Essential tips from a local mama on how to handle the summer heat in Rome with kids and still enjoy the city.
Summers can be brutally hot in Rome and the standard advice is to pick a time other than July or August to visit the city.
However, if you have kids, there is a good chance you have to follow school schedule and can only travel to Rome in the summer months and if this is you, I want to equip you with all my best tips to make the most of your time, whatever the temperature!
I am a Rome mama, I have seen well over 40 summers in Rome and I am here to tell the tale. Today, I share all my best tips to handle the summer heat in Rome without missing out on seeing the best of the city.
Rather than general yet valid tips such as ‘stay out of the sun’, ‘stay hydrated’ and ‘choose breathable fabrics’ (all good tips!), I have chosen some that are specific to the city.
I hope you find them useful!
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Double check air conditioning at your accommodation
Air conditioning is becoming more and more common in Rome, especially in hotels.
However, it is never a given and especially in rentals it is very easy to have to do without or to only have a small unit in one of the rooms.
I don’t love air conditioning yet in Rome in summer A/C is a must: when looking for a place to stay, make sure they declare clearly that they do have it and what type.
If you have kids sleeping in a separate room as you, make sure both rooms have A/C units and if they are bunking on the sofa bed in the living room, check that area has air con as well.
Italian houses and hotels tend to have individual wall units so you want one in each room you’re intending on using.
Close shutters during the day
Italian houses are equipped with shutters and they are great in summer: during the day, whether you are in the house or outside, make sure you close them.
This will prevent the house from overheating like a greenhouse and it will make it easier to cool it with A/C once you are back home.
Arrange the children schedule around cooler hours
In summer, the best time to do anything in Rome is the very early morning and the second best time is the late evening.
The worst time is between 10.30 am and 9pm, with the heat usually (but not always) diminishing form about 6.pm when the sun starts being lower in the sky.
I know upsetting a child schedule can be daunting, especially if you have a little one you’ve struggled to put on a routine but the central hours of the day are genuinely dangerously hot and they’ll get back into their schedule as soon as some, I highly recommend you embrace local customs on this one!
Rome in summer has many evening events and you can bring kids to all of them, so it is normal to see families out until very late.
Look for evening tours, but also go for a stroll after dark (the city center is very safe) or check WantedInRome.com for local events if you want to enjoy a concert or a fair.
Consider tours on wheels
Depending on the age of the kids, a good way to see Rome in summer is to get a golf cart tour or a vespa sidecar tour.
As well as showing you a lot of things saving you walking in the heat, the movement creates enough of a breeze to cool you down a little + they are a lot of fun!
Consider dining indoors
I know that summer and dinners out go hand in hand but sometimes eating indoors is better than outdoors because of air conditioning.
If booking ahead and unable to see the place, read reviews carefully or ask the staff: especially at lunchtime eating in the sun is an absolute no for heat.
Good to know: you don’t need to book meals in Rome unless you have your heart set on a specific place. However, if you want to have a shortlist of good places, these are my recommended family friendly restaurants in Rome city center.
Use stroller fans
if you have a little one in a stroller, a battery operated fan can really help. Also make sure they don’t overheat on the plasticky stroller seat: if that happens, we found using a light material under them helped.
Make the most of Rome’s nasoni
Rome has many fresh, thirst quenching drinking fountains that are a lifesaver in summer. They are everywhere and have safe to drink, delicious, free flowing water.
Bring a reusable water bottle and fill up anytime you see one.
Good to know! The traditional fountains have a long spout and if you put your hand under it to block the flow of water, drinking water will spill from a secondary hole creating a wonderful, gentle water jet Roman kids use to splash themselves and cool down!
Go to a waterpark or pool
Even if your hotel doesn’t have a pool, you can find solace from the heat in one of the many public pools in Rome / hotel pools with day passes or in one of Rome’s waterparks: Luneur splash area or Cinecitta’ World (this is a theme park but has a water / fountains area)
Go underground
I mean this literally!
Rome has many underground attractions and they are cool in two ways: cool to see and cool in temperature, often staying at a blessed temperature about about 10-15 degrees no matter what the heat is outside!
Fantastic places to fight the summer heat in Rome with kids are the Domus Aurea (the incredible, now underground Palace of Emperor Nero) and the catacombs.
Go to church
Churches are works of art in Rome so I always recommend to peek into them no matter what your religious background and in summer they come with an added advantage: they are usually much chillier than outside!
A note about dress code for churches! Catholic Churches demand modest attire to all visitors, except young children up to teenage years (once the look a little grown up, best to follow adult rules). In big churches such as St Peter or Santa Maria Maggiore abiding this dress code is paramount as even in summer they may not let you in if wearing above the knee shorts/ skirts and if you have bear shoulders. In other churches the code is more lax but do consider that it is considered disrespectful to to the faithful to have revealing clothing so be mindful of who may be in the church if you’re unsure what you are wearing is ok in their perception.
Cool down with cremolato, granita, grattachecca, shakerato
I know recommending gelato for summer makes for an obvious tip so let me give you some less obvious ones too!
In Rome, there is delicious cremolato (dairy free, frozen fruity treat you eat with a spoon), granita (flavoured ice), grattachecca, which is typically Roman treat made with shaved ice and toppings, and shakerato, which is cold coffee!
Go to museums
Museums can be a lifesaver in Rome as some of them have lovely air conditioning or at least controlled temperatures. One I love in summer is the Capitoline Museums (it is also a wonderful museum, it is not just the air con that brings me back here often!)
I hope this quick list of ideas to help dealing with Rome in summer helped! Safe travels!
Handling the summer heat in Rome with kids tips – pin this!
