Location: Rome, Italy
Time Frame: May, 4 nights and 3 days
Lodging
Type. For this stop we rented a holiday apartment. We had the Apartment "Ponte Mammolo" from La Casa di Pasquino.
Cost. It was a total of 420 Euro for the 3 nights, plus a refundable 100 euro desposit (which we did get back).
Amenities. The apartment had 3 bedrooms, two with double beds, and one with a baby cot and a bunk bed. We had a washing machine, two full bathrooms (one even had a bidet, which my children refer to as the "foot washer" since that is where they washed their feet every day), a full kitchen, living area with cable tv and dvd player (and dvd's), dining area, and small balcony. There was an elevator in the building, and a small parking lot just outside the apartment building.
Other. The apartment was located in a what we would call a strip mall, and had several restaurants and shops. It was a few blocks from a major Metro station, and was in a fairly quiet neighborhood.
Kid Friendly Rating: I would give this hotel four stars (****) for kid friendliness.
Transportation
Driving. We drove down from our home in Germany (via a few days in Pisa). It took us about15 hours to get to Rome from Pisa (we did stop for a few hours in Florence). There was a parking lot next to the apartment building, so we had a fairly safe place to leave our car.
Public Transportation. Rome has a pretty decent public transport system. We used mainly the Metro (though there are a number of buses available), using a "Day card" which was 4 euro for each adult (kids went free).
Walking. You can easily walk throughout Rome, and we did a lot of our travelling between sites on foot. Keep in mind Rome is a very dusty and dirty city, so we had to constantly wash our feet, and usually couldn't wear an outfit for more than one day. Walking will be cheaper, but you may find it difficult.
Food
We took breakfast and dinner at the apartment, and usually hit up a pizza stand (which are common in Rome) or a fast food place for lunch. Rome can be pricey as most of the food places "prey" on tourists.Fast Food. Rome is home to many of those restaurants which we know and love (McDonalds, Burger King, etc). They also have several that are more cultural. There are a variety of food vendors around the major attractions, usually selling from trucks or stalls.
Sit Down. There were a large variety of sit down restaurants ranging from casual cafes to upper crust fancy places. We preferred not to use them.
Attractions
Colosseum
Times:
from 8.30 am to one hour before sunset (Good Friday 8.30 am – 2.00 pm):
January 2 - February 15: 8.30 am - 4.30 pm from
February 16 to March 15: 8.30 am - 5.00 pm
March 16 - last Saturday of March: 8.30 am - 5.30 pm
Last Sunday of March - August 31: 8.30 am - 7.15 pm
September 1 to September 30: 8.30 am - 7.00 pm
October 1 - Last Saturday of October: 8.30 am - 6.30 pm
Last Sunday of October - December 31: 8.30 am - 4.30 pm
Closed: January 1, December 25
Costs:
Combo Ticket (Colosseum, Palantine Hill, and Roman Forum) Good for two consecutive days:
Adults: 9 Euro
Reduced Fare: 4.50 Euro
Under 18: Free
Comments: The Colosseum is certainly a place to see. You can spend as much or as little time as you'd like. Look around at the exhibits, tour the ruins of the stadium. Our kids had fun, but our daughter was somewhat distraught that the building was "broken".
Palantine Hill
Times:
from 8.30 am to one hour before sunset (Good Friday 8.30 am – 2.00 pm):
January 2 - February 15: 8.30 am - 4.30 pm from
February 16 to March 15: 8.30 am - 5.00 pm
March 16 - last Saturday of March: 8.30 am - 5.30 pm
Last Sunday of March - August 31: 8.30 am - 7.15 pm
September 1 to September 30: 8.30 am - 7.00 pm
October 1 - Last Saturday of October: 8.30 am - 6.30 pm
Last Sunday of October - December 31: 8.30 am - 4.30 pm
Closed: January 1, December 25
Costs:
Combo Ticket (Colosseum, Palantine Hill, and Roman Forum) Good for two consecutive days:
Adults: 9 Euro
Reduced Fare: 4.50 Euro
Under 18: Free
Comments: Take a short hike up the hill to view the palace, the ruins of the hippodrome, and look over the vastness of Rome.
Roman Forum
Times:
from 8.30 am to one hour before sunset (Good Friday 8.30 am – 2.00 pm):
January 2 - February 15: 8.30 am - 4.30 pm from
February 16 to March 15: 8.30 am - 5.00 pm
March 16 - last Saturday of March: 8.30 am - 5.30 pm
Last Sunday of March - August 31: 8.30 am - 7.15 pm
September 1 to September 30: 8.30 am - 7.00 pm
October 1 - Last Saturday of October: 8.30 am - 6.30 pm
Last Sunday of October - December 31: 8.30 am - 4.30 pm
Closed: January 1, December 25
Costs:
Combo Ticket (Colosseum, Palantine Hill, and Roman Forum) Good for two consecutive days:
Adults: 9 Euro
Reduced Fare: 4.50 Euro
Under 18: Free
Comments: You can't miss the ruins of the Roman Forum. Travel through what would have been the center of Roman life. Refresh yourself from one of the public water fountains in the Forum area (yes the water is safe to drink)
Spanish Steps
Times: Accessible at all times.
Costs: Free
Comments: One of the most famous stops for tourists in Rome, don't miss a chance to stop and take a break. Enjoy the fountain at the base of the steps. We made an evening stop here (buying some yummy pizza near the metro stop), and enjoyed the cool evening air and stunning lights.
Trevi Fountain
Times: Accessible at all times.
Costs: Free
Comments: You can't visit Rome without a stop at the famous Trevi fountain. Stop and enjoy the cool air after a long day of hot dusty sightseeing. Throw a penny over your shoulder into the fountain to ensure a return to Rome. Dip your feet or hands into the cool water, and enjoy a gelatto on the steps surrounding the fountain.
Times: Open Daily
Costs: Free
Comments:
Marking the beginning of the Vatican, St. Peter's square is a sight to see. You can view the outside of the bascillica, marvel at the fountains and statues, or simply take a moment to marvel at being in another country, right in the middle of Rome.
Times:
Open Monday to Saturday: the Ticket Office is open from 9 am to 4 pm. The Museums close at 6 pm.
Closed:
|
Full - Adult | € 15,00 | |
Reduced-Child 6-18 | € 8,00 | |
Scholastic Ticket Children (0-6) | € 4,00 Free | |
Comments: The lines here are huge, so either come very early in the morning, or consider booking a guided tour. We waited over an hour to get in. The staff was quite helpful and showed us the "disabled route" as we had our stroller with us. Be careful though, this route goes against the flow of the normal tour, and we ended getting lost (and spent 4 hours trying to find the exit). You will get to see a myriad of religious artifacts and other art and cultural artifacts from around the world. Marvel at the painted ceiling in the Sistine chapel. No food is allowed inside the museum, so be prepared if you have small people. There are a few outside courtyards where you can grab a snack.
St. Peter's Bascillica
Times:
St. Peter's Basilica is open daily, Apr-Sep 7:00-19:00;
Oct-Mar 7:00-18:00
Treasury Museum: 9:00 - 18:15 (Apr - Sep) 9:00 - 17:15 p.m. (Oct - Mar)
Grottoes: 7:00-18:00 (Apr - Sep) 7:00-17:00 (Oct - Mar)
Cupola: 8:00 - 18:00 (Apr - Sep) 8:00 - 16:45 (Oct - Mar)
Scavi Office: weekdays 9:00 - 17:00
Costs: Free
Comments: A visit to St. Peter's is included in your ticket to the Vatican museum, or you can queue outside in Vatican square for a visit. Bear in mind that strollers, bags, and baby backpacks are not allowed. Children must be quiet and reverent as it is still a working church. We ended up not going, as they would not let us in (our kids were tired after our marathon visit to the Vatican museum) with our upset kids or our stroller.
Pantheon
Times:
8.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat; 9am-6pm Sun; 9am-1pm public holidays
Costs: Free
Comments: Come see where the old ways meet Christianity in Rome. Marvel at the dome and it's oculus. Tour around and look at the effigies and tombs for some of the well known of Rome's past. Enjoy the abundance of art and sculpture, but keep the kids quiet as this is an active church so there are often people at prayer.
Toilettes
When you travel with little ones, bathrooms are an important thing to be able to find. Europeans are generally not big on public restrooms.
Availability: Public restrooms can be found, but are scattered and not always easy to find. Your best bet is to make sure to make use of restrooms offered in the restaurants, museums, and other attractions that you visit. Most of the major attractions have restrooms.
Public/Private: Most available restrooms are actually going to be in some type of business, whether it is a restaurant or attraction.
Cost: Costs for restrooms can run from free to around 1 euro per person. Occassionally bathroom attendants will allow an adult to take a child into the restroom and only charge for one person (I did this with my kids, and even when I took both potty trained children, I usually only had to pay for me).
Nearby Amenities
Laundry: Luckily we had a washing machine in the apartment (which considering how dusty Rome was, and the fact that we had to change clothes mid-day most days), it was a necessity. I believe there was a laundry mat near the apartment building, but as with all hotels/accommodations, make sure you ask the landlord or management where you can find one.
Groceries: There was a grocery store just a block from the apartment building, and it seemed that most neighborhoods had a central grocery store. There were also several in Rome proper, and plenty of smaller speciality shops.
Review
We had fun in Rome, despite the unrelenting heat and dust (seriously sweat and dust are NOT a good combination). There were some downsides, especially when hitting places like the Colosseum, in that there are plenty of re-enactors (there to have their picture taken with you) and vendors who are VERY VERY agressive (think Mafia inspired tourist vendors).
We were sad to miss the Bascillica at St. Peter's, but hey I guess they have the right to refuse entry, and after 4 hours of trying to find someone to tell us how to get out of the museum, our kids were in no mood to be inspired by religious architecture.
Our favorite stops were the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain (my kids LOVE water). I'd love to go back again (preferrably without kids) just to see all the little things we missed.
Trip Highlights
-Colosseum-Trevi Fountain
- Pizza and Gelatto!
Overall Rating
Rome is definitely a 5-star, must see before you die, location.
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