We’re planning a trip to Rome with our 10 year old and 8 year old. We plan to spend 7 full days in Rome. We would love to take a day trip to Pompeii but not sure if it’s ok for a 10 yo and 8 yo. They’ve both read about Pompeii but I’m worried the casts might be too much for them. We’re looking at visiting the major sights in Rome. Is a tour guide helpful or are we fine touring on our own? Neither my husband or I speak Italian. Any tips or tricks to share? We’re planning to stay near Campo de Fiori. Thanks!

I cannot imagine that a guide would be necessary, English is spoken widely.

Instead of Pompeii I suggest a trip just outside Rome on the train from Roma Ostiense Station, to Ostia Antica, a beautiful site of ruins of Rome's ancient port set in a park with a cafeteria for a break. An area recently restored has opened since I was there last.
http://www.ostiaantica.beniculturali.it/en/

Here are photos from my last visit:
http://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/a-day-among-the-ruins-1

I was going to recommend Ostia Antica myself. Here is another website about it:

http://ostia-antica.org

However, regarding Pompeii, it's a large site with lots of things to see. If you think the casts would disturb your children, there's no need to see them.

You don't need a tour guide anywhere, and in my experience guided tours are often too restricting for children. At Pompeii and Ostia Antica, some guidance would be useful, because they're huge sites. I would splurge on a private guide, and find one who specializes in tours for children.

I agree with Mme P about Ostia Antica - it's very accessible and actually [IMHO] in some ways gives a better impression of what Roman life was like than Pompeii does.

as for guides, I am more and more inclined to use them, having spent most of my life avoiding them. We had some good experiences with them recently, particularly in Italy, so in your position I would strongly consider having a guide for the Forum, which can be very difficult to understand [I've been 3 times and I still don't get it] and possibly the Colosseum as well.

You can book tickets for the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill [they are on a combined ticket] here plus pay for guided tours and tours of the upper levels and the underground area:

https://www.coopculture.it/en/colosseo-e-shop.cfm

there are any number of companies offering guides - other people here may be able to advise you.

I completely agree with annhig when it comes to a guide if you decide to visit the Forum/Palatine Hill site. I was there recently and it was mind-boggling, a very dense & complex area adjacent to the Colosseum. There's good signage but it can't begin to make sense of it all and a good guide could put it all into context.

With this caveat, I have been to Pompeii and Herculaneum, not Ostia Antica, but strongly agree with those who recommend Ostia Antica.

Even without seeing the casts, which you could easily avoid, it is a long day trip for adults, so even worse for kids. I don't see when you are going, but in Summer, Pompeii is baking hot and not easy walking. We were in Rome when my kids were a bit younger than yours. They were great traveler's, but it was July, so we decided to skip Pompeii. It was a very good decision. It is such a huge site, that I feel you need several hours to get much out of it. Because a lot is only foundations, you have to read and look at pictures and plans to grasp it as a real city. As everyone mentions, there is also the heat!

It used to be that Pompeii got all the attention because it was more excavated and explored than the others, plus, of course, Vesuvius. Now, I enjoyed my last visit to Herculaneum as much, if not more, than my last one to,Pompeii.

From the pictures of Ostia Antica, it looks very exciting and beautiful as well. I never hire guides, preferring to read and study on my own, but the suggestion to hire a guide who would be good with the children is a very good idea. They can bring things to life for the kids. This would, IMHO, be a much better spent day than the long trek to Pompeii.

I agree Ostia Antica is great and more relaxed than hectic Pompeii and in its own way as impressive IME and of course a short metro ride from Rome.

But Pompeii is Pompeii and yes you can avoid the casts and the train ride at speeds of up to 160 mph or so from Rome to Naples could be a treat (commuter train from Naples station to gates of Pompeii) - but all told takes 3 hours each way! Maybe too far for young kids? Bring any food and drink aboard though.

Anyway if Pompeii book train tickets Rome Termini - Naples Centrale months early to get deep discounted fares much cheaper than walk-up or full fare- www.trenitalia.com; www.seat61.com has lots on booking your own tickets online; general train info - www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

If in summer Pompeii and Ostia Antica boil with little shade so wear big white hats and white clothes if possible!

Seaside resorts are a short enough train ride from Rome too and a day at an Italian beach may be a relief for tykes from rigors of sightseeing.

Regarding PalenQ's previous post, I disagree with the information offered about Ostia. There is indeed shade at Ostia Antica, a lovely site for that reason among others. And don't look for it on a metro line. As mentioned, take a train from Ostiense Station.