Hi - Newbie here. Thanks for having me. We are going to Rome in October for a week - mum, dad, 17yr old and 13 yr old. Mum, Dad and 17yr old are enthusiastic culture fans looking forward to Churches, the Vatican etc etc. Our 13yr old is less excited at this prospect (although thrilled at the prospect of going to Rome to be in Italy). She'll love the restaurants, markets and street scenes but has anyone got any ideas of good places to go or things to do for someone who likes trendy areas like Camden in London, interesting cool arty shops, swimming pools and cinemas (with films in English). Any ideas most gratefully received.

Albo

Welcome to Slow Travel Talk. See this page for information on films in English.

My advice would be to make her GUIDE for a day. She gets to decide what you do for a day. Give her a money amount she can spend and let her decide where she wants to go and what she wants to do. But it has to be interesting to the rest of the family too.

While she is busy deciding what she is going to have your family do she will be researching Rome and it's attractions. She will find lots of things that she probably would like to do. An informed teenager is an involved teenager.

If she is into street life I'd suggest the fountains of Rome. She can set up the tour so that you see all the great fountains of Rome. From Tortuga to 4 rivers, Trevi, Spagna, to the one at the top of Via Independenza.

Or make her the gelato expert. She has to figure out where the best gelato is for each of your days adventures.

If you can afford it a driver and a day in Pompeii always fascinates tweens.

I have two daughters, now 14 and 11, who have been to Rome five times. The last time they were there was Easter Week of 2008, when my oldest was 13. These are some of the things she enjoyed:
Shopping on Via del Corso and around the Spanish Steps (Via Condotti, Frattina, etc. although that was mostly window shopping). She loved the Rome branch of ZARA.
Since it was Holy Week, we climed the Scala Santa on our knees. After ten years of catholic school, she handles churches and religious sights pretty well.
Ever since they were little, my girls enjoyed the creepy sights of Rome. Check out my travel note on this site called "Chills and Thrills in the Eternal City" for specific recommendations.
She might like the Porta Portese flea market. It's held every Sunday but be careful of pickpockets.
She could eat at Da Baffetto or Pizzeria Remo every night!

Grinisa's travel note is here: Chills and Thrills in the Eternal City.

This page on the Slow Trav site also has several articles on visiting Italy with kids.

- Roz

Spend a half a day or dedicate time 5-7pm before dinner for Shopping. set aside a limit that she could spend. When we visited Sorrento, I told my daugher she could buy 3 pairs of shoes and each one had to be at or less than 50 euros. I think that I have been in every shoe store in Sorrento and there were a lot of them.

Trastevere had some nice shoes and other shops
http://www.slowphotos.com/phot...photo=47272&cat=4250

Hi Andrew,Rome Addict, Grinisa, Roz and Dragonpat

What excellent ideas - apologies for the late thank you but I will digest this new info and am sure I'll use some of the ideas

Cheers

Albo

The book Rome with Kid by J.M. Pasquesi might be helpful for you. I don't have kids but reviewed it for my newsletter and it has lots of great information and ideas.

http://www.romewithkids.com/