Day trip to Rome
 

We only have one day in Rome. Apart from the obvious sites is there anything we should not miss. Can anyone recommend a good place for lunch !!

I'm not sure what are the obvious sites for you. The Vatican, I guess, skip the museums.<BR>I'd say don't miss San Clemente. Lunch will depend upon where you are, I guess.<BR>See my trip report at<BR>http://www.ramtops.demon.co.uk/4rome.html<BR><BR>Doug

I'd sit and have lunch in Piazza Navona - soak up the atmosphere. Depends what time of year you're going though.....

Thanks for the tips. I am going mid February, it's a one day return deal from Scotland. We have about 8 hours in Rome so want to cram as much in as possible

I would say that you could have a nice day just walking around the historic center (Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campidoglio, Roman, Forum, Colosseum, etc.) You probably want to consider how tolerant you are of cold weather if you are going in February. Most of these places require being outside a lot.<BR><BR>If you wanted to see the Vatican, perhaps go to St. Peter's in the morning. Unless you really need to see the Sistine Chapel, skip the Vatican Museums. Head back to the historic center and have lunch either by Piazza Navona or the Pantheon. I'm sure you could find a restaurant somewhere with a nice open window so you can see outside.<BR><BR>Then, if you have time, you can walk by the Roman Forum or maybe get a cab to take you down there. You can see a lot from a distance without actually entering the grounds. You could also catch a glimpe of the Colosseum. I wouldn't take the time to enter the Colosseum. The inside isn't as impressive as the outside.<BR><BR>Whatever you do, I would say don't rush. I found just being in Rome a thrill in and of itself.

Hi Tony,<BR><BR>I live and work in Rome as a tour guide and saw your post. Even day in Rome is an experience and you can see many things even in 8 hours. I would of course recommend St Peter's but I also highly recommend the Museums as this is where the Sistine Chapel is located. Michelangelo's work on the ceiling and the Last Judgement is a must!! I have never had any one on any of my tours that has not been amazed and in awe of this incredible work. You have to see it to believe it. I would recommend that you head there early particularly during the winter months as the last entry into the museums is at 12.30pm (one hour after last entry before you must leave)and they start shutting the doors to the Sistine Chapel (right at the end of the route in the Museum) often as early as 1.15pm.<BR><BR>From there I would take the J5 or the No 64 bus and get off on Corso Vittorio Emaneulle II near Campo di Fiori and eat your lunch there. This is a lovely local piazza with a market until about 1.30-2pm and the atmosphere is really nice. There are some nice restaurants in the Piazza itself and around the small streets. One in particular is in Largo Pallaro with the restaurant of the same name. Here you pay &pound;35,000 lire and you don't need to order they just bring you a typical Italian lunch including the house wine. <BR><BR>From there you can cross over to Piazza Navona and wander on to the Pantheon. A must to see particularly if it is raining as there is no glass over the Oculus. You should then wander to the beautiful Queen of the Roman Monuments, the Trevi Fountain. From there you can take a bus (No 85) on Via del Corso and get off at the Colosseum. Yes you can skip the inside as you will get a wonderful view from the outside. I do however recommend that you go up the Via Sacra and wander through the Forums rather than just on the outside. Make sure you take a look in the Senate House and the site of Julius Caesar's asssassination. Also cross over the Via di Fiori Imperiale and take in the Forum of Trajan and in particular the wonderful pictorial history of Trajan's victories in Dacia (modern day Romania) by stopping at the amazing Column of Trajan.<BR><BR>This should just about cover most of the important things you would want to see and as I said before can be done in one day. The historical centre of Rome is really quite small and public transport and taxis are very good for getting around.<BR><BR>If you need any other help (or anyone else) please feel free to email me at<BR>[email protected]<BR>Regards<BR>M arianna

If you can get into town early enough, catch a day tour. Probably Amer. Exp, or any hotel can give you specific information. Set it up in advance. ALthough Rome is one of those cities that deserves major time, a tour will efficiently take you to the highlights, or as many as they can get in. You could also abandon early and get back to the airport. <BR><BR>Even when I spend a long time in a particular city, I like the city tours becuase they give you a layout, and one can usually go back to places they want to see more of.

As you wander in the Pantheon area be sure to stop in at Della Palma for gelato. You won't be sorry!<BR><BR>Buona viaggio<BR>Buona appetito

I've just printed out all the replies as there is so much information there! Thanks again for all the help.