where to travel in italy with kids | Explore the top picks
Are you interested in where to travel in italy with kids? Known for its rich world history centering around the massive Roman Empire, a history that’s still alive and well in the Eternal City today and can be explored in the many ruins called the Roman Forum. The colosseum is huge, with arts classes and reenactments, plus delicious pasta, pizza, fresh cheese, and fruits. There’s plenty of tastes to tempt tiny palates. Conquer it all in.
I’m Nathan, and I’m Janice, and we’re mom and dad. We’re traveling around the world, discovering amazing countries, new cultures, and really wild experiences together. Come along with us as we learn all about our planet and about being together as a family as we discover the wonders of the world, the wonders of nature, and sometimes wonder, ‘What were we thinking?’ in travel with kids.
Yes, you have come to the right blog for you. I will discuss in this blog where to travel in italy with kids?
Underground rail
Rome is one of the largest cities in the world and is teeming with people, both locals and tourists. There’s a small underground rail system, which is easy to use but fairly limited.
Buses are a good option but can be quite overcrowded. Open-top buses are fun for kids but touristy. While they might cost a bit more, the fastest and easiest way to get around is by taxi, commission, and mana.
We’ve arrived by train from Venice, a fast and easy trip on the trains. We’re staying in an apartment, which we booked through Parker Villas Roman Holiday. This beautiful apartment, just off Piazza Navona, is central to all of Rome’s attractions. The villa offers plenty of room for the whole family, plus a kitchen and dining area, so we can eat some meals in, which saves some money, and a washer and dryer so we can actually pack lighter.
Lighten our load and do laundry as we travel. After settling into our villa, we head out on foot—another great way to get around Rome, especially if you plan your days to visit attractions all in one area.
Piazza Navona
We begin by exploring the city, starting with our own Piazza Navona. Piazza Navona was built on the site of an ancient stadium and is now an example of Baroque architecture. Cool things in the Piazza include the Fountain of Four Rivers and a large Egyptian obelisk. Also, look out for the Fountain of Neptune. This style, found all over Rome, was made famous by a sculptor named Bernini.
In the small cobbled streets around Piazza Navona, the kids find a map in a shop window that shows them what Rome once looked like: this is where the chariot races were held, this is where gladiator fights took place, and this is where they had the turkey.
3D movie
To get a better idea of Rome’s history, we decide to view the 3D movie Time Elevator Rome. We load into moving cars with 3D glasses and are bumped around on an onscreen journey through Rome’s history. Well, this is a unique way to learn history, though the film is somewhat loud and graphic for younger kids and is a bit overpriced.
If you are pressed for time, a better investment is the book Rome Reconstructed. This is a great book for kids who visit Rome as it shows all the main tourist sights as they would have been in ancient Rome and how they look now, so it really brings the whole vision together for the kids. This book can be found in many gift shops around town, including the Time Elevator.
We usually go for independent travel, exploring on our own with a guidebook at our own pace, but in the case of Rome, we’ve decided a guide would be great. Rome is huge and can be overwhelming. After all, most of the history of the world is right here.
Walks Inside Rome
Because Rome is such a big city with so many monuments and stories to tell, we decide to hire a guide from Walks Inside Rome, which offers a specialized children’s tour. Salvatore, our guide, picks us up and takes us to a local tavern, where he explains each dish. He’s been doing this for quite a while and knows the city and its people inside and out.
It is called ‘Macaroni alla Medicina.‘ It’s said to be one of the older dishes from when Italy was very poor, and afterward, these were very simple dishes. “You’re gonna show me how to make pizza?” “Yeah, yeah, how do you make pizza?” Trying the local backstreet tavernas is a real treat, and kids will surprise you with what they’ll try, especially when they’re hungry. And don’t worry, there’s always pizza.
The cook shows us the kitchen: roast estalomia, spicy and laminar, mother, mushroom raise, tomato, and October, then Reuben’s dark homemade pasta. Having lasagna… Okay, you want to do it? Let’s see how you do it. Otherwise, you know it wouldn’t be true.
And just like the gladiators of ancient Rome, after a huge feast, we head for the Colosseum. The Colosseum is huge, ironically, and while it could seat well over 50,000 people, tickets were hard to get, and it’s no different today. You can expect long lines at the ticket office and the entrance, but You can expect long lines at the ticket office and the entrance, but you can skip the lines by using the Roma Pass, a multi-attraction pass, or you can reserve your tickets online for a specific day and time of entry.
But Sal from Walks Inside Rome can also get us right in and right past the lines. Completed in 80 AD, the Colosseum has come to be an iconic image of Rome, but this was well into the history of the Roman Empire. According to legend, Rome was founded in the 8th century BC by Romulus, grandson of the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
During this time, the city was made up of seven separate settlements on the seven hills of Rome. While some six kings later, the Roman Republic was founded. The Republic was made up of elected senators to rule the country, and over the next few hundred years, the Roman Empire expanded, eventually including the entire Italian peninsula, areas of North Africa, Asia, and most of Europe.
It was at this time that it also moved from a republic to a government ruled by an emperor.
Emperor Vespasian
It was Emperor Vespasian who started the Colosseum, and his son Titus who completed it eight years later. The Colosseum measures about 500 feet across and soars almost 150 feet into the sky—about the height of a 15-story building.
The giant elliptical-shaped building was used to perform classical mythology, recreate battle scenes, and even mock sea battles, but its most famous use was for gladiator battles. Sal does a great job of painting a picture of what the Colosseum looked like in ancient Rome.
Imagine that this lower section was completely covered up by a wooden platform. How were they going to put all the way? He shows you how they used to have from these wooden platforms, traps, ladies, and witch down below.
They used to have the cages, and they would lift the cages up, and the animals would appear from the bottom. So, motion—Eliza would just come out and eat the gladiators.
Gladiators used to fight with the animals, including where the Emperor, senators, and other celebrity types sat, pampered in the shade. And they now look at the most interesting thing on this building—it had a roof! Uh-huh, you know, these were retractable roofs.
So, after Sal’s history lesson and reading a few books we got before we came, we always recommend getting books about the destination you’re visiting so the kids get an idea of the history and culture of each country.
Playing games
I give the kids a short pop quiz: ‘Julius Caesar?’ ‘Oh, what’s up, Christian cop?’ ‘Okay, Alpha Team, wrong millennium, Sheamus, but nice try!’ ‘Come on, guys, two more!’ Playing games helps learning, and their imaginations are sparked. They instantly get into the role of Emperor. ‘I demand for it! I command you to go in the Colosseum!’
But this is one Emperor whose fate you probably don’t want… ‘Roland, don’t you dance for friends? Fresh, fresh, I did friends, not fresh peers!’ ‘Who—okay, someone give me a knife. Will you lend me yours?’ ‘Yeah, hopefully not the Shakespeare play.’ Nathan quoted from his Julius Caesar, who, like many of the ancient Roman stories, had a passionate life and a kind of tragic death.
‘So, old Paris guy, when do you want your ears back?’ ‘Oh, like a monstrous.’ ‘Okay, I’ll be for you!’ In addition to teaching the kids about history and architecture, Sal gives them some language lessons as well. ‘The wooden platform was covered up by sand in order to suck the bladder.’ ‘Sam, yes, and sand in Latin we call ‘arena.’ Are you calling it English?
That’s where the name ‘arena’ comes from, and he points out some features that would keep little boys interested, like public bathrooms, which they used to have all over the place for adventure seekers with a hole. The kids are intrigued—what kids wouldn’t be, with emperors, gladiators, and epic battles? Quite a real-life classroom for the kids, and Nathan tells us what he’s learned so far:
‘The Roman Empire in Rome, and they built the Roman Colosseum. The Roman Colosseum was built by the Romans who lived in Rome. They ate Roman food, fought in Roman gladiator fights, and did Roman stuff. So, when in Rome, you have to be Roman. And now, I’m gonna go roam around!’
Circus Maximus
And with that, we head outside the Colosseum to see where else the world competed. Just over Palatine Hill, home to rich Romans and emperors in ancient Rome, the Circus Maximus hosted horse racing and athletic competitions on a circular track longer than six football fields. They used to have three different races: toward Caesar, three-horse races, and four-horse races, with crowds of over a hundred thousand.
People deep watched as chariots raced by, pumping and jockeying to get in front. And of course, you know what—you tend to push everybody else away from the track, so there are no rules. The kids are ready to go:
‘On your mark, get set!’ While it is fun, I seem to be missing the jugglers and fortune tellers that strolled around the crowds in ancient times. They say there was a circus down there. I took the kids to see the circus after a long day taking in the sights of Rome, my hands still in the air. We head back to the apartment to relax with the locals.
So, there’s a movement in Italy called slow food, which is cooking it nice and leisurely, enjoying your meal instead of rushing in and out of a restaurant that mass-produces food. Slow food also has the health benefits of using fresh ingredients that are easy to come by at the local street markets.
Here in Italy, we got some fresh mozzarella cheese—they sell it in huge bags here in the store. We also got some fresh tomatoes, bread of the day, which we sprinkled with fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and Pecorino Romano cheese. Pecorino Romano, it’s good cheese.
So, one of the nice things about staying in an apartment rental or villa like this one is that you can spread out. There’s plenty of room for the whole family, and you have room to cook. You don’t have to go out with the kids every night; you can make your own meals right here in the apartment.
You can create real memories making the food together. I love the whole idea of slow food. Yep, I called it fasted, talking about the day before I watched the gladiators’ first fight.
Feast with pasta, bread, and lots of different kinds of food
He has a big feast with pasta, bread, and lots of different kinds of food. It’s these bonding moments—reflecting on your day, talking together, joking together—that make family travel such an important opportunity.
Today, we’re immersing ourselves in more of Rome’s political history at the Roman Forum before we learn to live the history at a local school. But don’t worry, kids, this is no ordinary school.
You’ll see, construction on the Roman Forum began during Republican times, but it maintained importance during the Imperial Emperor times as well. The Forum is made up of roadways, plazas, and markets and is dotted with temples and monuments.
This is where the soldiers paraded the spoils of war and where everyday citizens came to socialize and do business. Nowadays, it’s hard to picture what the Roman Forum must have looked like, as it’s mostly fallen columns and pieces of buildings. This is where that book I talked about earlier, Rome Reconstructed, really comes in handy.
Roman Forum
It’s called the Roman Forum, so it looked like back in Rome—that’s how it used to look. There’s this big building with all the pillars, but now, weirdly, it’s a little more white than I thought it would be. You can just imagine the Romans walking around, doing everyday business here.
The boys love the vibrancy these street performers bring to the ruins and wish they could be gladiators. Head in Rome, they can’t only have pizza, but first, a kid’s dream lunch—easy to find here in Italy. Many restaurants charge a service fee to sit down, so takeaway is a cheap option. It’s called takeaway because you don’t have to sit down, and sitting down costs money.
Topped off by the ultimate Italian dessert, our kids hunt for it all around the world—it’s ginormous fragola. But here in Italy, the stands are everywhere. This gelato is so good; I think these boys would search the world over for that perfect gelato. ‘Let’s go find some!’ ‘Where are we?’ ‘Let’s go back to Italy.’ Okay, our lunch break is over, and it’s time for school, kids, but this is no ordinary class.
What are they doing here? Students of all ages can train to be gladiators. ‘We’re doing gladiator fights!’ ‘Wait, we have to do that watching?’ ‘So we’re gonna get trained and then fight?’ ‘Yep!’
Oh, I get to be Jaeger! ‘I’m gonna be your buddy. You’re going down!’
Touring the museum
After touring the museum where the kids learn about the expansion of the Roman Empire and its armies, they learn that the legendary artists were the professional soldiers of the Roman army. The legendary warrior wore little sandals or a little belt with metallic strips for noise and decoration and wore a red tunic.
This is a real element from the first century after Christ. With some understanding of gladiator life under their belt, they suit up and are ready to begin their training.
So, in gladiator times, there were lots of fights in the Coliseum and different small arenas. Many of the gladiators were slaves, but also, in ancient Rome, gladiating was a job that people actually got paid for. And not only did gladiators fight other people, but they also fought lions, tigers, and bears—oh my!
Now that they know so much about gladiators, it’s time to start the physical training. To learn to be a gladiator, you have to go through a lot of rough training. You’ll go through sandbags, and if you don’t try hard enough, you’ll feel the sting of a whip on your back. Well, maybe back then, but here, it may just be heckles from the onlookers.
They start their training by jumping over obstacles and running through sandbags from here to there, learning to run fast. Next, they learn to put together defensive moves, using their weapons for a test, like a Roman soldier would.
back then, but here, it may just be heckles from the onlookers.
They start their training by jumping over obstacles and running through sandbags from here to there, learning to run fast. Next, they learn to put together defensive moves, using their weapons for a test, like a Roman soldier would.
Okay, you assemble it. This is good. I think you stand like this. Okay, just hold it. Now, it’s time for the art of hand-to-hand combat, learning first with wooden swords. We salute, then stomach, stomach wreck, and then it’s on to mock battles.
Oh, three-one, three-one! It’s time to move on to real swords—heavy metal swords. But don’t worry, they’re not too sharp. He teaches them some fancy moves. Wow! Turn! Oh, perfect! Okay, that’s fun!
Cool! Then the gladiators put on a show for us. I hate that song! I’m done! Using some of the moves they just taught us, the kids are there to play Emperor. It’s so much fun playing gladiator that it’s hard to get the kids to leave.
‘This is the Roman citizen. You are now free, gladiator!’ ‘Can we do it again?’ But the heat of the day is at its peak, and well, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Villa Borghese
When the hot summer sun is beating down, Romans head to the central park of Rome, the Gaze Gardens. When the crowds and the heat of the day get too much, and it will, you can come here to Villa Borghese—a beautiful green park area with lots of things to do for families and kids. Everyone can relax in the green, open parks, rent a bike, which we’re going to do now. Here you can rent bikes and rowboats to explore under the cover of cool shade trees.
After a relaxing afternoon spent in the Borghese Gardens, we head back to Piazza Navona, where our apartment is, which is also a hot spot for local families. We have dinner at one of the outdoor cafes, and Italian boys eat pizza and gnocchi Sorrentino with tomato sauce while the boys can run around watching street performers.
I totally thought that was a real statue. They have fun gadgets and toys from the many sellers in the courtyard.
‘Here we go. New mini-on-five years. This one, two euros!’
Piazza Navona has a fun, carnival-like atmosphere at night. We can sit back, relax, and take in the sights. And as I sit there watching the boys running around with local kids, chasing their glowing toys, I think of what a great place Rome is for kids—learning history through iconic historical sites like the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, living history at the gladiator school, and learning to live like a local, eating slow food and watching local Italian life stroll by in the Piazza.
Thank you, and that wraps up our where to travel in italy with kids | Discover the top Picks. Do you agree with the places we chose, or is there somewhere you visited that you feel should be on the list? leave us a comment.
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