Rome is a surprisingly family-friendly city - here's what to do on a budget
Rome is a surprisingly family-friendly city - here's what to do on a budget
Share:
Italy’s Eternal City might be known for bringing history alive but it turns out it’s also quite affordable for a city break – even when you’re travelling as a party of six, writes Zoe Griffin. Most primary school children will learn about Ancient Rome at some point in the curriculum, coming home with tales of gladiators, emperors and what occurred in the Colosseum. Completed in AD80, the ancient epicentre of the Eternal City holds a magical appeal for everyone who’s ever been told about the spectacles that occurred in the arena.
![[Zoe and her family booked a budget-friendly family break to Rome]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/09/26/15/newFile-11.jpg)
While only one of my four children is old enough to have learned about the Romans, such was his enthusiasm for the subject that I found myself searching for flights to Rome over half term. I also figured that my six-year-old, four-year-old and two-year-old would study the same subject at some point, and could approach it with first-hand experience of having seen the Colosseum walls for themselves. I couldn’t believe the price: during school holidays, when flights are notoriously higher, the figure in front of me was £40 per person, return, on WizzAir. At that point, I hit the book.
![[Mama Shelter’s indoor pool is open to children at all times]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/09/26/15/newFile-6.jpg)
Read more: This is the Rome neighbourhood where the locals come to eat. From the ancient Pantheon to the beauties of Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and Salvi’s Trevi Fountain, there’s beauty and history at almost every turn in Rome. I was cautious about navigating these turns, and the ancient cobbled streets, with a large double buggy containing my two youngest children, but I figured that finding a hotel within walking distance of some of the main attractions would cut down on how far I had to push my double chariot, and that it would be a good way of working up an appetite for some of the city’s pasta dishes. And to cut down – and in most cases avoid – queuing up with four impatient children, we booked slots for the majority of tourist attractions in advance.
![[Find your own space at the Aparthotel Adagio Rome]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/09/26/15/newFile-7.jpg)
