Rome with children: family apartments and practical tips

Four things, in this order: a lift if you have a stroller, a second bathroom if there are more than four of you, a washing machine for longer stays, and a bedroom on a quiet side so that nap time works. A supermarket and a pharmacy on the block help more than a view.

All five of our apartments can have a travel cot, on request and free of charge: just tell us when you book.

Piazza di Spagna: two double bedrooms, a double sofa bed and two bathrooms, one with a bathtub, which is a gift with small children. Lift (a small period cabin), washing machine and dishwasher, up to six guests, with Villa Borghese a twelve-minute walk away.

Colosseo: two double bedrooms facing a quiet courtyard, a double sofa bed, two bathrooms with large showers and a small private patio, up to six. Lift, dishwasher, Netflix and Disney+ for rainy evenings; no washing machine, but a coin laundromat 100 metres away.

Vaticano: a one-bedroom for up to four in Prati, on the second floor with a lift and no steps inside, which makes it the easiest of our homes with a stroller. A balcony, and a double sofa bed in the living room for the children.

Fontana di Trevi: a one-bedroom for up to four with a lift, a queen bed, a double sofa bed and a washing machine, five minutes from the Spanish Steps. Pantheon: the largest, three bedrooms and two bathrooms for up to eight, perfect for big families, but on the fourth floor without a lift, so not the one for a stroller.

Do one big sight per day, in the morning, and stop before anyone is tired. The Vatican Museums open at 8:00 from Monday to Saturday; going in at opening, with tickets booked on the official site, means smaller crowds in the first galleries. Children under 7 enter free. On the last Sunday of the month entry is free for everyone, from 9:00 to 14:00, which also makes it the most crowded day: avoid it with children.

At the Colosseum, visitors under 18 enter free, but you must book their free ticket online on the official site, ticketing.colosseo.it, together with the adult tickets; under-12s must be accompanied, and bring ID for older children. Combine the Colosseum and the Forum with a picnic rather than trying to see everything: the Palatine is easier to enjoy after lunch, when everyone has eaten.

Villa Borghese is the family park of central Rome: lawns, the Pincio terrace above Piazza del Popolo, and the Bioparco, the city zoo, open every day except 25 December (in the autumn and winter of 2026, from 9:30 to 17:00). Just below it, on Via Flaminia, Explora is a hands-on museum for children up to 11, closed on Mondays; check opening times and book on its website.

From our Colosseo apartment, the quiet garden of Villa Celimontana is a short walk beyond the Colosseum. On the Vatican side of the river, the Gianicolo hill gives children a view over the whole city.

Gelato is the most effective motivator in Rome. Look for gelaterie with flat, covered tubs rather than towering mountains of colour. Near our Spanish Steps and Trevi apartments, Come il Latte on Via Silvio Spaventa is recognised by Gambero Rosso in 2026. In Monti, Fatamorgana on Piazza degli Zingari makes all-natural, gluten-free gelato, useful for children with coeliac disease.

Romans eat late, so for families lunch is the easy meal: trattorie are relaxed, portions can be shared and nobody minds children. In the evening, book for 19:30, when restaurants open and are still quiet. Pizza al taglio, sold by weight, is the perfect quick dinner, and having a real kitchen means breakfast, snacks and the occasional plate of pasta at home.