Rome can be a great destination for families with toddlers. There are family-friendly attractions like parks, museums with interactive exhibits, and the Colosseum. Just be mindful of the cobblestone streets and plan accordingly for stroller accessibility.

We had been thinking about a trip to Italy for a while (mostly because I had craved pasta pretty much since the day I found out I was pregnant) so when we finally saw nonstop flights that were VERY reasonable, we began to plan.  We almost always try to fly out of Chicago because it is just easier and less stressful for us personally than trying to book extra flights and make connections while lugging all of our bags and a 3 year old through an additional airport.  Plus Joseph’s sister lives right in the middle of the city, so we originally planned to go up a day early and visit before we left.

One thing I will say about traveling with kids is that springing and paying more for better flight times and/or less or no stops is always worth it to me. There’s some flights that are dirt cheap, but if you have 3 stops and a 10 hour layover somewhere before your destination, by the time you get there you’re totally exhausted and need a full day or two to recuperate. So that’s one thing we do like to spend a little more for.

There are 3 NONSTOP flights from Chicago to Rome daily and hundreds of other flights that have layovers in just about every city imaginable.  We opted for the American Airlines flight 110 that leaves at 4:55pm and arrives at 8:50am.  Our flight was smooth and absolutely wonderful and Jack couldn’t have been a more delightful passenger.  My husband would probably even say he is way easier to fly with than me.  He sat still and watched his movies, slept, and woke up in a great mood excited to land.

The airport authorities have set a fixed fare of 48 euro between Fiumicino Airport and destinations in Rome city centre. The taxi fare includes your baggage and is for a maximum of four passengers.  But a cheaper (and much faster) option would be to just take the Leonardo Express train into town with is only 14 euros per person and free for children under 7.  We chose this option when departing to go home because cabs out of the city center and to the airport are definitely not a fixed rate and can cost about 100 or more Euros.

We arrived pretty early to our apartment which was in the Trevi area of Rome (literally 10 steps away from the Trevi Fountain, we had an *AMAZING* view of it from our window) around 11 and had a few hours before we could check in.  The apartment was called “Suite Life Trevi Roma”.  I actually found it on booking.com but I’m pretty sure I also saw it on Air BnB. It was hands down the best place we stayed our entire time in Italy….maybe even anywhere….I would book this same spot every time we go back for sure.

There was so much to do right outside our door though that it wasn’t an issue at all, especially since the hosts let us drop off our bags while it was being cleaned.  It was the most perfect apartment for us to stay and they even had cookies and champagne waiting and a super sweet little note and some change for Jack to make a wish in the fountain.  We ate lunch at the most delicious restaurant right outside of our door called Ristorante Quirino.  It was actually the best meal we had the entire time we were in Rome.  So that was a pleasant surprise.  After walking around and exploring a bit after that, we went up to our apartment and took a short nap.

We had dinner reservations at the Terrace rooftop restaurant at Hotel Raphael.  It had amazing views of the city and the hotel was beautiful, but it was super expensive and the meal was tiny and very mediocre…so I definitely would skip the 5-star fancy schmancy places in favor of random local spots next time we go as the food always turned out so so much better.  We strolled around the Piazza Navona (a definite must visit) after and had gelato while people watching and enjoying the weather.  There were vendors selling cute light up toys and balloons for kids so if course we got suckered into that purchase.  But we actually had a lot of fun playing there with Jack after dinner shooting his new toy into the air over and over.  The fountains there were absolutely beautiful (Piazza Navona is full of history and gorgeous architecture) and the weather couldn’t be beat.  Sometimes I think those are my favorite moments on a vacation, nothing fancy or crazy exciting…..just sitting on a bench in a crowd and genuinely enjoying spending quality time with each other.

The next morning we had  breakfast in the same piazza. It’s a touristy spot so it’s more overpriced than other places, but we were already right there so we didn’t feel like walking around a ton since I was pregnant and hungry.  There are tons of cute little cafes that serve delicious cappuccino and croissants. But don’t expect a big yummy breakfast like I did, or you will be sadly disappointed and hungry still. There were one or 2 places we saw with signs out front advertising “American Breakfast” that served 2 eggs, bacon, toast, and OJ, but I tried it and it was not at all very appetizing….most all places in Italy only offer coffee and small pastry.  And Italians are not early risers so being up at 6am everyday worked to our advantage.

It was still pretty early in the morning, only 7:30 or 8 so we decided to go to the Colosseum before the line got long and it got super crowded. Doing all the big major sights at dawn is seriously the best way to go about exploring.  Kids get in free, and the Roman Forum is right next door. We also walked by the Pantheon on our way to catch a cab and the entire square was completely empty….so that was also neat to see and explore without a thousand people milling about.  We didn’t book a tour of the colosseum, just because it’s like 2 hours long and I didn’t think Jack would behave, but there’s tons of companies that offer good deals and skip the line passes.

After the Colosseum, Joseph did the Vatican and Sistine Chapel and Jack and I went back to nap. Naps and snacks are key to ensuring no meltdowns in my book. I would love to see all the museums and everything there is to offer but walking through museums shoulder to shoulder with the crowds there didn’t sound like my cup of tea. Also you have to be *completely silent* in the Sistine Chapel and if you know my child you know that he is never silent unless he’s asleep…..and even then sometimes he’s sleep talking to himself. The square at St Peters is big and there is plenty of room for kids to run around and chase pigeons so we could’ve waited and done that, but you can’t go wrong with a nap in my book. We didn’t take a stroller with us on this trip, but found we actually didn’t even need it!  Jack was able to walk everywhere we did or we carried him and it wasn’t bad. The public transport isn’t super stroller friendly and neither are all the cobblestone streets. The Spanish steps and Borghese Gardens are another great spot for families and small kids since it’s free, very spacious and open, and there’s lots to see and do.

Another good thing to know is that Italian meals take a loooong time. So don’t be surprised when your 7pm dinner doesn’t end until 9:30. It can be a challenge keeping a 2 or 3 year old entertained at the table for hours. We did always have a tablet and books and toys in our bag that he could play with, so it wasn’t an issue. Everyone really takes their time, enjoys the atmosphere and the wine and it’s definitely different than eating out here in the States. The only thing I didn’t really care much for is how much everyone smokes at meals in Rome. Especially when the tables are all only 2 feet apart, even in the open air, it’s a lot and can be overwhelming at times.