Rome with kids - Pitstops for Kids

Guide to Villa Borghese with teens who want to do everything extreme

May 9, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

We’re a very active family who spends significant time outdoors when we travel. In Rome, we noticed the lack of green spaces right away. Luckily, our apartment rental was located directly across the Tiber from Piazzo Popolo with an entrance to Villa Borghese. This sprawling green space and garden is Rome’s version of Central Park, and if you have active kids and teens who need to burn off energy, this is your place.

We visited Villa Borghese several times during our five days in Rome, using it as our backyard after mornings in museums and historical sites. Originally a private vineyard and most elegant villa in the city for the Borghese family, the park is technically a historical site in its own right, but we admit we didn’t take advantage of its Galleria Borghese or other museums. We were simply there to play.

From the Piazza Popolo entrance, you’ll head up a series of steep steps to enter the park at a beautiful overlook. This is, in our opinion, the place to watch the sunset over St. Peter’s dome. You’ll find a number of vendors in this wide space at the top, as well as fountains and paths that lead you further into the park. Younger kids will appreciate the free puppet shows at the little theater in this section, and this is also where you can rent bikes and pedal-powered go-karts.

Garden features like this one are featured amid all the touristy offerings. You’ll see a wide pedestrian bridge adjacent to the bike rental stands, which will lead you across a round-about (with some traffic) to the center of the park. Explore this area on wheels, or your feet will get tired! It’s huge. You’ll find another theater, this one with movies, touted as ‘the smallest cinema in the world’. I don’t know whether this is true, but it’s pretty tiny. It runs kids’ movies in the day and intellectual stuff like documentaries and foreign language films in the evenings. There’s a playground, several cafes, and many more gardens and fountains. In a second section, you’ll find a lake with boat rentals; we visited in winter, so this wasn’t a main draw for us.

Rent bikes, surreys, and go-karts:

The first thing we did was rent bikes so we could explore. Rental stands are plentiful, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding one, no matter where you enter the park. At the time of our visit, rentals were approximately €7 per hour. We found one hour to be enough to ride around and get the lay of the land. On subsequent visits, we walked where we wanted to go. Go-kart and surrey rentals were similarly priced, with the exception of the four-person surreys, which were more. You leave your ID with the attendant when you rent (I gave my driver’s license, as my passport doesn’t leave my sight when possible) and pay when you return on time. The teens had a blast with the petal-powered go-karts…mostly, they played ’tag’ with them on the wide dirt paths around the park.

Rent Segways:

In Piazzo Popolo, you can rent Segways by the half hour or longer. You don’t need to go with a guide, and very little to no instruction is given. To the teens, this was awesome. Rentals were €10 for 30 minutes. We rented three (one for each kid). If you rent for longer, you can actually take them from the piazza up to the park, which we saw many families doing, but our budget only allowed for half an hour. The kids loved riding these around the piazza…while undoubtedly a touristy thing to spend money on, we considered it money well-spent. For a total of €30, three kids were in heaven. Like with the bike rentals, we were asked to leave an ID, and the kids were told ‘not to zig-zag and not to run into each other’. If seen doing either, they’d be given one warning, then taken off the Segway. Even though the kids hadn’t used Segways before, they’re easy to learn, and we had no problems until the moment we returned them, during which our 11-year-old ran into the back of our 16-year-old while distracted by the guy’s instructions for parking. He was sternly admonished. We were glad it hadn’t happened earlier.

Watch street performers with serious skills:

All over the park, street performers with various talents show off their skills. We enjoyed a pretty good roller blade demonstration and some great juggling. We heard some good music and some very bad music, then returned to watch the roller bladers in time to see some wince-inducing crashes by some amateurs. Either way, it was entertaining.

Buy a soccer ball or play at a playground:

For about €5 (though they’ll ask for ten, initially), many street vendors have cheap soccer balls for sale. We bought one at the beginning of our stay in Rome, and the boys used it in the park several times before giving it away to another child before we departed. You’ll find plenty of grass areas in which to start a game, and we found other kids joined in almost every time. In fact, when Calvin dribbled it around the city, about every other restaurant waiter standing outside their dining establishments jumped in to pass it around and start conversations with us. Money well spent!

What to eat:

There’s a sit-down cafe by the playground, plus many other carts and stands throughout the park. My favorite was by the round-about and pedestrian bridge. It had outdoor seating (heated in winter) and a crepe station. The espresso and chocolat caldo (hot chocolate) were excellent.

How to get there:

As noted above, we always entered from Piazza Popolo, but you can also enter above the Spanish Steps (we departed the park here once). There’s a metro station in both locations.

Exploring Pompeii with kids

April 11, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

The ancient city of Pompeii, under the looming shadow of (what remains of) Mount Vesuvius, was not precisely as we imagined it. The layout, exhibits, and interpretive materials were not clearly marked, and it took some persistence to find what we were looking for (and even then, we missed things). It’s also most certainly a lengthy and expensive commute from Rome. All this said, we were glad we went. Here’s what to expect if you make the day trip:

From Naples, Pompeii is a short and simple metro/train ride away. It won’t, however, be a terribly pleasant one. We found that the local train system that connects the central train terminal in Naples to the outskirts (where you’ll find Pompeii) to be a bit grimy, even as far as metros go. Don’t expect a cushy journey, and do expect a lot of stops. However, it’s a straight line to the Pompeii Scavi stop (the second of two that are listed as Pompeii), and once deposited there, you’re directly in front of the ticket booth and entrance. In the Naples train station, head downstairs for their metro line, and buy tickets at the kiosk. At the time of our visit, metro tickets were €2,50 each (each way).

If you’re coming from Rome, as we were, you’ll first need to take the fast train from Rome’s Termini station, operated by TrenItalia. We took several journeys on this line, and both were very pleasant. The train is very fast, very comfortable, and yes, a bit expensive. You’ll want to book your tickets for this leg of the trip ahead of time. You can print these tickets at home (you’ll want it to show a bar code) or at the station, using one of the many TrenItalia kiosks. At the time of our visit, tickets for this leg of the flight were approximately €25 each.

Once at the Pompeii stop, you’ll see a line of food stalls, as well as a small cafe and vending machines. Pick up some water if you need some. Tickets for entry to the Pompeii ruins are just a few yards away, at the official ticketing booth. Don’t buy at the train station…this is a scam. There’s another entrance by Pompeii’s amphitheater, for those with tickets bought online. The ticket line is sometimes long, but it moves pretty fast. This is a good time to eat a quick snack.

There are also audio guides for 5 euros each. We picked these up, and while the audio program has some flaws, we still felt it to be money well-spent. First, the flaws: the locations where you can listen to information are numbered, but they’re pretty haphazard (don’t expect it to go numerically very often). Also, many descriptions instruct the user to ‘step inside’ to see certain artifacts or architecture, or to turn down this or that hallway. In reality, many of the dwellings in Pompeii are gated to the public. You can look in, but not step in (there are exceptions I’ll describe below). All this said, if you go with the flow and listen as you wish (and as you see numbers), you’ll learn a lot. We really liked the actual information presented. It was interesting to kids, too.

Once in the Pompeii ruins, visitors are left to their own devices to wander at will. This is both a blessing and a curse. It’s nice to have the freedom to explore on one’s own, in whatever direction desired, but it can also mean you’ll miss things. There are maps available, but they’re not terribly user-friendly. It’s best to enter and make your own path, listening as you go. Depending on which entrance you come through, you’ll either be near the basilica (meeting space) and forum by the main Porta Marina entrance, or by the amphitheater. Either way, here’s what not to miss:

Pompeii with kids:

In the amphitheater area, Piazza Anfiteatro,look through this entertainment space, then enter the wooden pyramid building that houses the molds of human remains, discovered by archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli in 1863. Keep in mind, these plaster ‘people’ are neither replicas or remains…Fiorelli made casts of the empty spaces they’d left behind, capturing their positions at time of death. It’s very sobering, and young kids may not be ready for it.

The Palestra Grande is nearby, as well as the domus of Marcus Lucrezius Fonto, both of which help tell the story of the daily lives of those who inhabited them and used them. The main street through Pompeii is probably the via dell’Abbondanza, which will link you with the forum side of the ruins. On this side, you’ll want to see the public bathhouses, the temples (what’s left of them) and basilica, and the simpler buildings that housed ‘cafeteria’ counters, sporting arenas, and more modest homes. In this area, we only had access to the bathhouses for interior entry.

It’s also very interesting to simply walk the streets. You can learn about the city’s water systems, traffic systems, and other public works by listening to the extra materials in the audio guide (you’ll be prompted to these after listening to numbered entries). Don’t skip these…they’re among the most interesting. You’ll see the indentions of chariot wheels in the stone streets, and learn about the ‘crosswalks’ of Pompeii. Certainly, the quality of life was generally high.

If you go:

Be sure to allow enough time. We had three hours, and it wasn’t enough. Grab a painfully early train from Rome if you’re making it a day trip, or go in summer when the ruins are open longer per day. While we were happy to do this in one day, we wished we had more time.
Pack a lunch if you can. The cafeteria onsite is overpriced and not very good (no huge surprise here), and the lines can get long, cutting into your time in the ruins. It’s permitted to picnic just about anywhere along the roads. There IS a size limit on day packs, but if you have a large bag with lunch, you can keep it at the bag check and retrieve it any time. While mildly inconvenient, I believe going back for it would take less time than we wasted in lunch lines.
Validate your metro tickets from Naples to Pompeii. You;ll see the green or yellow validation machines in the station.

Hours and pricing:

Tickets are €20 per adults at the time of our visit. Kids 18 and under are free. If you have tall teens like I do, have them bring an ID. We were asked at several locations in Italy to show ID for free admission. The hours are as follows:

1st April – 31st October: daily from 8.30 am to 7.30 pm (admission closes at 6 pm)
1st November – 31st March: daily from 8.30 am to 5 pm (admission closes at 3.30 pm)

Directions:

For the entrance to Porta Marina and Piazza Esedra:
Circumvesuviana Naples-Sorrento (Pompei Villa dei Misteri Stop)

For the entrance to Piazza Anfiteatro:
Circumvesuviana Naples-Poggiomarino (Pompei Santuario Stop)
FS (Italian railways) Naples – Salerno (Pompei Stop)

Have you been to Pompeii with kids? What was your favorite part?

Guide to surviving (I mean enjoying) the Vatican Museums with kids

March 25, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

You can’t go to Rome without seeing the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, but make no mistake, the Vatican Museums are difficult to tackle, with or without kids. With over 2000 rooms and nine miles of art, these vast and imposing buildings within Vatican City are overwhelming on the best of days…on the worst, you’ll be wading through crowds that make Disney World on New Year’s Day look like a ghost town. During our most recent visit during the Christmas holidays, we often felt as though we were wading through a sea of humanity. Needless to say, this is not the best way to appreciate priceless art.

Guide to surviving (I mean enjoying) the Vatican Museums with kids:

Families should be prepared to deal with significant crowds, lines, and tired feet when visiting the Vatican Museums, but there are steps you can take to minimize these discomforts and enjoy the experience. The following are our five best tips for a day in the Vatican.

Get a guide.

Don’t even think about trying to navigate the Vatican Museums without one. While you can save money with a large group tour, I recommend a small group tour of ten people or fewer. It’s easier to stick with your guide in a small group, you can enter some of the smaller passageways and rooms that big groups skip, and the tour can cover more ground. We took this tour with Viator. With it, we skipped the line to buy tickets, which is absolutely essential when touring the Vatican Museums. We went through a very short security line, got our headsets so we could hear our guide on the tour, and we were off.

Our guide showed us the essentials; on a three hour tour, there isn’t time for more. But since we’re not art historians and were there for the biggies, like the Raphael rooms and Sistine Chapel, we were very satisfied with all we saw.

Plan to spend 3/4 of a day for a 1/2 day tour.

Plan plenty of time to arrive at the Vatican…it’s a large complex. For our Viator tour, we met with our guide at their tour office instead of at the entrance to the museums, so check your reservation carefully to know where to go. You also need to build in time to eat lunch after a morning tour, plus budget time to look through St. Peter’s Basilica if it’s not included in your tour. If you want to climb the dome, there is a separate line. It may be worthwhile to your group to do this, but I’d take a break and eat something between visiting the Vatican Museums and the dome.

Skip the gardens.

Someone will probably tell me I’m wrong about this (and if so, please do comment), but our tour guide advised that we could see the gardens from the patio/terrace of the museum, and it wasn’t necessary to get a tour there as well. We’re glad we used our time in other ways.

Dress correctly for St. Peter’s.

Remember that to enter St. Peter’s Basilica, you’ll need legs and shoulders covered. This means no shorts in the hot summer months. In winter, it’s easier to be wearing the right clothes, but in warmer months, you may need to make a note to wear long pants and take a scarf or light shirt to put on when needed.

Prepare kids ahead of time.

It really helps to prepare kids (and adults!) ahead of time with some information about the major works of art they’ll see. We looked at pictures of the Raphael rooms, some sculpture, and Michelangelo’s masterpiece before we left home, and learned a little bit about each piece. This way, when the kids actually saw these works of art, they meant something personal to them. Even with this preparation, there were moment of boredom as we went through room after room. I don’t blame the kids; after awhile the frescos start to look the same. Thanks to our guide, we were able to find differences between them and stories to go with them.

Lastly, don’t eat at the cafeteria directly down the street from St. Peter’s, below the square. We were very hungry after our tour and this place and a McDonalds were the first restaurants we saw. We decided the cafeteria must be better than McDonalds. We were wrong.

Yes, still smiling at the end of the tour. Mostly.

Pricing:

If you decide to tour the Vatican Museums on your own (don’t do this!), you’ll need to queue up early to get in. Tickets are €16 and €8 (adult and child). If you want to buy tickets online to avoid the queue, but not have a guide, it’s possible to buy tickets here.

What are your best Vatican tips?

Exploring Rome with kids: Overome Colosseum tour review

March 21, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

Touring Rome’s Colosseum and Forum is always in the top three attractions for families. This center of ancient Roman history is a must-do, but also big, crowded, and complex. We were very glad we opted to see the Colosseum and Forum with a small group tour. If Rome is in your family travel plans, read on for our Overome Colosseum tour review.

We chose to see the Colosseum with Overome based on recommendations from other travel writers. I’d heard Overome’s tour guides work hard to make the content of the tour relevant to kids, are reliable and timely, and are knowledgable. We were steered right, because our guide Federica was all this and more.

Overome Colosseum tour review:

Overome’s Colosseum and Ancient City Tour starts at the Colosseum metro station, directly under the shadow of the great arena. We met Federica (Feddie) here; she was easy to spot with her Overome sign. Our group consisted of only our family of seven, plus three other guests. After brief introductions, we were off…and by off, I mean just across the street to the arena.

Note: I highly recommend booking small group tours instead of large ones. We saw many large groups walking through the sites, and it didn’t look fun to be in a herd.

The Overome tour includes all entrance tickets and fees, so we didn’t have to wait in the imposing ticket line. We did, of course, have to wait in the security line, but although it snaked halfway around the base of the Colosseum on the day we visited, it took less than twenty minutes to get through. During that time, Federica (Feddie) gave us an overview of the structure and its history. While we patiently moved up in the line, we heard other tour guides getting agitated with the wait, and their guests getting impatient. I knew right then, only minutes into our three hour tour, that we were in good hands with Feddie.

Once in the Colosseum, Feddie took us slowly from level to level, explaining how the arena was built and by whom, its architecture and design, and its uses over the years of its history. Even though the complex was crowded, it was easy to hear what she was saying because we were given earbuds and radios.

Everyone knows at least a little about this colosseum of gladiators, emperors, and prisoners, but we learned quite a few new tidbits, especially about the many exotic animals who entertained and died there, as well as specific stories about certain victims of the games.

Feddie used illustrations on an iPad to help explain her points, which really helped us visualize what she was describing. By no means were we looking at the screen all the time, but it was definitely a useful tool. This tour doesn’t take visitors down to the bottom floor of the Colosseum, be we did spend time on the upper levels with views of the labyrinth of rooms and levers and one-time elevators that made the Colosseum function in its heyday. We actually wished we had more time in the Colosseum when it was time to move on to the Forum.

The Forum is the section of the ancient city center for which I most wanted (and needed) a guide. Without one, it’s an expanse of half-ruined buildings and rubble. Even with a guidebook in-hand, it’s not done justice without someone knowledgable to explain it. I know, because the first time I visited the Forum ten years ago, I did it on my own. I learned far more with Feddie.

We started at the far end, where she pointed out major landmarks in the Forum and showed us more images on her iPad to give us an idea of what it once was. After we could visualize it, we could see how the remains of marble and stone had once been grand buildings and streets. She explained what each structure had been used for, including the House and Temple of Vestrals, Arch of Titus, and the alter with Julius Caesar’s ashes. We learned about the multiple ‘layers’ of the Forum, and for the first time, I could really see how much of the area had been buried in mud and soil for centuries at a time.

We spent more than an hour in the Forum, which left us with little time for Palatine Hill. We were given an overview, however, and when Feddie left us, we were still inside the complex, so we were free to explore it more on our own. Instead, we were worn out and hungry by this time, so we asked her for a lunch recommendation in the area. After leaving Feddie, we happily dined on pizza at nearby Pizza Forum.

Our Overome tour definitely confirmed my suspicion that we needed an expert to fully experience this part of the city. And we couldn’t have been happier with Feddie; it was clear she likes her job and knows her stuff.

Cost:

The Overome Colosseum and Ancient City tour is $52 per person, and I believe the value is definitely there. At the time of our visit, we departed from the metro station at 9 am, and were done by 12 pm.

As I disclose whenever applicable, our tour with Overome was complimentary, for the purpose of review. Without this type of hospitality, we would not be able to write personalized and up-to-date reviews.

Why you should tour Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome with kids

March 18, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

While visiting Rome with kids, the time will come when you’ll face a full-on mutiny if you suggest even one more museum. This is the moment to head to the Castel Sant’Angelo. This underrated and overlooked site in Rome is a must-do. We are so glad we tried it!

Unlike the Colosseum, Vatican, and Forum, kids are let loose at Castel Sant’Angelo. This mausoleum turned fortress dates back to AD 123, when it was used by Hadrian’s time, then later used for defense of the bridge to the Vatican and as a refuge for popes. You enter right along the Tiber, and almost immediately go across a steep bridge that once opened and closed. Inside, kids can run along the fortress walls, checking out battlements, a catapult, cubbies from which to shoot arrows…the works. Further inside, you can walk the interior hallways and imagine guards and knights, torches and prisoners in chains. Not much has changed, really. Even the flooring is original. There’s a huge hole in the floor where kids can glimpse the dungeon, and up higher, you can tour through papal rooms still decorated for the popes who hid out here over the years. This interior section is actually quite amazing.

At the very top of the Castel, the views of the city are stunning. Be sure to allow time to take photos and use the view to pick out landmarks you’ve visited during your time in the city. There’s even a small cafe where you can pause for hot chocolate and espresso along the battlement one floor below the top (they don’t let you linger here at the tables if you haven’t ordered, however). Near this cafe are the interior rooms housing armor and weaponry through the ages. Unfortunately the descriptions are in Italian only, but let’s face it…by this point in a trip to Rome, kids are done reading things.

We spent several hours here, and loved the freedom to run around and explore at will. Afterward, we walked across the pedestrian bridge into Centro Storico (the old city) where we weren’t far from the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.

Pricing and hours:

Tickets at the time of our visit were €10 for adults and half that for kids 18 and under. We found no line when we visited a few hours before closing. Check opening and closing time, as it varies by season. During our winter visit, the fortress was open until 7 pm, with last ticket sales at 6:30 pm. I recommend touring around 5 pm in winter to be there for the sunset.

The Rome you may have missed: Why book a Walks of Italy tour

March 9, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

For anyone who can say, “I’ve seen the major sights of Rome, what next?” the answer is Walks of Italy’s Hidden Gems and Ancient Wonders tour. Perfect for adults and teens, this 3.5 hour tour dips in and out of the city and suburbs or Rome to hit upon a somewhat arbitrary yet completely fascinating bouquet of small stops. None of the sights on the tour take more than thirty minutes to view, and with stops ranging in topic from Jewish history to cannon fire to aqueducts, there’s something for everyone.

What to expect on a Walks of Italy tour:

Before the tour, we honestly thought 3.5 hours might be a little long. In fact, the time flew by, no doubt due to our funny and passionate guide, Andrea. It also didn’t hurt that unlike every other day in Rome, we were mostly off our feet, hopping in and out of a luxury van.

We only had eleven people in our group (three of which were from our family), which meant we were not one of the massive tour groups walking around the city. We started at Piazza Venezia, where we learned about the history of the buildings there and glimpsed the second century ruins that most overlook (away from the Forum). We then walked the short distance to the Jewish Ghetto and Jewish colosseum, where we learned about the history of Jewish Romans from the time the ghetto was established in the 1500s to the Nazi occupation.

We got in our van, and drove past the Circus Maximus and Palatine Hill to view something I’d been hoping to see in Rome: the view of St. Peter’s from the keyhole of the Knights of Malta. This brotherhood swore to protect the Vatican, hence the symbolic placing of the keyhole. It really is magical to peek inside this unassuming keyhole and see St. Peter’s dome perfectly framed there…like looking into some secret porthole. And while I’d read about this wonder in a guidebook, no way could I have found it on my own!

We then headed out the Appian Way, passing the Baths of Caracalla and stopping at the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella. While I’d been on the Appian way in the past, I’d never known there was so much in this area besides the many catacombs. We learned about the road, stopping to walk along it, see the chariot groves in the stone, and learn about the purpose and use of the road. From here, we went to the Park of the Aqueducts, which is actually just a large space with well preserved stretches of aqueduct. In other words, had we gone out here on our own, we really wouldn’t have known what we were looking at, precisely. In fact, each stop Andrea took us to was something we’d never be able to navigate or learn about on our own.

We finished the tour with a few more ‘drive by’ views and a stop at Janiculum Hill, where every day at noon, a cannon blast is set off to let the churches know when to ring their bells. Today, traffic obscures the cannon shot in most neighborhoods, which is why we had not heard it once in our five days in Rome! We certainly heard it from the hill! This is great place to take photos of the city, too. Finally, we drove down a particular street with a view of St. Peter’s dome that creates an optical illusion due to the street’s size and curve of its sidewalk: as you drive closer to the dome, it actually appears to grow smaller. This is yet another small tidbit of Rome I never would have discovered on my own.

We stopped several times for bathroom breaks and/or food breaks along the way, each time at a nice cafe with a friendly staff and great atmosphere. Snacks were on our own; our 11-year-old had the best pastry he found in Rome at one next to the Jewish Ghetto. Again, this tour should not be your first activity in the city, as it won’t hit the headliners, but is rather the perfect thing to do with your last morning in the city, or during repeat visits.

How to book:

It’s easy to book your tour directly through Walks of Italy. We booked online, and printed our confirmation email, which also listed our meeting time and location (just look for the person holding a Walks of Italy sign). They also do tours of the biggies, like the Colosseum and Vatican. They do offer lower prices for kids. Grab breakfast before you go, bring water, and try to be at your meeting point about 10 minutes before the tour time listed.

As we disclose whenever applicable, Walks of Italy offered us a media rate for this tour, for the purpose of review. All opinions remain our own.