Rome with a toddler. Good idea or not?

[Kittycat023]

Hi all, looking for a bit of advice. DH has a job on in Rome in the next few weeks which is 7 days long and is also the week of our DC’s 3rd birthday. I don’t want him to miss dc’s birthday so I was thinking of coming along for the week. However, it will pretty much just be me solo parenting during the day (including DC’s birthday) as DH is working.
DC is great at walking but still needs the stroller after a while.
Is Rome a good idea with a toddler on my own or am i best to sit this one out? Never been to Rome before so I’m not sure what to expect!

Leave the toddler at home and go and enjoy the magic of Rome! 🤣

Rome is a wonderful city and has so much to do for children. The Italians love children and the restaurants welcome them (even the "posh" ones").

My only slight hesitation is the pavements tend to be narrow and uneven, which is a bit of a pain with a pushchair - I'd personally take my "better" one, rather than the cheap travel buggy I usually take on holiday.

Rome is always a good idea. Bring a stroller, use it as much as possible and just explore. You’ll have a great time, even solo and there is plenty you can do. A small child will enjoy all the sights and sounds. Obviously not 3 hours in the Vatican museum (!), but lovely gardens, palazzos and ice cream- what’s not to love!

Well, not wanting DH to miss the birthday is a silly reason to go with him. You can celebrate when you’re all at home. There are likely to be all kinds of travel and events that interfere with birthdays, especially if you have more children and are a reasonably active family, so you just have to roll with it.

On the other hand, if you want to go to Rome and it would be ok in combination with a work trip, then Rome is fabulous. As everyone has said, there are parks and museums suitable for someone who’s turning 3, and the weather should be nice.

I would go. I think it would be a great city with a 3 year old. Loads of outdoors stuff to do.

This is the right answer. There is always kid friendly stuff for a child. And this time of year will be better because it won’t be so hot.

No not suitable unless he is secured with a wrist strap or strapped in a buggy. The touristy parts are not really child friendly

People tend to know their own children best but my toddler (a few months away from being 3) loves going anywhere new....galleries, museums...she even got excited about going to Tesco this evening! We have travelled extensively with her - we're having a mama and daughter day this Friday to go to Frameless in the morning and the natural history museum in the afternoon. I think your children are what you make them and early exposure is great!

So for the OP - definitely go to Rome! I haven't been with a toddler yet but from memory everywhere is quite walkable. We typically do take a pram still but have a super lightweight / foldable one which was great when we went to Dubrovnik and had lots of steps to contend with. And my tip from my most recent trip now she's a bit older we just went with the flow (literally booked airbnb's each day for the night)! It was the most relaxing holiday we've done because we just adapted to her and our moods and the weather so just enjoy! The only watch point would be pick pocketing is quite bad I think (as in most tourist cities) so just think about the best bags etc. to take when you're juggling lots of things.

This thread has to be one of the best examples of 'it's all in your attitude' I've read in a long time!!

@Kittycat023 I would take a 3 year old. Absolutely. In fact it would be a brilliant excuse to just enjoy being there without feeling like you have to cram everything in!! To just enjoy the parks & lots of ice cream & Pasta breaks!! Doing small parts of museum st a child's pace...

Actually I might have to 'Borrow ' a child!!

I haven't been in many years & having read the thread, I'm feeling very sad & regretful I didn't go again before I had the stroke.

Go & enjoy it all at your child's pace. I would take a buggy, but I think I'd try to plan more stops, shorter routes/public transport so they'd be ok walking as it's not an easy place with a lightweight buggy.

No everything is during the day thankfully so we’ll have our evenings together.

It really is! I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s positive replies. It’s made me excited about. going as I was feeling somewhat apprehensive.
I have a very relaxed approach to the trip. Park trips, ice cream stops, children’s museum, zoo etc.

So sorry to hear abut your stroke. I hope you’re recovering well.

I’m planning on taking a lightweight buggy and a toddler hip carrier/sling too. (DC loves being carried when tired) and I’m not sure how well the buggy will hold up but it is very portable and great when travelling

It may be silly to you but it’s not to me. DH travels for work all the time and this is the one time we are allowed to come, plus, it’s Rome, so why not.

Yes, interesting isn't it.

the daft negative replies just inspire me more to go!

im lucky in that the stroke could have been much worse, but it's been life changing & has led to me having some other health issues (unfortunately) & they are making me too unwell to really do anything. Just having coffee with a friend wipes me out, si travel is off the cards. 🥲

squeeze in every opportunity you have in your own life & enjoy every minute when they're little, it's true what they say, the days can be long but the years are short! 💕💕💕

Throw a coin in the Trevi fountain for me & have an ice cream! 🥰

Oooh yes, a pistachio gelato, and photograph it and post it here so we can all imagine we're there.

There's a lovely gelateria right near the Pantheon (one of the most perfect buildings ever created) that used to do wonderful pistachio gelato.

I’m also baffled. It’s Rome not a trek across the Arctic Circle.

You should definitely go, I don't understand all these people who stop doing things because they have a toddler. I have an 18 month year old and she's an absolute delight to travel with, I actually find her easier than her teenage brothers.

we stayed in the nyx hotel in Prati, which was near a big shopping street and about 20 mins away by foot from city centre. Well-recommended.

Our kids have been 3 in Copenhagen, Verona, Venice, Paris, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Amsterdam...

Cities are brilliant places for young kids as long as you keep it short and sweet and remember to allow time for ice cream.

And my kids loved museums. We never stood in queues for hours to see the Mona Lisa but we had a brilliant time in some very surprising places. One walked into a church in Verona, looked up at the ceiling and just froze as he looked at it. One announced to the people at our hotel that we were going to the Mining Museum "and I hope that there will be boards with information on them". Two of them spent an entire afternoon at an exhibition of willow weaving in rural Denmark...

I would definitely have gone to Rome had the opportunity ever presented itself.