Rome, Anyone?

[Deleted]

After finding out about a friend's death (very tragic, long story), H and I decided that life was too short to not enjoy it and see the world. So we've decided to start checking off some of the boxes on our bucket list and we are starting with Rome, Italy! We're planning on going in March or April of 2013. We're going to spend 6 days and 5 nights there and know we want to go to the Vatican city, the Colosseum and the Pantheon. But that's as far as we've gotten with planning. Any suggestions on things to do, places to visit, food to eat??

[MrsAxilla]

We loved Rome! I highly recommend Ostia Antica www.ostia-antica.org/. It's about 20 minutes by metro from Rome and was amazing! It's similar to Pompeii, but much closer and much less crowded. There's also a great second hand designer boutique called Lesley. They have two locations and awesome designer stuff in great condition.

Tale your iPhone off you have one and sign up for the international data coverage. It's great for maps and tripadvisor is a great way to find restaurants. Also, you can download audio guides for many of the main attractions. We did it for the Coliseum and the Vatican. I'd recommend the Vatican one in particular. The info on the Sistine Chapel was great!!

[Deleted]

This is the exact kind of recommendation I was looking for! I never thought of audio guides for the attractions. I'm sure that would help with the language barrier, too.

[dutchgirl678]

We downloaded Rick Steves audio guides onto the iphone. You don't even need data coverage if you download them beforehand. We went last year in August (hot!) with my parents and two small kids. We loved Rome. We found an apartment on the Campo de' Fiori through VRBO.com and that was so great. We really felt part of the community and every day there was a market outside with fresh fruits and vegetables.

We saw the Roman Forum and bought the Roma pass there. That allowed us to skip the line at the Coliseum (well worth it and well worth the skip as the lines are long). Loved the Pantheon, it's one of my favorite buildings. The Piazza Navona was cool to hang out at. I was a bit disappointed by the Spanish Steps. Too crowded and nothing to see really. We saw St Peter's cathedral but since we were with kids we didn't go to the museum or the Sistine Chapel.

We kind of winged it food-wise but managed to have great meals anyway. I really recommend strolling around Trastevere. That is such a cute neighborhood it almost makes you feel like you're in a small town, not a big city like Rome.

[Deleted]

Dar Poeta.

Fantastic pizza.

[Deleted]

Aug 16, 2012 23:44:40 GMT -5 kooshball said:

Roma pass is a must. Food is good. I didn't like Rome much.

What did you not like??

[pumpkin]

I love Rome! In fact made a trip there in April to visit a friend. Along with the items you have already mentioned, I would also add the following to my list: the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps (try to go really early in the morning or late at night--by doing this i've actually seen the steps empty), Piazza Navona, the Borhese gardens and gallery (though you do have to make reservations for the gallery ahead of time).

I'm sure there are more, so I'll have to think about this. Rome is a great place full of history and architecture and I'm sure you'll have a great time!

[kangaroo11]

I just booked tickets for the Vatican museum tonight! I live by Rick Steves books in Europe (for everything except food). The 2013 version won't be out for a bit, but you can skim through it at the bookstore to get an idea of things you want to do and see while there. One of the non-main touristy things we'll probably do is a day trip to Orvieto by train.

[laurao11]

We did Rme last September and loved it! One of theist things we did, along it's those mentioned above, is we took a special tour offered by the Vatican that you have to apply to the Vatican to take, through the ruins of the old basilica (it's called he Scavi tour), and it's only 15 euro. Is an amazing experience if you can get it! Apply now though, it fills insanely quickly- even if your not positive on your dates if your interested. You can check out the Rick Steve's or Trip Advisor forums also for more insider info.
Other than that,mew day tripped to Pompeii via train and had an amazing guide. We also did tours of the Vatican, Coliseum/Forum, and self explored he Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and word everywhere just to take in the sits, there is a big square with or initial paintings, but I forget the name of it off the too of my head.
Happy planning!

[anna7602]

I love Rome. I've been a few times and my favorite thing to do is actually just to wander around. The Trastevere neighborhood is one of my favorites for just walking and getting lost or having a long lunch or coffee outdoors. I also like the Piazza Navona. The last time I was in Rome, the Brazilian Consulate (on that same Piazza) was having a free film festival and I just wandered in off the street. I love leaving lots of unscheduled time on vacation so I can do stuff like that.

As far as museums, the Villa Borghese museum is one of my favorites in the world (I am not exaggerating). The Bernini sculptures are so amazing.

The best meatballs (polpetti) I've ever had were on a place on the Campo de Fiori. A friend recommended it by exact location, not name, at the time, and now I can't remember the specifics. I just looked at this guide below to see if any of the restaurant names were familiar, but no. I guess just walk around and see what people are eating there to find a good spot???

www.romeloft.com/rome-best-areas/campo-de-fiori-guide/

And finally, I used to have a book (published in the U.S.) about best stores/outdoor markets/antiques/etc. in Rome by category. I think I bought it at Anthropologie. I had a lot of fun visiting the quirky shops listed in that guide and even bought a pair of eyeglasses at one of them. Getting fitted for those glasses and having all the saleswomen tell me which frames made me look "carina" is one of my favorite vacation moments.

[grosnl19]

We stayed at hotel cosmopolita and really like it, it was super close to all the sites.

www.hotel-cosmopolita.com/eng/hc/home.htm

[gt7301b]

I'd also pick up Rick Steeves' Italy book. He has tons of great tips. I might actually add Florence to the trip, it just depends on how you like to travel.

Make sure to buy tickets to the Vatican City online in order to avoid the lines. I believe you can buy tickets in advance for the Collusiem as well, but we just bought the Roma pass at the Forum.

I disagree on paying for International data. I just use WO-fi while traveling (I turn off cellular data) and I am fine. I make sure my hotel/b and b has WI-fi before I book. If you have an older AT&T iPhone you can get it unlocked before you go and buy a sim in Europe. The only time I actually purchased a sim was when I was traveling without DH and wanted to call back home.

[Deleted]

Rome in March is great. It's sunny and warmish but not hot and not too crowded. I also recommend Rick Steves' book. I don't remember the name, but he recommended a restaurant that operates on the principle that you'll eat what they feed you. There is no menu. They just bring you food. SO GOOD!

Drink wine with every meal and have gelato every day. Rome is wonderful.

[bunch]

I love Rome. I also agree with the Orvieto suggestion. It was my favorite small Italian town and will give you a taste of Tuscany.

[Deleted]

My only advice is check the dates when you go. If you go during lent you'll have a hard time getting meat on Fridays :-)

Also it can be super crowded at the Vatican around Easter.

[Deleted]

I didn't even think about Easter or Holy week. We'll definitely plan around it. When it comes to packing, what is a must and what should I leave at home?

[dirtyred]

I highly recommend going to Pompeii. It was by far the most interesting place I went to in Italy. It's been a few years, so I don't know if things have changed, but you just get to wander around the town exploring everything, going in all the houses and buildings. Buy a map to find your way around, and don't miss the brothel.

[Deleted]

Aug 17, 2012 8:09:53 GMT -5 @kande818 said:

I didn't even think about Easter or Holy week. We'll definitely plan around it. When it comes to packing, what is a must and what should I leave at home?

The most important thing is comfortable shoes. You can take the metro and cabs, but you'll still probably walk a fair amount.

I also recommend a plain crossbody bag that you and your H can take turns carrying. We used one to keep guidebook, water bottles, camera, iPods, etc. We went with leather, but I'd get nylon so it's lighter.

Other than that, I'd just pack like you would for any other vacation.

[phillyrunner]

We went during Easter week this past April and I didn't feel like it was too crazy. We even saw the pope say mass on Easter Sunday in Vatican city which was one of those neat once in a lifetime experiences.

We found Rome to be very walkable and didn't have to use public transportation at all. If you go in the spring definitely pack layers! It was pretty chilly in the mornings/evenings but it would warm up in the afternoon. I seriously wouldn't even bother with heels, just bring a few pairs of comfortable shoes.

I recommend eating at Cul de Sac, near Piazza Navona. We had a really great dinner there! And drink lots and lots of wine - we would order the table wine at pretty much every restaurant we went to and it was so cheap and delicious. And I agree with a previous suggestion - eat gelato every day. The gelato in the US is nothing like the gelato in Italy!

[nicoliae]

I skimmed the comments and don't have too much to add. RE: comfortable shoes, make them closed toe. Rome's streets are very dirty. I made the mistake of wearing sandals one day while walking and my feet were so gross.

When you go to a restaurant just order the House red or white wine. It's better than anything you drink in the US and so cheap!

Rome is super walkable. We stayed by the Terminal Station and walked to Vatican City. We only got majorly lost once and we used our Roma pass to just hop on a bus that said it was going to the station. We also took a train (subway? I forget what they called it) from the station to the Vatican City and that wasn't so bad. We were on it at 7am so it was mostly business people. I've read it can get sketchy at other times.

If you are looking for cheaper hotels but decent, stay by the terminal station. It's a bit far from some sights, but we didn't mind the distance or neighborhood. Lots of cheap, cute restaurants in that area.

[sporky]

We went to Rome this summer and loved it! I'll ditto most of the previous comments although I didn't have a problem with open-toes shoes. It was far too hot to wear close-toe the whole time we were there. Definitely be prepared to do some walking, but it's worth it.

Eat lots of gelato and always get the house wine with dinner. We stayed at two hotels in Rome, both great locations: Hotel Raffaello near the Forum/Colosseum and Hotel Farnese near the Vatican. Aside from the usual big must-sees (Forum, Colosseum, Vatican, Pantheon), I'd highly recommend checking out some the other churches. We loved St John Lateran, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, and San Clemente. Also I'd recommend seeing the Cappuchin Crypt. And make sure to walk around at night- it's less crowded and a completely different feel!

If you're interested, I have a ton of pictures and recommendations in our trip report in the blog link in my siggie.

[sapphireblue]

Aug 17, 2012 6:39:45 GMT -5 bunch said:

I love Rome. I also agree with the Orvieto suggestion. It was my favorite small Italian town and will give you a taste of Tuscany.

I went to Rome in spring 2011. It was fabulous!

I took the train to Ostia Antica--very easy, and fascinating. Great ruins.

However, my favorite part of the entire trip was Orvieto, as PP suggested. It is an easy train ride, and then you take a tram up the mountain. The cathedral there is stunning, and the entire town is so beautiful. We explored the whole place.

We also took the train to Tivoli--the Villa d'Este is there, as well as another cool set of ruins--Villa Adriana, or Hadrian's Villa. This is the same Hadrian of Hadrian's Wall in Scotland.

We spend two full days just walking all around Rome. Trastevere was probably our favorite destination. You can knock out all of the touristy stuff in one day--we did the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, and the Coliseum in one day.

[Awkward]

Rome is beautiful in the spring! I want to go back at some point, when I went it was the end of a 10 day tour, so I was exhausted and museumed out by the time we got to the Vatican. I want to go back and really enjoy it.

I second seeing some churches that are a little off the beaten path. Places like St. Peter in Chains and Santa Maria sopra Minerva have a lot of great sculpture (if you like that kind of thing).

Also. Eat lots of gelato. There is nothing like gelato on a warm day in Italy. NOTHING.

[sapphireblue]

I wanted to add--don't even bother bringing shoes with heels. The streets are so uneven it is really hard to walk in anything but the most practical footwear.

[sapphireblue]

Aug 17, 2012 13:19:15 GMT -5 Awkward said:

Also. Eat lots of gelato. There is nothing like gelato on a warm day in Italy. NOTHING.

YES!!! We sometimes ate gelato three times a day. Also, one magical evening we had, we were on a residential street. We walked to the end where there was a piazza and bunches of locals were gathered around the fountain, drinking, playing music, talking to friends, etc.

Some of the most special times were just taking in scenes like that, not the touristy stuff.

[Deleted]

Aug 17, 2012 13:28:49 GMT -5 sxia said:

Rome was so crazy and crowded and I felt like it was taking your life in your hands to cross the street.

Once you figure it out, though, it's really not that bad. One of my guidebooks gave me great advice. It said to step one step into the street, make eye contact with a driver, and just start walking. Sounds crazy, but they stopped. Also, once I rode in a cab, I realized that while it seemed like everyone was driving like a lunatic, nobody was actually going that fast.

I tried to cross the street using the staring-down-the-cars trick when I got home. Um. Don't do that.

[Deleted]

I'm getting so excited! I'm going to the bookstore to get some guides. Y'all have been immensely helpful

[Deleted]

Aug 17, 2012 2:52:32 GMT -5 laurao11 said:

We did Rme last September and loved it! One of theist things we did, along it's those mentioned above, is we took a special tour offered by the Vatican that you have to apply to the Vatican to take, through the ruins of the old basilica (it's called he Scavi tour), and it's only 15 euro. Is an amazing experience if you can get it! Apply now though, it fills insanely quickly- even if your not positive on your dates if your interested. You can check out the Rick Steve's or Trip Advisor forums also for more insider info.
Other than that,mew day tripped to Pompeii via train and had an amazing guide. We also did tours of the Vatican, Coliseum/Forum, and self explored he Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and word everywhere just to take in the sits, there is a big square with or initial paintings, but I forget the name of it off the too of my head.
Happy planning!

I could have written this post! We w ere also in Rome in September 2011 and also did the Scavi tour. I cant recommend the Scavigour enough, it was FASCINATING. Somehow we ended up on it with 3 Irish priests and they did a little ceremony while we were down there. Really, please do the Scavi tour, it's amazing.

What's not amazing? The Vatican Museums/ Sistine Chapel. They sell as many tickets as people who walk in. The day were were there we got to see the Sistine chapel with 3,000 of our closest friends. For someone who gets claustrophobic, it was awful. Spend $70 on a nice coffee table book and you'll enjoy it just as much. Or, go in the late afternoon. It's crowded in the morning but seems to thin out by late afternoon.

I'd highly recommend hunting down any statue/ art/ architecture by Bernini. Amazing stuff.

We stayed at the iQ hotel, near the train station. It was a good spot for us. Since it was really hot when we were there, we'd get up early in the mornings and be the first in line to see something. Then we'd grab lunch and head back to the hotel (and air conditioning) for an afternoon nap. We'd head back out for more sight seeing around 4pm. It was a too system for us.

Oh, the Borghese gallery is great too!