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I will be in Rome at the end of June 2010 with my husband and 1 1/2 year old son - for about a week.
We would like to take some excursions from Rome and ideally would love to get to the water.....pools/beach....some way to keep cool as it could be hot! Need help deciding what would be appropriate with a young child. Could be anywhere from 1-4 hours from Rome as an overnight excursion is not out of the question. Would love the Amalfi Coast but I just question if we can really explore/have fun there with our son.
Any help appreciated!
Side Trips from Rome with a baby
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Being by the water in southern Italy is not necessarily cooling unless you are familiar with how to rent an umbrella and beach chairs at a " stabilimento balneare." Also, if you are thinking of doing this as a day trip from Rome, using public transportation, you may find the trains or buses have no air conditioning, so you don't want it to be a long ride. Lago Bracciano is a volcanic lake that sits at the bottom of a steep hill. Factor in the cost of a tax on a hot day.
The seaside towns of Ostia and Fregene (slightly more upscale) are reachable by train and bus from Rome. The journey is usually an hour, and you can find beach clubs that will rent you protection from the fierce sun.
For an overnight, you might look for a nice place with air conditioning in Porto Ercole or Porto Santo Stefano, which require an hour's train to Orbetello and a bus ride from there. (Or you can check out Orbetello itself, which is on a lagoon.)
In order to keep cool, you might consider pro-rating the money you'd be spending on an excursion and instead get an air conditioned hotel with a swimming pool in Rome itself.
But whatever you do, remember that the sun is fierce in Italy, in the city and by the beach, and make sure your child has protection if exposed for long periods of time.
I would take the train to Sperlonga, or even Gaeta. There will be lots of families with young children on the beach there. Definitely rent chairs and an umbrella for protection. And don't plan to stay out in the sun all day with a baby - both towns are interesting to explore.
The Ostia suggestion is the best one since it's close by. But honestly, if the kid can't handle longer train trips (45 minutes from Piramide on the train, and whatever you need to do from where you are to get to Piramide, Eur, etc), why not cool off with a picnic in the Borghese Gardens? Shady, calm, cool, relaxing, full of beautiful fountains and vegetation, and there's the zoo if you like. Lord knows I had a happy childhood there
Best part, the park is really close to such landmarks as Via Veneto and Piazza Del Popolo so you can do it between sightseeing times if you like, and it's all FREE!