Many years ago, we went to Rome for the first time, just the two of us, eager to discover a city appreciated by many and dreamed of by even more.
But what to see: apart from the superb weather at the beginning of December, we didn't like the city at all, it seemed dirty, expensive and much too crowded everywhere we went.
However, we decided to give it another chance for the sake of the children who really wanted to see the Colosseum, and this time we left much more prepared to enjoy it as it should be.
Accommodation in Rome
Because there were five of us and we needed space, quiet and a central area, we opted for an Airbnb, a two-bedroom apartment in a superb building on the ground floor of which we had a supermarket and a Panella with all the goodies on earth, where we drank our coffee and sweetened up every morning.
From the apartment we could walk to the Colosseum in 15 minutes and to the Trevi Fountain in 25 minutes, and for all the other sights we had a metro and bus station at most 10 minutes away.
Not to mention that very close to us we also found a wonderful park for children, where we could spend time between visits and walks, a playground equipped with musical instruments and all kinds of sound and light installations, both fun and educational (I put a nice reel with the activities there in the feed).
Tourist attractions in Rome
We divided the places we wanted to visit into two, so that we could combine long visits to the Vatican and the Colosseum with leisurely walks through the city, in search of various sights and attractions.
We bought tickets online for the Vatican and the Colosseum, and for those who choose to go to the Vatican with their little ones, I recommend buying a children's guide, absolutely brilliantly designed. They loved it and it made our visit infinitely easier by giving them various "treasures" and information to find with the help of an interactive map.
We also climbed to the top of St. Peter's Basilica, although we adults gave our souls up to get there, but the view over St. Peter's Square was worth all the effort. At the Colosseum we also had the visit to the forum and the Palatine Hill included and we did well, because they found that area much more interesting than the Colosseum itself.
The gardens of Villa Borghese were also on the list, not only for the huge and incredibly well-landscaped park, but also for the water clock, a machine like no other, a clock whose pendulum is driven by the movements of the water in two basins that empty and fill intermittently.
An extraordinary place, a stone's throw from a viewpoint favored by the people of Rome and, to everyone's delight, a small amusement park where we rented go-karts.
With the baby asleep in the baby carrier and the older ones pedaling, we wandered for a whole hour on all the alleys, among all the statues and fountains, either alone or with one of us. We laughed a lot together and recharged our batteries with good cheer for the whole day.
We also included, of course, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Piazza Venezia, Castel Sant'Angelo and Trajan's Column in a walk along the main arteries of Rome, but also on the small and charming streets, lined with orange and cypress trees.
We didn't miss the ice cream parlors near the Trevi Fountain, nor the cafes in Piazza Navona or the restaurants near Trajan's Column, where we tried everything we could in terms of Italian cuisine, pasta and tortellini, pizza and calzone, platters of bruschetta and, of course, tiramisu and prosecco.
Budget
Rome isn't a cheap city, especially when you have such a big family, so here's what our list of expenses for four days looks like:
- Ryanair plane tickets, with hand luggage only: 352 euros
- Airbnb accommodation, 2-bedroom apartment/4 nights: 650 euros
- online tickets Vatican City and Colosseum: 130 euros
- public transport, to and from the airport: 65-70 euros
- food, souvenirs, other small fun things: 400 euros
We ended up at about 1500 euros for a family of five, so somewhere around 300 euros/person for a relaxing mini-vacation, as successful as possible from all points of view.
The weather was superb, 17-20 degrees, and the places and time spent together were just what we needed after three tiring months of school, viruses, worries and stress. Rome really is, without too much hassle, an excellent idea for a vacation with the kids when it's cold and ugly at home.
