Rome with the Kids

This is the first place I visited with my husband when we were dating many moons ago and since then, Italy has been one of our favourite countries to visit. This time though, we took the kids and went as an extended family with my parents and siblings. For one week, at the end of August we soaked up not just the sun but a whole heap of history, pasta and Aperol spritz!

Rome has a lot to offer and you can fill it with as much, or as little as you like. Travelling with our 6 and 10 year old we decided to visit the main attractions and added on a day at the beach for a bit of ‘rest’. Here are my tips on visiting this amazing city with kids:

Use the metro. I love using trains abroad but it can be intimidating, no need to worry in Rome though. There are 2 lines, all very easy to use and offers great value.

Book skip the line tickets for the Vatican City. We decided against joining a tour for the Vatican which I am pleased about. It was a hot day and suited us to wander through the museums at our own pace. Book in as early a slot as you can to try and avoid the crowds- this is not always possible as it is such a huge attraction but the queues getting into the standard entrance were insane.

Regular gelato stops- obviously entirely for the kids (ahem)

Go exploring but have a rough plan. The Spanish steps is a great place to start with so many amazing sights nearby including Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de’Fiori… to name a few. This day was a highlight for the kids- they loved not knowing what we would find around each corner (and there really is so much around every corner!). The narrow streets also provided some much needed shade!

Take re-usable drinking bottles with you. Did you know that you can drink the water from the fountains in Rome! The water comes directly from the mountains above the city and is piped into Rome by an aqueduct originally created by the Romans centuries ago! It is completely safe and free!

Get a skip the line ticket for the Colosseum. We actually booked a tour as we wanted to get onto the arena floor however the kids were a bit too hot to listen to it all so we ducked out after we left the arena floor. It was still worth it though as this building is a sight to behold. The scale of it and information available to bring its history to life is fascinating! We loved it!

After visiting again, Rome has proven to still be one of my favourite cities to visit and I am sure we will go back and love it just as much!