Neal,

I am with J62's recommendation. It is such a shame to go all the way there and not be able to even scrape the surface of what Rome has to offer.

Also, as it currently stands, you will be there on Sunday, and usually the Vatican museums are not open on Sundays ( of course, St Peters is).

I know we are short on time, but we can't change our plans due to commitments at home. When our kids are a little older and can really appreciate taking a 3-4 hour tour of the Vatican, we will do it, but for now, we have found it best to catch a glimpse of these places and offer them a limited history of each one. They simply can't process much more than this. It sounds like taxis are the way to go in Rome. Out of all of the sights, I think my family would like the Coloseum the best. Perhaps we should spend the majority of our time there, and then take a taxi to the Vatican just to get a sense of it. We could then ride back to the Pantheon and walk around this area - it sounds beautiful - and of course try the gelatto that was suggested! I think this itinerary would probably fill our day easily.