Rome with Kids

Although Pompeii would be one of the most enjoyable sights for the older children, it's a long day trip from Rome. When our daughter was 12, we did it as a bus trip with Enjoy Rome. We also did this trip when our daughter was 15 months and the nice thing was that we could take turns staying with her and she could take naps when my father-in-law did. My in-laws and I did a day bus tour of Pompeii and Amalfi coast while my husband stayed in Rome with our daughter. Although not cheap, the Alimandi's location across the street from the Vatican Museums really helps the logistics for that part of Rome and you could stagger your visits so that children don't have to stay as long as the adults want. You can prepare the older kids with sticker activity books or coloring books that you should be able to find on Amazon. Also show them RS videos available on this website to get an idea of what they find interesting.

Given the group composition,I would suggest Ostia Antica vs Pompeii, due to the travel logistics.

Thanks to you both for your replies. I looked up train schedules from Rome Termini to the Pompeii station, and it seems as though it will take about two hours - I realize there is a train switch in Naples. Is there a reason why this would be more difficult than I am anticipating?

I would second Ostia Antica over Pompeii- its really easy to get to from Rome (a commuter train), short walk from the train station and you are there. My children loved it (8, 7, 5, 3) as they were able to run around, there are some trees that mean its not as hot as Pompeii, plus a cafe that is not too expensive. There is also a good audio guide that really helped set the scene and was at a suitable level for the children.

Orvieto is lovely though - and very easy to get to as well by train, and its a nice place to spend a day in, and can certainly be done as a day trip without making a long day of it. Enjoy!

I have been to Orvieto for 1 day, it is easy by train (1.5 hours?), and it's a lovely small town. Large unusual cathedral, picturesque town square, lots of tiny shops selling ceramics and porcelain knick knacks, small restaurants, narrow cobblestone streets. We were there for 1 overnight and that was enough time as it is very low key. Good for a nice dinner and glass of wine. Perhaps you could go for a day trip with your husband and someone else could stay with the kids that day---might be a nice place for the 2 of you for a day trip.

I do think Pompeii would be a tough journey in one day. It is 2 hours by train from the Rome station, then wait for a regional train that runs I think ever 20-30 minutes, then the train ride is about 30 minutes. That is at least a 3 hr journey, because of course you have to get to Termini 15 minutes or so before your train. When you arrive at Pompeii you have to stand in line to get your tickets, ....and if you return the same day that is 6 -7 hours in transit..that is a long day for most folks. I heartily recommend the Ostia Antica ruins which I found terrific, it's an easy 20 minute train ride from Termini then about a 8 minute, easy flat walk....the ruins are fantastic (the fish store has a tiled floor mat with the shape of a fish) and my kids could climb on things, run around, with no issues. It is not nearly as crowded as Pompeii (I encourage you to Google Pompeii (images) and see how thick the crowds are most of the time. If you are 2 feet shorter than adults, you can't see much and you certainly can't run around or climb around as easily in a crowd). At Ostia Antica, there is a small sit down snack bar, rest rooms and the ruins are fascinating. We loved it. Rick Steves has a good free audio tour. More info on Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g673275-d292711-Reviews-Parco_Archeologico_di_Ostia_Antica-Ostia_Antica_Province_of_Rome_Lazio.html

If you are thinking about an apartment, I usually use Homeaway.com. We've rented 2 or 3 BR apts in a variety of European cities (including Rome) and have always had a great experience.

Lastly, Torre Largo Argentina is a centrally located, very small, site of ruins in the historic/tourist area of Rome where Julius Caesar is said to have been assassinated. (It is very close to the Pantheon). The ruins are a bit submerged (just below street level), protected by a wrought iron fence but many people--young and old---visit the area for a quick peek down onto the ruins. The real attraction for my children was watching the many cats and their antics climbing up on the rocks and ruins (The cats did the climbing not my children!). Of all the things we did in Italy, this was the #1 hit: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187791-d246111-Reviews-Largo_di_Torre_Argentina-Rome_Lazio.html. We just returned for our 2nd trip to Rome and visited the tiny cat sanctuary where you can go in and pet cats that are being cared for at the cat shelter. We do not own cats...yet again this was the big hit of the trip. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187791-d4416917-Reviews-Torre_Argentina_Cat_Sanctuary-Rome_Lazio.html

Have fun on your trip!
SuzieeQQ

Another vote against Pompeii.

Husband and best friend from high school (Catholic and studied Latin) made what they called a "gonzo" trip. Left at 6:00am to catch the metro...

They arrived back about 8:00pm and were hot and tired (hungry and a bit cranky, too).

They went well prepared, healthy, early 60's, friend had made port calls in Naples with the Navy, and they were ready to visit Pompeii.

If a couple of you want to go, that's great. But I wouldn't drag everyone there. Everything takes longer than you think.

I have thought this site, Ciao Bambino has some interesting ideas on Italy with kids.

We have lived in Europe and traveled with kids from age 5-17. My Son doesn't remember trips prior to 10 years of age. If you plan a trip to a museum, that will be your toughest task. After 30 minutes the younger kids will want to leave. My kids loved places in Rome like the Coliseum, Sistine Chapel (My Son was 7 then and was in awe of the art and didn't want to leave). They also loved the Gondola ride in Venice as well as going up in the tower to see the city.

They did like Pompeii, but not sure it is worth the trip.

The Villa Borghese gardens have a lovely play ground and 4-seater bike rentals (like pedaling golf carts) in addition to the beauty of the gardens to see. We would go to the main Rome site(s) of the day in the morning, have lunch, then go to the garden every afternoon so the kids could run around and have fun. Staying near the VB garden was the best choice we made.

We just went to Rome with our kids (ages 10 & 9) this past summer. One of the best things to do is watch movies that take place there ahead of time and get them some kid travel books, so things have a bit more meaning for them when they're there - they're prepped and ready. Our kids liked the Mission Rome Scavenger Hunt book. Not sure if you're 5 yo would be up for it, but your 8 yo will love it. It makes the more kid-challenging sites more engaging for them. The piazzas in the evenings are really fun for kids. It was a very child-friendly city. We got my son a Gladiator school training session, which he loved. Think about a big site in the morning, a rest after lunch and strolling and hanging around the piazzas in the evening. We got our son a Roma soccer jersey and the locals treated him like a celebrity. That made things really fun for him. My kids also recommend the Virtual Reality tour at the Baths of Caracalla. It was pretty empty, so they had lots of freedom to roam and the VR experience helped them visualize it before the ruins. Someone on this forum had recommended it to me and it was a great tip. There are some Magic Treehouse books about Ancient Rome and Pompeii that would be good to read ahead of time as well. Also, gelato. That went a long way towards keeping happy kids. We promised them one a day. I wish I'd taken a daily picture of the gelato consumption...

Hi we did both Pompeii and OA sites last week. I agree with the others. Skip Pompeii and go to O.A. We thought in many ways it was better. Even in Late Dec Pompeii was pretty crowded and we waited about 45 minutes to get in. We did not do it as a day trip but stayed in Sorrento for two nights.

As for kids mine are teens but one thing we noticed while Rome is very friendly toward kids the streets and sidewalks and getting into buildings are not. Most are cobble stones. Most buildings have many stairs no ramps there are lots of hills and I can’t imagine using a stroller anywhere in the city. If you are taking the Metro many times the escalators were not working and you had to go up or down long stairs. I hope the five year old is ok walking long distances and not sure how it will work with a very young baby.

Not to discourage you from going just to give you a heads up. Distances are a lot farther than you think because of the hills and steps.

I would stay near a park and the Borghese one is wonderful. They even have a small zoo. For the major sites you really need to book in advance or wait for a very long time which is not good with kids. Rome is not a city you can do on the fly. Crowds are too crazy. We were surprised how crowded it was this past week and May would probably be worst. What a great experience for your kids. Enjoy!

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful replies! The kiddos got the Mission Rome book for Christmas, and the 8 year old is super excited to complete her tasks. The Magic Tree House books are still a hit, too, so I will look for the Roman ones. She loves art and art history, so we may do some museum type things with just her. All of us will go to the Vatican (we are looking at some kid-friendly shorter tours).

We will scrap Pompeii planning in favor of OA. if our itinerary allows it, we may add a day to Orvieto as well.

The adults on the trip have all been to Rome, so we have some familiarity with the city and major sites (as well as hills and cobblestones!) We definitely have tempered our expectations for this particular trip - we are planning one one major goal/site per day, and if a day needs to be scrapped, we are pretty flexible. Our main goal is to expose the kiddos to a different culture, so we are going to spend lots of time just hanging out. We’ve been planning on a trip like this since before we knew about the baby, but I would choose to travel with a baby over a toddler any day - ha. I babywear for convenience most of the time and hadn’t even thought about bringing a stroller.

Thanks again for all of this! Love the RS forums.

PBS has done a show called Travel With Kids. The show hosts have traveled the world with their kids. Many of their shows highlight cities in Europe. The have done a show in Rome witch is really good. Here is a link to their website.

http://www.travelwithkids.tv/

You can find some episodes on YouTube or on your local PBS website. I know iTunes has them for sale.

For what may be the best gelato in Rome, try Old Bridge. The shop is across the street from where people line up to get into the Vatican Museum.

Another fun outing would be the Appian Way. Also, Castel Sant'Angelo offers a nice physical workout as well as an excellent view from the top.