A Rome city break with kids? Is this a good idea? Certainly. Italians adore children, so you'll find yours welcomed most places (expect babies to be feted wherever you go).
Restaurants will welcome you with open arms — though not, admittedly, with high chairs, children's menus and baby-change facilities. Plus, there's a lot to do that will fascinate kids and grownups alike. And finally, a diet of pizza and ice-cream is most children's dream.
The Colosseum
The colossal ancient stadium, the
Colosseum, is bound to wow big kids and small, and now its subterranean tunnels, where wild animals used to cower pre-performance, have been opened to the public, making it more exciting than ever. Buy a children's book from one of the bookstands in the interior to bring the place alive. Afterwards, you can take a picnic to the nearby
Palatine: once the seat of imperial power, now a shady park filled with ruined palaces. It's included in the
Colosseum ticket. Tip: if there's a queue at the Colosseum, buy your ticket at the Palatine ticket office instead to avoid waiting.
Fountains
Rome's fountains are a kids' delight, especially in summer. They're topped with fantastical creatures, and, if the local
polizia aren't looking, you can dangle your feet in the water. At the
Trevi Fountain, you can hurl in a coin to ensure a return visit to
Rome, while at the
Fontana della Barcaccia (fountain of the old boat) at the bottom of the
Spanish Steps, you can stand almost in the fountain and refill your water bottle. The
Fontana delle Tartarughe in the Ghetto is covered with cavorting carved turtles.
The Pantheon
The Pantheon will leave older children (and adults) awestruck. The fascinating hole in the ceiling, open to the elements, inspires all who enter to gaze heavenwards and ask a barrage of questions. And once the sense of wonder's worn off, kids can run about in the
Piazza della Rotonda outside.
A museum specially for kids, this is all about role play, with mini supermarket, bank, kitchen, TV studio and much more for children to play at being grown ups. There’s a small soft play area for toddlers, but will suit kids up to the age of 11. Visits are via timed sessions.
Park life
Villa Borghese, the park that fills the area to the north of the city centre, is Rome's bucolic playground. Pick up a picnic and head up here to explore. You can visit the lake and hire bikes or pedal carriages (from the booth at the top of Pincio Hill), and whiz around the verdant parklands. Look out for the small
Casina di Raffaello, with its games rooms for children aged three to 10.
The Appian Way and Catacombs
Via Appia is the cobbled ancient Roman road that heads southwards out of the city. On Sundays it's traffic free, and you can hire bikes (check the website for details). Older kids will be fascinated by a visit to the catacombs, the long, mysterious tunnels where Christians were buried outside the city walls, close to the start of the road.
Swimming
Break up summer sightseeing with a day lazing by one of the volcanic lakes outside the city. Most easily accessible is the huge, deep-blue, hill-surrounded
Lago di Albano (take a bus from the Metro Ananigna stop), with boating, sunloungers, and lakeside cafes. If this seems too much effort, try public swimming pool
Piscina delle Rose in
EUR, a great place to hang out on a sunny day.
Know any other places that are fun to visit with the kids? Have your say using the comments form below.
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