tbsdebbie

Headed to Rome in a few weeks. 2 1/2 days. Not much time we know that. But we are excited to make our first visit.

Day 1: fly in from Paris, arrive approx. 1:00pm
Would like to just view the city while riding around. Thinking of taking a HOHO bus, probably 110 bus. Thoughts on this?

Day 2: Vatican City: General Audience of the Pope, Vatican City

Day 3: Ruins: Colesseum area

We know it will be full days. Suggestions on meals, cafes, side places not to miss. We would love to hear one thing that was amazing to you when you visited Rome.

Thanks- Debbie and Glenn

aliced

Where is your hotel? Rome is a very walkable city.

tuscanlifeedit

I've been amazed by more things in Rome than probably any other place I've visited: sublime sights that I'll never forget and a few things that I wish I'd never seen. Rome is teeming with life and art and history and humanity.

One favorite thing that I recommend: Palazzo Valentini

http://www.palazzovalentini.it/domus.../index-en.html

tbsdebbie

Thanks!

bvlenci

The Open 110 bus has been shut down for a few years. It was a public transportation company, and apparently the contract was given without competitive bidding.

I don't think the open bus tours are a good idea for people who have a short time. In Rome, they can't get close to many of the famous sites, because the streets are too narrow. The city has greatly limited the number of stops thay can make because of congestion and air pollution. And they often get stuck in traffic. All in all, they are a very slow and inefficient way to see the city.

On your first half-day, you might want to take a walking tour. There are even some free ones, but they do expect a tip.

I think this is what TuscanLife means by Palazzo Valentini:

http://www.palazzovalentini.it/domus.../index-en.html

I agree that it's a great archaeological site. You can only visit by guided tour, and there are some tours in English. It might be hard to fit into a very short visit. If you do go there, I would suggest just admiring the Colosseum from the outside, and taking a walk around the ancient Roman area. You can see a lot from the street.

I would also suggest skipping the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Save that for a visit when you have more time. Two beautiful places that are much less crowded are:

The Galleria Doria Pamphilj: http://www.doriapamphilj.it/roma/en/

and the Villa Farnesina: http://www.villafarnesina.it/?lang=en

If you visit one of these and the Palazzo Valentini, and maybe a few churches, you can spend the rest of your time relaxing and enjoying the city instead of shuffling around in a pack of fellow tourists.

bvlenci

You are supposed to request (free) tickets for the Papal audience, although they apparently let people in without them.

http://www.vatican.va/various/prefettura/index_en.html

As you can see from the picture, your chances of getting anywhere near the Pope are not very good unless you get there hours ahead of the audience.

The only parts of Vatican City that you can see are St. Peter's Square and the Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Vatican Gardens. The Gardens have to be reserved, and the Museums should be reserved if you don't want to spend hours waiting on the ticket line. I said above that I would recommend skipping the Vatican Museums on a short visit.