What NOT to Do in Rome With a Toddler
I wanted our visit to the Eternal City to be fun for all, but I knew it was going to be a ‘different kind of fun’ with our three year old. Here are a few words of warning if you’re planning on visiting Rome with a toddler anytime soon.
I knew we’d be ok with the pasta, gelato and opportunities for running around in museums and piazzas, but I was slightly worried about the rest of it.
Would we be ok with a pram on the cobbled streets? Was the queue for the Vatican going to be ridiculous? Would he be ok out and about all day long? How will a toddler cope with the Colosseum? Are there any toddler friendly activities in Rome?
Turns out I didn’t really need to worry about all of that but I did pick up a few tips throughout the experience. And I know that knowing what not to do can make your trip far more enjoyable. Here are the top mistakes to avoid when visiting Rome with a little one in tow – so you can focus on memories not meltdowns.
1. Don’t visit Rome in the peak summer months
Rome gets hot, and very busy. Especially in 2025 as it’s the Jubilee year for the Pope. After visiting on a weekend in February, I’d strongly advise you to avoid those summer months if you can. The busyness just makes it all the more stressful to get around with a pushchair. It also means longer queues at attractions, and craziness at the restaurants.
We enjoyed sunshine and fresh, crisp air on our February trip. We did manage to sit outside for some meals, but could’ve been a degree or two warmer.
As you can see, we were fine wandering around in jumpers.
2. Don’t take a crappy pushchair
I debated taking our pushchair at all as he’s fine walking, but if the chair is there, he’s a lot happier. I was SO glad I did take it in the end, as it just meant we knew exactly where he was at all times and we walked far.
He’s a chunk and it would’ve made the trip more difficult if we had to carry him round everywhere.
Just a word of warning though, there are cobbled streets and lots of stairs at The Coloseum and The Vatican City so bring a baby carrier or rucksack if you can. Also, Rome Airport is a mission!
Bring a sturdy pushchair that’s easy to manoeuvre.
3. Don’t try to do too much
Rome is packed with must-see attractions, but trying to cram too many in one day will lead to an overtired and cranky toddler.
Plan for one or two main activities – I’m going to post our itinerary next week – and allow plenty of downtime for snacks, naps, and playtime.
I’d definitely recommend making a rough plan though, as you don’t want to be turning up and joining long queues. We bought queue jumps for the Vatican, and for the Colosseum, although on that particular day we didn’t need them as there were barely any queues first thing in the morning.
Still worth it for the peace of mind before though.
Our 8am Vatican tickets were actually a bit of a mistake in hindsight. It meant we had to wake up super early thanks to the time difference and on the first day, that wasn’t a good idea. It did mean we could go back to the apartment in the middle of the day for a rest though.
4. Don’t expect kid’s menus
Restaurants can do kiddy portions.
We didn’t find any children’s menus on our meals out, but you could ask for a half portion of the main and be charged about 60-70%. Our son loves pasta and gnocchi so this was no drama.
I don’t remember seeing any highchairs though, you might want to bring a portable one. Reggie is perfectly happy in a chair so we were fine.
We did bring snacks but Italy’s cuisine is perfect for toddlers, with breads, pizza, doughy delights and all the fruit being perfect for a weekend.
We didn’t have any issues eating at around 6:30pm to 7. There were plenty of places to choose from open, although yes, typical dining time in Italy is later if you’re planning on fancier restaurants than us.
5. Don’t book your accommodation too far out
We booked an apartment just a few minutes from the Vatican and the Castel Sant’Angelo, which turned out to be perfect.
I spent ages trying to decide which would be best for us, in our budget, and in a location we could afford. I’d read about Trastevere, but everywhere was twice the price. This suited us perfectly and meant we could go back to chill in the middle of the day.
It was also round the corner from an airport bus too, which we used for the way back and saved about €70.
6. Don’t skimp on your accommodation
I knew I wanted somewhere with two rooms, in the centre, comfy beds, and with breakfast included. After a lot of searching and researching I booked the Cola Suites Apartments.
We paid €408 / £336 for three nights here.
It was perfect. I actually have no complaints. The staff were great and replied quickly, and it was round the corner from some great restaurants too. It was walkable from the Trevi Fountain touristy area, and from the Vatican City.
Having the two rooms (a sofabed in the lounge, and a double bed in the bedroom) meant we had some distance and Reggie loved having a massive bed to roll around on. The little kitchen was useful, and they bought us a banquet every day for breakfast.
It was great!
7. Don’t rely on public transportation
This was actually my second time in Rome, and I remember from before that Rome’s buses and metro can be crowded and unreliable. Apparently they’re not buggy-friendly friendly.
Public transport is useful for longer distances, but walking is the best way to get around with a toddler.
We tried to use a bus, twice. And failed. We were stood at the stop, the bus came, but it didn’t stop either time, and no one got off. We waited for the next one, put our arm out. Same thing.
We got an Uber instead, which of course, was much easier and not even that expensive.
8. Don’t forget to plan breaks
As I’ve said, we went home around midday on two days, just to chill for an hour or so.
Rome has incredible museums and you could definitely stay out all day but we were tired! All that sightseeing when we’re both just used to sitting at home all day working all day was a lot.
Can’t believe I’m out of practice travelling!
With only three days in the city we didn’t get to check out all of the kid-friendly places I had on my list but interactive experiences like Villa Borghese’s Bioparco (Rome’s zoo) and the Orange Garden (Giardino degli Aranci) are apparently great places for them to run around.
Reggie just loved exploring the piazzas and fountains, and we did do a hop on hop off tour just so we could all sit down. But it was pretty shoddy, and definitely not worth what we paid for it (€40) as we didn’t do the whole loop.
9. Don’t miss Explora, the kid’s museum
We had a great three hours at Explora though. I’m really glad I included it on our Rome itinerary.
There are loads of different areas here covering all kinds of facets of human life and play. There are workshops going on all day, crafts, you can do a radio show, drive a train, shop in the kiddie supermarket – and more.
There’s also a (little) park outside, and a cafe and restaurant too. You will need to book onto specific times but I couldn’t work the website so just turned up and it was fine.
Another benefit of going in February!
10. Don’t miss the lift at The Vatican
Reggie has a thing for lifts, but this lift was very special. I won’t ruin in, find it and see what you think!
11. Beware the first Sunday of the month
Many museums are free on the first Sunday of the month in Rome. A wonderful scheme, I agree. But, it did mean that the queues were just crazy. We’d sauntered along to the Castle Sant’Angelo expecting to pay our €9 and get in on our final morning, but no, there was a huge winding queue. I estimated it to be around 3 hours long.
Call me moneybags but I’d rather have just paid the money.
We didn’t have that much time so we wandered along the Tiber River and crossed the bridges to and fro.
12. Don’t underestimate the power of an Aperol Spritz break
Oh, may the pope bless Aperol Spritz breaks.
I had a wonderful hour while Ben went into the Pantheon and Reggie and I sat people watching and eating aperitivo crisps while I drank an Aperol Spritz. That’s the way to enjoy Rome!