🇮🇹 Rome With a Baby

We flew from Dallas to Istanbul and then continued on to Rome with Turkish Airlines. Somehow, we had convinced ourselves that the flight to Istanbul was only eight hours.

It was eleven.

Whoops.

Thankfully, we were so excited that we were ready for anything even an extra three hours on the plane with a baby!

Our First Jet-Lagged Day in Rome

Our first day in Rome was mostly a blur. We were exhausted, especially after traveling with a baby, so we had an early dinner and went straight to bed.

Of course, that meant we woke up super, super early the next morning.

Before our trip, we had seen so many Reels and TikToks recommending that you explore Rome early in the morning. We liked the idea, but we did not expect to be out that early.

However, it ended up being one of the best things we did, and we definitely recommend it.

Rome is absolutely beautiful in the early morning. The streets are quieter, the temperature is cooler, and you get to experience some of the city’s most famous landmarks without the massive crowds that arrive later in the day.

Exploring Rome Before the Crowds

A few of the places we saw during our early-morning adventure were:

• The Trevi Fountain—of course!
• The Temple of Hadrian
• The Vittoriano
• The Colosseum
• The Pantheon

There were already a few people at the Trevi Fountain by the time we arrived, but it was still peaceful enough for us to get some beautiful pictures of our little family.

During those first mornings, we mostly admired the landmarks from the outside. Later in the trip, we went back to properly explore the Colosseum and Roman Forum.

Throughout our entire stay in Rome, we continued waking up early. Honestly, the jet lag worked in our favor!

Another morning, we visited Piazza di Spagna and climbed the Spanish Steps at around 6 a.m. From there, we continued walking uphill and found some beautiful views overlooking the city, it was called Terrazza Viale del Belvedere.

Our son was getting a little heavy, okay, maybe more than a little, but we carried him in the baby carrier, and he loved looking around.

For Rome, we found the carrier much easier than relying on a stroller. Many of the sidewalks and streets are made of cobblestone, and there are stairs everywhere. A stroller is still possible, but carrying it over uneven streets and up and down steps can become a workout very quickly.

Where We Stayed in Rome

We stayed in an Airbnb near the San Giovanni metro station. It was comfortable, spacious and not as expensive as other airbnbs closer to the attractions.

Although we were close to public transportation, we mostly used Uber to get around because it was easier with the baby. We still did plenty of walking, but having the option to call a car when we were tired—or when our son was over it—made the trip much more manageable.

Visiting Trastevere

We also visited Trastevere, a charming neighborhood across the river from central Rome. It has narrow streets, colorful buildings, restaurants, and a more relaxed atmosphere than some of the city’s busiest tourist areas.

We walked around, explored the neighborhood, and stopped for food.

And speaking of food: the food in Italy is just so good.

My biggest advice is to avoid restaurants that look extremely touristy, especially the ones directly beside the biggest attractions. You will probably pay more for food that is not nearly as good.

Walk a few streets away from the main tourist areas, and your chances of finding something delicious and more reasonably priced go way up.

Otherwise, the food was chef’s-kiss delicious.

The Day a New Pope Was Chosen

One of the most unexpected and special moments of our trip happened while we were visiting Vatican City.

We were leaving the Vatican when the bells suddenly started ringing and white smoke began rising above the Sistine Chapel.

A new pope had been chosen.

There were so many people gathering that we could not really stop and take everything in right away. We eventually left, but later that night, we decided to go back.

The entire area was still buzzing. News crews were everywhere, people were celebrating, and Vatican City looked beautiful lit up at night.

We obviously had no idea when we planned the trip that we would be in Rome during such a historic moment. It made an already special trip feel even more unforgettable.

Changing Diapers in Rome

Now for some practical advice for anyone visiting Rome with a baby: there are not many baby-changing tables around the city.

Be prepared to change diapers anywhere and everywhere.

At first, it felt a little strange coming from the United States, where we are used to searching for a bathroom with a designated changing station. In Rome, changing a baby wherever you can find a clean and safe spot seems much more normal. Nobody stared at us or acted like it was weird.

We carried a small foldable changing mat that fit easily inside our backpack. Whenever we needed it, we would put it down and change our son.

And yes, he had a couple of blowouts because, of course he did.

We also discovered that the diapers we bought in Italy seemed to run smaller than the ones we normally use at home. That may depend on the brand, but based on our experience, I would recommend sizing up when buying diapers there.

Was Five Days in Rome Enough?

We arrived in Rome on May 5 and left on May 9, giving us a total of five days and four nights in the city.

It was enough time to see many of the major landmarks, explore a few different neighborhoods, and have some unforgettable experiences without trying to pack everything into one day.

By the end, we were tired but excited to continue our adventure and head farther south.

I’ll go into more detail about each of our Rome adventures and the rest of our Italy trip in the next posts!