Please Help with Rome Itinerary
Aug 16th, 2007, 02:34 PM
#1
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Please Help with Rome Itinerary
dear fodorites,
once again, we turn to you for advise. please help us to make the most out of our time in Rome. here's our schedule so far, please help to fill in the blanks.
Day 1 (Saturday):
Arrive at noon, transfer from the airport to the hotel (near Spanish Steps)
2 pm - lunch
Collesium, Forum, Pantheon...
8 pm - dinner
Piazza Navonna, Trevi Fountain
Day 2 (Sunday):
10 am - Galleria Borgese
lunch
Jewish Quater
Day 3 (Monday):
9:30 am - Vatican (1/2 day)
lunch
Spanish Steps, shopping
I know I'm ommitting many sights and places simply because i don't know how to fit them in the best into our schedule. For the record, we're young, fit and can walk for hours, morning till evening. However, we do like to take breaks to just soak in the atmosphere. If anyone can throw in some restaurant recommendations, that would be truly appreciated.
Thank you.
once again, we turn to you for advise. please help us to make the most out of our time in Rome. here's our schedule so far, please help to fill in the blanks.
Day 1 (Saturday):
Arrive at noon, transfer from the airport to the hotel (near Spanish Steps)
2 pm - lunch
Collesium, Forum, Pantheon...
8 pm - dinner
Piazza Navonna, Trevi Fountain
Day 2 (Sunday):
10 am - Galleria Borgese
lunch
Jewish Quater
Day 3 (Monday):
9:30 am - Vatican (1/2 day)
lunch
Spanish Steps, shopping
I know I'm ommitting many sights and places simply because i don't know how to fit them in the best into our schedule. For the record, we're young, fit and can walk for hours, morning till evening. However, we do like to take breaks to just soak in the atmosphere. If anyone can throw in some restaurant recommendations, that would be truly appreciated.
Thank you.
Aug 17th, 2007, 01:15 AM
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Presuming you're arriving from London (with baby?), it's doable. You already know it's rushed.
Saturday night you might consider a walking tour of illuminated monuments. Ours was one of the highlights of our visit last year. "When in Rome" has one that sounds like it begins near the Forum, where you will already be. 7pm, 2 hrs, it covers Capitoline Hill, Piazza Venezia, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona. http://www.wheninrometours.com/illuminatedrome.php
Ending in the Navona area, you will easily find a restaurant. I can recommend "Fiammetta". Next to Hotel Geneo in Piazza Fiammetta (very near Piazza Navona). Wood-fired pizzas + full menu in a casual, relaxing atmosphere. Reserve ahead.
Cover the Campo as part of your "Jewish Qtr" segment Sunday. The "shopping" segment---it depends on what kind of shopping you want to do. There are lots of different areas around Rome. We thought Sp Steps worth seeing, but you won't need to spend much time there.
Saturday night you might consider a walking tour of illuminated monuments. Ours was one of the highlights of our visit last year. "When in Rome" has one that sounds like it begins near the Forum, where you will already be. 7pm, 2 hrs, it covers Capitoline Hill, Piazza Venezia, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona. http://www.wheninrometours.com/illuminatedrome.php
Ending in the Navona area, you will easily find a restaurant. I can recommend "Fiammetta". Next to Hotel Geneo in Piazza Fiammetta (very near Piazza Navona). Wood-fired pizzas + full menu in a casual, relaxing atmosphere. Reserve ahead.
Cover the Campo as part of your "Jewish Qtr" segment Sunday. The "shopping" segment---it depends on what kind of shopping you want to do. There are lots of different areas around Rome. We thought Sp Steps worth seeing, but you won't need to spend much time there.
Aug 17th, 2007, 03:52 AM
#5
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thank you, jeanne. yes, we'll be arriving from London. no, without the baby (my loving parents agreed to babysit).
I looked into the tour you recommended and I really liked the idea. I was just wondering, did you feel that you'd be able to do the same on your own? We will probably be going on the tour of Forum and Collesium with contexttours in the afternoon.
thank you.
I looked into the tour you recommended and I really liked the idea. I was just wondering, did you feel that you'd be able to do the same on your own? We will probably be going on the tour of Forum and Collesium with contexttours in the afternoon.
thank you.
Aug 17th, 2007, 04:08 AM
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A suggestion for something to do on Sunday or Monday afternoon: see the Ara Pacis, an old frieze depicting Augustus, family, and friends in a religious procession. It's a marvelous archeological reconstruction housed in a modern building on the Tiber almost due west from the Spanish Steps. I think it's more interesting than the old Jewish ghetto. However, if you do go to the ghetto, think of eating at Al Pompiere or da Giggeto. Al Pompiere is a little fancier than da Giggeto, but both are excellent. Also, the Teatro Marcellus right next to da Giggeto is well worth seeing. My wife and I also liked the turtle fountain in Piazza Mattei in the ghetto.
Aug 17th, 2007, 06:06 AM
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<i>...did you feel that you'd be able to do the same on your own?</i>
No, not at all. The tour guide was well informed about each landmark. As we walked from one to the other, she filled in with interesting details about other landmarks we passed. For the Pantheon, especially, you'll be glad to have a guide.
I'm not suggesting that particular tour. I just bookmarked it because it seems to start near the Forum. We used Angel Tours, which starts at Sp Steps. Just google "night illuminated guided tours rome" and you'll find lots of choices.
No, not at all. The tour guide was well informed about each landmark. As we walked from one to the other, she filled in with interesting details about other landmarks we passed. For the Pantheon, especially, you'll be glad to have a guide.
I'm not suggesting that particular tour. I just bookmarked it because it seems to start near the Forum. We used Angel Tours, which starts at Sp Steps. Just google "night illuminated guided tours rome" and you'll find lots of choices.
Aug 17th, 2007, 01:39 PM
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We enjoy going to the market at Porta Portese on Sunday morning. The Etruscan museum is interesting. A trip out to the Villa d'Este on Sunday afternoon is well worth it - wonderful gardens and fountains. Have a look at some of the walking tours available to best plan your itinerary or there are good itineraries in Michelin's green guide of Rome.
Aug 17th, 2007, 02:15 PM
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I would really encourage you to spend some time in the old Jewish ghetto area despite the alternate Ara Pacis suggestion. You could certainly combine the ghetto visit with Campo de Fiori but should realize the market won't be open sunday afternoon. It is also easy to walk to Trastevere from the ghetto area, via the Isola Tiberina (a pedestrian bridge) There are lots of restaurants there. See this recent thread
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35031888
If you want to see both St. Peters and the Vatican museums, that is more than half a day.
When you do the Forum/colosseum, you avoid ticket lines at the colosseum by getting the combined ticket for it and the Palatine at the Forum entrance to the Palatine, near the Arch of Titus. You don't really have time for a real tour of the Palatine with your schedule, but it is nice to walk up from the entrance to the Farnese gardens for a view of the Forum
You can get another good view (of the whole city) from the Pincio Gardens overlooking the Piazza del Popolo and not far from your hotel
The DK Eyewitness guide to Rome also has good walking tours.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35031888
If you want to see both St. Peters and the Vatican museums, that is more than half a day.
When you do the Forum/colosseum, you avoid ticket lines at the colosseum by getting the combined ticket for it and the Palatine at the Forum entrance to the Palatine, near the Arch of Titus. You don't really have time for a real tour of the Palatine with your schedule, but it is nice to walk up from the entrance to the Farnese gardens for a view of the Forum
You can get another good view (of the whole city) from the Pincio Gardens overlooking the Piazza del Popolo and not far from your hotel
The DK Eyewitness guide to Rome also has good walking tours.
Aug 17th, 2007, 03:24 PM
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Thank you all for suggestions!
This is what our plan looks like so far:
Day 1 (Saturday):
Arrive at noon, transfer from the airport to the hotel (near Spanish Steps)
2 pm - lunch
Collesium, Forum, Pantheon (contexttravel tour possibly)
8 pm - dinner
Piazza Navonna, Trevi Fountain
Day 2 (Sunday):
Jewish Quater, one of the walks from the DK guide
lunch
3-5pm - Galleria Borgese (reserved)
Pincio Gardens
dinner
Day 3 (Monday):
9:30 am - Vatican (reserved)
lunch
Spanish Steps, shopping
dinner
Illuminated Rome walk
I understand that it's an aggressive plan but as long as it's workable we'll be able to do it.
The contexttravel tour of Collesium, Forum, etc is expensive at €75 pp. Has anyone taken it? Is it worth the money?
Also, I'd like to do some shopping and allocated time to it on Monday but now hearing that most stores are closed on Monday...Is that the case?
On a different subject, we'll be driving from Rome to Sienna on my husband's bday. I'm still looking for a nice stopover on the way there (including a place to have lunch), and more importantly, for a restaurant for his bday dinner in Sienna. I know it's off topic here but if anyone has any suggestions, I'd really appreciate it.
Thank you.
This is what our plan looks like so far:
Day 1 (Saturday):
Arrive at noon, transfer from the airport to the hotel (near Spanish Steps)
2 pm - lunch
Collesium, Forum, Pantheon (contexttravel tour possibly)
8 pm - dinner
Piazza Navonna, Trevi Fountain
Day 2 (Sunday):
Jewish Quater, one of the walks from the DK guide
lunch
3-5pm - Galleria Borgese (reserved)
Pincio Gardens
dinner
Day 3 (Monday):
9:30 am - Vatican (reserved)
lunch
Spanish Steps, shopping
dinner
Illuminated Rome walk
I understand that it's an aggressive plan but as long as it's workable we'll be able to do it.
The contexttravel tour of Collesium, Forum, etc is expensive at €75 pp. Has anyone taken it? Is it worth the money?
Also, I'd like to do some shopping and allocated time to it on Monday but now hearing that most stores are closed on Monday...Is that the case?
On a different subject, we'll be driving from Rome to Sienna on my husband's bday. I'm still looking for a nice stopover on the way there (including a place to have lunch), and more importantly, for a restaurant for his bday dinner in Sienna. I know it's off topic here but if anyone has any suggestions, I'd really appreciate it.
Thank you.
