Little City Trips

What to pack for Rome

Rome has four different seasons and what to pack for Rome is largely dependent on the time of the year you are travelling.

However, there is more than the temperature to take into account when packing for Rome: many of the churches and the Vatican require a specific dress code and the city’s famous cobbled streets can pose footwear challenges.

In this article, we share our Rome packing list and tips on how to pack for all eventualities.

Before travelling to Rome, make sure you check official travel rules and regulations that may affect your stay.

Family packing list Rome

First, the essentials.

The main items we recommend packing when visiting Rome with small children are a baby carrier and a stroller.

The baby carrier will be invaluable for sightseeing and on Rome’s cobbled streets, while the stroller is indispensable for exploring the city on foot and to experience Rome’s vast parks, something we highly recommend.

We also recommend bringing your own travel high chair, so you have a wider choice of restaurants.

And the whole family will definitely want good walking shoes!

Some of our favourite travel essentials are highlighted below. You can download a full printable packing list at the bottom of the page.

You can also listen in to our City Travel with Kids Podcast Rome Episode where we go into detail about all the practical items you will need and what to be prepared for when visiting Rome with kids.

Travel accessories for Rome

Baby Carrier

If you are visiting Rome with a baby or small toddler a baby carrier is your best friend, especially when visiting the Forum and strolling along the city centre old streets

Stroller

Rome city centre is lovely to visit on foot but landmarks are sometimes distant from each other if you are with a small kid. Because of this, we recommend also travelling with a stroller: it will make longer walks easier on little legs and can offer the opportunity to nap to kids that have outgrown their carrier.

Look for a lightweight stroller that is easy to fold, and also look for things like good storage and the ability to recline for naps.

If going in winter, make sure you get a proper warm stroller footmuff: Rome gets surprisingly cold!

Portable booster seat

Taxis in Rome usually do not carry a booster seat. We therefore recommend you bring your own. (Click here to read more about getting around Rome using public transport.)


Daypack

Having a day pack is always a good idea for city trips with kids, so that you can carry all the wet wipes, snacks, tissues, sun cream etc and still keep your hands free to keep hold of the kids.

Look for a crossbody bag with padded shoulder strap or a lightweight backpack that can be easily packed in your suitcase when not needed.

Collapsible water bottle

Be a sustainable tourist in Rome and bring your own refillable water bottles with you instead of relying on buying plastic bottles of water every day.

Rome has many drinking fountains and water is fresh and delicious: we love a collapsible water bottle that you can fill up as needed and can easily be packed in the suitcase.

Travel gadgets

Multiple charger

When you are traveling as a family, it is inevitable that you will end up with multiple accessories needing charged: phones, tablets, cameras, kindles etc. Don’t ruin the holiday by fighting over the charger; opt for a multiple charging station instead.

Travel adaptor

The standard electrical voltage in Rome is 230V and has the standard European 2 pins plug. If you are traveling from a country with different style plugs, make sure you bring a travel adapter.


Portable Charger Power Bank

Have you ever been caught out sightseeing with a low-battery phone and not been able to take photos? Or found your child’s iPad has run out of battery half way through a long haul flight? Don’t let it happen again! Go prepared with a portable charger power bank, a great tool to have in your travel arsenal.

Waterproof/shockproof camera

Of course you have to record all your happy holiday memories, and having an easy-to-use waterproof and shockproof camera means everybody in the family can share in the photo taking, without having to worry about the camera getting damaged.

Toiletries

Hand Sanitizer

It’s always good to have some hand sanitizer in your bag when you are travelling, for times when you can’t wash your hands before having a snack, or have been traveling on public transport.


Sun Cream

Sun cream is useful in Rome during spring and a must have item in summer.

Books and Games

Rome Travel Guide Book

No matter how much research you do online before you travel, it can still be handy to have a travel guidebook in your bag.


It’s always handy to have a few activity books in your bag for your kids, for airports, flights, or when they just need some downtime after a hard day of sightseeing.

Travel Games

The family that plays together stays together! Pack a few fun travel games for fun family evenings, rainy days or airport layovers.

Clothes for Rome in summer

Rome is hot and sunny in summer and light clothes are a must. The city can get very humid and temperatures often feel hotter than the thermometer suggests. Despite this, rather than shorts and strappy tops we recommend light linen trousers and short sleeve tops.

This more conservative type of clothing will allow you to feel OK in the heat but will be appropriate also for churches and the Vatican, where exposed shoulders and legs are not allowed.

  • Cotton t-shirts
  • Skirts
  • Linen trousers
  • Sandals
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Nicer clothes/shoes for more upmarket restaurants
  • Sunhat
  • Sunglasses


Clothes for Rome in winter

Winters in Rome are mild but humid so warm clothes are essential. Comfortable, waterproof shoes are a must and so are a good coat and scarf.

We recommend including the following for your Rome winter outfit:

  • Jeans
  • Warm sweaters
  • Scarf
  • Hat
  • Warm jacket
  • Comfortable, waterproof walking shoes
  • Umbrella

Clothes for Rome in Spring/ Autumn

Spring and Autumn are shoulder seasons in Rome and the best way to dress for them is to embrace layers. Late spring and early autumn (May and September) can bring high, summer-like temperatures so short sleeve tops and breathable shoes are handy. We recommend

  • Jeans
  • Sweater / cardigan
  • Short sleeve tops
  • Light jacket
  • Light scarf
  • Comfortable, close toe shoes

Travel accessories for the plane

Multiple Passport holder

A multiple passport is invaluable for keeping all the family’s passports together in one place. Look for one that makes it easy to remove the passports, and that has space to store luggage tags, frequent flier cards etc.

Travel Pillow (neck support)

Travel pillows for kids are one of our favorite family travel items when long haul flights are involved.

We all know how uncomfortable it is trying to sleep on the plane. While we can’t promise you a good sleep, we can recommend using a travel neck pillow to help ease your aches and pains once you get to your destination.


Travel Pillow (leg support)

Travel leg rest pillows have been a bit of a game changer for long haul flights with small kids. These inflatable pillows allow you to fill the leg gap between the seats, allowing small children to stretch out or even lie down flat. Note that some airlines have banned the use of these travel leg rest pillows. Check with your airline before you go to the airport.

Headphones

We highly recommend headphones for everyone in the family. Noise cancelling headphones for mums and dads are great for cutting out the ambient sound of the plane, while kid-sized headphones with volume limits will ensure kids can watch their iPads without disturbing others, and without damaging their eardrums.

Packing Accessories

Suitcase

If you’re looking for a new suitcase for your Rome trip, we love the foldable luggage from Biaggi – these can be folded down into a small pouch for easy storage and saves you from having to step over your suitcases in your Rome hotel room. We love the easy-glide spinner wheels on them too.

Packing Cubes

Packing cubes are so useful when you are traveling with kids. There is nothing worse than spending every morning rummaging through your suitcase looking for a matching outfit. Packing cubes allow you to segregate clothes into their own cubes, making it easy to find what you need. Look for cubes with a peekaboo window so you can easily see what is inside.


Electronics Organiser

How many times have you found yourself rummaging around in your suitcase looking for a phone charger? An electronics organizer can save you plenty of time and frustration by keeping all your chargers, cables, memory cards, headphones and adapters in one handy pack.

Ziploc Bags

Ziploc bags are a parent’s secret weapon when traveling. You can use them to store snacks, dirty clothes, nappy changing kits, puzzle pieces, small toys, crayons and leaky shampoo bottles. Be sure to add a few to your case!

Read our full family guide to Rome here. 

FREE DOWNLOAD!

Be super organized for your next city trip. Download our fully comprehensive printable packing list, with checkboxes to ensure you don’t forget anything.

Click here to download the packing list

Travelling to Rome? City travel experts Little City Trips talk you through all the most important items you need to pack for Rome. Print off our Rome packing list for your next city trip.

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