chritty

I'd like to surprise my husband with a trip to Rome that he's dreamed about. We'd have to go in July since he's a teacher. There are so many hotels to choose from and I'd like some recommendations about some really nice ones that are convenient to the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, etc. Is it worth it to rent a car or is walking or public transportation be an option? Also, what is the "dress code" for Rome in July? Any suggestions for making this trip a memorable one would be greatly appreciated. He is diabetic with some health problems and we are both in our 50's if that helps any. Thanks in advance for any help.

sandi_travelnut

The "dress code" would be to dress appropriately depending on where your going. Personally, if I were going that time of year (which can be very hot) I would dress in a light summer dress and sandals for a casual lunch or dinner. He might wear linen or khacki (sp?) pants. You will not be able to enter most churches if you're wearing short shorts, halter tops and I think maybe even tank tops. I would not rent a car unless you're planning day trips out of the city and even then a bus or train may be even better. You can see most everything by walking. It will give you an excuse to window shop and stop for gelato along the way. If you get too tired, grab a cab or a bus.

Regarding hotels, you're right, there are many choices. We would need to know your budget to determine what might be a good fit. You can start by doing a search on this site by typing "rome hotels" in the search box and looking at www.venere.com for a view of hotels in all price ranges.

Nikki

If you are staying in Rome, there is plenty of public transportation and it is also quite easy to walk around. Renting a car would be both unnecessary and a real liability. Drivers there follow a whole different set of rules, and I feel I was lucky to figure out those rules just to the extent of being able to cross the street, forget actually getting behind the wheel.

The Sistine Chapel is inside the Vatican Museum, which is adjacent to St. Peter's Basilica. This is an area across the river from most of the main tourist areas in the historic center of Rome. Not terribly far, and easily accessible by bus or metro, but you probably want to look at a map and locate the sites you want to visit before choosing a hotel.

sandi_travelnut

I agree w/ Nikki about a hotel near the Vatican. I made that choice on my first trip to Rome because I wanted to be close to the Sistine Chapel to get in line real early. It was quite a walk (although we did it several times) to all the main attractions. Once we were way across town we sometimes grabbed a cab back to the hotel. Plus we found that the restaurant selection were not nearly as good in our "neighborhood" than areas closer to the main attractions. This year we're staying close to Piazza Navona.

Grasshopper

Chritty, Might you consider an apartment? If you're there for a week, it's so much more comfortable (and fun to feel like you live there for a short time). Check out www.sleepinitaly.com I also recommend the Piazza Navona or Campo dei Fiori area for a good central location.

This is a GREAT gift!

Judy_in_Calgary

Hello Chritty,

I have never been to Italy, but have researched it a LOT in anticipation of my first trip there.

In addition to knowing your budget, which already has been raised, it would be helpful to know how long you want to spend in Rome.

Something I have heard that some people do instead of staying in a hotel is staying in a self-catering apartment. I mention this because, with your husband's being a diabetic, I wonder if you would find it helpful to prepare at least your own breakfasts and perhaps even a few other meals too.

I find hotels to be fine for a couple of nights here or there, but for a longer stay I really enjoy an apartment. During my husband's and my September 2004 trip to Serbia, Hungary, Vienna and Prague, we had the use of my cousin's apartment in Budapest. Then, in a smaller town in Hungary, we stayed in a B&B where the guest suite had its own kitchen. Finally, when we were in Prague, we stayed in an apartment / hotel, were one room was a proper bedroom and another room was a living room with a hide-a-bed couch, a dining table, a kitchenette, and a TV set. Our conventional hotel in Vienna was an excellent hotel, but it wasn't 100% convenient for me when my husband watched the news on TV and I was writing in my travel journal or reading some background material about the stuff we would be seeing the next day. I preferred the other accommodations that allowed each person to find some quiet time for him/herself if he/she wanted it.

Here is a website about the churches of Rome. You can search them in different ways, alphabetically by church name, by neighbourhood, etc. I like searching by neighbourhood, as it seems to make it easier to plan a walking itinerary for a given district on a given day:

http://roma.katolsk.no/index.htm

In addition to Rome having such incredible architectural and artistic riches within the city itself, it also is a city that seems to lend itself to day trips further afield. For example, it looks as if it would be easy to take a train ride to the hill town of Orvieto whose cathedral is reputed to be splendid. The ancient Roman port town of Ostia Antica also is said to be an excellent candidate for a day trip. Tivoli is another popular day trip destination.

Here is a 2 week itinerary for Rome that looks to me as if it would be fun and interesting:

http://www.vbella.com/resources/itin-rome.asp

When you surprise your husband with the trip at Christmas (what a brilliant idea!!!), PLEASE include a guidebook about Rome. My personal favourite is the Eyewitness Guide. Not only does it have good information, but the colour photos really help one to visualize the various attractions and that in turn helps one to figure out which of them appeal to one the most. The Eyewitness series is great. I used the one about Budapest with enormous susccess.

In previewing my reply, I see others have made some of the same points that I have made while I've been typing. However, I think my post contains enough new material to be relevant.

Grasshopper

Judi, Your reply is great! I'm bookmarking your links.

I second her recommendation of Eyewitness. I carried mine around with me in Rome over Easter. It has so much info and is terrific before, during and after.

chritty

My budget is not set in stone. I can be flexible. I would like to stay in a nice hotel and will pay what I have to in order to be comfortable. Would walking shorts for men and capris be appropriate for sightseeing? When you say it's hot is it oppressively hot? We live in Tennessee so we're used to hot summers. We will be there for about 12 days.

ira

Hi chritty,

Wear what you would wear at home in July.

Take a look at www.venere.com and www.italyby.com for hotel possibilities.

After you have found a few, check with www.tripadvisor.com and here on this board.

offwego

What a great gift.

Be sure to ask the hotel about the air conditioning if you're going in July.

If it's not very good, you'll need to open the windows which, depending on where you are located, could make for a very noisy night.

tpatricco

Chritty - What a fantastic gift! Wanna talk to my husband? He needs some more hints!

You've got some good suggestions about area of Rome. It would definitely be more comfortable to stay in an apartment if you will be in Rome for more than a couple days.

As for dress, expect temperatures in the high 80's on average. We were there in the end of August & wore capri pants and sleeveless tops (had a long sleeve shirt to put on for in churches) and comfortable sandals and did great. Shorts for men may not be acceptable for going into churches. Lightweight full length pants would work better for your husband.

Have a great time! Rome is one of my favorite places!