Apart from the regular...what would you do in rome - day trips out of rome, roam Rome, eat somewhere special, go to a concert?

Love to hear some suggestions!

There is never enough time to do and see Rome so tell us what your age is;things that you are interested in;when are you going and for how long,etc.

We were in Italy this May and spent four nights in Rome. The first day, we trained in from Orvieto, arrived at our hotel and were in the subway, on our way to the Vatican City and St. Peter's Basillica by half-past twelve. We spent six hours there, walked over the bridge across the Tiber River, to the Piazza del Popolo (a must ) and took the metro back to our hotel, arriving at eight p.m. The next day, we went to the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Palatine, the Forum, and the Victor Emmanuel Monument. My friend was exhausted and refused to go out in the evening. I left her in the hotel and I went out and did Rick Steve's evening walk of Rome (another must)-- see it outlined in his book. On the third day we went to one of the two main museums of Rome (not the Borghese, as we had already seen enough religious paintings, but the one near the Termini Station, which is well worth a visit. We then had a quick look round the shops on Via del Corso and afterwards roamed the beautiful piazzas. Do not miss Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Navonna, Campo di Fiori, and of course, the Spanish Steps, but only at night.
This was my third time in Rome (the first was for a month in 1969 ) and as far as I am concerned, the "usual" is hardly the usual. When in Rome -- do the "usual". Go to a concert in your home town and forget about the focus on eating -- eat to live -- not live to eat.

With only three days I would not plan any day trips. Probably one day Vatican museums and St. Peter's, with a trip up the Gianicolo to see the view of the city, one day Forum/colosseum/Palatine and one day with a visit to the Borghese and time exploring the historic center.

Just back from 6 days in Rome and 4 in Florence. Wish it had been the other way around. Had we not spent the first day lost in a maze, I would say 3 days would have been enough!
I would get in touch with Rome Walks (google them) and book the 4 hour tour of the Vatican and the 3 hour tour of the Ancient City. If any other tours appeal, go for it. They are an excellent company, and their guides are wonderful. You can then spend your third day going to see random things that appeal to you on your own. You definitely will not have time to do any day trips. If you can get Agnes as your guide with Rome Walks, do so. I found Rome to be the most difficult city to navigate that we have visited. Will have a trip report up soon.

Is this your 1st time? 2nd? 3rd?

>Go to a concert in your home town and forget about the focus on eating -- eat to live -- not live to eat.<

So you are suggesting that if you had the opportunity to go to the opera in Rome (or Paris or NYC) you shouldn't do that because the opera in your hometown of Shittsville, PA is just as good???

Go to Rome or Paris or NYC or the Basque region of Spain and don't bother to eat at the best restaurants in the world because the restaurants in your hometown of East Dumpton are just as good????????

These are DAFT ideas.

Aren't the museums in your hometown just as good as the Borghese Gallery in Rome?

Why bother to travel at all?

You should just stay home because your backyard is just as good as the Villa Borghese.

Thin

If you want, go to my website and under the "Library and Touring" menu, download my free MP3 audio guides. You can put these on your MP3 player and have your own personal guide for 3 days.

You'll also see a link to my Google Maps, which provides map itineraries for the three, full-day tours.

Also, in the Document Library you'll find tons of official brocures from Rome that you can download for free.

www.passagetoroma.com

Thanks- lots of suggestions...I love concerts and I am thinking of seeing Carmen which is playing while there.

I love art music - and people watching...

The churches in Rome are full of amazing art. I know there are threads on this. See also this NYT article
http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/travel/22Rome.html

Eating in Rome is not just about the food, though that is wonderful if one picks the right restaurants. It is about the entire, wonderful experience of dining.

I completely disagree with vanessagillian. Italy is all about food and wine as well as about art and history. To miss out IMO is a ridiculous suggestion. The public markets are an experience and one of our favorite things to do.

Many of our most wonderful memories from many trips to Italy involve very special dining experiences, a glass of wine at dusk in a piazza, people watching, a cafe in the early morning standing at a bar and chatting with the locals, etc.

My advice is to stop and smell the roses and not jam so many must sees into a few days that you miss the essence of Rome.

Yes, the person above me is right. With only 3 days I would maybe focus on 2 mornings of must-sees, 1 night of walking around seeing lit up piazzas and fountains, and then just enjoy the cuisine and some shopping, or take in a concert if something you like is playing. The cuisine is an INTEGRAL piece of the city, and to ignore it would be cutting out one of the things that makes Rome so great. Definitely need time for a good plate of amatriciana! I would suggest munching around Trastevere, which is quite lovely, full of culinary delights, and a good place to go out drinking and dancing, which would also be fun at least one of the nights you're in town.

After many trips to Roma, one of the most rewarding things I have done -- and I only did it on a recent trip -- was to visit Ostia Scavi.

I also never tire of the mosaics in Santa Maria in Trastevere.

I'm not sure who mentioned a 4 hour tour of the Vatican. Does that include St. Peter's? I did a 2-ish hour tour of the Vatican museums a couple of weeks ago and would have shot myself if the guide announced there'd be 2 more hours of looking at more of the same stuff. Don't get me wrong. There is some INCREDIBLE stuff there. It's a MUST if you go to Rome. But, my feet were killing me and it's very warm and crowded. I don't regret going for a minute. I would definitely have continued to St. Peter's (after a break), but my schedule didn't allow for it.
As far as not going to concerts or shows away from home. Hmmm, I went to a ballet in Milan even though we have ballets here. But, we don't have the freakin' LA SCALA here! Seeing that was almost as great as the ballet. I'd say if it's a special show or a special venue...go for it! I also saw some concerts of Italian folk music that were excellent. I wouldn't have seen anything like that at home. You may well run into something inadvertantly. I found an Italian reggae band at a street festival along the Po in Turin. Enjoy your trip.