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Louise Thomas
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Most primary school children will learn about Ancient Rome at some point in the curriculum, coming home with tales of gladiators, emperors and what occurred in the Colosseum. Completed in AD80, the ancient epicentre of the Eternal City holds a magical appeal for everyone who’s ever been told about the spectacles that occurred in the arena.
While only one of my four children is old enough to have learned about the Romans, such was his enthusiasm for the subject that I found myself searching for flights to Rome over half term. I also figured that my six-year old, four-year old and two-year-old would study the same subject at some point, and could approach it with first-hand experience of having seen the Colosseum walls for themselves. I couldn’t believe the price: during school holidays, when flights are notoriously higher, the figure in front of me was £40 per person, return, on WizzAir. At that point, I hit book.
From the ancient Pantheon to the beauties of Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and Salvi’s Trevi Fountain, there’s beauty and history at almost every turn in Rome. I was cautious about navigating these turns, and the ancient cobbled streets, with a large double buggy containing my two youngest children, but I figured that finding a hotel within walking distance of some of the main attractions would cut down on how far I had to push my double chariot, and that it would be a good way of working up an appetite for some of the city’s pasta dishes. And to cut down – and in most cases avoid – queuing up with four impatient children, we booked slots for the majority of tourist attractions in advance.
With some advance planning, it’s easier than you might imagine to have a budget-friendly family break in Rome that will please travellers of all ages.
Read more: Villages, vineyards and volcanic lakes – the delights beyond Rome’s borders
When is the best time to travel to Rome?
If you want to avoid the crowds but still want pleasant conditions to walk around Rome, September and October, and February and March, tend to be sunny and not too busy. The temperature regularly tops 30C in July and August, but most hotels are prepared for this with rooftop bars and outdoor swimming pools.
Best family-friendly hotels in Rome
A few steps away from the delights of the Vatican Museums, St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, Mama Shelter makes for an excellent base for anyone who wants to spend less time walking and more time sightseeing. When it comes to rest, it’s one of the few hotels in Rome with an indoor pool, which children are allowed in all day – plus it’s a beautiful space with pink walls, turquoise waters and gold detailing on the ceiling. There’s also a sauna and steam room for adults to nip into when the other parent has control of the kids.
Most of the rooms have an interconnecting option, and all come with an excellent in-room entertainment system that includes a free movie channel in English, so you can treat the little ones to some Disney at the end of a long day.
For the convenience of a hotel with a 24-hour reception and the flexibility of a holiday apartment, Aparthotel Adagio Rome has several one-bedroom apartments. Ideal for families, these have a sofa bed (and places to arrange travel cots) in the living room and a comfortable king-sized bed in the bedroom. All apartments have in-built kitchenettes so you can save on eating out, or buy some ingredients to make packed lunches for the day and store them in the fridge.
Read more: Best boutique hotels in Rome
Top things to do with kids in Rome
Colosseum
Whether your child likes performing, thinking or exploring, going inside the ancient walls of the Colosseum offers a chance for them to imagine life in the amphitheatre and to burn off some energy exploring different levels. Advance planning is vital to ensure a smooth visit, as the Colosseum welcomes around four million visitors a year, which is equivalent to around 16,000 every single day of the year. You can book a timed entry slot online up to one month before your visit, allowing you to bypass all queues and walk straight in. The full experience includes entry to the arena floor and the underground vaults as well as access to the nearby Roman Forum and Palantine Hill – we spent around three to four hours.
Adults €24, children go free; colosseo.it
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
Even if your child isn’t particularly into art, there’s so much to look at on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel that it’s enough to render even the most hyperactive child speechless – allowing parents to have a moment of reflection. While there are several guided tours offering to walk you around and talk through the details, if you have younger children you’ll have more flexibility walking around by yourself (and save money, too). Children under seven go free, and you can pay extra to guarantee a time slot. Just be warned that there’s no flexibility on the slot and security pay close attention to the time written on your ticket, so you do have to get there exactly on time if you want to ‘skip the line’.
Adults €20, children €8, with ‘skip the line’ entry €5; museivaticani.va
Villa Borghese
One of Rome’s biggest and most beautiful landscaped gardens, Villa Borghese is a great place to let kids run around and decompress after a day of the city’s sights dazzling them. If you have some time to spare, it’s worth spending a morning or afternoon at the affordably priced zoo, where you can see giraffes, zebras and elephants up close. In front of the zoo, there’s a small tram that takes you round the park at a leisurely pace. On the weekends, there are pony rides outside the Cinema dei Piccoli with ponies of all sizes, including some adorable miniature ones. They’ll give you helmets so you can simply rock up and ride.
Zoo entry costs €11.50 for adults and children taller than 110cm; bioparco.it
Read more: The best views in Rome for a breath-taking look at the Italian capital
Best family-friendly restaurants in Rome
There is no shortage of pizzerias in Rome, but if you want one that the whole family will enjoy, a good bet is the Mama Shelter Pizzeria. With marbled details, XXL Roman columns and a gigantic wood-fired oven, there’s a lot to look at as you wait for dinner to be served. Over-18s will appreciate the imaginative cocktail menu that allows while youngsters will undoubtedly enjoy the classic tiramisu dessert.
For the famous regional dish of carbonara, a great wallet-friendly option is Pasta e Vino, where you can see the pasta made fresh in front of your eyes in a rustic setting with exposed brick walls and wooden tables. Carbonara big enough to feed two is €12.90 (£10.75).
If you want to try something different from pizza and pasta, Il Secondo Tradizione specialise in meat and fish dishes. Rome is 30 minutes by car from the beach, and locals love their fish. Il Secondo Trazione caters mainly to those who live in the city rather than tourists, making it a great way of experiencing something local.
Finish with some traditional Italian gelato at one of the city’s many gelaterias. Cremaria Candia serves up some soft, creamy gelato with especially appealing flavours for chocoholics, including Snickers and Oreo. The tiramisu flavour tastes just like the actual pudding.
Read more: This ivy-clad Rome neighbourhood is where the locals come to eat
Where to shop with children
From big-name brands to smaller boutiques, you could easily spend a whole day shopping in Rome. However, if you’re with children who have short attention spans, head straight to department store La Rinascente, near Villa Borghese, to look at fashion and beauty items from several different brands in one place. Then, if the kids behave themselves, treat them at Citta Del Sole — where you can find traditional, STEM and interactive toys for all ages.
How to get there
At two hours flying time from the UK, you can wake up at 7am and be in Rome in time for lunch. Airlines flying to the Italian capital include easyJet, Ryanair, British Airways, Jet2 and Wizz Air. With all this competition for tourists, flight costs are very reasonable: Wizz Air flights cost us a total of £250 for six passengers, and that included an outbound flight on Valentine’s Day.
Insider tips
The Vatican museums are completely free to enter on the last Sunday of every month.
Walk fast past the gift shops inside attractions – the price of postcards and mugs inside the Colosseum is about 10 times more expensive as the same souvenirs at a streetside newspaper kiosk.
Read more: I took four kids under eight to Tenerife – this is how I made it a stress-free holiday
