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nikkiirwin1 Mar 16th, 2013 05:52 PM

4 days in Rome
 
My family of 7 is arriving in Rome (from the US) on Friday June 14 at 7 am. We are saying at the Hotel Diana for four nights. We would like to go to Capri on of the days. We leave for Florence by train early on Tuesday June 18. We want to see the typical sights like the Vatican, Colosseum, Trevi fountain, etc. Does anyone have suggestions on how to best spread this out over our four days? I realize it's a short time, and Capri takes up an entire day, but we are willing to push it. Is a romapass a good idea? With so many people, taxis don't seem to be the best option. Thanks!

rineurope Mar 16th, 2013 06:44 PM

I would not do a daytrip from Rome to Capri... that's an incredibly LONG day and you just won't see much of Capri. It's worth a couple night's stay at minimum.

With only four days in Rome, you can easily fill up your days seeing the sites. If you want a "day-trip" to break up your stay there, head to Ostia Antica, or Tivoli or Frascati, etc.

As you are staying at Hotel Diana, you WILL be using public transportation because you're not in the center and it's uphill BACK to your hotel from almost anywhere. So you'll be probably be on the 40, 64 or 75 bus a lot - depending on where you're coming from. If you plane to go to 2 major and use the public transport (bus and metro) then the Roma Pass can be a good buy.

Most people do the Vatican in a day (or go see the Pope on Wednesdays), Ancient Rome in a day, centro Rome on another day... and then you can spend a day in Trastevere and the Jewish ghetto... So much to see in Rome.

I'd not push it! Living in Italy for a few years, my Italian friends always said to me, "piano, piano..." which means slow down... and enjoy the experience. I'd caution you to experience Italy and not just "see it."

Good Luck!

nikkiirwin1 Mar 21st, 2013 06:12 PM

Thank you for the info..so many decisions to be made. We have a "we're only going once let's see it all" attitude. Any other tidbits and hints are welcome!

tuscanlifeedit Mar 21st, 2013 07:23 PM

Even with an "only going once" attitude, you really can not visit Capri from Rome as a day trip. You will have to coordinate buses, trains, and boats, or maybe just a very long bus ride, with a longish boat ride, there and back.

Plus your hotel isn't central so you have to get to the bus or train that will take you to the ferry terminal you choose for Capri.

Once on Capri, you must wait in longish lines to get the funicular up to Capri town. Once you're up there, your there, and it is basically the least interesting part of the island. You'll have no time to visit the parts that are really worth seeing.

Then all seven of you have to get back down to the ferry dock, take a longish boat ride back to Naples, or wherever, then get back from the ferry dock there to the train or bus station that will take you back to Rome.

No one here wants to put a damper on your once in a lifetime experience. It's just that it seems foolhardy to attempt this with seven people in one day.

kybourbon Mar 22nd, 2013 05:52 AM

Since your hotel in Rome isn't central (means parts of your days will be spent getting to and from sites) and you only have three days in Rome (arrival day will be jet-lagged), you will be lucky to get in all the highlights of Rome. I don't think you have time for a day trip.

Why Capri? Are any of the seven people children? Do you realize this day trip will run about $175-200 each (x7=$1225)?

Transport from hotel to train station - 1.50e (bus?) 10-15€ taxi x 2 taxis because 7 people won't fit in one.

Train from Rome to Naples - 43€ (2nd class)

Transport from train station to port - 2-3€ (tram/bus) taxi 10-15€ x2.

Ferry from Naples to Capri - 15-20€ (more likely 20 as you will want the faster transport with such short time)

Funicular from port up to Capri or bus to Anacapri - 2-3€

Return funicular bus - 2-3€

Return ferry - 12-20€

Return bus/taxi 2-3€

Return train - 43€

Return bus/taxi - 1.50€

If traveling with kids, I would probably book a day tour (Viator, Grayline, etc.) out of Rome and the cost will be similar. It will be much easier on the kids. If the seas are rough and ferries get cancelled, the tours usually go to Pompeii instead.

welltraveledbrit Mar 22nd, 2013 06:13 AM

I'm astonished that they run day trips from Rome to Capri!

I agree with everyone else this is far to much for one day. I would caution you a little about your "we're only going once let's see it all" attitude. Often this means you'll end up spending a lot of time getting between places but have very little time to enjoy the destinations/museums/sites themselves. I agree wholeheartedly about considering a more local day trip suggested above. I've visited Roma many times and have always found plenty in the city to keep me amused, but I love museums, churches and architecture.

If you like to do things at a pace and intend to hit a lot of museums the city passes can be useful, personally I find they encourage me to see too much and I end up emphasizing quantity over quality so I've sworn off them- but it's a matter of preference.

Depending on budget with a group of seven a private guide might be a good option to help you navigate the major sites for one day?

dwdvagamundo Mar 22nd, 2013 06:47 AM

You might be able to do a day trip to Pompeii from Rome--much easier logistically, tours available, etc. And, in my opinion, much more interesting than Capri.

However, four days in Rome is not nearly enough to start to see the important things there. So I'd save the time and money and concentrate on Rome. If you've got to get out of town, take a bus to Hadrian's villa.

Calabria62 Mar 22nd, 2013 08:14 AM

I agree with previous posters. On our last trip to Rome, we took a day trip to Bracciano, to visit the castle. And, Ostia Antica is fabulous, only a half hour away, and you can all go on the train. Trying to visit Capri in one day will be very frustrating. And....toss a coin in the Trevi, so you can be sure to visit the eternal city in the future! There are so many interesting sights, and such history in Rome, just strolling around for days would be heaven, imo.

nikkiirwin1 Mar 29th, 2013 03:13 PM

Thank you all for your input. You've given me a lot of info to consider!!

Alec Mar 29th, 2013 03:30 PM

I think the best day to do the Vatican - St Peter's and the Museums - is Tuesday. If you go to the basilica in the morning around 9 am and have early lunch or snacks around 11-12, then you will be hitting the museums at a time when there isn't usually a long line, and may be able to walk straight in. Allow up to 3 hours for the museums. You will be pretty tired by then with aching feet, so spend the rest of the day at leisure, ending with a nice sit-down meal.


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