Malaga or Rome?

[Staghead1]

Family of 4, 2 teens. We are looking to go to Malaga or Rome next march for 5 nights and can't decide on which.
We aren't very well travelled at all, so easy to get around, transfer from airport to accommodation.
We like museums, bit of sight seeing.

OMG Rome without a doubt.

Rome.

Rome is an absolutely amazing place. My 2 teens loved it.

You can actually walk around most of Rome as everything is close together. We pre booked a shuttle bus from the airport to Rome train station. It was all very straightforward.

Well you really can't compare the two cities at all. I mean Rome is Rome and like nowhere else. If you want to make things easier (you say you aren't well travelled) then I would suggest Malaga. You also say you like museums and from that comment I don't think you perhaps realise that Rome is stuffed to the rafters with mind blowing antiquity on every corner. So if just "a bit of sightseeing" is what you're after then I don't think Rome is the place for you. Malaga also has beaches so that's worth considering.

I think Rome with teens. There is no end of museums and sight-seeing.

Malaga is lovely but much more chilled and less by way of museums/attractions. Especially for 5 days.

Rome

Rome - plenty of sightseeing, great experience for everyone.

Rome. But you need to pre-book tickets for the collosum weeks before to ensure you get to go inside

I know there's lots to do in Rome, I'm just wondering could it be a little overwhelming, however also thinking Malaga in March may be a bit too chilled.

Definitely Rome. Great time of year to go too. It won’t be crazy busy, compared to the summer.

Absolutely Rome!!! We stayed 4 night for our honeymoon. I loved it so much, I would go back in a heart beat.

Rome. It's my favourite city by far. It's just fabulous. I took my teenage son there and he loved it.

Could ask what you mean by Malaga possibly being too chilled in March? It’s a year round destination so there will be plenty to do, whenever you visit. A nice temperature for sightseeing, or equally if you’re lucky, you may even get to go on the beach. Or, you could also get the train up to Cordoba to take in another Spanish city.

I think you perhaps need to be a bit clearer in what you hope to get from your holiday, as others have said, they are two very different places, so not really a direct comparison, than if you had said eg Rome or Florence; Malaga or Valencia.

I will be the lone voice saying a thousand times Malaga. It’s gorgeous, great atmosphere, not overcrowded, loads to see and do plus a beach and coffee shops a plenty for chilling out.
Rome is very full on and I found it just too busy and touristy.

Malaga. I love it and round near the castle is just beautiful. Lots of lovely tapas places and you could go on a bus trip to the other seaside places like nerja.

It's fairly cheap too and very near the airport. Buses run every half hour into the city centre.

It's probably safer in Malaga too. Less chance of getting pickpocketed. As a solo trvaveller, I've always felt safe in malaga, even at night and in large crowds.

Malaga has a few museums (the Picasso Museum) and the castle and Alcazar - also very easy to get the train to Granada to see the beautiful Alhambra palace.

I would go to Rome without a doubt. Probably my favourite city, there's so much to see that nobody will be bored and I don't think they will find it at all overwhelming.

If you are going in March, I'd say Rome. Malaga is lovely, but part of its attraction is the beach and being outside in the sun. If it's cold, you won't enjoy it so much.
Whereas Rome is better if it's not too hot, you don't want to be sightseeing in temperatures of 30 degrees plus. March would be the perfect time to visit Rome. Go to Malaga when it's slightly warmer.

Sorry if I haven't been clear. We have only done uk city breaks. We really enjoyed London but did find it quite busy.
Unfortunately we can only travel in March. Rome was a choice because obviously all the things to see and Malaga because it was easy access from a local airport and I had heard a few people say it was nice although I'm not sure if they meant in the summer.
I'm open to other suggestions of city breaks too!

Rome!!!!!

I wouldn't choose Malaga for a five day city break, the touristy things are quite low key - Picasso, castle, Alcazaba, even with pottering about, and to do Seville, Cordoba Alhambra etc you’d need to be prepared to travel around. So my vote is Rome.

Alternatively - Venice, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Copenhagen are easy to get around and enough to fill your days without needing to travel beyond the town centre.

Rome is wonderful with plenty to do, and very walkable. It is a much smaller city than London. Malaga is best in the summer, it will be too cold to enjoy the beaches in March.

You could also consider Paris or Amsterdam - these are both reachable on the eurostar so you can avoid the stress of flying. My teens also loved Stockholm, Copenhagen and Berlin.

There’s far more to do in Rome than you can do in 5 days but I don’t see why a family with teens would find it ‘overwhelming’. Just don’t try to do everything!

If you haven't been to either - then definitely Rome.

We went to Malaga in March and the weather was lovely, the kids were on the beach and swimming in the sea and we were sat outside bars and restaurants in the day. It was chilly at night though.

we found enough to do in Malaga for a week - beaches in the city and further out, museums and galleries , port, castle, fortress, a football match (kids favourite activity we did, what an atmosphere!), cathedral, we hiked the carminito del ray, food market, amazing restaurants….

But it’s all quite low key and not the world famous sights they have in Rome.

i do prefer Malaga to Rome though -far fewer crowds and tourists. And yes it’s v quick and easy to get from airport to town.

I think they aren’t comparable, both fantastic in their own ways. But with a teenager, I’d choose Malaga