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and New Year) and from mid-July through converted apartments). Most central hotels
August. Expect to pay top whack in spring tend to be three-star and up.
(April to June) and autumn (September and Alongside the hundreds of traditional
October) and over the main holiday periods B&Bs (private homes offering a room or two
(Christmas, New Year and Easter). to paying guests), Rome has a large number
Always try to book ahead. If you arrive of boutique-style B&Bs and guesthouses that
without a reservation, there’s a hotel res- offer chic, designer accommodation at mid-
Rome & L a zio R

ervation service (Map p94; % 06 699 10 00;
booking fee €3; h 7am-10pm) next to the tourist
office at Stazione Termini.
You’ll find a full list of accommodation
options at www.060608.it.
Accommodation Options
S leepin
to top-end prices. The following agencies all
offer online booking services:
Bed & Breakfast Association of Rome
(www.b-b.rm.it) Lists B&Bs and short-term
apartment rentals.
Bed & Breakfast Italia (www.bbitalia.it)
Rome’s longest-established B&B network.

The bulk of accommodation in Rome is Cross Pollinate (www.cross-pollinate.com)

oM
O mE

made up of alberghi (traditional hotels) and Has B&Bs, private apartments and guest-
e g

pensioni (cheap family-run hotels often in houses.

ROME FOR CHILDREN

Romans love children and even if there are few child-specific sights in town, your little
ones will be welcome just about everywhere.

Practicalities
¨¨Cobbled streets and badly parked cars make getting around with a pram or pushchair
difficult.
¨¨Buy baby formula and sterilising solutions at pharmacies. Disposable nappies/
diapers (pannolini in Italian) are available from supermarkets and pharmacies.
¨¨Restaurants are laid-back when it comes to accommodating children and will happily
serve a mezza porzione (child’s portion) and provide a seggiolone (highchair). Some
hotels can supply a culla (cot) on request.
¨¨Children under 10 travel free on all public transport.
¨¨Check out www.turismoroma.it/piccoli-turisti-curiosi for suggestions on child-
friendly things to do.

Sights
Rome’s museums and galleries are not ideal for rampaging toddlers, but many of the
bigger ones now offer educational services and children’s workshops. Some even host
kid-friendly events.
Suggested sights for kids include the Colosseum (p67), Villa Borghese (p116) and
Rome’s zoo: Bioparco (Map p113; % 06 360 82 11; www.bioparco.it; Viale del Giardino Zoo-
logico 1; adult/child over 1m & under 12yr/child under 1m €14/12/free; h 9.30am-6pm Apr-Oct,
to 5pm Nov-Mar; g Bioparco), Rome’s zoo. The catacombs of Appia Antica (p99) are best
for children over about 12.
Explora (Map p113; % 06 361 37 76; www.mdbr.it; Via Flaminia 82; adult/child 1-3yr €7/3;
h entrance 10am, noon, 3pm, 5pm Tue-Sun; m Flaminio) is a hands-on, feet-on museum
dedicated to kids under 12. Bookings are advised and essential on weekends. Outside
there’s a free play park open to all.
Out of town in Tivoli, the gardens at Villa D’Este (p153) are fun to explore with their
water jets, cascades and grim-faced gargoyles. Nearby, the extensive ruins of Villa ¨
Adriana (p153) provide ample opportunity for hide and seek.
At Ostia Antica (p151), kids can run free amidst the ruins of ancient Rome’s main
port and give their imagination a work out at the impressively preserved amphitheatre.
Further afield, the haunting Etruscan tombs at Cerveteri (p154)and Tarquinia (p154)
are fascinating for adults and great for little ones.