For our multi-generational trip of the year, we chose a city break to Rome with the family, with the children and the grandparents. I went to Rome dozens of times as a child (ah, my Italian roots!) and it’s clearly a city I’ll never tire of. Rome was also our very first trip abroad with Ticoeur when he was only 4 months old. In short, I won’t talk about “discovering Rome” but about “reuniting with Rome”, which didn’t stop us from revisiting tourist sights we already knew well. Let’s say our programme was a mix of must-sees and off-the-beaten-track visits. Feel free to pick and choose ideas from it! Children’s ages: Titpuce 10 and Ticoeur 12 Time of the trip: early June (because we have a week of school holidays in England). Length of the trip: 4 days and 4 nights.

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What to visit on a family trip to Rome?

The Colosseum ❤ : Among the must-sees, we went back to see the Colosseum. We took a late-afternoon visit and it was ideal because, at the time we arrived, it was clearly the moment when a big wave of tourists was leaving. We enjoyed some beautiful golden light. The entry ticket also gives access to the Roman Forum, but it was closing when we came out of the Colosseum, so we went the next morning. The Roman Forum: Ruins and more ruins! I still find the walk just as enjoyable. A journey into the past that lets you imagine what Rome looked like at the time. To better understand what the buildings looked like in Roman times, the Welcome Rome films are perfect (see below). Visiting the Pantheon: An exceptional building and free entry (Update 2023: unfortunately this visit is no longer free 🙁 ). That’s an excellent combination! We went at opening time in the morning to have fewer people around. In the evening, we always walked past it on our way back to our accommodation. I love the atmosphere all around. The famous Roman fountains ❤: The fountains of Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, Campo de’ Fiori (where there’s a market) and of course the Trevi Fountain: classics that we passed several times during our walks around the city. I particularly love Piazza Navona – nice and spacious and, oddly, not that crowded. The Villa Borghese park: We arrived via Piazza del Popolo and walked up into the park – shady and pleasant, especially as it was hot. From up there, there’s a lovely view. So those were the must-sees we already knew but wanted to see again. We chose what seemed the nicest for a family visit to Rome. We skipped the Vatican this time.

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Some new discoveries:

During this stay, we also visited places we didn’t yet know: Welcome Rome ❤: a big favourite! These are multimedia animations: a series of films, holograms and animated images that help you understand the stages of Rome’s construction. An excellent way to imagine what all the ruins we came across during our stay once looked like. A condensed dose of History that appealed to both the children and the adults! Note that the only downside is that you stay standing for each projection, so it’s less comfortable for grandparents. We went at the end of the day and it was very quiet. More information on the Welcome Rome website. A perfect family visit! The Doria Pamphilj Palace ❤: another favourite! A lovely collection of paintings in a magnificent palace! The palace dates from the 16th century. You’ll come across 400 works, but we especially loved the palace rooms: it’s like visiting a château! Lots of mirrors and ornamentation. It’s too much but it’s brilliant! Adult price: €14 and free for children. The Baths of Caracalla The remains of the old bath walls are very high, so very impressive. There are also a few mosaics. But we expected to see more details evoking the baths. It’s hard to imagine the baths and how the place worked. It’s very different, but we prefer the Roman baths in Bath in England. That said, if you put the “baths” aspect aside, the place is very pleasant. Adult price: €8 and free for children. The Catacombs of Priscilla It was interesting, but it was really far (endless bus journey) and above all we’ve had the chance to visit many catacombs in Italy that left a stronger impression on us (especially in Naples), so if we had to do it again, we wouldn’t go. But if you’ve never visited catacombs in Italy, why not. The guided tour is well done and informative. Adult price: €8 and free for children. The Chiostro del Bramante Which hosts contemporary installation art exhibitions: during our visit, we saw the “Crazy” exhibition. We really liked the diversity of shapes and colours! For children, it’s truly playful and original art.   And lots of churches, of course! A bit at random during our walks… There’s an incredible density of beautiful churches! All superb, all different, and there are still plenty more to discover! We saw the Basilica of Saint Clement of the Lateran, the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle, the Church of St Louis of the French, the church of San Stefano (warning: the paintings in the latter are scary… avoid showing the details to children), …

San Stefano church

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We walked 17 to 20 km a day in the streets of Rome:

With Ticoeur and Titpuce, we really walked a lot because Rome is an open-air museum! Omi and Opa, for their part, opted for an afternoon nap after lunch, just to take a break from the family’s sporty pace ;-). Our long walks took us to lovely places such as: The Galleria Sciarra, a remarkable example of Art Nouveau! Castel Sant’Angelo on the banks of the Tiber… and the Vatican in the distance… The imposing Monument to Victor Emmanuel II and Capitoline Hill… We also quickly went into the Capitoline Museums to say hello to the statue of the she-wolf with Romulus and Remus. Largo di Torre Argentina, then through the nearby Jewish quarter… And we passed by the ruins of Trajan’s Market…

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Rome with the family: our good addresses

Restaurants:

• Giolitti: a must-visit ice cream parlour a stone’s throw from the Trevi Fountain!
• Pizzeria Romana al taglio: for grabbing a slice of pizza on the go (good value). In the same style, there’s Pinsitaly near the Trevi Fountain.
• La Mastrociccia: typical Roman cuisine, family-run and no-frills. On the same street (Via del Governo Vecchio), there are lots of restaurants like this and they all look nice.
• L’Emporio alla Pace: a small bar perfect for an aperitif drink! Very friendly staff.
• La Tavernetta 48: the fine-dining restaurant we all enjoyed and where we had dinner one evening on the terrace.
• Prefetti 19: another fine-dining restaurant that I personally really enjoyed.

This time, we didn’t have time to go to the Tastevere district, but it’s the ideal area to eat in small trattorias! A great atmosphere guaranteed for a Roman-style dinner!

Accommodation in Rome:

We chose a flat for 6, with 3 bedrooms, not far from Piazza di Spagna. Very good location. This flat is no longer online, so here are three other well-located options for a family of 4:

• Ale & Niki : a quadruple room with a double bed and a sofa bed. Lovely decor and a very good location, in the Vaticano Prati district by Ottaviano metro.
• During our first stay in Rome, we stayed between the Colosseum and the station: see this flat in the Monti district.
• La maison Romana: a more budget-friendly flat for four, not very far from Termini station by Manzoni metro.

The Roma Pass:

This time, we didn’t buy the Roma Pass because we weren’t doing enough visits included in the pass, nor enough journeys by public transport to make it worthwhile (we walked so much!), but do take a look at this option, which could help you save money!

And for next time in Rome?

When we go back to Rome, because of course we will go back, I’d like to visit the ruins of Trajan’s Market, which we only walked past, discover Palazzo Colonna, and then take the children to the Vatican. And you? Have you ever visited Rome as a family? Also check out our other ideas for city breaks in Italy.