Rome with Teen in Tow

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A May 2008 trip to Rome by barbara

Express by Holiday Inn Photo - Express by Holiday Inn San Giovanni, Rome, Italy

Quote: With a son who is potty about the Roman Empire, our family was off to Rome.

29 Photos

Rome with Teen in Tow

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Overview

Trevi Fountain Photo - The Time Elevator, Rome, Italy

Quote:

Rome, Italy once housed the most infamous men in the world... the Caesars. While their Empire crumbled some centuries ago, it continues to inspire. One has only to see the Roman Forum in the moonlight to imagine years past when men would kill for the idea of a Republic... or men would seize power and build themselves statues. Equally, the Catholic church holds sway over millions of people around the world, and the Vatican is the seat of its power. Visitors to Rome may have an audience with the Pope as we did. Regardless of religious fervor, the churches here are worthy of awe. Our jaws certainly dropped at St. Peter's. The Black Death plunged Europe into years of chaos. ...Read More

Rome, Italy once housed the most infamous men in the world... the Caesars. While their Empire crumbled some centuries ago, it continues to inspire. One has only to see the Roman Forum in the moonlight to imagine years past when men would kill for the idea of a Republic... or men would seize power and build themselves statues.

Equally, the Catholic church holds sway over millions of people around the world, and the Vatican is the seat of its power. Visitors to Rome may have an audience with the Pope as we did. Regardless of religious fervor, the churches here are worthy of awe. Our jaws certainly dropped at St. Peter's.

The Black Death plunged Europe into years of chaos. The Renaissance saw a resurgence of art, literature, and free thought. The most important sculptors and painters worked in Rome and left their masterpieces behind them.

In truth, if you like history, eventually all roads lead back to Rome.

Quick Tips:

Potable water flows from public fountains. Carry around water bottles and refill them. I normally buy bottled water because I prefer the taste over that found in a tap, but the water in Rome is delicious. You'll have plenty of other things to soak up your Euros. It doesn't need to be your thirst.

Incidentally, the only other city that I personally have ever visited that had public water distributed in this manner was Istanbul. The founders of both Rome and what was another center of Christendom understood that the masses get cranky when dehydrated. This was a source of good will for the government, and it remains so today.

Hotels in Rome are expensive, but pay attention to where you book. Make sure you're not too far away or you might end up throwing money at cabs... or wasting time, your most precious commodity. After all, you could spend only 60 seconds in front of each piece of art in the Vatican museums. If you never slept or ate or used the restroom, you'd still be there for twelve years before seeing it all. You don't want to blow a lot of your precious hours trudging to far away tram stops.

Hop-on-hop-off bus tours can be great if you're with a family. You can ride around and see what you'd like without all that walking! However, remember the top of the bus is burning hot. Pack sunscreen. Maybe even an umbrella? (Portable shade.)

Best Way To Get Around:

You'll be surprised to find only two metro lines in Rome. This is very strange in such a giant city. However, there is a reason. Every time they work on digging out another line, they run across another important historical site that needs to be excavated. This makes for slow work. They ARE currently getting on with it, which means that until after 2010, the metro lines are going to close fairly early in the evenings... Between 9-10 PM. Astonishing.*

With that said, you'll also find that Rome is pretty compact. There's a giant network of public buses and trams. And your feet will get you most places if you're willing to hoof it. You can take a train to the airport.

*Save money on your metro card by purchasing multiple days. It will also give you access to trams and buses. Read Less

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Atahotel Villa Pamphili

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Hotel

Quote:

I wanted to use Hotwire for my Roman vacation, and the Atahotel Villa Pamphili was one of the places I booked. We used it as our base while exploring the Vatican museums on the last couple of days of our trip. First, let's talk about the pluses.At around $180 after taxes, the rate was pretty good for a family of three in Rome, and it was cheaper than the other place where we stayed. The hotel is rated as a 4 star on Hotwire, and I think that is a fair rating in Europe. The place has some nice features like a gym, swimming pool, restaurant, and tennis courts. There was evidence of wear and tear throughout the complex, but considering the age of the place as ev...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on May 31, 2008

Atahotel Villa Pamphili
Via della Nocetta
Rome, Italy 00164
+39 (06) 6602

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Express by Holiday Inn San Giovanni

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Hotel

Quote:

I wanted to give Hotwire a go, so I booked 2 hotels through that site for our Roman holiday. The first was this Holiday Inn Express. Hotwire called it a "central" hotel. Well... that takes a bit of fudging. It's not. However, it is within close walking distance of the train station and a metro stop, so this is absolutely fine unless you're the type of traveler who wants to pop in and out of your room to rest mulitple times throughout the day. (If so, you should pay the premium for another hotel that is more central.)Second, I started reading reviews of the hotel once I had its name. Hotwire put the brand at 2 1/2 stars. Other travel sites only gave a 1 star ratin...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 31, 2008

Express by Holiday Inn San Giovanni
VIA ASSISI 53
Rome, Italy 00181
390-678-4692

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Al Vantaggio

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Restaurant

Al Vantaggio Photo - Al Vantaggio, Rome, Italy

Quote:

If you're traveling with kids in Rome, this is a good restaurant to remember. You see, a lot of places close in the afternoons, and they don't open again until 7 PM. This is no good for young American families who are used to eating closer to 6. Wandering around the Piazza Popolo, we ran across this place. All of us wanted to eat, but all of the restaurants were dark. Then we saw the sign on an outside wall: "Always Open." SOLD! We grabbed seats out front underneath an umbrella. How was the food? Well, we didn't have high expectations, but we were pleasantly surprised. My son's pizza was pretty good. I had ravioli with 4-cheese sauce, which I enj...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 31, 2008

Al Vantaggio
Via Del Vantaggio, 35
Rome
+39 063236848

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Ristorante Pizzeria La Scala

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Restaurant

Ristorante Pizzeria La Scala Photo - Ristorante Pizzeria La Scala, Rome, Italy

Quote:

One of the funnest things we did in Rome was pick up an inexpensive water colour sketch for 10 Euro that I liked by an artist in the Piazza Navona and then seek out the scene depicted. The piece showed laundry strung up by a lamp-post on Via Scala.Consulting a map, we learned Via Scala is in the Trastervere section of the city, so we walked across the river, onto the Isola Tiberina, and took a proper wander through a myriad of Italian neighborhoods. In one piazza, we paused for a few minutes to watch a scene of people walking around a fountain because they were being filmed for a movie! Once on the proper street, we discovered several restaurants an...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 31, 2008

Ristorante Pizzeria La Scala
Piazza Della Scala, 60
Rome
+39 06 5803763

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Ditirambo

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Restaurant

Ditirambo cucina Italiana Photo - Ditirambo, Rome, Italy

Quote:

Ditirambo was the "nice" restaurant we visited while in Rome. It was listed in a "top ten" list my husband found on-line, so we made reservations for 8 PM. Knowing it was near the Campo dei Fiori Piazza, which is famous for its nightlife, we allowed extra time to wander around the pretty streets taking photographs until we located the Piazza della Cancelleria. Even so, it was only a little after 7 PM when we spotted the small front door to Ditirambo. It's hard not to notice all the stickers that recommend the restaurant. Though we were early, it was open, so we asked if we could still take a seat. The staff was very accommodating and ushered us through an arched doorway into...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 2, 2008

Ditirambo
Piazza della Cancelleria, 74
Rome, Italy 00186
+39 066871626

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The Time Elevator

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Attraction

Quote:

A good thing to do with children in Rome is the The Time Elevator. Located near the Trevi Fountain (Barberini Metro Stop), they offer several films a day in English. This is a multi-sensory experience in which you can "ride" through time with a guide. There are several different films at any time, but we were only interested in seeing a show about ancient Rome. What was it like? It was a nice reprieve from the heat. We were given earphones to hear the narrative, and we found seats in the back of the room. (Young kids below a certain height have to go on the non-moving seats.) This works a little bit like the Back to the Future ride in Disney World a...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on May 31, 2008

The Time Elevator
Via dei SS, Apostoli, 20
Rome, Italy 00187
39 (06) 69921823

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An Itinerary for the Family

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Attraction

Santa Maria in Cosmedin Photo - Rome, Italy

Quote:

Rome is very, very dense. If you're traveling here with children, it is essential you plan before you start wandering through the hot crowds. It will make your life a lot easier and your kids' experience a lot better. Sample itinerary for a "family day" in Rome: The ColesseoAfter a leisurely breakfast, go to the Colesseo in the morning. You can gain entry to here and to the Monte Palantino for 11 Euro per adult combo ticket. We paid an extra 10 Euro each to join an English speaking tour. (Conversely, you can choose to rent an audio tour inside.) I can't speak for all the tour guides in the area, but ours was wonderful....Read More