Ah, Roma!! Bellissima!
What a vibrant, beautiful city – one of my favorites in Europe to gallivant around with a baby on my front. We had a blast exploring it on foot. I would recommend anyone with kids to check it out. It’s a must-see. Even if just for 3 days.
And the Italians love babies. Especially older Italian women. You’ll just get a kick out of it. Everywhere we went they were welcoming and baby-friendly with high chairs, smiles, and more!
Here is a quick guide to help jump-start your planning.
When to Go
I think May and September are great times to go – when it’s a bit less crowded, with slightly lower temps than the thick of summer, and possibly better rates.
But…still be ready for some heat. And crowds.
If you go when COVID restrictions are in place, find out how to get a PCR test in Rome.
Getting Around
Rome’s stunning historical architecture sprinkled throughout its vibrant big city make it invigorating to explore on foot. Nearly every turn of a corner and wham-o – you’re at another jaw-dropping masterpiece– there’s nothing like it!
We loved trotting around this walkable museum of a city with our little one in the carrier. If you can, leave the stroller behind so it’s easier to navigate crowds, cobblestone, the metro, and stairs.
If walking isn’t your thing, the public transportation is cheap and easy – €1.50 for 100 minutes on the metro, last I checked.
Getting into the City From the Airport
Fiumicino Airport is nearly 20 miles from Rome city center. The other airport is Ciampino. You have a few options to get to and from, depending on budget, arrival time, amount of luggage, and level of patience! I put an * next to my preferred methods.
- *Reserved private transfer ~48 euro: I have yet to find a 100% reliable airport transfer service. Two options that I know have car seats are: Welcome Pickups, and this one through Viator: Rome Airport Transfer. I have had some great tours through Viator, but have never used them to book airport transfers. I won’t even share with you the one that we had that showed up without the car seat, and refused to take credit card despite the booking confirmation stating they could. Shady…
- *Leonardo Express train (~14 euro) takes 32 minutes to Termini station and runs every 15 minutes (Termini Station has connection to both metro lines)
- Shuttle bus (~6 euro) to main station (Termini). This takes 40 minutes and runs every half hour.
- Roma City Pass includes a one-way shuttle ticket
- Pre-book transportation through your hotel if your hotel is reliable
- Taxi – only accept one from an official taxi stand, however Roman taxi drivers have a not-so-good rep. Just know that the ride from Fuimicino to within the city walls is ALWAYS 48 euro and from Ciampino it is ALWAYS 30 euro within the walls; Also, don’t let a taxi driver offer you a “special” fare and not turn on the meter; if they don’t turn on the meter before you depart, get out of the car and tell them you will report them to the police or vigili (pronounced VEE-jee-lee); they usually only accept cash
- Avoid drivers that approach you in the ‘Arrivals’ terminal offering a “cheap” ride;
- Uber: they only have Uber Lux, Uber Black and Uber Van; running you closer to 100 euro
- Europe’s version of Uber: FreeNow
- Renting a car may be tough unless your hotel offers parking
In 2018 with our 6 month old, we reserved a private transfer in advance, car seat included. It was NOT reliable. We missed our connecting flight so we arrived much later than scheduled. Then our stroller never showed up from the plane, so we waited an hour to leave them our information for sending it to our hotel later. Luckily our driver was still there, but the car seat was NOT. At midnight in a foreign city, tired and helpless, I lectured the guy to drive very safe, and pulled a Britney holding my little guy in my lap, but with a death grip the entire drive. That night, the drive into the “Eternal City” felt down-right eternal, that’s for sure.
Where to Stay
It’s all about location and size of room when traveling with your little ones. You definitely want to be able to just step outside your door and already be in the action.
Big city Euro hotel rooms tend to be tiny tiny. If you think your little one will disrupt your sleep, you may want to consider a VRBO or Airbnb.
If you are okay with a smaller room, I recommend iQ Hotel Roma as both budget-friendly and baby-friendly. They have decent-sized rooms (for Euro standards).
Our one dinner there was so-so and slow-slow. But everything else – spot on. This was from our visit back in 2018:
- Prime location – 2½ blocks to metro, 5 blocks to main train station (Termini), and central (walkable) to ‘must-see’s’
- Self-service laundry (glad I used it before our next leg of an 18 day trip)
- Self-service beer/wine/snack vending machine – deeeeefinitely came in handy!
- Market around the corner
- Yummy breakfast buffet (and you’ll need the energy!)
- Pleasant outdoor terrace seating, a MUST with such beautiful Roman weather (and possibly cranky little ones; it seems the outdoors always helps with mood for my little ones)
- Cribs and highchairs
- Clean and modern
- Excellent customer service. The breakfast staff was so sweet. Every morning they helped me prep a tray of cappuccinos and pastries to bring back to the sleepy baby and hubby in the room, to avoid hangry meltdowns before we all went back for the full buffet.
What to Do
Note: Right now, you have to pre-book most or all tourist attractions because of the pandemic restrictions.
Exploring the Eternal City on foot is an activity in itself, but there are plenty more fun things to do in Rome with kids, from baby to teenage.
Where to Eat
Any and every gelateria for gelato, and at any time of day. Italy is the only place your little ones can get away with ice cream in the morning!
But once you need some real energy, you can’t go wrong with good food in Rome. Our hotel recommended a few that have awesome reviews online and definitely look worth checking out: Alessio and Nerone. Let me know what we missed!
Here are some of the places we did happen to try and really like:
Trattoria il Tettarello
If you stay at IQ Hotel Roma, this satisfyingly cheap and easy, sit-down pizzeria is just a few blocks away.
The quiet and quaint restaurant recommended by our hotel turned out to be a little gem for quick and yummy service away from the crowds. So much so that we went there at least daily, if not twice a day, to share a pizza and grab a cold one (well, as “cold” as you’re gonna find in Italy).
It wasn’t much for atmosphere, but still a quick yummy meal.
Da Carlos
If you are near Piazza Navona, Da Carlos served a typically delicious Italian pesto pasta that I fell in love with.
It’s not as touristy as the spots right in the piazza, but there is a cheesy worker (barker?) outside trying to lure in customers. Well what can I say – it worked. We caved. And I’m happy we did.
What to Bring
Ummm, a map! Haha.. but no, really. We used an old-school paper map from the hotel. No joke. I have no shame. Sometimes my iphone map apps are misleading when abroad.
If you go in the summer, be ready for the heat. Bring a personal mini spray fan. And you might go through clothes faster than anticipated, especially if a warm baby is on your back (or front). Whew!
It can rain, but I’ve been there several times and it’s always been warm and dry. Check the forecast and pack accordingly.
Good walking shoes are a must. Not the time to be struttin’ in your platforms.
The carrier was easiest if you have a baby with you. I like baby and toddler travel gear recommendations if you want more carrier options.
We had a layover and our stroller actually didn’t make it our final stop in Rome until our 3rd day. I’d bring a carrier as backup in case you are as lucky as we were. We used a travel stroller one night but it had to withstand the cobblestone. We had to carry it up and down some stairs while walking through the city. Pretty typical for a European city.
How to Book
I like SkyScanner for finding the best deals on flights. Expedia is my go-to for hotels. Check out Expedia reviews and deals for iQ Hotel Roma. See my Resources page for more helpful travel tools for booking sites, renting baby equipment, and more.
Questions?
Shoot me an email if you have any specific questions about the city that I might be able to help with.
