europe with a 6 month old- Rome?

We've been to Rome with our 10 month old and a three year old. A few unordered thoughts:

1. Move at the speed of family. Tours move at the speed of profit and at set hours. Avoid unless absolutely needed. Spontaneous sightseeing is better in your situation.
2. Yes, lots of cobbles make a stroller hard. We've used the Silver Cross for years. It's a small collapsible with BIG wheels. Although, at 6 months an Ergo Carrier will be the best solution. Note - pitch the stroller in the water the moment you arrive in Venice (if going).
3. Lower your expectations. The kid will nap and don't expect it to always be "on the fly". Give yourself breaks midday, which leads to...
4. Stay very central and in an interesting walking neighborhood (perhaps near the Jewish ghetto area?). You'll want to be able to take short trips for a few hours.
5. Italians LOVE babies. Their own population is shrinking and your kid will be loved. We've been shown the best times thanks to traveling with our kids in Italy. Take advantage of their hospitality and share your little bundle of joy.
6. Safety was never a concern for us when we used all the basic travel-aware methods any sensible parent would employ.
7. Consider an apartment rental instead of a hotel for too many reasons to embed in this list.
8. Take advantage of the fact that a 6 month old may have odd hours. See things early and abandon quickly.
9. Pay attention to your kid's needs more than your needs to "checklist" Rome or push to "one more thing to see just because we're close". You'll remember the trip for your time together, the feel of the city and the wonderful time with your young child...not because of another site.

By all means go, and have fun.

Rome, yes: why not with some common sense and planning. Italians love babies. Crime should be no worse than anywhere else with sense.

guided group tours with a small baby: NO, anywhere. They are expensive and no-one else wants the commentary blotted out by yelling. You will have to make some adaptations in becoming a parent, and this is one of them. You can still go see things, but it needs to be flexible. Take a guidebook and an audio tour that you can do at your own pace and stop if the baby wants out.

Wow- you got some appallingly bad advice in the first 3 posts. the later ones are much better. #10's post could have been written by me: excellent advice.

I have a 2 year old and we spend about 6 weeks a year in Italy, near Rome, with her. We also lived in Rome for 2 years before she was born so I know the city well. My daughter made her first trip to Rome when she was 6 week sold. She's actually named after a Roman Saint...

anyway, to address some of the issues:

Rome is NOT unsafe. It is as safe as any other major European city, keep your normal travel wits about you and you'll be fine.

At this age, the key to baby's happiness is happy parents. So if you want to go to Rome, go. And don't leave the baby behind- you're a family now and this is your life together. It will be different, but you'll enjoy it just as much. And if one or both of you are working, I cannot imagine you not wanting to spend your free time with your child

However, a few things DO change when you travel with a baby. You'll find that you'll be travelling at half or a third of the speed you used to. Why? baby needs a nap, needs to be fed, needs a diaper, etc. This will set the pace. Therefore, accept you won;t see all. And for that same reason, tours are not a good idea, as somebody else will be in control of the pace. YOU need to be in control of the pace.

In 2 1/2 years of travel we've never brought along a stroller. she's 15kg now, and still travels on our back. we use an Ergo baby carrier which is in my experience the best piece of equipment. Flexible, light, and with the right support. At 6 months, they're so light that a baby carrier is really the best way to travel. And kids love it- being close to mommie and daddy and being able to see from high up is their idea of fun. (You should see my daughter come run when i put on the Ergo) (the reason I and many others don't like Baby Bjorn is that many of their models don't provide lumbar support- meaning that all the weight rest on your shoulders. With the Ergo it rests on your hips)

Our daughter has done quite a few museums in her Ergo- no problem.

If you can, breastfeed. That gets rid of all the other hassle related to food. Always clean, always safe, always at hand. We also co-slept when travelling till she was 8 months old- again, simplifies life. If you don;t co-sleep, you will need to think about a baby bed.

Consider getting an apartment. If you stay in town for a week , it's nice to have more space and be able to make some simple meals (or clean bottles etc). Also, at some point they need a schedule and darkness to sleep. And if you're in a hotel room, what do you do when baby sleeps at 8PM? maybe she's a solid sleeper (ours isn't) but if you have a separate bedroom she can sleep there while you still have a normal dinner etc in the living room. Many apartments can provide baby beds, but you will need to ask beforehand, or bring your own.

We do go out with her (and again, at 6 months its easy) but once they're mobile it becomes harder and an apartment is really much better than a hotel room. We have good experience with these people: http://www.cross-pollinate.com/

It's already been mentioned, but Italians love children. Expect lots of attention. Other parents will encourage their kids to say 'ciao' to yours, and you'll be complimented continuously, as well as being quizzed about its sexe, age, and name. Don;t be upset if people touch- they're just friendly. On a number of occasions we had our daughter taken out of our hands in restaurants and being carried around by the staff so that we could enjoy our meal.. be open and friendly and you'll get plenty of good vibes in return.

Oh, i just read in your post #8 you're from Canada... it's a long flight. but gain, travelling with a 5-6 months old child is a breeze compared to 1 year old. Make sure to ask for a bassinet when booking. Hopefully your baby will sleep- Our daughter did he first trans-Atlantic flight when she was 10 weeks old- that was the easy bit. At the age of 2, it's just 9 hours of hard work... So perhaps you'd better go to Europe now and save MOntreal for when she's a toddler... ;-)

There is some great advice from the other "posters" so the only thing I want to add is that when my son was 7 months old, we had one of our most magical Christmases in our lives. The ingredients - me, my husband, our son and 7 amazing days in Rome.
Relax, take it slow, enjoy one of the most amazing cities in the world. Oh, and by the way, the Ergo carrier is the way to go!

I hear great things about Ergos but Becos also have a good reputation and there are a few other brands which parents love. Your size and weight might play a role in which one works best for you.

If you don't have a good carrier, you may want to check out some baby wearing sites before purchasing. Peppermint.com is good as are a lot of parenting boards have baby wearing information and forums.