europe with a 6 month old- Rome?

I was in Rome in March '05. I suspect some things are basically the same. Hence my response.

Rome is NOT a safe city. Crime is rampant. My 1st day there, on a subway, someone tried to pick my pocket. I was on crutches, having pulled a hamstring just before we left. An Italian woman stopped me on a subway platform just after the attempted caper, pointed to my crutches, & said very emphatically, "Attentzione!" ... "be careful". We were told beforehand that anything that makes you look vulnerable, such as strollers, will be taken advantage of by the ne're-do-wells. Apparently, people will grab your purse, backpack, whatever, thereby daring you to leave your stroller to chase them.

Subways are by far the easiest & fastest way to travel around the city. But you frequently have to climb up or down many levels of stairs. If you're lucky, they have escalators, but those are crammed with people, & frequently are inoperable ... so back to the stairs. You can choose to use the buses, but you'll be jumping from bus to bus to bus. And buses cram every possible piece of protoplasm into very tight spaces, & if you're not on when the doors close, have a back-up plan to meet your fellow travelers somewhere, because they DO NOT WAIT. Cabs are outrageously expensive, & like to rip off travelers by taking longer routes, starting the clock from the moment you wave at them, etc. There are a few trams but their schedules can leave you waiting for extended periods of time.

We did do some excellent tours which I can't imagine having done Rome without their assistance. They were all led by very knowledgeable people, all of them citizens of Rome who loved their city. The tours were fast-paced & while the guides were very polite & considerate, they told me up-front that I'd have to keep up, which was only fair.

For your own sake, don't even think of renting a car in Rome. Its streets are a mish-mash of 6-8 lanes w/no clear lines that anyone heeds, & people drive really dangerously fast. (And I've never been afraid to drive anywhere else before)

Travel guides may wait on you to change a diaper, but I don't think they'll appreciate doing it, as their other customers won't. These tours can move at a good clip just to see everything included on the tour. One of our tours ended after dark, & we were left in the middle of Rome to find transportation. The Vatican has a queue that is probably a mile long or longer, no exaggeration. You are packed shoulder-to-shoulder once you get inside the Vatican, so slowing down for any reason just wouldn't work.

The reference to limited wheelchair access is probably partially due to the lack of elevators (lifts). There are very, very few. And if you're thinking of cruising around the city w/your infant in a stroller, you need to know that many of the streets & piazzas are cobblestone, therefore not friendly to anything that rolls.

If I were you, I'd think of many other places to visit w/a 6 month old.

"Hello, mom, dad. How would you like to spend a week with your grandchild?"

It's a possible trip, because others have done it before you, but it's going to be uncomfortable and you'll have a lot of problems with safety. Most new parents I know get exhausted from bringing a baby to the supermarket, nevermind Rome.

There's no chance one of your siblings or parents would watch the baby so you could have this second honeymoon? If not, and I were you, I'd take a relaxing, fairly local trip, put the money in a fund, and take an extraordinary trip when the kid's a little older.

Regarding safety. I'm not aware that Rome has any more crime then other western european cities. Just keep belongings close to you in zipped bags preferably over the shoulder and certainly no wallets in pockets, stay in the main tourist areas and don't wander off the beaten track. I would give the same advice in London, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris etc.

Re the tour guides. You are right - you need a little flexibility with a baby at that age as if they are hungry, they'll need to eat likewise if you need to change a nappy, so be it. Therefore, could you consider a private tour? They are a little more expensive, but you will be able to cover more sights in a shorter time, or flex the tour as suits you. If you say you have a baby with you, I am sure any tour guide will be very accommodating.

Re a buggy, Rome is not very pushchair friendly so do consider taking a baby carrier or sling.

Italians are very family oriented and so you shouldn't feel worried to take your baby, he or she will certainly attract a lot of attention. And if your baby is weaning at that time, I imagine that restaurants etc will be happy to heat food or milk for you. You can find more information on taking a baby to Italy here where to buy baby milk, nappies, car seat regulations etc. - http://www.babyabroad.co.uk/Travelling-With-Baby-To/Italy/travelling-with-baby-to-italy.html

I hope you have a good time.

Sorry - just re-read your query re back carriers. I've never heard of these being refused entry, I don't see why they would. Some museums do have scanners, so you may need to take your baby out for the scanners (for the bag not the baby) and put them back in after. The only restriction I know of is that in most cathedrals/churches including the Vatican, you must cover your shoulders.

Clare

We've taken our children to Italy a lot. Once I flew to Rome by myself and bounced around with my three children in Rome for a couple of days until the husband drove down and joined us.

Would you consider using a hotel babysitter? I've done this successfully in several places. Three hours isn't that long.

I will admit that a few times, I've been in the hotel (New Year party or wedding) so there wasn't the physical separation and I could check on the baby whenever I wanted to.You could try to use the sitter twice, once for dinner for a shorter period and then again for the tour. A sort of "dry run" and cancel if it goes really badly.

Ask the hotel what their sitter service entails. Request a woman and indicate the age. For a small baby, you ideally want someone a bit older.

That way, you can enjoy and profit from the tour without being distracted or bother other people with the baby's needs.

No, Rome is not that more dangerous than other European cities but the pick pocket issue is worse in a number of cities, including Rome. The fact is that with a baby, you can get distracted and you are a target. Sometimes you have to stop, sometimes lean over, etc. You will find yourselves in crowds a lot, especially when you're planning to go.

I did a tour once in Italy and there was a woman with her baby. She was with several family members and they actually did well. She admitted that it was tough.

I've had a stroller refused entry to a museum but never my sling in Europe.

If Rome is calling you, then I think you must answer! We traveled throughout Italy when our daughter was 11 months old, and we had a fantastic experience. In my opinion, Rome is no more difficult with a baby than any other big city. We brought a stroller, which was ideal for museums, as our daughter could take a nap while we looked at the exhibits. The Vatican allowed our stroller; but the Galleria Borghese was much more strict in prohibiting even purses or cameras, but allowing a Baby Bjorn carrier, which we had as a backup. (I know the Baby Bjorn is not popular with many of the Thorn Tree posters, but we loved it.) If you have one of those jumbo backpack baby carriers, those might be prohibited, but I am not sure. We also used the Baby Bjorn when we were hiking or traversing a lot of uneven terrain, such as in the Roman coliseum. Despite all the "advice" that strollers were more of a problem than benefit, we navigated all the Italian cobblestone streets, subway stairs, train stations, and even the many bridges in Venice quite efficiently--we developed a nice rhythm where my husband would grab the front of the stroller, and I would lift the back, and up/down we would go!

If you want the benefit of a "guided tour" with the flexibility of exploring at your own pace, I highly recommend downloading the free pod-cast tours from Rick Steves. He provides excellent audio tours of the Coliseum, Roman Forum, Sistene Chapel, St. Peter's, and the Pantheon, all with accompanying maps.

Everyone's experience of Rome is different, obviously, but we had a fantastic time there (and throughout Italy). A lot of the joy in experiencing a place comes from one's mindset. What can be a "magical" experience for one person can be a "horrible" experience for another. For example, one person may be enthralled with the flowing energy and vibe of a crowded plaza, while another person is feeling bombarded by all of the brushing elbows and nearby car horns. As a parent, you will always get different opinions about what you "should" (and more likely "shouldn't") do when traveling with children. Maybe you won't see everything in Rome that you would have planned before having kids, but I bet you'll have a grand time!

Happy Anniversary, and Congratulations on your new baby!

Thanks for the insights everyone. I love that the answers were as divided as we are! ha ha. I wish that leaving our child with family would be an option, but I hope to still be breastfeeding then and while that absolutely could change I wouldn't force it to, just to leave baby behind. And as all of our family works and live in different cities I don't see how they would accommodate a baby too young for day cares around here (for those non canadians- we get a year maternity leave, so there are few day cares that take children under a year and those that do have waitlists over 2 years and don't take casuals). So leaving baby behind isn't really an option...

We had considered something "more local" like going to Montreal where my hubby's favorite hockey team plays. However, when we calculated, including the cost of decent hockey tickets, we realized for 5 days in Montreal, we could add about 1500.00CAD and go to Europe for 10 days.

I have considered the in hotel baby sitting services but don't understand how they find their people. How do you feel safe using them when you don't understand the language, or the culture, and communicating expectations...

Thank you everyone for you opinions. There are still so many determining factors. I am glad we have a while to decide yet! :)

You have to explore your babysitting options. The hotel can answer your question or you can look into an English language babysitting service in Rome. You may want to ask on a Rome expat site about this but start with asking the hotel.

Don't even think of leaving the baby behind, breastfeeding or not, unless you're totally confident of the situation, which that doesn't seem to be the case. I relate. We never had anyone nearby who could do this for us either. I could leave my kids with my mom but she lives on another continent so that doesn't work.

Just a quick word on baby carriers. Some parents "love" their Bjorns but having the baby suspended by its crotch is not a good position for either the parents' or child's backs. They're also not good value for money, since Bjorns also only go to about 6 months of age, vs. 2-3 years with good-quality baby carriers (which are often cheaper). Rome is also still hot when you'll go so you don't need all that unnecessary padding. I would recommend a carrier that goes on the back as well as the front, like a Beco, Mei Tai or Ergo.

You might also want to borrow or buy a stroller that folds with one hand. I found this to be a handy feature for big cities, getting on and off public transport.

Ditto on the car renting situation. I'm used to driving in Europe but I wont touch Rome!

Be sure to put off starting solids until you return. Baby food is messy and not necessary at this age. I put off solids with two of mine until 7 1/2 months because of international trips and both girls are excellent eaters with no weight issues or allergies (unlike my son whom I started earlier). Talk to your ped but this would be wise.