nodda

Hi all,

I'm taking my 70 years old mum and an 8 years old son on a Europe trip in a week.
We start from Rome where we will be spending 2 full days there.
We will arrive at Fiumicino around 6.15 am. It should take about an hour maximum to
go through the immigration and stuff. Since it's an early morning after a long flight,
I am thinking of hiring a car with driver guide to take and show us around the city.
The rate for 3 hours private car with driver we got from the reputable Romecabs is 50 euro ariport transfer + 3 hours tour for 50 euro per hour. The car will take us right from the airport and drop us off at our hotel near the Vatican after the end of the tour.
I would like to make the most out of the car service. I need help planning where to go by car around Rome. I plan to take guided tours for Vatican and Colosseum later so I don't want to waste our time on that.

Here's a rough plan. All comments and advices are much appreciated.

1. From Fiumicino, we will go to Santa Maria in Trastevere for Authentic Roman experience.
2. From there we will stop at Campo dei Fiori to enjoy the morning market.
3. Then drive pass Piazza Novana -> Piazza Del Popolo -> Villa Borghese
4. Back to our hotel. End of private car tour.
5. Vatican tour

Thanks
Nodda

JAX9000

It's really hard to see/appreciate Rome from the windows of a car, especially with the Roman traffic. Also, I'm wondering the car will park and you'll have to walk. Campo de Fiori and Piazza Navona are two blocks apart. Villa Borghese cannot be crossed by cars in some points and the big spot is the musuem where I definetelly won't take a 8 yr old.
I don't know if your mom can walk but Rome is a very wakable city. Start at the Spanish Steps, let your kid play in the fountain there.. then walk towards the Trevi Fountain either by going down a stretch of Via Condotti (nice window shopping) or passing the column of the Immaculate conception. On the way stop for ice cream, coffee or pastries. Toss your coinn, sit down on the steps ntil you're ok to continue (it's a 15 minute walk) and go to the Pantheon. Visit the church and after you can sit on one of the cafes or either at the McD (yikes!) for your 8 yr old fix. COntinue to Piazza Navona, have an ice cream (called Tartufo) at the Tre Scalini, check the fountain of 4 rivers (my favorite in Rome) and just sit down to people watch. You can go then to Campo de Fiori or stroll the Via del Golverno Vecchio. this whole thing can be done in 2 hours or the whole day. Go to Trastever for dinner. Since italians eat late, you can go to the hotel for a nap. Save the next day for the Vatican. don't bother with the coloseum or the Forum. Although impressive, it will be just stones for your child and a littel challenge for your mum. Hope this helps.

qwovadis

To see the real Roma get out of the car and explore on foot

Save yourself a lot of money see more do the

double decker hop on and off with tour guide

www.eurocheapo.com Rome budget city guide

Vttraveler

I am not sure what is the best approach for sightseeing between your flight and getting into the hotel. The flights are tiring in themselves and jet lag is really a problem on the first day for many/most people. I guess the hired car makes some sense under the circumstances. Like JAX9000 I would wonder where the car would park when you are exploring the sights in the historic center.

It might make sense to start at the market at Campo de Fiori rather than Trastevere, then walk from there to the Piazza Navonna and Piazza della Rotunda (Pantheon), pick up the car again and go to Trastevere. There is a nice piazza in front of Santa Maria in Trastevere where you could find snacks, gelato. I would take advantage of having the car and driver to take a trip up/over the Janiculum hill on the way to the hotel, stopping to see the panoramic view of Rome.

Different people have different strategies about taking naps on the first day. you could either check in the hotel, have lunch and try to keep going into the evening or try the nap then dinner.

I am not sure whether the day of arrival is one of the "two full days in Rome." If so you really have to pick and choose on Day 2

nodda

Dear JAX9000,
Thank you so much for your kind advice : )
I also find that Rome is a walkable city and really enjoyed it
on the past visits. May be I am too worried that I wouldn't be able
to cover as many places as I could for my mum. She enjoys walking
and doesn't want to admit that she's 70 years old!
I totally understand why you recommended that I abandon the Colosseum.
It's a lot of walk and all we see is ruins. Strangely as it may sound,
my 8 years old loves everything about the Romans. Colosseum is a must
for him. He would be so sad if we didn't go. He actually made a model
of a Colosseum at school : ) I'm now thinking of "catacomb callixtus".
Is it worth a trip? Can we get there via public transportation?

Thanks
T

nodda

Dear JAX9000,

Forgot to tell you that I plan to take a stroll in the city.
The idea of private car came to me because we'd have to hire
private transfer from airport anyway. So I thought we might as well
use that for a few hours to see the city after a long flight from Thailand. (9hrs)

: )

thanks so much again!
T

Vttraveler

Your son sounds like my younger one who was fascinated by Roman history at an early age. The David Macaulay book Roman city is a good thing for him to read before the trip

The Catacombs of San Callisto are on the Appian Way. You have to take guided tours
See http://www.catacombe.roma.it/en/info2.html
for information on public transportation. There are buses that go out that route or a tourist hop on/hop off "archeobus" that would get you to the catacombs and show you more of the Appian Way and some of the major aqueducts.

If you want to see the Forum and Colosseum as well as the catacombs, that would take up most of the second day. And for anyone interested in Roman history, the Pantheon is really a must.

JAX9000

Don't take me wrong, I love ruins!. I just think that the lines are now pretty long; you have to climb steep stairs and this can be a problem to your mum (last time I was there with my mother in law, so I get the picture) and last I think is really hard for any kid (and most of adults too) to relate the ruins to the splendor of the coloseum in its days. My son was also into roman history and I assume that the view from the outside would be enough from him. he had much more fun with the She wolf at the museu capitolini

nodda

Vttraveler and JAX9000,

Again, thanks a lot!
JAX9000, I totally knew you meant well.
It's just that Colosseum is my son's dream.
Actually, he would be a great tour guide for us : )


Vttraveler, I will check out that book.
I told him about the Catacomb and he's really want to see it.
Taking a bus can be time consuming so I think it's probably more
convenient for my group to go there by car.
Is there a guided tour that's operated by the Catacomb or do
I have to take the 3rd party tour?

thanks!
T

tarquin

If I were coming off a longhaul flight and straight into a car for 3 hours, I would probably be asleep after 15 minutes or so! I would suggest going to your hotel, freshening up, walking to the nearest area you want to see and taking it from there.

Vttraveler

The tours are operated by the Catacombs in different languages. Note that the Catacomb of San Castillo is closed on Wednesdays. It occurs to me that if you do rent a car from the airport for your first morning, you could consider stopping at the catacombs on your way toward the center of Rome.

nodda

tarquin, that's a very good point to consider.
However, our check in time is after 11.00 am
and we will arrive very early.

Vttraveler, that's what I've been thinking.
I was looking at the map and think we could go there first.

Still, I don't know if we should just forget about the private car
and take a cab. My concern is that I don't want to get ripped off by
the cabs. I'd rather pay more for the limo.

What do you think?
thanks again : )

tarquin

Well then, take a cab or shuttle service to your hotel, drop off your bags, go somewhere nearby for your first cappuccinos and pastries, then explore the nearest area of interest until 11am.

Bossy, me?

zeppole

I think your original plan of getting an overview tour of Rome by car is not a bad idea -- although I would book one that allows from some stops, so you can get out and walk around (or else you will all fall asleep!) And of course, and English-speaking driver. I would ask the tour operator to focus on sights of interest to your child. I've never used these people, but you might find it interesting to read this:

http://goitaly.about.com/od/rometours/fr/rome_tour.htm

I'm sure you can find other private car tours online with google searches.

However, if you are thinking that after the morning car tour and checking into the hotel you should take a tour of the Vatican, that sounds grim to me. It is very hot in Rome right now, so I suggest a lunch, a nap, and then back out in the cool of the evening.

I would have my driver stop at the hotel so I could drop of my bags, but then I would make my lunch destination a restaurant with an exciting view or ambience. It won't be the best Roman meal you could have, but the Hotel Forum has a rooftop restaurant overlooking the ruins of the Forum. Have your driver drop you off there, and then take a taxi back to your Vatican hotel after lunch for some rest. You would need to reserve the restaurant.

http://www.hotelforumrome.com/exclusive_hotel_rome.htm

nodda

Thank you Zeppole.
Yes, the car will stop wherever we'd like and the driver speaks English.
Unfortunately, we have already booked the Vatican tour in the afternoon.
Hope it's not to much for us.

tarquin, that's what I think I'll go with.
Drop off our bag. Go get a prepaid sim card.
Then have a small breakfast. Next visit the catacomb.
Then return to the hotel for a rest/lunch and get ready
for our Vatican tour. We'll see if we still have energy left
for an evening stroll.

The next morning, we will tour the colosseum in the morning.
Then chill out at the Trevi area and go to Spanish step
in the evening for a walking tour.

thanks!
N

immimi

Once we arrived in a sizzling Rome - 103 deg. - after a stiffling
train ride from Florence. It was so hot we literally hopped onto
a hop on/ hop off bus and used the trip to cool down and regroup.

I would think an 8 year old would love to sit on the top of a bus
and see the monuments from on high. And so would a weary 70 yr.

nodda

Dear Immimi,

I checked the open top bus and read mix reviews of it.
I wonder if I should just spend the money on the cab to spare
the rest of the day for our Vatican visit. Hmm...
We are from Thailand. I hope it's not too hot in Rome.
I wish we can go in the Spring : )
Are you still in Rome?

N

zeppole

Is there some reason you want to spend your first morning in Rome in the catacombs? You only have two days in Rome. I'm with those who say a bus or car tour makes sense.

nodda

Zeppole,

The reasons are we flew 11 hours from Thailand and I'm worried my 70 years old mum would be tired. Though she may be not. I haven't booked a car yet. I'm still open on that.

I think catacomb would be interesting and may be it's not too hot in the morning.
I already booked an afternoon tour of the Vatican on the first day and a tour of Colosseum on the second day. Our hotel is near the Vatican so we can just go get some rest after the tour in the afternoon.

: )
Thanks!
N

zeppole

Your mother may be just fine, but touring the catacombs is not necessarily cool or relaxing (or all that interesting, you might want to look at pictures). If you take a car tour, and visit some churches and other sights, your mom can stay in the air conditioned car if she is tired, or sit down in the churches.