For many families visiting Italy, Rome is the first stop on any itinerary. Juggling the excitement of visiting the Eternal City with kids for the first time with travel logistics and jet lag can be done, but takes very careful planning with special consideration of where to eat, when to visit famous sites, mapping the best route, where to find decent bathrooms, and how to navigate transportation around the city. Based on feedback from countless families, the following day-by-day tips take the guesswork out of planning dilemmas so that everyone can focus on the fun!
Day 1
Visit the Coliseum the moment it opens. Quite literally, make a game with your kids to see if you can be “the first in line.” I suggest visiting the bathrooms next to the ticket booth before entering.
After the Coliseum, continue directly across the street (Via dei Foro Imperiali) toward the Forum area. The path down to this area is a remarkably well-preserved road from antiquity where some legendary historical figures have tread. I like to point this out to my kids as we walk down to our first destination: the Carcere Marmentino shrine across from the Church of Saint Peter in Chains (S. Pietro in Vincoli), where a miracle was said to occur. Descend down into the prison where Saints Peter and Paul were confined with infamous barbarians and other derelicts of antiquity, where legend has it that a spring miraculously burst through the floor in front of the column to which Peter was shackled, allowing him to baptize his fellow inmates. Dip your hand into the spring in the floor, and you will allegedly benefit from the water’s healing properties and have the ability to pass the miracle along secondarily to whomever you touch with that hand.
Next explore the Forum area to the degree that your family is up to it. The Capitoline Museum on V. dei Foro Imperiali is a great pit stop with bathrooms, a/c, some small interesting exhibits, and souvenirs.
Next stop, lunch.
If you want the kids to run free a bit, there is a nice shady playground near the Coliseum off Via Claudia. This is a great place to stop if you simply want to grab some panini for lunch and have a picnic.
If you find yourself heading back toward Piazza Venezia, Ristorante Ulpia overlooking Trajan’s Market is a touristy restaurant with a simple menu in a memorable location with an incredible view of the ancient center and a likewise interesting modern history. You’ll see it as you approach the market archaeological complex. Mussolini used to eat lunch at a specific table every day here, and underneath the restaurant itself there are some ancient Roman chambers that were later used for secret Fascist meetings (the ruins date from the Imperial era, a time Mussolini symbolically aligned himself with, another good way of illustrating history’s significance over time for the kids). If you go at an off time when it’s not so busy and are brave enough, ask the waiter if he might show you Mussolini’s table in the main dining room, then, if the timing seems right, inquire about the Roman ruins underneath and perhaps he’ll take you down to the chambers and show you.
If you find yourself heading in the other direction toward the river behind the Forum, the Ristorante San Teodoro at Via Dei Fienili 49 has a nice restaurant for the evening, but also a more casual café good for lunch with the kids and a great view with outdoor seating. After lunch, head down Via Dei Fienili to check out the infamous Tarpeian Rock.
Then, back to the hotel for a nap.
For the evening, consider an early evening visit to the Pantheon and an early dinner at nearby Pizzeria Da Baffetto on Via del Governo Vecchio 114 (tel. 06 6861617) near the Piazza Navona or outside on the terrace at Maccheroni in Piazza delle Coppelle 44 (tel. 06 683 07895, reservations are a nice courtesy, although if you go early around 8:00ish seating shouldn’t be such an issue), a casual trattoria menu in a characteristic atmosphere with great choices for kids and adults alike.
