Adventures for Families: When in Rome (With Kids)

We started our Italy adventure in Rome. a five night stay at the Westin Excelsior. This is a Virtuoso hotel located on the Via Veneto, next to the US Embassy. So my clients receive complimentary daily breakfast for two, upgrade on arrival if available, and a $100 food and beverage credit. And if you are a Starwood SPG member, you get a discount on lunch and dinner as well.

Deluxe twin room...

...with plenty of space and great A/C

Here are my top tips when visiting Rome with kids.

* Hire a driver to pick you up at the airport. You've had a long flight, you're tired and hungry, and it's crowded. It's a relief to see someone waiting for you outside customs, who will whisk you to an air conditioned car for the 30+ min drive into the city.

* Take an umbrella stroller which is easy to collapse and carry. Better yet, use a backpack. Many streets are bumpy and difficult to navigate.

It's not fun to schlep a stroller up the Spanish Steps

* It's hot and humid in summer, so always carry a water bottle. You can fill them at fountains and water spigots around the city. (Yes, it's safe to drink). Plan to rest in the afternoon at the hotel when temps are highest, then visit piazzas in the evening when it's cooler and kids will be less cranky.

Kids are happy to have water when it's fun to get

* Use the bathroom before going to train station. They are not centrally located and you have to deposit coins to enter.

* A hop on/off bus tour is a great way to get oriented to the city early in your trip. But don't purchase tickets in advance. All companies stop at the same places and run the same route. But if there are service problems on a particular line, you might have long waits between buses, or find that some don't even have seats available. There are "sales reps" at each stop, so try to find out from them if there are any service issues. We also got off and walked between two stops, just to have an opportunity to explore some small streets far from our hotel, which turned out to have nice shops and cafes.

* Buy Colosseum tickets for the kids, in advance. Though children get free admission to the Colosseum, you have to show their ID, even with pre-purchased tickets. If you can skip this step, you will truly have"skip the line" access. Visiting the Roman Forum first? Make sure you know which exit is closest to the Colosseum and allow plenty of time to meet your guide.

* Always have some cash on hand. Small cafes and street vendors often don't take credit cards. And coins are handy for public toilets.

* Book a family-friendly guide for the Vatican Museum. It'll make the experience better for the entire family because the crowds can be overwhelming. Our guide found a pleasant place for us to sit in the courtyard where she could give us some background information and also explain what we'd see in the Sistine Chapel later, since she wouldn't be allowed to talk in there.

One of the rare places without crowds in the Vatican

* Note that pasta is "first course." If that's all your kids (or you) order, note that it may come out before the other dishes, and the server may not bring any other food until the pastas is finished! So if you want a pasta dish to arrive at the same time as everyone else's main entree, ask the server to bring it with the second course (or "with the meat"). When someone only orders one course, servers will often ask when to bring it, but if they look puzzled, just explain what you want.

And antipasta is before the first course.
(Thank goodness for all that walking to burn this off!)

* Let kids burn off steam at Pincio Gardens at the top of the Spanish Steps. You can rent pedal cars, Segways, and surrey bikes, there are vendors selling gelato, drinks and snacks, but most importantly, there's lots of shade! It has sweeping views of the city, and it's a great place to watch the sunset.

Great place to hang out on a summer day.

* Add an extra day in Rome to day trip to the Amalfi Coast. It's just a one hour train ride, and you can hire a driver guide to pick you up for a full day of sightseeing. (Talk to them about your itinerary before booking the train tickets.) A guide is a must at Pompeii, especially with kids, due to the size. There aren't many signs so the only alternative is audio headsets, and they can run out in peak periods. And don't you think your kids have headphones on enough already?