What to plan for last day in Rome
 

We will be in Rome from 4/22-4/27. We arrive around 1pm from Venice. We will have 8 and 9 year old boys with us.

Sunday: Arrive, check in to hotel in Campo De Fiori. Wander. See either Forum of Augustus or Forum of Caesar that night.
Monday: Colosseum, Forum - with a cousin who is a tour guide
Tuesday: Vatican and Castel San Angelo with the same cousin
Wednesday: Pompeii, on our own
Thursday: What to do???
Friday: flight home around 9am.

So what would do for your last day? The kids are active and enjoy history, hiking/walking, being active, eating. They are pretty easy to please.

Kids may find Catacombs, just south of Rome and along ancient Via Appia remains, great and adults too:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Rome

https://www.google.com/search?q=cata...h=759&dpr=1.25

Or Ostia Antica - Rome's ancient port. Similar to Pompeii sans crowds - in case you re-think the long long day trip to Pompeii.

Speaking of that book your Rome to Naples train and back ASAP for deep discounted fares - Acquista il biglietto con le nostre offerte - Trenitalia or www.italotreno.com -two competing rail companies using same tracks and stations. www.seat61.com has oodles on doing just that; for general train info BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. 1st class can be discounted too and may at times not be much more than the cheapest available 2nd class ticket. If not much more go for it - easier for kids to move around. May even have family compartments on some trains - not sure but many European trains these days do. tickets come with automatic mandated seat reservations.

Your kids might enjoy the Capuchin crypt - lots of bones and skulls in "decorative" displays.

On a nice day, we love the Villa Borghese park. It's huge and has various low key attractions. But outside of a weekend, it might be quiet. I've seen young kids have A LOT of fun at Ostia Antica. Good space for running about and exploring with a rather fascinating ancient toilet that kids might like to see.

I trust your "wandering" will include the Piazza Navona, a 5 minute walk from Campo Di Fiori, then a further 5 mins to The Pantheon, then a further 5 or 6 mins to Trevi fountain then a further 6 mins to Spanish Steps. Walk down via del Babuino towards Piazza del Popolo and watch out for via Margutta on your right and the prettiest street in Rome. From Piazza del Popolo there is a taxi stand for a €10 taxi ride back to Campo Di Fiori. For the last day it's a 10 minute walk from the market, across Ponte Sisto to Trastevere, one of the most historic areas of Rome with one of its oldest Piazzas. At trattoria Da Otello, but there are so many others, you will have the best lasagna you have eaten knowing that in the not too distant future you'll be back !

kids play soccer - often see kids playing soccer in parks and even large piazzas - maybe could join in and have a real thrill?

You don't mention Florence. Return excursion day tickets are available by train and the trip takes 1 hour and 20 mins. one way. So much to see and do the markets, the David, the Ufizzi and if you pre book the kids can climb the Duomo while you have the best cappuccino at Gilli.

Reprinting your itinerary for a reason . . .

Sunday, 4/22: Arrive, check in to hotel in Campo De Fiori. Wander. See either Forum of Augustus or Forum of Caesar that night.
Monday, 4/23: Colosseum, Forum - with a cousin who is a tour guide
Tuesday, 4/24: Vatican and Castel San Angelo with the same cousin
Wednesday, 4/25: Pompeii, on our own
Thursday, 4/26: What to do???
Friday, 4/27: flight home around 9am.

April 25 is Liberation Day, a national holiday in Italy. There may be some closures, so it pays to check. Others can comment if it is a big travel day and whether a visit to Pompeii will be too crowded--I'm sure your cousin can advise.

Some families opt to have their kids attend a session of Gladiator School while in Rome. This would depend on your kids' interest level AND your feelings about them doing battle with one another. I cannot recommend for or against this.

I don't think I want to do another long day trip after Pompeii.

She seemed to think Pompeii would be okay. Originally we were doing the Vatican that day, but then she remembered the holiday.

I've considered Gladiator School. My kids fight each other every day. 😂. But I've read mixed reviews. I'll look it over some more.

I can highly NOT recommend Gladiator School for anyone let alone kids:

https://www.google.com/search?q=glad...w=1536&bih=759

Glorifying violence is not the message I'd want to send my kids, especially today.

Wednesday is a long day ... I would plan on a relaxing day for Thursday.

Trastevere is just across the river from where you're staying. You could spend a relaxing day there exploring some of the sites. It's much less hectic than the center! S. Cecelia and S. Maria are both pleasant churches to explore, and the Villa Farnisini has some nice murals by Raphael and his students.

Alternately, the Baths of Caracalla are a short tram ride away, and they have a new 'virtual reality' tour that let's you see how the baths looked at their prime. I thought was fascinating.

Ostia Antica seems the obvious choice to me. A short ride out of the city and plenty to keep everyone interested.

Bought our tickets TO Napoli Centrale today...13Euro each. Decided to do the 845am departure so we don't feel insanely rushed in the morning, then we'll catch the 11:11am train to Pompeii. I think we may just wait and buy the return trip that day since I'm not sure what time we'll be ready to leave.

You can take bit slower IC trains or even slow slow regional trains back and will be cheaper than faster trains on walk-up basis.

CircumVesuviana trains to Pompeii Scavi (ruins) station leave frequently - if miss 11:15 train just take next - tickets are dirt cheap - buy at CircumVesuviana station which is about a 10-minute walk thru walkways from Naples Centrale to Circumvesuviana station - see you may not make that train but don't stress.

Pompei made Ostia anti-climatic to DH and me. Maybe keep Thursday open for places you didn't have time to see on the previous days? Other possibles: Tivoli (about an hour by train); Piazza Navona (easy walk from Fiori) to the Pantheon (google that area to see about the Fountain (3 coins in the fountain) location); Borghese (you need reservations).

Have a great time.

Just beyond the Villa Farnasini are the Botanical Gardens.

I think maybe I'll give the boys control over the last day. I'll give a few options and they can decide what they'd like to see. I can include Ostia Antica, Borghese (not the museum, just the park area), just walking around Rome, etc.

And lots of gelatos? Take-out pizza by the slice and picnic in a square and watch the constant action and pigeons.

If they've been to Pompeii then that may be overkill for them.