Rome is Dan’s favorite destination of all time. Top 5 for Betsy.
Ancient history cannot be beat. Art is among the best. Beautiful views in great neighborhoods with a good amount of hustle and bustle. Chill Florence or serene Amsterdam this is not. But oh is it fun.
Rome is where it all began with us. Our first overseas trip together in 2008 and returned with our two kids (and niece) in 2016. We can’t wait to back in a few more years.
Let’s talk about why Rome might be a destination for you and your family.
Indoor Sights
Even bad weather can’t ruin Rome. There is so much to see and learn inside the many beautiful buildings of Rome; a true statement for centuries. Wait until your kids walk into St. Peter’s Basilica, the biggest church in the world. The dome is over 400 feet high! In 2016 we were there the day before Easter with 30,000 other people. Amazing. Add to that miles of the stunningly beautiful Vatican museum and the breathtaking ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. (Go ahead to the library and read The Agony and the Ecstasy right now. It’s so good.)
The Borghese Gallery, a former Cardinal mansion in the middle of a park on the north end of the city is magical. Bernini sculptures, not to mention paintings by Caravaggio, Titian, Raphael, and Rubens, was a huge hit with the kids. It’s a fast visit, which helps, but because of the required reservations (can be done online before you leave) it’s not very crowded and quite intimate. “How could someone make that out of stone?!” An heir to Michelangelo indeed.
Why not grab some gelato and visit a 2000 year old temple in the middle of a neighborhood square? When you walk into the Pantheon (free but come early or later in the day), give a nod to Raphael (to the left of the altar) before turning your attention to the geometric perfect of the space, culminating with the oculus.
Sure, Romans were great engineers. Sure, the walls are concrete 40 feet thick.
But how is it still standing? Who designed and built this? What was it used for? Who else was standing right where they are now? Why do so many modern buildings look just like it? The science alone of this building is enough to make your kids enjoy and appreciate what they’re experiencing.
Tip: Churches for in situ Art
One of our favorite parts of the return trip in 2016 was to take full advantage of the art found in local churches. Some of these are actually basilicas, which are enormous, but are often overshadowed by St Pete’s. We happen to be a pretty secular family but the history and in situ art (fancy term for art still in it’s original place; i.e., not moved to museum) are phenomenal.
Turn left out of the Pantheon and stop by the Church of San Luigi to see a chapel painted by Caravaggio (a favorite of ours on this trip), or turn right as see a Michelangelo in the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. Masterpieces, just where the artist intended, often without the crowds.
Want more Michelangelo? St. Peter in Chains has his Moses, part of a huge (somewhat failed) project for “the Warrior Pope” Julius (of Sistine Ceiling fame).
All of these and so many others are interesting, easy to access, direct cheap, and take only 15 minutes here and there adding great appreciation and memories to your trip. A perfect example of “second tier” sights making all the difference in our trip.
Outdoor Sights
You can already picture the big ones, can’t you? The Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain.
Kids love the Colosseum. Everyone does. It. is. Massive. And you can learn about how and where it was built. The roar of the crowd encouraging the violence down on the sand. On both trips we hired a local guide, and in 2016 it was a peer of Rahul our Vatican tour guide from 2008 and 2016 at Europe Odyssey Tours. (Yes, the same guy, 8 years later. He even recognized Dan, sans hair by this time, on the street.) The local guide saves you time in line (it can be 3 hours in high season for those in need of tickets), gets you into the underground(!), but mostly we do it for the sharing in the stories and asking questions. Which Emperor did what here. Why was it important for politics, for everyday people? How does it connect to our 21st century lives?
You’ll never believe this but kids tend to listen to other adults more than their parents. Bonus.
Walking through the Roman Forum (where Cicero spoke!) the guide also helps identify and contextualize Palatine Hill that you just crossed (where Cicero lived) and the importance of a nondescript building that was the Senate (where Cicero’s hands might have been nailed to the doors on orders from Marc Antony). Just around the corner is where they burned Caesar’s body. A bit gruesome, yes, but so went many of the most famous stories of ancient Rome.
Nearby too
Rome also has amazing sights just outside the walls. Just a 20 minute 1.5€ metro ticket away is Ostia Antica a Pompeii-like (but better) port city ruins where kids can wander through acres and acres of 2000 year old streets, apartment buildings, bakeries, and other real life Roman living quarters. The jewel of our 2016 trip.
You might also consider renting bikes and cruising the Appian Way. The legendary road that exits the south side of Rome into its former Empire. Or take another short ride on the metro to the magnificent Claudian aqueduct, where teenagers were playing soccer and barbequing went we went there for a beautiful picnic.
Take a cab (cheap in Rome, helpful against “7 hills”) to Piazza del Popolo on the north end of the city (perhaps on walk back from Borghese Gallery like we did). Quickly stick your head in the small church (Santa Maria del Popolo), see two more Caravaggio masterpieces, then adjust your pace from “walk” to “stroll” and head down hill.
Soon you’ll be at the Spanish Steps. Grab some overpriced-but-worth-it gelato and take a load off. Maybe buy a regretfully cheap toy for the kids (neon helicopter’s do look fun). When the mood strikes, keep strolling down Via del Corso a while.
Shop if you like. Check out some menus, get something to eat. Within 10-15 minutes after the Spanish Steps you can be at the Trevi Fountain, our then-3 year old’s favorite. Better in the evening but great all day. You’ll hear it before you see it!
Budget
Rome isn’t cheap but we’ve found it doable. Airbnb location, price, and included kitchen and living space beat out hotels (for our family) every time. We stayed in a 3 bedroom apartment (had 13 year old niece with us) in the hip Monti neighborhood (southeast, near Colosseum) for $190/nt in March. Good value but this is around our ceiling.
The highly recommended the Roma Pass will get you into most sights (big exception is the Vatican) and put you into the somewhat paradoxical skip-the-line queue which is a lifesaver with or without kids. The in situ churches are dirt cheap as well. Taxis, especially if there are 3 or more people are a great deal. We would often walk everywhere and anywhere and hail a cab to be dropped right back at our apartment (as opposed to walk-metro-walk some more to get back from lunch and/or bedtime). Under 10€ and saved us an hour walk and lowered our risk for meltdowns.
We’re still learning more about the food scene in our travels but depending on your taste Rome can be a great deal (local markets, gyro stops, neighborhood restaurants) or a bit fancier and costlier. Be sure to include some restaurant research before you go so you can budget accordingly (and dress accordingly if you’re really fancy).
I wish we knew when we were going to Rome next. We loved it. The kids loved it. So much (more) to learn and enjoy.
Talk soon,
Dan & Betsy
More amazing Rome, Rome, Rome.
