AlmostinRome

Sunday
Rome overview Walk (3-4 hours)
-start at Colosseum end at
Vatican
-bus C3 from our convent near
P. Navona to Colosseum
-Torre Argentina cat sanctuary
-will see Castel Sant’Angelo
-maybe visit Vatican Post
Office to get stamps (if open
on Sun?)
-bus 64 from Vatican back to
P. Navona
Then if we have time and feel up to it:

Quirinale
Baths of Dioclecian
-Church of Santa Maria degli
Angeli
Santa Maria della Vittoria –
Ectasy of St. Teresa
Palazzo Barbarini
Spanish Steps

Dinner? Keeping our options open but we would love suggestions of restaurants in the Vatican, Piazza Navona or Spanish Steps areas.
Dessert – Tre Scalini for tartufo

Monday
7-7 Santa Maria Maggiore (bus C3)
7-6:45 daily San Giovanni in Laterano
9-12:30 San Clemente

2pm Enjoy Rome – Ancient and Old Rome
Tour (3 hours)
-end up at Piazza Navona
Dinner – La Taverna, via banco di S. Spirito 58

Tuesday

-Palazzo Farnese (See Michaelangelo’s footbridge)
-Villa Farnese
-Santa Maria in Trastevere
-Walk along Janiculum

Noon- Enjoy Rome’s Vatican Tour (3 hours)
-Spend extra hour to see anything else in the Vatican Museums
-Be at Dome by 4:30 for a trip up and down (~1 hour)
-Mail postcards from Vatican (PO open 8:30-7)

Dinner – Pizzeria da Baffetto, via del
Governo Vecchio 114
-open for dinner (6:30-12:30)
-near Piazza Navona
If lines are too long:
-La Montecarlo, vicolo savelli
12 (just off Corso Emmanuelle II)

-Jonathan’s Angel’s, via della Fossa 16

Wednesday

-Camp de’Fiori in morning
-Pass Ge`su and Museum Nazionale del
Paz di Venezia
-Trajan’s Column
-Victor Emmanuel Monument
-Piazza del Campidoglio
-Mamertine Prison 9-12, 2-5
-Forum (RS tour ~ 1 hour)
-Colosseum (RS tour ~ 45 min) 9-7
-Palatine (RS tour ~ 90min) 9-7
-Bocca della Verita 9-7
-Circus Maximus

Food options for the afternoon:

Café Sant Eustachio (8:30a-1a Tues-Sun)
-gran’caffe
-on Piazza Eustachio
Gelaterio della Palma, via della Maddalena 20
-gelato and near Pantheon
Caffe Giolitti, via degli Uffici dei Vicario
-gelato (7a-1:30a daily)

-Pantheon 8:30-7:30
-Santa Maria sopra Minerva 7-12,3:30-7
-Santa Ignazio 7-12:30, 4-7
-Santa Luigi d. Francesi 7:30-12:30, 3:30-7

Dinner?

Thursday
Day Trip to Orvieto

Friday
-Catacombs of San Sebastiano 8:30-12, 2:30-5:30
-Bus 218 starts from San
Giovanni in Laterno get off at
stop near via S. Sebastiano
-Service is not frequent

-take metro to Spanish Steps
-Villa Medici
-Pincio
-Piazza del Popolo
-Santa Maria del Popolo 7-12, 4-7
-Villa Borghese dawn-sunset

Dinner – Pizza Re, 14 via di Rietta
-between Spanish Steps and
Piazza del Popolo
________________

We would love any tips. I am especially interested in people’s advice about places to eat. From my research, the places I listed seem to be good but I am totally open to other options and there are some days when I haven’t even picked a place to eat yet. (Finances are tight so less expensive is better.) I am also curious if the Mamertine Prison is reopened from the renovations that were supposedly going on last year.

Thanks so much for all of your help. We appreciate it so much!

mdmomof7

On the Piazza Navona, try this restaurant. Ai Tre Tartufi, 26/27 Piazza Navona, just down from the gelato shop. It served the best eggplant parmesan I've ever had and we were worried because they seemed to cater to tourists. It wasn't expensive at all, just what you'd pay here in the states, less than 11Euros. Everyone liked their meal. That's unusual! We had a friendly waiter for our group of 17 - 4 chaperones and 13 senior high students.

I'd definitely go back. The atmosphere of dining outside on the Piazza, unforgettable.

bardo1

Looks pretty busy but quite do-able. I assume you're in good shape. Either way you might want to start an aggresive walking regime here at home.

If anyone even starts to get sore feet, just taxi, taxi, taxi until they are recovered. Taxis are everywhere on major streets and will average a little over 5Euro. Worth it to keeps everyone's spirits up.

There are many, many wonderful restaurants on Via Governo Vecchio in addition to Pizzaria Baffetto. The small side streets surrounding the Campo dei Fiori have lots of great restaurants as well. Places not directly on the main squares are, in general, a much better value than those that are.

Make sure you also walk along Via Giulia
on Tuesday morning.

Also, make sure you walk along Via Coronari when exploring the Piazza Navona neighborhood (it runs between Piazza Navona and Castle St. Angelo).

jgg

The Mammertime Prison is open, as we were just there in March.
We had lunch at a wonderful little cafe at Governo Vecchio, 72 called Mimi & Coco. I do not believe it is open for dinner, closes around 2 or 3pm, but we had an excellent lunch there.

AlmostinRome

Great...thanks for the feedback so far. Also, thanks for the info on the prison. We are really excited about that.

Jean

I'd be surprised if you can maintain this pace over 7 days and frankly wouldn't recommend it. But it's your trip...

A few comments:

Up and down St. Peter's dome in one hour? Even with the portion by elevator (which usually has a waiting line), the hike to the top is strenuous (especially near the end of the day) and you definitely want to enjoy your labors when you get up there rather than rushing back down to stay "on schedule."

I think your Wed. morning activities could take an entire day, not 3 or 4 hours.

I guess my over-arching comment would be to prioritize each day's sights so that if you blow the schedule by 3 p.m. you will at least have seen the most important things on that day's agenda.

Nikki

On Tuesday you are taking the Enjoy Rome Vatican tour. I have taken this tour and it ends up in St. Peter's. You want to spend an extra hour in the museum, but at the end of the tour you will have exited the museum and you won't be able to go back in without walking all the way around the Vatican wall to the entrance. Even then, I am not sure whether you can re-enter on the same ticket. And then you have to get back to St. Peter's to climb the dome. This doesn't sound practical to me.

motor_city_girl

Wow, busy! We really liked Ristorante Smeraldo, Via Principe Amedeo and Ristorante il Gabriello (in Rick Steve's book). The Mamertine Prison is excellent, don't miss.

You mentioned a day trip to Orvieto. Definately eat at I Sette Consoli, one of the best meals of our trip. The underground Etruscan tour was cool, English at 12 PM I believe. Beautiful views all over that town.

elaine

I agree that I just don't see how you can do all of that on Wednesday.

cybertraveler

Hi, You will love Rome. I've been twice: 2000 on guided tour with my husband and 2002 on my own with my sister. I hope you're in great walking shape and bring very comfortable, worn-in shoes! Then you'll enjoy the trip much more.
About the Vatican...my husband had no interest in climbing the Dome, so I did it with my sister. It was an ORDEAL--if you are claustrophobic or it is really hot, I'd think seriously about it. Also, I don't know what kind of shape you're in, but several older or overweight people looked like they were about ready to keel over. One woman was too big to get up the last flight of stairs, which was a major problem, since it's one way up and another stairway down.
That said, I'm still glad I did it! I didn't really enjoy the journey up, or the packed feeling at the top (you're on a slanted stone floor about 6 feet wide with a railing made for Renaissance-sized people!) But the view was awesome! Definitely allow at least 1 1/2-2 hours for waiting in line to get up there and the actual climbing.
Definitely hit Tre Scalini for that tartufo! Yum! Allow a little time in Piazza Navona to savor one of the most beautiful spots in Rome. You could also tack on Campo di Fiori to Piazza Navonna; it's just a short walk across the busy road (can't remember name). Ask one of the painters in the Piazza & they'll show you how to get there.
Buon viaggio!

AlmostinRome

Posting this again...it seems to not be appearing...
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Thanks again for the replies....Just some background.

We are both in our late twenties...in fairly good shape (we workout regularly). I have had some recent ankle problems...but we are hoping that won't bother us on the trip.

Is it really that much walking? If so...please tell us. It is hard to judge distances on the maps we have and everyone we have talked to says that Rome is a very "walkable" city.

Also, many of our destinations are going to be quick stops for the major pieces of art...and then we will move on.

So...here's my question...what would you cut out? We will try and go through and prioritize...but what are your suggestions?

Thanks again so much...we leave on Saturday.

Jean

Asking us what to cut out is difficult since we don't know you or your interests. Having said that, if it were my trip, I'd cut the cat sanctuary (and I love cats), the Victor Emmanuel Monument (other than walking past it) and reconsider how many churches and piazzas you want to invest time in seeing. If churches and religious art are high on your list, however, definitely see all that you can.

I've spent almost two weeks in Rome over the last few years and haven't seen everything on your list. Which is a good thing because I always want a reason to go back.

P.S. A reservation is required to see/tour the Villa Borghese. You are allowed 2 hours to see all the galleries, and it took us the entire 2 hours to do so.

cybertraveler

Hi,
If you both work out and are in your 20s you should be fine with the walking. I workout regularly and I was in my 40's on those trips-walked all day long and it didn't bother me a bit...make sure you have good shoes, with a back up pair, in case one gives you blisters...and of course band-aids, just in case. I think I did need those at one point.
I'm assuming that you've researched these sites and have chosen pieces that you really want to see. I'm not familiar with all of them, so can't be much help as to what to cut out.
I do know the Circus Maximus was a disappointment...just a big field, really.
If you like art, you should definitely visit the Capitoline Museum. It's on a hilltop not far from the Vittorio Emmanuele monument. (The Italians call that the wedding cake, and think it's garish, but it is definitely something to see!)
I loved the experience of walking through the Forum; I'd definitely include time for that...
Have a wonderful time! You really can't miss, in Rome.