First time to Rome
Jun 18th, 2009, 08:22 AM
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First time to Rome
Our family (including 2 teenagers) be visiting Rome for the first time. We arrive on Saturday at 11:00 and leave on Thursday at 1:00. (i) We're staying at the Rome Crowne Plaza. What is the best way to get there from Leonardo da Vinci airport? (ii)Between the four of us, we would like to see Circo Massimo, Colle Palatino, Colosseo, Pantheon, Fontana di Trevi, Piazza di Spagna, Cappella Sistina, Piazza di San Pietro, Catacombe di San Callisto and Foro Romano. Is this much sightseeing feasible in the time we are there? Are we missing something outstanding, or should we be dropping anything from this list? I would love some help to develop an intinerary
Jun 18th, 2009, 08:40 AM
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The Crowne Plaza (St. Peter's) is outside the historic center. Be prepared to take the hotel's shuttle into town or public transportation to the main sights, even St. Peter's. Due to your hotel's location, I would take a taxi or hire a private driver to pick you up at the airport. It will cost around 40 to 50 Euro. The hotel may also have an airport shuttle. Many people take the Leonardo Express train from the airport to Termini and then a bus or cab to their hotel. But with four people and the location of your hotel, I think it would be more economical and easier to just take a taxi or private car.
As to your itinerary, you can easily combine many of these sights. The Forum, Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Circus Maximus are all near each other and can be seen in one day or less. The Pantheon, Fountain of Trevi and Spanish Steps are also within walking distance of each other. You can easily see them in under two hours. Maybe go into the historic center on the afternoon/evening of your arrival and see these sights as you acquaint yourselves with the historic center. Be sure to see Piazza Navona too as it is only a short distance from the Pantheon. The Vatican (Basilica, Square and Sistine Chapel/Museums) can be seen on another day. The Catacombs of St. Callisto can be seen in a morning or afternoon. You might want to add the Borghese Gallery, Campo di Fiore and Trastevere to your list of things to see and do as you will have the time.
As to your itinerary, you can easily combine many of these sights. The Forum, Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Circus Maximus are all near each other and can be seen in one day or less. The Pantheon, Fountain of Trevi and Spanish Steps are also within walking distance of each other. You can easily see them in under two hours. Maybe go into the historic center on the afternoon/evening of your arrival and see these sights as you acquaint yourselves with the historic center. Be sure to see Piazza Navona too as it is only a short distance from the Pantheon. The Vatican (Basilica, Square and Sistine Chapel/Museums) can be seen on another day. The Catacombs of St. Callisto can be seen in a morning or afternoon. You might want to add the Borghese Gallery, Campo di Fiore and Trastevere to your list of things to see and do as you will have the time.
Jun 18th, 2009, 08:40 AM
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Make your first day a classical one. Get in line for the Colooseo about 20 minutes before it opens (I think they have changed from 9 to 8:30 but I'm not sure). That way you can see the Colosseo without millions of people. It's quite spectacular. Leave the Colosseo and walk through the Foro Romano, then go on to Capitoline Hill, see Michaelangelo's wonderful piazza the Campodoglio and go to the Capitolene Museum. It will be fun even for teenagers I think. There is a stunning view of Rome from the 5th floor cafe in the museum. You will be required to check almost everything, so make sure to have money in a pocket wallet. Walk on to the Jewish ghetto area and have lunch with the specialty of fried artichokes. Spend the afternoon resting or wandering. If you put too many sights in one day, they will all start blurring.
San Pietro is best seen at the beginning or end of the day. There is a 5:00 mass with singing. The Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel are best done either at lunchtime or towards the end of the day, but expect big crowds whenever. I found earplugs helpful in the Sistine Chapel. It is possible to buy tickets for the Vatican museum on line before you go. This will allow you to be in the fast lane, a big help.
Get the Roma pass either at the airport or the Colosseo; it will save you both money and hassle in lines.
If you haven't done this already, buy a guide book. I find Rick Steves and the Michelin Green Guide very helpful for Rome (we are going ourselves a week from Sunday, use the guidebooks even though this is our 5th time there).
One of my favorites places in Rome is the medieval church of Santa Maria di Trastevere. It has beautiful mosaics, is on a very nice piazza (splurge on Restaurant Sabatini with both indoor and outdoor seating), and is in a very interesting Left Bank type neighborhood.
Remember to drink a lot of water and to spend the afternoon heat either in someplace airconditioned or resting in your room before venturing out in the cooler evening.
Buon viaggio--Rome is a wonderful (though not easy) city.
If you haven't already, buy
San Pietro is best seen at the beginning or end of the day. There is a 5:00 mass with singing. The Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel are best done either at lunchtime or towards the end of the day, but expect big crowds whenever. I found earplugs helpful in the Sistine Chapel. It is possible to buy tickets for the Vatican museum on line before you go. This will allow you to be in the fast lane, a big help.
Get the Roma pass either at the airport or the Colosseo; it will save you both money and hassle in lines.
If you haven't done this already, buy a guide book. I find Rick Steves and the Michelin Green Guide very helpful for Rome (we are going ourselves a week from Sunday, use the guidebooks even though this is our 5th time there).
One of my favorites places in Rome is the medieval church of Santa Maria di Trastevere. It has beautiful mosaics, is on a very nice piazza (splurge on Restaurant Sabatini with both indoor and outdoor seating), and is in a very interesting Left Bank type neighborhood.
Remember to drink a lot of water and to spend the afternoon heat either in someplace airconditioned or resting in your room before venturing out in the cooler evening.
Buon viaggio--Rome is a wonderful (though not easy) city.
If you haven't already, buy
Jun 18th, 2009, 08:43 AM
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For 4 people with luggage I would grab a cab. Train mey be cheaper but by the time you add the cost to get from the train station to the hotel by cab - maybe not.
Youhave 4 full days and one jetlagged afternoon - which should be plent of time to see what you want. But - you need a good detialed map of the city so you can group sights together. Also check opening hours once you get there - in italy they have a habit of being flexible to say the least.
Be sure to spend some time some stolling with a gelato or sitting in a cafe and enjoying the atmosphere. there are ac ouple across the plaza from the Pantheon, the lst time we were there offering free snacks with drinks - campari and soda for preference.
Youhave 4 full days and one jetlagged afternoon - which should be plent of time to see what you want. But - you need a good detialed map of the city so you can group sights together. Also check opening hours once you get there - in italy they have a habit of being flexible to say the least.
Be sure to spend some time some stolling with a gelato or sitting in a cafe and enjoying the atmosphere. there are ac ouple across the plaza from the Pantheon, the lst time we were there offering free snacks with drinks - campari and soda for preference.
Jun 18th, 2009, 08:44 AM
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Four full days + your arrival/departure day is enough time to hit the highlights on your list.
These sights are clustered near each other & make for a logical plan without a lot of trekking back and forth across Rome.
1d to visit Vatican (Vatican museum & Sistine chapel), St. Peter's basilica & square, the dome & crypt.
1d to visit ancient Rome area (forum, colosseum, etc)
1d to enjoy the historic center (Pantheon, Piazza Navonna, Trevi, Campo di Fiori, Spanish steps). You may be interested in stopping in some of the beautiful churches in that area such as Gesu,
1d for other sites that may be of interest such as the catacombs, or things not on your list such as some of the major churches like the Cathedral of Rome - St. John Lateran, St. Paul's outside the walls, and to revisit some of the sights in the historic center at a different time of day. You could add a dinner across the river in Trastevere area one night. Some people like to visit the Jewish Ghetto, or add other churches, or visit the Borghese Gallery, but you have the basics pretty well covered.
In my opinion, for 4 people the best way to get from the airport to hotel is by pre-arranged car service. There are one or 2 companies that consistently show up here on Fodors as highly recommended. I don't recall the exact name/website off the top of my head and I don't want to guess close but wrong.
These sights are clustered near each other & make for a logical plan without a lot of trekking back and forth across Rome.
1d to visit Vatican (Vatican museum & Sistine chapel), St. Peter's basilica & square, the dome & crypt.
1d to visit ancient Rome area (forum, colosseum, etc)
1d to enjoy the historic center (Pantheon, Piazza Navonna, Trevi, Campo di Fiori, Spanish steps). You may be interested in stopping in some of the beautiful churches in that area such as Gesu,
1d for other sites that may be of interest such as the catacombs, or things not on your list such as some of the major churches like the Cathedral of Rome - St. John Lateran, St. Paul's outside the walls, and to revisit some of the sights in the historic center at a different time of day. You could add a dinner across the river in Trastevere area one night. Some people like to visit the Jewish Ghetto, or add other churches, or visit the Borghese Gallery, but you have the basics pretty well covered.
In my opinion, for 4 people the best way to get from the airport to hotel is by pre-arranged car service. There are one or 2 companies that consistently show up here on Fodors as highly recommended. I don't recall the exact name/website off the top of my head and I don't want to guess close but wrong.
Jun 18th, 2009, 08:52 AM
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I don't think the location of your hotel is the best for you guys, but then again as long as you have easy access to shuttle-train-bus, you should be able to handle it.
Get a Roma Pass for each member of your family. Unlimited metro and bus plus first two museums (list of 15) free and the other at discounts. The best feature to me is NOT TO HAVE TO WAIT ON A TICKET LINE. Use it at the Colosseo and Roman Forum for sure. Get Roma Pass at Office of Tourism Termini, second level, near Platforms 25-29.
What about Vatican Museums? Sixtine Chapel? There are about 40 museums within the unbrella "Vatican Museums" so research and have everybody pick and choose.
Remember to allow a free day for all to fill at will....
Get a Roma Pass for each member of your family. Unlimited metro and bus plus first two museums (list of 15) free and the other at discounts. The best feature to me is NOT TO HAVE TO WAIT ON A TICKET LINE. Use it at the Colosseo and Roman Forum for sure. Get Roma Pass at Office of Tourism Termini, second level, near Platforms 25-29.
What about Vatican Museums? Sixtine Chapel? There are about 40 museums within the unbrella "Vatican Museums" so research and have everybody pick and choose.
Remember to allow a free day for all to fill at will....
Jun 18th, 2009, 08:53 AM
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What a great opportunity for your teenagers! It will make history come alive. Your goals are realistic. I would suggest grouping attractions in the ancient area together, for example the Colosseum, Forum, Palatine area, and Capitoline Hill one day and seeing the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Cathedral another day. If you feel like sightseeing the first day you could go to see the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, and Trevi Fountain (all or part) and finish the rest later. (I thought we would take the Hop on Hop off Bus on our first day to get our bearings and an overview, but we were not close to a stop, and we never did work that in.) I suggest adding the Campo de Fiori, the old marketplace.
Jun 18th, 2009, 09:00 AM
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The Trevi Fountain is most enjoyable at night time I think. Many of Rome's piazzas (Campo dei Fiori excepted) are fun at night so take after dinner strolls, even if it means splurging on a taxi back home.
While you will need strategies to avoid backtracking and walking your legs off, don't lock yourself into pre-planned itineraries that have you walking around in rain or blasting heat if you'd rather be in a museum, a huge cool church or just meandering in shady alleys or chilling in a piazza
In summer, it is best to get out of the sun by noon, and the city is beautifully lit at night and well -enjoyed by Romans, so don't be afraid to while away time in a cool spot waiting for it too cool down.
While the church art of Roma is fantastic, my favorite part of being in Roma is the atmosphere of antiquity. Some places where that most comes alive is the Portico d'Ottavia at night, the piazza of Santa Maria in Trastevere, the cat refuge around Largo Argentina, and Ostia Scavi -- which would only make sense in your short time frame if antiquity is your focus and you are in desperate need of a cool breeze.
While you will need strategies to avoid backtracking and walking your legs off, don't lock yourself into pre-planned itineraries that have you walking around in rain or blasting heat if you'd rather be in a museum, a huge cool church or just meandering in shady alleys or chilling in a piazza
In summer, it is best to get out of the sun by noon, and the city is beautifully lit at night and well -enjoyed by Romans, so don't be afraid to while away time in a cool spot waiting for it too cool down.
While the church art of Roma is fantastic, my favorite part of being in Roma is the atmosphere of antiquity. Some places where that most comes alive is the Portico d'Ottavia at night, the piazza of Santa Maria in Trastevere, the cat refuge around Largo Argentina, and Ostia Scavi -- which would only make sense in your short time frame if antiquity is your focus and you are in desperate need of a cool breeze.
Jun 19th, 2009, 09:20 AM
#14
You might find the Rome Tourist Board website helpful.
http://en.turismoroma.it/
http://en.turismoroma.it/
