rome and Tuscany with our kids and they were great, as they are a family-oriented travel company. We did a golf cart tour in Rome (highly recommend), a kid-friendly Colliseum tour (it was so hot but interesting) and a private tour of the Vatican and V Museums with a tour guide that was GREAT with kids and tailored it to what we wanted most to see (Massimilliano with Tours by Locals). We used a travel stroller that folds up to fit under chairs or in overhead compartments, and we didn’t fill our days to the max to allow for down time/naps/playgrounds. Have fun!

Posted by geovagriffith

06/19/26 11:42 AM

10263 posts

Good luck with two little ones. I traveled with kids as young as 5, going to a museum was a problem since after 30 minutes my son was ready to leave.
Can't imaging doing much sightseeing with two little ones.

Posted by cala

Charleston & Birmingham

06/19/26 01:00 PM

5383 posts

We went to Rome when our daughter was 15 months. We stayed at Hotel Museo across the street from the Vatican Museums. Our inlaws were with us and we took turns staying with our daughter while others went to the museum. Your 4 yr old will enjoy the cats at the Largo Argentina ruins.

Posted by Kate

Minnesota 🎒

06/20/26 06:34 PM

18335 posts

.... a private tour of the Vatican and V Museums with a tour guide
that was GREAT with kids

LissaJ, how old were your children when you did this tour? Honestly, I can't imagine managing an infant and 4-year-old amongst the dense mob in the Vatican Museums even with a kid-friendly tour... most of which, I'm guessing, are not geared for tots quite as young as the OP's. I'm pushing 5'2" and had a really difficult time seeing over the people crowded around me. Unless you've got them both in back carriers - and I'm not sure a rigid-frame type is allowed but someone else might know - the majority of what they'll see from a stroller are feet and backsides, outside of ceilings. Then there's the heat, depending on when you'll be traveling. Really, I can't imagine this particular museum being an enjoyable experience for them at all, and it wouldn't be a fun place for a wee-child meltdown either. :O(

Ciao Bambino has this to say:
"Consider skipping the museums altogether if you have very small kids. Almost everywhere in Italy is a tot-friendly paradise, but the Vatican Museums may be better saved for a future trip when the children are older. Given the slow-moving crowds, the amount of walking (strollers are not advised) and the sheer volume of art and artifacts to see, the reality is that the museums just aren’t well suited for littles. "
https://ciaobambino.com/visiting-the-vatican-with-kids

As well, all of the advice for booking early, skip-the-line tours to avoid the crowd should be eyed with skepticism as only VERY expensive tours get in before the general-entry 8:00 hour, and ALL tours and timed-entry tickets skip the ticket line: no one skips the security-check queues although they do move right along.

You might consider Cala's strategy of splitting the adult group up and having some stay with the littles while the others visit the museum, then switching babysitting duty.