Need help finalizing Rome Itinerary!
May 29th, 2006, 08:18 PM
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Need help finalizing Rome Itinerary!
My husband & I (along with another couple) are taking our first trip to Italy at the end of June! I have been busy researching our plans, and this site has been invaluable. I have pretty much narrowed down what we want to do, I just need to plug in the days & times. We are only in Rome for three full days, but we are planning to GO GO GO to fit it all in while we are there. Below is my tentative agenda, followed by the remaining things we want to do. I would much appreciate suggestions on where to plug in the remaining items. Thanks so much in advance for your assistance!
ROME ITINERARY
DAY 1
Morning: 8a-? Ancient Rome (Roman Forum/Palatine Hill/Colosseum)
Afternoon: TBD
Evening: TBD
DAY 2
Morning: 8a-12n Vatican/Sistine Chapel with private tour guide
Afternoon: TBD
Evening: Campo de Fiori
DAY 3
Morning: Capuchin Crypt; then to Galleria Borghese
Afternoon: TBD
Evening: TBD
Desired Sights to plug into itinerary:
Pantheon
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps
Piazza Navona
If time:
Piazza di Spagna / shopping along Via Condotti
Piazza del Popolo & Santa Maria del Popolo
ROME ITINERARY
DAY 1
Morning: 8a-? Ancient Rome (Roman Forum/Palatine Hill/Colosseum)
Afternoon: TBD
Evening: TBD
DAY 2
Morning: 8a-12n Vatican/Sistine Chapel with private tour guide
Afternoon: TBD
Evening: Campo de Fiori
DAY 3
Morning: Capuchin Crypt; then to Galleria Borghese
Afternoon: TBD
Evening: TBD
Desired Sights to plug into itinerary:
Pantheon
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps
Piazza Navona
If time:
Piazza di Spagna / shopping along Via Condotti
Piazza del Popolo & Santa Maria del Popolo
May 29th, 2006, 08:34 PM
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Sounds fun and doable. You can stroll the via condotti on the way to the Spanish Steps and after you arrive you can climb the steps and look around and that is that, unless you want to sit a while.
You can add the P. Popolo onto this walking tour too.
The pantheon won't take much time, no fees so you just walk in and stay as long as you are interested.
The same with the Trevi, you can sit and linger or just run up, throw in your coins and run away again.
P Navona is mostly dining and looking at the fountains and maybe watching street performers or artists. I like p.Navona late in the evening, good strolling with some gelato in hand.
Have fun!
You can add the P. Popolo onto this walking tour too.
The pantheon won't take much time, no fees so you just walk in and stay as long as you are interested.
The same with the Trevi, you can sit and linger or just run up, throw in your coins and run away again.
P Navona is mostly dining and looking at the fountains and maybe watching street performers or artists. I like p.Navona late in the evening, good strolling with some gelato in hand.
Have fun!
May 30th, 2006, 05:29 AM
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Very doable, The Capuchin Crypt will only take 30 minutes or so. I assume you have Borghese reservations.
We've just stgarted planning for our next visit to Italy, including another week in Rome. After 5 visits (25 days)to Rome ,we still haven't seen it all. It's an amazing city.
We've just stgarted planning for our next visit to Italy, including another week in Rome. After 5 visits (25 days)to Rome ,we still haven't seen it all. It's an amazing city.
May 30th, 2006, 07:24 AM
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I would try to keep your itinerary as open as possible. I know that you have limited time, and Rome has tons to see, but taking time to just meander and enjoy it is a must. Rome is filled with interesting places to see and visit, and is also a strollers dream. I would allow time to just kind of "go with the flow", allowing time to stop for coffee and gelato, ducking into various churches (Rome is filled with tons of great ones) and stopping when you find something of interest. I think the biggest mistake someone can make when going to Rome is to plan an hour-by-hour itinerary; allowing time to soak in the atmosphere will make your trip that much more enjoyable. Just my personal opinion after several trips there.
The Pantheon and Piazza Navona are very close to each other, and close to Campo di Fiori, so I suggest doing all three together, starting with the pantheon first since it has closing hours and the others obviously don't. The area around the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo di Fiori are all fantastic areas to stroll through in the evenings, as they are very lively and filled with lots of restaurants, cafes and gelaterias.
Tracy
The Pantheon and Piazza Navona are very close to each other, and close to Campo di Fiori, so I suggest doing all three together, starting with the pantheon first since it has closing hours and the others obviously don't. The area around the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo di Fiori are all fantastic areas to stroll through in the evenings, as they are very lively and filled with lots of restaurants, cafes and gelaterias.
Tracy
May 30th, 2006, 07:34 AM
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I think you've done things in the proper way.....scheduling the "A list" things and leaving a lot of free/flexible time for other possibilities.
On Day 2, you'll probably want to see St. Peter's after your time in the Vatican Museum. (I assume the morning tour is just of the Museum, including the Sistine Chapel.
On Day 2, you'll probably want to see St. Peter's after your time in the Vatican Museum. (I assume the morning tour is just of the Museum, including the Sistine Chapel.
May 30th, 2006, 08:26 AM
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Hi Devine,
You have a workable plan. I planned one major tour/commitment each day and left the rest of the day flexible. It worked very well.
There are so many wonderful churches to see and some are nearby your other sites.
By the Colosseum, San Peitro en Vincoli (Moses by Michaelangelo) and another famous church I can't remember because I missed it.
By the Pantheon, Santa Maria di Sopra Minerva. Beautiful, with another Michaelangelo.
I also especially like the church where the Boca della Verite (SP?) is located. It's very unique and even more ancient than all the others.
These don't take too long, but are well worth the stop.
Buon viaggio!
You have a workable plan. I planned one major tour/commitment each day and left the rest of the day flexible. It worked very well.
There are so many wonderful churches to see and some are nearby your other sites.
By the Colosseum, San Peitro en Vincoli (Moses by Michaelangelo) and another famous church I can't remember because I missed it.
By the Pantheon, Santa Maria di Sopra Minerva. Beautiful, with another Michaelangelo.
I also especially like the church where the Boca della Verite (SP?) is located. It's very unique and even more ancient than all the others.
These don't take too long, but are well worth the stop.
Buon viaggio!
May 30th, 2006, 08:56 AM
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You should easily be able to fit in what you want to see. On Day 1, after Ancient Rome, go to San Clemente, near the Colosseum (you can go down through the centuries to see how Rome was built on previous buildings), then over to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. They are close to each other.
On Day 3, following the Borghese, walk through the gardens and come out by Piazza di Popolo, then walk down Via del Babuino to Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps.
After dinner one of the evenings, go to the Trevi Fountain and then back to Piazza Navona for a Tartufo at Tre Scalini while you watch the performers and artists.
This still leaves the afternoon of Day 2 to add something. Do a little reading to see what interests you. There are dozens of churches worth seeing!
Have a great trip!
On Day 3, following the Borghese, walk through the gardens and come out by Piazza di Popolo, then walk down Via del Babuino to Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps.
After dinner one of the evenings, go to the Trevi Fountain and then back to Piazza Navona for a Tartufo at Tre Scalini while you watch the performers and artists.
This still leaves the afternoon of Day 2 to add something. Do a little reading to see what interests you. There are dozens of churches worth seeing!
Have a great trip!
May 30th, 2006, 07:41 PM
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Thanks so much for your help everyone. I feel much better from the feedback. It is good to know how long to expect at the Capuchin Crypt - I wasn't sure what to expect there. Now I can book my time for Galleria Borghese (hopefully it wont already be full!?) Thanks Dayle for the church suggestions. An thanks to SusanP for the itinerary ideas and for mentioning San Clemente - we will definitely want to add that. I have read so many of the travel books that it all starts to blur together at first and then eventually things start to make sense. This web site has been soooo resourceful!
May 30th, 2006, 07:53 PM
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Dayle, I had a feeling that's what you were thinking of. devine_girl, San Clemente is definitely worth seeing. And the Capuchin Crypt really doesn't take much time at all. I went into the church itself after seeing all those bones, and it was very shabby. Looks like it could use some of that restoration that has been done to so many things in Rome.
May 30th, 2006, 08:10 PM
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Frankly, Capuchin Crypt is one of the sights we could have easily skipped - no, it does not take long, but there are so many more exciting things to do in Rome. We loved the Vatican Gardens tour (reservations a few weeks in advance via fax - info on the Vatican website). St Peter in Chains with Moses was amazing. And, San Giovanni in Laterano (the Cathedral of Rome) is BREATHtaking - you really do NOT want to miss it! Trastevere - in our opinion, was nothing special, and maybe just a bit too seedy...
Anyway, do not plan TOO much - our itinerary was a bit too ambitious, and when it is hot, youd find out you need to plan your rest, too.
Have fun,
Agnes
Anyway, do not plan TOO much - our itinerary was a bit too ambitious, and when it is hot, youd find out you need to plan your rest, too.
Have fun,
Agnes
