Hi!
I’m taking two kids (4 and 7) and my parents to Rome for a week. I cannot figure out the best tours to book for the coliseum, Vatican and a day trip to Pompeii. Further, my mother is recovering from cancer surgery and has some mobility issues.
So I’m wondering if anyone has tried to book these with kids or mobility issues, and have some tips on tours that get everything cool in while keeping everyone informed/entertained, etc?
I would probably drop Pompeii. It's a bit of a slog from Rome, it's a long day to fully experience it, it'll be boring for your kids and your mother may find it difficult (cobblestone streets with deep ruts from centuries of cartwheels do not make for easy walking).
The Colosseum I have always done without a guide, I've encountered guided tours and I've always thought it difficult to hear the guide over the general humdrum, a more private guide would be better but I'm not sure how much more you would get out of it when weighing up the cost.
One of the things that we enjoyed as a family was visiting Villa Borghese where you can hire pedalled four passenger 'cars' or even golf carts to explore the lush gardens (a relief from the heat if you're visiting during the summer). Not far from the Borghese gardens is the childrens science museum, https://www.mdbr.it/en which was enjoyed by all the family.
Hi Bridget,
Here is a list of tour companies that you can view and compare. They pretty much all get good reviews and have similar itineraries. You can also see on their sites the maximum number of people they will take.
Look for discounts on their sites or if calling, inquire about discounts.
https://theromanguy.com/
https://www.walksofitaly.com/
https://www.througheternity.com/
https://darkrome.com/ (Dark Rome and City Wonders are sister companies)
https://citywonders.com/
https://angeltours.eu/destination/rome/
Keep in mind the time of year you will be traveling. Of course, high season will have abundant crowds, long lines in some cases.
Also, to get an idea of Rome's city centre and vicinity, check out the YT version of The Roman Guy.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+roman+guy Scroll through to view; especially the "neighborhood series." They have a lot of great suggestions and tips for the newer traveler. Sean, who is one of the company's leads, narrates most of the vids.
Keep in mind It is always encouraged to check out the original websites of any suggested attraction - times, dates, closings, pricing, policies may change at their discretion.
Places like The Vatican, St. Peter's will have a security check - no large bags or backpacks in either. Bags of about 14-15" were allowed all the times I went to St. Peter's. So far, it has not changed.
There are very strict rules for no photo taking in The Sistine and St. Peter's (Chapel of The Blessed Sacrament.)
Strict dress codes are enforced especially for The Vatican and St. Peter's & most Churches.
If your Mom will be using a walker or cane for when she may tire, they are allowed at main attractions. They will be put through security at The Vatican, St. Peter's, The Colosseum, and The Borghese Gallery. I saw strollers in St. Peter's - no large baby carriages (prams)
The Colosseum was allowing bags of about the same size as above. The Borghese Gallery at one time did not allow any bags of any size - plastic totes were given out to carry wallets, phones, etc. Now, they have allowed small sized bags - 8"-9" in size.
Other churches in Rome are not as strict with bag sizes.
You will probably visit The Pantheon - it is an active Church and its history is astounding. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome Piazza della Rotonda is very active and fun.
Piazza Navona is gorgeous with its flowing fountains. There are concrete benches to sit and rest a bit. Grab a gelato - enjoy, sit and admire the beautiful and awe-inspiring fountains.
Fontana di Trevi is magical - especially at night.
Piazza di Spagna (The Spanish Steps) and Trinità dei Monti (Church at the top of the stairs)
Altare della Patria / Piazza Venezia - Stunning and crazy busy.
Check out the https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio.html
Each one gives a bird's eye view of major attractions, piazzas and so on. You will get an idea of people crowding, what each area looks like at different times of the day. Sometimes they switch out the cams - usually Campo de' Fiori is up and running for day and night viewing. It is a lively plaza for sure.
Check out https://www.romewise.com/ Elyssa is a Rome resident for many years. She is very knowledgeable and super nice.
Have fun planning and traveling to Rome! People in Italy are so nice and helpful. I have made friends from my first trip years ago. When I visit now, it is like I never left, lol. I love it!
adding You may know this already but schedule wheelchair assistance at all airports on each leg of flights. Airports have an express line of sorts. She will still have to go through the usual security. At least she won't have to stand for a long time. She will have an airport escort but you can walk along with her and then go through the regular line.
I agree that Pompeii is unsuitable for your group. Ostia Antica is a reasonable alternative - it's close and easy to get to, a smaller site and easier to walk. There's a beach nearby and that may be a good way to end the day - depending on the time of year, of course.
Hi Bridget and welcome to the forum -
I'll vote with the others to skip Pompeii. It's a vast excavation that would be a challenge for your mother to manage on foot, and on foot is the only way to explore the majority of its varied, uneven surfaces. It's also a bit of a haul from Rome. You don't mention what time of year you're planning to take this trip but spring to fall, it would be quite hot at the scavi. There is a limited route for visitors with mobility challenges but, well, this attraction still a slog from Rome with 2 young children and a senior with walking limitations.
http://pompeiisites.org/en/visiting-info/pompeii-for-all/
Bus tours which depart from Rome involve a good 6+ hours on the road - 3 each way - for just a couple of hours at the site. You can cover ground faster by trains but again, not that I'm recommending this day trip for your situation.
Vatican: early-entrance tours to the museums are generally considered "best" choices as they get you into/out of the Sistine before the general public. Visitors on these tours are not in there alone by any means, as multiple companies offer this option, but it greatly helps avoid the bigger crush in the chapel and other parts of the museums later on. The Sistine is at the far end of the museums so it's a bit of a hike to get there. Wheelchairs are available but they state that not all parts of the museums are accessible to them.
This has been a very popular early-entrance tour with RS posters who've done it; read the "Important information" part carefully as you need to make special arrangements for walking disabilities/wheelchair use.
That said, I might question taking a 4 year-old to these particular museums due to the length of time most tours take - although I think there are some 2-hour versions out there that don't include the basilica - and the short stature of your young children. Unless you take an early-entrance tour, you'll be caught in the crush and they'll get great up-close-and-personal views of adult backsides and not much else. Tours which include the basilica are preferable as the use a reserved back passage that saves a long-ish walk outside to the church's entrance and a potentially long wait in its security queue. That passage, as well as some other parts of the museum, involves stairs, which they talk about in the WOI "Important information" description.
Golf cart tours: these often come up as good ways for folks with walking issues get an overview of Rome. Here's one company recommendation from a couple of RS frequent forum posters who've used them, and they have carts large enough to accommodate your entire family:
https://mybesttour.com/prices/
Playgrounds: your kids are going to need occasional breaks just to be kids :O) Some playground locations here, and I'll second the vote for Villa Borghese and its pedal surrey rentals. Grandma and Grandpa might want to use the time for a rest-up at the hotel. There are other activities for the kids at Villa Borghese as well but the park, maddeningly, doesn't have a comprehensive website so you kind of have to google about for info, mostly from mom blogs. Viale dei Bambini in the Pincio Gardens (which is the far west side of the park) is a child friendly area and has a bike/surrey rental office although no playground.
https://www.familycantravel.com/2017/09/28/6-playgrounds-and-parks-for-visitors-to-rome/
Colosseum: I'd look at the 45-minute tour offered by its own provider, coopculture. Given the ages of your kids, I think anything longer might wear on them.
I recommend a very small or private tour group, especially if you have someone with mobility issues -- it can be tailored to your particular needs. My experience with Context Travel in Rome has been excellent - their tour group size is only 6 but for a family of 4 or more you can book a private tour for about the same price. They also offer tours specifically aimed at children, which might also be something to consider. And I agree that Pompeii will not be practical for someone with mobility issues, however if you (and she) would like to see some of the artifacts from Pompeii, a trip to the Archeological Museum in Naples would be better with respect to mobility.
Ostia Antica was mentioned as a good (and MUCH closer to Rome) substitute for Pompeii. If interested, here's the website:
Asking these questions in this forum has been the best idea ever! Thank you all so much for the tips and tricks! I so greatly appreciate it!
We are going to Switzerland and Italy for about 3 weeks in May 2020 with a group of seniors (ages 65-75), and my husband and I, and our kids, who are aged 3 and 5.5. So...I’ve not yet “been there and done that” yet with the kids, but here’s what we decided for when we are in Rome.
My husband and I have both been to Vatican and Colosseum before, but no one else has. We decided to book an early entrance Roman Guy tour of the Vatican for everyone, starting at 730am. We picked the longer one, as that’s what the adults wanted to see. Essentially, we decided decided that if/when the kids lose it or it becomes too much for crowd or other reasons - we will remove the kids from the situation, and so be it if my husband and I lose some money. I have more confidence in my kids’ stamina and cooperation early in the morning, and a decent level of belief that they’ll handle it relatively ok. As another poster indicated, I also remember a lot of stairs somehow in the Vatican - at least between Sistine and St. Peter’s - although I don’t know if there’s an elevator somewhere.
For the Colosseum and Forum, we took the same approach. I booked a Roman Guy tour as we all wanted to go together and the other adults wanted more of a “tour” and not DIY, which my husband and I did during our last visit. I booked a regular one - no special access- and figured it would be easier and more interesting than trying to deal with navigating audio or maps and handling the kids. Granted, my kids are a bit younger than yours - the older one is pretty mature, but his sister makes up for it so it all balances out. 😬😬😬.
I also got the kids tickets to some various museums in Florence, with the same mental approach and early entrance times. I’m currently working on kid friendly little booklets - like monsters in paintings and other scavengery hunt type stuff.
Finally, we aren’t doing more than 1 scheduled activity per day, and always in the morning so rest of the day is ready for exploring playgrounds, kid friendly stuff, and doing our own things. General idea is to go do something, eat lunch, and then do whatever!
I’m hopeful and optimistic, and may eat my words. Enjoy!
Finally, we aren’t doing more than 1 scheduled activity per day, and always in the morning so rest of the day is ready for exploring playgrounds, kid friendly stuff, and doing our own things. General idea is to go do something, eat lunch, and then do whatever!
I’m hopeful and optimistic, and may eat my words. Enjoy!
I think your approach is spot on. We take a similar approach and have found it to be a successful one.
