2 days in Rome - 1 day in Venice - help please!
 

My husband and I are traveling to Rome for the first time, and it's a trip we just learned about. We'll be flying out in a few weeks! Yay and Yikes!! We'll be with his company for a few days in other parts of Italy, but we'll have 3 days in Rome on our own. I've been scrambling around reading to figure out how to see the best of Rome in 2 days and Venice in one day. I've noted the things we'd like to see, but I likely have an over eager schedule that will be impossible to do considering we're newbies. Would we be better off booking 1 or 2 full day tours with a tour company to make the most of our time? If so, any recs on tour companies for day trips? For Venice, we're thinking we'll book a full day tour from Rome to Venice in a day via train. Any recs for tour companies that offer this excursion? There are so many offerings online, but I always feel better getting recs from those who have been there, done that.

Day 1:
St. Peter's Square
St. Peter's Basilica
Scavi Tour?
Vatican Museums
Sistine Chapel
Evening in Trastevere
Castel Sant'Angelo

Day 2:
Colosseum
Palatine Hill
Arch of Constantine
Roman Forum
Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
Pantheon
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps
Circus Maximus
Piazza Navona
Piazza Campo de' Fiori
Piazza Venezia
Via dei Fori Imperiali

Day 3:
Day trip from Rome to Venice by train - recommended tour companies?

day trip 3.5 hours or so each way to Venice is not practical. Lots to do in Rome itself.

Forget Venice---you do not have time.

Personally I would not take a day trip from Rome to Venice; if you take a high speed train that will be 3.5 hours each way, so 7 hours travel time. Venice is very busy most of the time but especially in summer so basically you will be spending 7 hours travelling to spend a few frantic crowded hours trying to "see" Venice. Venice is really best appreciated when you wake up there. I know it is tempting when you are a newbie to rush around and try to see everything but this kinda leads to disappointment.

On our first trip to Rome we spent 6 days there and were never bored, there is plenty there for your 3 days. I highly recommend Context Travel if you want a good tour group in Rome. We did 2: their Ancient Rome and their Vatican tour, both very good.

Enjoy your trip and don't forget to allow time for gelato, wine, the great food and people watching.

I will try to help. It will make for a long day to go Rome to Venice and back to Rome in a day. You won't get much time in Venice (I went from Florence and on my own) but not impossible. Your choices are either a tour as you say, try Viator.com it's a tour consolidator, or doing it yourself. This will help seat61.com with trains and some planning.

Good luck. I am sure you will like Italy.

Stay in Rome the whole time.

Stay in Rome -- no question.

Jumping on the bandwagon... so much to do in Rome and a few hours in Venice won't do it justice at all.

Often, people who go to Venice, in the middle of the day, in the heat and crowds of Summer, end up disliking it.

You would be wasting so much time traveling that you could be spending seeing things. There are hundreds more places to see in Rome.

I would stay in Rome and see more, but you could take a shorter day trip from Rome to Ostia Antica, Orvieto, Florence or Tivoli.

Many thanks on the feedback regarding Venice. I have crossed it off the list of things to do! So with 3 days in Rome, one being the day we get off the cruise ship w/ his company (likely a shorter day I would imagine), anyone care to suggest a tour company that would give us the best bang for our buck? I'll definitely check out Context Travel -- thanks raincitygirl! Or can anyone suggest how we might map out 3 days to cover the things I have listed. I have started a Google map, but not having been there it's hard to know the order in which we should tackle things. We are early birds with lots of energy and will go all day! We also love photo ops, so we want to make the best choices regarding time of day for different spots. I know that's a lot to ask, but it seems many of you are pros at this! Thanks in advance for any direction you can share!

don't try to see everything but maybe a more leisurely on your own visit - getting around is easy - do the Colosseum/Forum one day; Guided tour is fine but it is easy to set your own pace too at far less cost. You might consider the Hop-on-Hop-off type bus tours that circulate by most major sights all day and you can get on and off as you like with commentary in between. Fodorgarchs have an anthema to such tours it seems but something to consder where you can move at your own pace and compard to group tour or private tour guide a lot cheaper. But really not needed to do things you outlined in first post - just spread those out amongst 3 days not two.

The HOHO bus tours -one example of several different ones: https://www.hop-on-hop-off-bus.com/rome-bus-tours

And yes if wanting to see Pompeii on the Tiber consider short metro ride out to Ostia Antica - Rome's ancient port with ruins many think almost on par with much more famous Pompeii - which is too far for a practical day trip.

Let me give you my experience on my first trip to Venice from Florence. I got different advice as all the people I spoke said I just had to go. I of course listened. I also went during Carnival which I knew but didn't really know. We got there around 12pm and it was so crowded, wall to wall people. You couldn't walk fast. We got maybe 3- 4 hrs in before having to leave and only saw the piazza San Marco area and rode the vaporetto down the grand canal. We got lunch at some random place where I almost broke a tooth on the slician type pizza. The bathroom was a literal hole in the floor. I also wasn't starting to feel well which I thought was from the smoke on the train. I was extremely sick the next day. We got back to the hotel I'd say around 9 pm. Sounds pretty bad right? I said it was a bad thing to do but oh the Carnival costumes. What an experience! Yes a terrible idea and one I wouldn't do ever again from Florence but I'm glad I went. I have gone back twice since.

This is your vacation. I often hear people say their only and probably last trip to Italy. My last trip to Rome I met a young newly married couple who said this and in a week did Rome, Florence, Sorrento and Venice all from Rome. Crazy but I'm sure they had a wonderful time have lots of memories. If you do go, please come back and share your experience.

>>anyone care to suggest a tour company that would give us the best bang for our buck?<<

No need for a tour -

You do NOT need a tour company. Your own itinerary already makes a lot of sense. If you feel you have done everything in two days and want something else, you can always take a train to Tivoli (and its three villas) or Ostia Antica (for a taste of ruins like Pompeii). In the unlikely event you have a full extra day, you can also consider a hill town like Orvieto or even Assisi, both easily reached by rail. I strongly recommend you use the official Vatican booking office to reserve a skip the lines tour of the Vatican museums and St. Peters. Stay away from all the private tour companies there. The link is: Individual visitors - Vatican Museums I doubt that Scavi tickets are available this close to your visit but you can email them at [email protected]. If you are there on a Wednesday, you might consider being part of the tens of thousands of people at the Pope's general audience. We had a lot of time, showed up very early and managed a front row seat a couple years ago, but the Pope moves about the square in his Pope-mobile, so you may still get a good glimpse.

I would abandon the urge to try to see as much as possible in a short amount of time. I would prioritize a few major things and aim for those. You might be able to hit everything on the list you posted but probably not. Make entry reservations wherever possible.

Temperatures in Rome can get very high in the summer, and you may decide you need to go slow in the middle of the day or even take a break back in your hotel room. Try to see the outdoor things as soon as they open in the morning.

The only thing missing from your list that I suggest you consider is the Galleria Borghese, but if you're not particularly interested in classical sculpture, it may not appeal to you. Reservations are mandatory.

Visit the Galleria Borghese | Galleria Borghese - Sito ufficiale

Because I loved Venice so much (twice) and have never been to Rome, I might try to do it. They way you made a list of things to see and do in Rome, do for Venice, and see if they are of higher interest than some Rome sights. Yes it would be at least 7 hours on the train, but that's certainly do-able if Venice is a priority.

7 hours on train and then get off at a mobbed area and walk elbow-elbow to St Mark's Square and take a boat - not a nice look at Venice - whose joys IMO are off the beaten path. And if OP had more than 2 days in Rome perhaps but yeah Venice is Venice and just to take a boat ride down the Grand Canal is supreme. If more time in Rome maybe.

I’ve never done a tour in Italy, but I did enjoy using the self guided audio tour at the Forum. We liked it so much we did the same in Pompeii.

Rick Steves Italy guidebook has (I say “has” but the edition I have is an older one) a good description of a nighttime walk through/past Rome’s lit up piazzas and fountains.

Rome has such a wealth of riches from such a diversity of eras it can be overwhelming, so think about what you like to do and don’t worry about “must sees.” Of course that’s my opinion. I skipped The Last Supper in Milan to go to a fabulous flea market, so there you have it. Really fun memory of mingling with dog walking and bargain hunting Milanese on a lovely spring morning.

As for Venice, only you can decide if you want to just go for it, but I love that city so much I’d hate to just do a short day trip. The magic happens late at night or early morning when you’re a little lost. Staying there is very special. You could plan your next trip to include a stay in Venice. If you don’t think you’ll get back to Italy and it’s a priority - then you’re the only one who can make the call.

Have a wonderful time.

Stick to Rome. Its not only 7 hours by train but you will have to add in extra time to get to/from the Termini so total transportation time to and from will be more like 8 hours + You do not have enough time as it is to see much of Rome.

For me, 7 hours on a train interspersed with shoulder-to-shoulder crowds in Venice and the inevitable getting lost and probably panicking about how to get back to your train would be far from my idea of a fun daytrip. As it is, you will barely have enough time to appreciate Rome.

Would anyone agree that camsic can skip the Scavi tour on day one and Circus Maximus, Piazza Venezia and Via dei Fori Imperiali on day 2? Choose your favorite thing and do it first (and as early as poss) on each day...then see how much time you have for the other spots.

As for Venice, I'd look at guided tours because all the schlepping will be done for you. You'd need only a cab to the Rome train station. Despite crowds and heat, with a tour you will not wait in line. You can sleep on the train! Normally, you CAN DIY but with your time constraints, I strongly recco a tour to Venice.

Yes, please report back about how it went.

When you look at pictures, what do you really want to see? If you could close your eyes and open them, would you be in front of the Coliseum/Roman fountain or the Grand Canal of Venice?

If you still want to include Venice, I would leave for Venice right away, as soon as your husband is free from his obligations. Spend the night in Venice, enjoy the empty streets and magical atmosphere. Get up early the next day, walk more in Venice and then take an afternoon train to Rome. Your next day is in Rome. Do a Context tour, or other. Fly out the next day. Rushed? yes. Doing justice to Rome? no. Fulfilling your desire to see both? yes. I have had both quick trips and leisurely trips before. Both have been fun.

Great idea, ToujoursVoyager.

If going to Venice yes stay overnight when the city IME takes on a very romantic atmosphere with most day tripping and bus tour tourists gone. But book those trains well in advance to score nice discounts over full fare - Acquista il biglietto con le nostre offerte - Trenitalia or www.trenoitalo.it/en - two competing railway companies using same tracks and stations and similar trains - www.seat61.com has loads on doing that yourselves - general info trains like what to expect 1st v 2nd class, etc also BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. Not saying I would do all that but I guess if you may never return to Italy again could be worth it just seeing Venice - to me the world's most surrealistically gorgeous city. Tours would be fine too.

camsic: Another vote for Context Tours. Knowledgeable guides and small groups. We took the Colosseum/Palatine Hill/Forum tour. I am usually a loner, but our docent helped us make sense of what we were seeing, which is difficult unless you have studied pretty intensely. We also took the Vatican tour and were able to stand in the Sistine Chapel for 15 minutes with only a few other people. On our way back, we went through again and it was shoulder to shoulder. The Vatican is so big, you could spend years and only see a bit.

Your day one is good, but I would split up your day two since you are staying a second day. IMHO, of course.;)

Wow! Y'all are awesome! We're definitely skipping Venice and the Scavi Tour. Thanks @TDudette for suggestions on other things we may wish to skip. That helps a lot! @whitehall, we bought our tickets through the Vatican. @annabelle2, we'll definitely check out Rick Steves' guidebook.

Next up, is finding places to eat. We're foodies who don't want the touristy places, even though we're clearly tourists. lol! If you have any favs or must haves, please do share.

Thanks again for all the help!!

The OP already said several posts back, they are skipping Venice this trip! Now, they need advice only on Rome.

My advice.
Pick three major things. Make sure you see those. Fit other things as you have time.
You will see a lot of things, like piazza Navona and fountains, on an evening walk. No need to make those a focus.
If you have any interest in sculpture, then the Borghese Gallery is fabulous. A good thing they do is timed tickets, so you buy ahead and have no waiting in line.

I have one question for you regarding your third day. Yes, there is so MUCH to see in Rome, I have been a month there and have not seen everything. But what do you enjoy as a couple?
Some examples that it would help to know: Do you love urban, city vacations? Are you... Art people? Museum people? Would you prefer a picnic and watch a concert outdoors? Were you interested in the Scavi tour for its spiritual aspect (because there are other great options)? Also, how do you feel about the heat in the city?

Another option for a tour guide in Rome: Daniella Hunt and Mirabilia Urbis Tours. Mirabilia Urbis Tours She is excellent. It would be a private tour and could be tailored to what you want. She has several options on her site.

Do any of these options sound interesting?

• Watch an opera at outdoor ruins (if it matches your schedule dates).
• The Cat sanctuary (if you love cats)
• Very old simple churches (mostly we focus on the Renaissance/baroque but there are some of these)
• St Giovanni Laterano, the Scala Sancta (Holy Stairs)

Take a much shorter trip right near Rome, ie:

• The Catacombs near Rome (need either a guided tour or private driver about 45 min-1 hour from Rome. Could add St. Giovanni Laterano on this trip.)
• Bracciano--the lake and the castle overlooking it (local suburban train, one hour ride from near St Peter's)
• Ostia Antica--already mentioned above. About 45 minutes by local train from Rome. Could also go over to the beach nearby.
• The Roman Hill Towns. Daniella has a good summary of these even if you don't want to take her tour. There are others or you could get a driver.

Agree with Sassafrass- decide what your 3 must sees are, and make sure to see them. One of my musts in Rome (if you love art and art history!) is hopping into churches that house pieces like Michelangelo's Moses and Bernini's Ecstacy of Saint Theresa - this has to be planned very carefully because the churches (there are many!) all are open at different times and it can get tricky with locations/times.

I'd also say, see the Colosseum as you're walking around on an evening walk, but don't actually go inside (it can eat up a lot of your time and the crowds are huge)- it's just not worth it on this 3 day trip. I'd save going inside for next time.

Recommend not booking tour groups- it's much more fun to go around yourself, stopping spontaneously when/if you want. You can't really feel like you're mingling into local life a bit when you're on a tour- there's this buffer between you and the city like cellophane wrap and it's not as enjoyable.

Don't try to see every ancient stone in Rome but also leave time for lingering at outdoor caffes- stopping for gelatos - I love walking between major sights as often what I see when perambulating between those sights is often as interesting as the sights themselves- yes miss all this on a guided tour bus.

interspersed with shoulder-to-shoulder crowds in Venice and the inevitable getting lost and probably panicking about how to get back to your train would be far from my idea of a fun daytrip

Well when you put it like that !!! you don't make it sound fun at all :-)

But I'm not sure why they would be in "shoulder-to-shoulder" crowds or why they couldn't find their way back to the train station? I've been to Venice (in August no less) and neither of those things happened to me. But yes the length of the train ride makes it less than ideal for a quicky from Rome.

>>But I'm not sure why they would be in "shoulder-to-shoulder" crowds or why they couldn't find their way back to the train station? I've been to Venice (in August no less) and neither of those things happened to me.<<

Unless you have been there semi-recently you probably haven't experience the current situation. The number of visitors to Venice has exploded in the last decade and is now over 30,000,000 per year. The majority are day trippers, and 'shoulder to shoulder' is definitely not an exaggeration.

AND a person can't find their way to the train station? You're right, that IS amazing.

I was in Venice thrice in July and August long ago when I could only travel those months and even then it on main throughfares was super super elbow-elbow crowded - now much of Venice is calm but the relatively few places tourists go to a real sardine city.

Anyway OP has ditched idea of Venice...

>>AND a person can't find their way to the train station? You're right, that IS amazing.<<

If all the vaporetti are running full -- which they often were last time I was there (in October 2014), finding one's way to the station as a first timer could be difficult - and definitely slow. The OP has given up the day trip idea (good decision) but honestly -- the situation in Venice is MUCH different than it was even just a decade ago.

Thanks again for all the advice! Looking forward to a future visit to Venice!

<<Unless you have been there semi-recently you probably haven't experience the current situation. The number of visitors to Venice has exploded in the last decade and is now over 30,000,000 per year. The majority are day trippers, and 'shoulder to shoulder' is definitely not an exaggeration.>>

lol, jj, I was there for a week a month ago and I was never shoulder to shoulder with anyone except once of twice on a vaporetto. But I would never go anywhere near San Marco or the main drag between there and the Station, which was very very crowded back in February when I tried to cross it once or twice.

Camsic - you have made entirely the right decision not to go to Venice. Leave it until you can go at a reasonable time of year and have a decent amount of time there. One of the best things to do is to wander around late at night or in the early morning when the only people around are delivering goods or taking things away by boat. Then it's magical.

As for Rome, if you can afford it consider a private guide for the Forum - so difficult to understand otherwise IMHO - and that will probably include the Colosseum as well. In the evening, you can do a lovely walk around the centro storico [old centre] starting at the Pantheon [it closes at 7pm hence why you are starting there] then east to the Trevi Fountain, onto the Spanish steps, and finally back to the Piazza Navona. Google maps says this will take you 30 mins or so but it'll probably take quite a lot longer by the time you've taken photos and stopped for a drink or two. Fun to do anyway and completely free.

if you want to see some art and enjoy a lack of crowds I suggest spending an hour or more at the Galleria Doria Pamphiji which is jam packed with lovely pictures and sculpture but rarely has many people there:

Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, Roma ? Doria Pamphilj » Caravaggio, Repentant Mary Magdalene (Fc 357)

Also there is a lovely cafe at ground level.

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy!

Proximity
 

Greetings! I am visiting Rome now. One is the things that surprised me is how close things actually are to one another. You can easily do the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and more, in half a day. While there are major sites, of course, you will also find something amazing and picture worthy every time you turn a corner. It’s an amazing city!

good point, onthego. It is remarkable how close many of the sites in Rome are to each other, and indeed how many other things there are to see there. A delight on every corner!