Rome tours with young family?

[Bennie Boy]

We are doing the Voyager of the seas Med cruise on 24th October with our two young sons (2 1/2 and 7 months). We would like to visit the main tourist attractions in Rome but dont have the budget for a private tour. We would like to see inside the Colosseum, the Vatican, the roman forum, Trevvi fountain etc. We like the look of CV02 with Royal Caribbean but am not sure about the "Lunch served at 1st class restaurant or hotel". we're are not sure if it will be suitable for the boys. Also has anyone any experience of the "Must walk approx 2 miles over even & cobblestone surfaces, extended periods of standing & approx 50 steps"? We will be taking a double stroller for tired legs!

Any help/advice would be great.

[Sue L]

Yikes, that is a long day for adults, never mind two little ones. Rome itself is about a 90 minute ride from the port and then you have a long day. Many of the streets in Rome are old cobblestone so it may be a challenge with a stroller and a huge one with a double one. I would suggest two light weight umbrella type strollers that can be carried up the many stairs around the city. Lunch is easy, you will be able to get pizza or spaghetti for 2 1/2 yr old and I assume you will bring baby food/bottle for the infant.

[marci22]

If I had two young children, and I could not afford a private tour, I would streamline my itinerary to my top few picks (I would not do Vatican). Then I would book the Rome on your own tour vs. the more expensive tour with lunch. You have the transportation security and you can adjust your tour depending on your kids' moods.

 

Good idea with the umbrella strollers as you can probably fit them easily in a taxi, if needed.

 

Also try asking your question on the family boards.

[Jetdriver787]

Yes I would agree with the comments above. Rome is a great walking city and the Collosseum, forum, Trevi fountain and Spanish steps are all within walking distance of each other. The train service from Civitavecchia to the city is good, but an hour each way.

 

I know Rome reasonably well and took two teenagers (with revved up trainers) to the railway terminus where we took the short subway (metro) trip to the colloseum. From there we walked to the Trevi and on to the Spanish steps, then to the Pantheon, Piazza Narvona and finally across the Tiber to Vatican city.

 

Rome is a great walking city, but there is a lot of walking. For the few free hours you actually have there it is no mean feat (but plenty of sore feet) to cram more than a few sights in. Taxi's are plentiful (the traffic is frightening) but it is likely to be very hard work with two such small children.

 

If you have to do this with an infant and toddler, I would recommend restricting your visit to just one or two of the main sites. If time allows you can always add more on the day. Tickets for the Colloseum (and forum) can be bought on line before you go, and that will save a lot of precious time queueing on the day.

[Bennie Boy]

Thanks for all your advice. I did not realise the main attractions were within walking distance of each other. It seems doing the "Rome on your own" tour might be a good idea for us.

[patnfrank]

We had 3 days after our 2 week Princess Crown cruise & walked or used public transportation (buy the day pass). Generally, you should have no problems with 2 children BUT stay away from the Vatican & Sistine Chapel. The lines are long with MANY narrow & steep stairways, although we saw one man on a wheelchair in the Sistine Chapel but don't know how he got there. There are no signs for public elevators.

[dougp26364]

We've done both of the RCI tours the cover the major attractions. They would make for a VERY long day with children of that age. Personally, I wouldn't do it. By the end of the day those children are going to be tired and cranky. Heck, by the end of the day I was tired and cranky. I think the Rome on your own where you can go at your own pace is probably the best idea.

[pcur]

Try the hop on/hop off bus. You can see it all at your pace, and get off at any stop. I think that would work well with little ones.

[drarill]

We are doing the Voyager of the seas Med cruise on 24th October with our two young sons (2 1/2 and 7 months). We would like to visit the main tourist attractions in Rome but dont have the budget for a private tour. We would like to see inside the Colosseum, the Vatican, the roman forum, Trevvi fountain etc. We like the look of CV02 with Royal Caribbean but am not sure about the "Lunch served at 1st class restaurant or hotel". we're are not sure if it will be suitable for the boys. Also has anyone any experience of the "Must walk approx 2 miles over even & cobblestone surfaces, extended periods of standing & approx 50 steps"? We will be taking a double stroller for tired legs!

Any help/advice would be great.

Are you sure you cant afford a private tour? I just checked the RCCL website and the CV02 tour is $198 for an adult and $148 for the children, I dont know if you have to pay for the 2 1/2, but as a mom that have travel to Rome with her children a couple of times, private tours is the best for them and for you. Rome is a big city and you will need to walk more on a RCCL tour. Have you post on your roll call and ask if someone wants to share a private tour with your family, maybe another family with young children??? Have you asked about RCCL policy for infants? Will they have to sit on your lap? or will they have a seat, even if they are not paying.

My daughter just posted a picture of her first trip to Disney, she was only 15 months and as I saw the picture I wondered if I was completely out of my mind , traveling with two non toilet trained children. But I did it, enjoyed it and I don't regret it.

Hope you have fun.

[Nebr.cruiser]

Well, the main sites in Rome are walkable, we walked everywhere in April, but we had three days and were still exhausted at the end of each day. And we didn't have two very young children! And walkable from site to site means many blocks or miles in some cases.

 

I really don't think it is possible to walk to all the sites you mentioned in one port day with children. I also would not take the double stroller--it just won't work in some areas. I'd take two small, foldable umbrella strollers and maybe a back-pack or sling for the baby.

 

If you can't afford a tour that drives you from place to place, pick the two or three must-sees that are relatively close together. For instance, the Colesseum and Forum are right next to each other, and there are various other ruins in the immediate area, also some park-like areas for the two-year old to have a little run.

 

Then, The Pantheon, Trevi, and some other neat fountains, squares and churches are also pretty close together, but quite a hike from the Colosseum, with kids. Personally, the Trevi Fountain was so crowded when we were there that it wasn't worth the effort to get there; same goes for the Spanish Steps.

 

I'd probably skip the Vatican Museums altogether with the kids. You can get tickets online to skip the admission line, but inside it is sprawling, crowded, confusing and would again be difficult with strollers.

 

St. Peter's basilica is awesome and would be more do-able except for the security line to get in. (If you do go to the Vatican, you can usually go from the Sistine Chapel directly to the basilica though.)

 

Also, at the end of April, it was already very hot. I would think Oct. 24 would be cooler, but you never know. Tired, cranky and hot kids and parents could spoil the whole day.

 

If you are planning on a large bus tour, only you can have an idea of how well your kids will do on this kind of tour, but my experience of sightseeing on a fairly small private tour bus in Jamaica with kids 3, 4, 5 & 5 was that they got nothing out of the experience and were restless very quickly--and we were only doing the touring thing about 45 minutes. They couldn't have cared less about the historic sites, foliage and jungle, etc.

 

If you are on your own you can stop at any of the many sidewalk cafes or inside restaurants which will be fine for food or a break (you'll need breaks!) for the kids.

 

Good luck and don't try to do too much. We didn't begin to see everything in our three days there so we'll just have to return. We did throw in those coins, you know!

[cruisemom42]

I am usually a DIY-type person and generally feel it is easy to do it yourself in Rome. However, in your circumstances, I do think I'd really consider a private tour. As someone else pointed out, the cost really isn't much more than a ship's tour for your family (I assume the ship would charge a percentage for your older child at least, if not the younger).

 

Walking in Rome is the best way to sightsee, but not if you are pushing two strollers (or worse, a double), due to the care you'll have to take on the uneven, crowded sidewalks, cobblestoned streets, and so on. Luckily it won't be as crowded or hot as in the summer months. I will also just caution you to be very careful with your belongings. Kids are a distraction, and you could find yourself pickpocketed by clever thieves who realize your attention is on your kids.

 

Many places, like Trevi fountain, always seem to be swarmed with people. You will have to keep a tight rein on your 2.5 year old (here and elsewhere) to avoid having him get lost in the crowd.

 

I would not take a ship tour. It's a long day and if your kids are unhappy, tired, or cranky, they may well affect the experience of others on the tour. (Please don't take that wrong, I'm a mom myself and I've done my share of traveling with my son when he was young....) Also, have you considered that bus tours will not be able to furnish car seats for your children? I think some (or most) private tours can.

 

Do keep your itinerary light and flexible. Try not to cram in too much. Some things may be more entertaining than others for your little ones. Sitting down for a meal is not a bad idea (rather than eating on the go) as it gives everyone a rest and Italians generally love children.