My husband and I and two boys ages 9 & 12 will be in Rome for Christmas. Does anyone have any recommendations for special things to do or events that require a lot of advance planning? We are Catholic so we will want to attend a mass. Also has anyone stayed at the Hotel Barocco or The Hotel Due Torri? We have stayed at the Hotel Eden before but since we are traveling with our kids we want something a little less expensive and maybe closer to central Rome. One last thing...good restaurants with kids? Thanks for the help!

Anybody?

I stayed at Albergo Santa Chiara with my 2 kids. It's 3*, very nice and right behind the pantheon (a great convenient location). They have some 2 room suites and also some apartment units (w/ kitchens). www.venere.com/it/roma/santa_chiara/. For great food and atmosphere at unbeleivably in-expensive prices try Marios in Trastevere (Via del Moro,53). In general, most restaurants seem pretty kid-friendly. For more info on Rome check out www.francescatravel.com/rome.htm

Hi Suzie<BR>I wrote about Christmas here in December 2001 - have a look, you might get some ideas:<BR>http://www.italywithus.com/ezine/122001/index.html

I can second the recommendation for Santa Chiara with kids...if the suites or apts are too expensive, ask for room 102. It has a separate queen bedroom with a small front room with two pull out twin sleep sofas and the TV/minibar so mom and day can have a little privacy or sleep later - our kids loved their breakfast buffet and the location was great. We like the restaurant "Tre Scalini" on the Piazza Navona (order the Tartufo for dessert)...You simply must pop into the church next to the hotel which is called Santa Maria Sopra Minerva..the only gothic church in Rome and the inside is gorgeous. Also the burial place of several popes and St. Catherine of Siena. My daughter left her camera in a pew and this very kind elderly priest found it for her. He then proceeded to tell us about his relatives in Boston.<BR><BR>Also, the LA Times Sunday Travel Section had an article on Italy at Christmastime this past December. You can probably find it in the archives at www.latimes.com<BR><BR>The only thing that would require 'advance planning' would be reservations for the Villa Borghese Gallery. Our kids aren't very tolerant of art museums but did seem to appreciate the Sistine Chapel. Arrive at the Vatican Museum first thing in the morning and go straight to the Capella Sistina. It wasn't crowded and my daughter actually got to lay on the floor to look at the ceiling.<BR><BR>If the line isn't too long, you kids will love climbing to the top of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica...They will also love the Coloseum, the Roman Forum, the Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Fontana di Trevi and Capitoline hill ("Campidoglio")...<BR><BR>You will find that many restaurants don't start serving dinner until at least 7:30 or 8:00pm so we let our kids snack on take-away pizza slices or sandwiches to tide them over till dinner time. An good behaviour should be amply rewarded with gelato! We loved Giolitto's Gelateria, a few blocks off the Piazza della Rotonda (Pantheon).. Can't think of a better country to visit with kids. Have a great trip!

Correction: that's Giolitti's ...