Last year I decided that as the fruits of my loins would be 10 and 12 respectively they were ready for a holiday with a difference. Rather than the usual short break spent at Butlins or Euro Disney it was time that they were exposed to a bit of culture with a city break somewhere in Europe and where better than probably the best open air museum in the world Rome. Add in the fact that it is a city that I have never visited and the deal was made, a couple of hours later on the internet and we were spending the first week of April in Rome.
Anyone reading this review will notice one major omission and that is that we spent no time at the Vatican as our visit coincided with the funeral of Pope John Paul and the crowds were just too much to even attempt getting close to the area for fear of losing either child. This was a real shame especially as we had tickets for a general audience with the Holy Father however his long illness had already put that in doubt
The Geography of Rome
One of the great things about Rome is that despite its size the historic centre is relatively small and compact with most of the sites of interest within walking distance of each other. With the Tiber to the west of the centre only the Vatican and Trastevere are on its west bank with all the other main sites to the east.
Rome most well known geographical features are the seven hill, The Palatine, Capitoline, Aventine, Caelian, Esquiline, Viminal and Quirinal. The downside to these features is at some point in your visit you will find yourself walking up some of them.
Getting around
Whichever of the two airports that you land at unless you get a taxi the coach transfers normally drop off at Stazione Termini which is the major train and bus station.
The best way to get around Rome is on foot so make sure that you have some sturdy walking shoes especially as many of the roads are cobbled and you also have those hills to contend with. Add to that the fact that every time you cross the road you take your life into your hands and you may find yourself taking the long way round some of the large squares to avoid crossing the four lanes of traffic that shows no sign of stopping even if there is a crossing.
Taxis are plentiful however they cannot be hailed from the street you need to get one at a taxi rank. If you phone to book one then you will be charged for the journey to pick you up as well as the one to your destination. As with all major cities there are those who will try to fleece tourists however my experience was a good one with the average price for journeys within the centre of about 10 euro.
For public transport whether you use the bus, tram or metro the same ticket is used. You need to purchase your ticket in advance from tabacchi or booths and in the case of the bus or trams you need to get the ticket validated when you start the journey. Machines are located at the back of trams and buses. A single journey costs 1 euro and small children travel for free. The metro has two lines so it is probably easier to use than the tube but for our visit we had no need for it.
Favourite Attractions
At every turn of your head you see something beautiful or breath taking in Rome. To do it justice you need to write a book. For the purpose of this review I will feature those sites that the children enjoyed the most. Obviously we did not get to the Vatican and also we tended to avoid the large museums, as the children tend to need a more hands on experience at present.
Foro Romano was by far their favourite. They loved the freedom of being able to walk around the ruins and the fact that they could relate it back to the Rome of their history books. The ruins are free to enter however there is a charge to enter the Palatine however this is worth the expense as it is a beautiful area and also the ticket includes entry to the Coliseum and helps you avoid the queues at the ticket office there.
The Coliseum is for me the symbol of Rome and is truly awe-inspiring. Often crowded there are many people offering the chance to join tours or to have your picture taken with a Roman centurion but once inside you really get a sense of the fantastic feat of engineering to build such a place and the views from the upper level are great.
The Trevi Fountain is another famous landmark and it dominates the small square that it resides in amongst the very tight streets that surround it. The kids enjoyed throwing the coins over their heads especially when they learnt that it meant that one day they would return.
Santa Maria in Trastevere was located close to our hotel (check out my hotel review for info) and hence we spent a lot of time in the square. It was beautiful inside but also at night when illuminated provided a nice backdrop to an evenings stroll. Add in the fact that the gelaterie in the square made the best ice cream we had while in Rome and this was a real winner.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was also a favourite and the views from the top are well worth the effort of climbing the endless stairs that confront you.
In addition I would also recommend visits to the Pantheon, Santa Maria Maggiore that was quite breath taking and San Pietro in Vincoli for its statue of Moses. I have mentioned only a few there are many more places to visit however we easily ran out of time and energy
Eating in Rome
To be honest I found the food a slight disappointment in Rome. Normally I would take the time to hunt out recommended restaurants however I found with the children it was a case of eating when the need arose and they were not very patient when it came to reading multiple menu boards. As a result we tended to find ourselves in tourist locations and the quality of some of the meals was mixed.
One recommendation I would make is Paris as a great place to sample Roman - Jewish cuisine, we had a lovely meal and they were very child friendly. If you are unable to get in your can always go next door to San Calisto for some excellent pizza.
The one thing that did not disappoint was the quality of the ice cream and the sunny weather certainly gave us every excuse to indulge.
Summary
The visit certainly got a big thumb up from the children and we will definitely be returning one day. Rome is noisy and the traffic is pretty bad however it is a city of great beauty and the noise just adds to the vibrancy of the place. Add to that culture at every turn great shopping that I did not get to enjoy and a lively easygoing nightlife and you have one of the great cities of the world and one that is well worth a visit.
Helpful Sites
The most useful site that I used was the Rome Tourist office at www.romaturism.it. This was helpful in booking accommodation and also in planning our time in Rome.
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