Post by sunnysally on Oct 16, 2013 21:23:34 GMT -5
I highly recommend the underground tour at the Coliseum. Not only do you go to the lower level, you also get to go to the top with only your tour group. You can take some really awesome pictures without a bunch of strangers in them.
We stayed in a very budget hotel, Hotel Joli Rome. It was not fancy, but it was very clean, had excellent customer service and was close to the Vatican. I know a lot of people like to stay in fancy hotels, and this is not that at all.
I don't think we had a bad meal in Rome. Just stay away from the restaurants in super touristy areas and you'll be fine.
Post by dutchgirl678 on Oct 16, 2013 21:34:32 GMT -5
We got an apartment through VRBO.com. We stayed at the Campo de Fiori. I loved having the market outside our doorstep but it was a bit loud in the evening. But it was nice to be right in the middle of the city and walk to places. Piazza Navona was pretty much across the street, the Pantheon was nearby and we even walked to the Coliseum and the Roman Forum. We took the bus to the Vatican. Also, I highly recommend wandering around in the Trastevere neighborhood. It has a very small-town feel to it and lots of cute little restaurants.
We rented an apartment near Piazza Navona through www.rentalinrome.com. We chose this apartment and were so pleased with the apartment itself and the location, and it ended up being much more affordable than the hotels we were considering in that area. We were there in February and walked everywhere. The only time we took a cab was to the Galleria Borghese just to avoid being late to our early morning reservation, but we walked back.
We were also able to arrange for transportation to and from the airport through the website, and it was so, so easy.
Hotel Kolbe, it's right next to the Forum and you can walk to all the major sites. Plus it's very quiet and has a lovely garden. On my most recent trip my colleagues took me to a restaurant called Angelina (it has two locations and we went to the one on via Galvani). It has really great grilled meat and pasta dishes.
We also rented an apartment. It was near Campo Di Fiori but not as loud. Near the ministry of Justice. A quick walk to everywhere. I was there a year ago today and I wish I was there now.
Take the necropolis tour at St. Peters basilica it is amazing to go to the necropolis that is under St. Peters and see the original church.
We stayed at the hotel alimandi vaticano which was a great boutique hotel that was reasonably priced. It wasn't too far from the subway stops and it was across the street from the Vatican entrance and a few blocks to St. Peter's Square. The area was really quiet and nice when we went in sept 2008.
I'm going to recommend eating at La Campana, one of the oldest roman restaurants, to taste typical roman cuisine, like coda alla vaccinara, spaghetti alla chitarra etc. www.ristorantelacampana.com/ Another great one is the Taverna ai Fori Imperiali, which also has typical roman cuisine. www.latavernadeiforiimperiali.com/ Then walk around all the various rioni (quarters) of the historical center, you could map out your itinerary based on them so that you don't miss anything. The most popular and oldest gelaterie/dessert places there are Giolitti in Campo Marzio, la Tazza d'Oro right across from the Pantheon, where you can get the famous coffee granita with panna, Da Quinto near Piazza Navona, Vitti in Piazza San L. in Lucina and the Antico Caffè Greco on Via de' Condotti, Rome's most posh via