jldolfan

Traveling to Rome in May 2006. Staying at the Hotel Ponte Sisto (belvedere room) after a 12-day cruise. What can you tell me about this hotel? Is it centrally located? Traveling with my 71-year old mother. Any advise will be greatly appreciated as this is our first trip oversees and also the trip of a lifetime for us both. Any suggestions/comments will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

sandi_travelnut

here are the reviews of the hotel:

http://rome-hotels.tripadvisor.com/H...ome_Lazio.html

Here's the hotel's website:

http://www.hotelpontesisto.it/web/

Look at the interactive map and it'll show you where you are in relation to the majot sites and piazzas. It appears that you're very close to Piazza Navona and the Pantheon which is a prime location, especially for someone on their first trip to Rome. Extremely central.

Alajan

I visited Rome in early May and for the first time chose a hotel (Teatro di Pompeo) in the Campo dei Fiori area. I liked the area very much, especially for the wonderful choice of restaurants, cafes, bakeries and shops.

I am not sure what you mean by "centrally located". Please be more specific - is your mother able to walk many blocks without getting tired or will you depend upon taxis? My husband and I are a good bit younger than 71, but we took cabs when going to lunch and dinner near the Spanish Steps.

One of my favorite Rome guidebooks is Rome in Detail. And, if you can find Gourmet's Rome issue, published two or three years ago, it is chock full of wonderful photos and suggestions for a fabulous holiday.

I would recommend joining a small group guided tour and I really like the company Context Rome. Husband and I have used them for tours in the past and this year we chose the Annotated Lunch with Maureen Fant,an American author who has lived in Rome for many years. It was a walking tour of Testaccio, visit to the famous shop, Volpetti, a tour of the incredible food market and then a long lunch at Checchino which was delicious.

Our favorite hotel in Rome is the Del Senato located at the Pantheon but due to the horrific exchange rate this past spring we decided to stay in cheaper digs. Again, we really liked our hotel and especially the area - would most definitely stay there again.

wliwl

I would think about heat, especially for your mom.

If it is hot (we were in Rome and June and it was beastly hot) your mom might need a hat, and definitely a water bottle. Rome has lots of places to fill up water bottles in the course of the day.

I thought the public transportation was hotter than just walking around slowly trying to stay in the shade, and resting now and then.

Make sure your mom has good shoes as the cobblestone streets can be a little tough.

Also, be very carfeul of the cars, delivery trucks and scooters. They show up everywhere (even "pedestrian only" streets) and you don't want to get run over!

wliwl

I forgot to add - HAVE A GREAT TIME!

massagediva

The Hotel Ponte Sisto is lovely. The facilities are quite modern,wonderful bathrooms,etc.The service is great.The location is very good,if you want to walk,you can take a left and meander your way through Campo dei Fiori,or take a right and in one block you are at a very busy road that runs along the Tiber(Lungotevere) where you can get a taxi or a bus.It's a good choice,IMO

jldolfan

Thank you for responding. Your input is greatly appreciated and if you have anything else to add, please do.

jerrilynn

satnitcboy

The first thing for Americans to remember in Rome is: you're in Italy. Slow down. (even though Roman traffic makes you think everyone is in a hurry.) Take your time. Don't try to see it all, pick your goals for the day but don't overload your schedule. Eat lunch at noonish - 2:00 is too late, you might not find anything open from then until five, depending on the neighborhood. Take breaks - sit by a fountain and cool your heels. Have coffee until after lunch, then switch to gelato, then a glass of wine or aperitif. (If you ask a cafe about their "house cocktail", it's likely to be something refreshing and not too powerful.)

Drinking fountains in Rome are a source of perfectly tasty and healthy water - there is a trick to mastering them that involves pressing your finger or thumb over the spout. If you carry a plastic collapsible cup it might be more convenient. Do not, however, try to drink water from taps in bathrooms, etc. It's from a different source and is not potable in most cases.

While Rome seems to shut down from 2-4:00 or so, you can either do the same (take a nap if you're near your hotel) or choose another quiet activity - sit in a park and look at your guidebook, for instance. Some small shops and restaurants close during the siesta, but other areas still do business. Your average church will close its doors, though, so don't plan a "must see" during closing time. And again, be sure to plan to sit down to lunch by 1:00 or you may go hungry.

Finally, if you spend all your Roman days in the historic center on the hard streets and piazze, you might feel Rome is kind of hard, too. It's not - search out some of the green and leafy Rome. Get out of the traffic now and then. The magic of Rome is her layers - ancient, medieval, renaissance, baroque, nineteenth century - and also her people. All of these seem more three dimensional to me if you get up to the Aventine, or to the Janiculum. When you visit the Villa Borghese, give a couple of hours aside to relaxing in the park. Life in Italy is to be enjoyed, not timetabled.

Relax - while staying aware of your surroundsings, the people around you, etc. And use all that common knowledge about protecting your valuables, etc. You actually can look at your map or guidebook or take pictures, but try not to look lost, even when you are! Go into a shop or cafe if you feel even a little threatened. Get your bearings and move on when you're ready.

By the way, around St. Peters and in a few other areas you will encounter many English-speaking people. But not everywhere in Rome or Italy in general - but Italians are almost always helpful and patient. Teach yourself to say "scusi" (excuse me) "per piacere" (please) and "grazie" (thank you.) Also "Buon giorno" (good day - usable through lunch) "buona sera" (good afternoon and evening). "Buona notte" means good-night, but it's really what you say at the end of the night before bed.

jody

I haven't had time to read this whole tread but I have passed the Ponte Sisto hotel and the location is wonderful! I have it on my short list for this winter. I was very happy to read massagediva's comments.

nancy

If you have the time, take a day trip to Ostia Antica stopping off along the way at St Paul's Outside the Wall. This was one of my most pleasant (and surprising) trips while spending a week in Rome last May. Fabulous church and most interesting ruins in Ostia Antica.

We wound up taking taxis a lot within Rome because my feet were causing me problems. Make certain that everytime you get into a taxi that the meter has been reset. We got ripped off 2x because we didn't pay attention to this. It's a sad commentary on their taxi service. Think about $10 across town.