CatManDoo

We're looking at spending about 5 days in Rome with two 8 year olds. I've heard various opinions on whether Rome is kid-friendly. What say you Fodorites?

fmpden

I am never sure what kid-friendly is supposed to mean. I would not think of Rome or a lot of Europe being kid friendly in the sense of a lot of things that would appear to the typical 8 year old. If you set it up properly prior to arrival with books and video so 8 year old know what to expect, it could work. But Rome is old buildings, ruins, statues, paintings, and very different food. What they want to see and do will be very different from your interests. You will need to adjust to that.

Midnightsun

Italians are, as a general rule, very kid friendly. Depending on where you stay and what you visit, this can be a great asset. In areas that are not overly busy, you will often see vendors and regular passers by take time to make a child smile, marvel at his toy, etc. This happens in many places, but it seems to be more common in Italy...perhaps because Italians are having children later and in lesser numbers these days.

However, I'd agree with fmpden that you will have to make sure that your 8 year olds are ready to be Rome-friendly. It may not be as fun a city for kids as, for instance, Paris, with its many parks and puppet shows. However, if you do some historical preparation, the ruins on the Forum and the Colosseum can be great settings for a child's imagination. It helps that there is some room to roam and stroll. Castel Saint Angelo is also a good place for kids to burn off some energy, and they will be rewarded by the splendid view from the top, where they'll also find a snack bar that will be fun for kids but nothing too exotic.

The Pantheon could be fun for a short visit, and St. Peter's is big and open enough so that it won't be a chore for most kids. Once again, the historical angle will help. Unless you have most unusual eight year olds, the art museums are best avoided. Trekking through the Vatican museums for a couple of hours before you get to the Sistine Chapel can be hard for some of the adults, even though the rooms are sumptuous and much of the art is wonderful. I expect it would be a great chore for most eight year olds. I've not known many eight year olds to be adventurous eaters, but the gelato is plentiful and good, and most places will have some simple pasta. Dining al fresco in an area without vehicular traffic (Campo Fiori) can be a good option. This will all work best if you don't go when it's too hot.

You should probably expect that in some areas your kids will be more interested in their PSPs than the beauty around them, so don't leave those items at home if you want to do a few things your children will find boring. Also, don't feel too bad if years from now their fondest memories of a trip to Rome are the hotel pool and chasing pigeons in St. Peter's Square. At least one aspect can only be Roman.

adrienne

I think London and Paris would appeal more to kids than Rome. Do you have enough activities that would interest everyone for 5 days?

I agree with getting the kids ready for the trip by viewing travel videos and reading books showing things they'll see. I can't imagine 8 year olds wanting to go from church to church but there are things in Rome that will interest them. You could set things up like a scavenger hunt where everyone has a list of things to look for and check things off the list as you find them. You could have a contest between the parents, grandparents, and children to see who finds the most things first and come up with a grand prize.

The kids would probably like the Colosseum with the gladiators and perhaps a day trip to Ostia Antica to see an old, ruined Roman town or throwing money into the Trevi fountain. Rome has all kinds of beautiful and wonderful fountains the kids might enjoy, particular the larger fountains with lots of figures on them. They'll also enjoy trying all the various flavors of gelato.

christycruz

Getting them each a camera might appeal to them. The scavenger hunt idea is great!

I think the statues and fountains are very kid-friendly (the Pulcino della Minerva for example, doesn't seem mentioned much in connection with kids). You can tour Castel Sant Angelo on your own, and it would be a fun place for kids (was for my kid) as well as adults. There's a park and playground in the back of the fortress.

The huge city park in Rome, Villa Borghese Gardens has quite a few activities for kids. Just don't go on a Sunday as most attractions are closed. Here's a good review of things to do there: http://lolamamma.wordpress.com/2010/...pwp-mepltlp-h/

Actually, that blog will have very good tips for your trip in general.

Checking the calendar of events for the city would be a good thing to do. We were able to go to a carnival/parade while we were there.

christycruz

One other thing: the pace of your day is very important. For us, the adults could pick what to do in the morning, and one thing in the afternoon was for the kid. The rest of the time was down time. Only one restaurant a day was a rule for us too. You can see, if you use those guidelines, you'll need all five days to see everything!

I actually thought Rome was kid-friendly. Kids live there, after all. But kids are not happy at a normal tourist pace.