Had a great trip to Rome! Thx for help.
Mar 15th, 2004 | 04:57 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 142
Likes: 0
Had a great trip to Rome! Thx for help.
Just returned from a week in Rome and I think it was the best trip my family has ever taken. It was a wonderful combination of inside sights-great museums- and outside sights-magnificent ruins, to keep both a 17 yr old and 11 yr old happy. Thanks for the great advice that I got from this board. It only rained one day, and that didn't interfere with our plans. The Rick Steves guidebook was a big help, too.
To those looking for a hotel, the Cesari is in a superb location. We walked almost everywhere we went, except to the Vatican and National Museum, when we took a taxi. Rooms are small, but nice. Had at least one smoker on a non-smoking floor and the smoke tended to drift through, though, and the walls are a little thin. Complementary continental breakfast had excellent coffee and sweets.
Concerning the buses and subways, count me as a wimp, but when I saw how crowded they were, I said "no way". After one day of fooling with a money belt, I put my wallet inside a zipper pocket of my coat and never felt threatened. So, I spent a little extra on taxis when needed and didn't worry about pickpockets. It just wasn't worth the stress to me to try to figure out the system, worry about pickpockets, and keep up with two kids just to save a few dollars. Limoservicerome as recommended on this board was very professional and reasonable.
For a day trip to Naples and Pompeii, we took a Green Lines tour that probably cost $75-$100 more than trying to buy train tickets, transferring, etc. We had an English speaking guide, lunch was provided, and it was so easy. Probably not very adventurous for you seasoned travelers, but the peace of mind was worth it. And, we probably saw more that way than on our own, though we didn't see the archeological museum in Naples.
The Italians were very nice-just no problems whatsoever. Frankly, their restaurants and public bathrooms were much cleaner than what I see around here. And, we ate our weight in gelato, at least once a day. The last day, we had it twice!
To those looking for a hotel, the Cesari is in a superb location. We walked almost everywhere we went, except to the Vatican and National Museum, when we took a taxi. Rooms are small, but nice. Had at least one smoker on a non-smoking floor and the smoke tended to drift through, though, and the walls are a little thin. Complementary continental breakfast had excellent coffee and sweets.
Concerning the buses and subways, count me as a wimp, but when I saw how crowded they were, I said "no way". After one day of fooling with a money belt, I put my wallet inside a zipper pocket of my coat and never felt threatened. So, I spent a little extra on taxis when needed and didn't worry about pickpockets. It just wasn't worth the stress to me to try to figure out the system, worry about pickpockets, and keep up with two kids just to save a few dollars. Limoservicerome as recommended on this board was very professional and reasonable.
For a day trip to Naples and Pompeii, we took a Green Lines tour that probably cost $75-$100 more than trying to buy train tickets, transferring, etc. We had an English speaking guide, lunch was provided, and it was so easy. Probably not very adventurous for you seasoned travelers, but the peace of mind was worth it. And, we probably saw more that way than on our own, though we didn't see the archeological museum in Naples.
The Italians were very nice-just no problems whatsoever. Frankly, their restaurants and public bathrooms were much cleaner than what I see around here. And, we ate our weight in gelato, at least once a day. The last day, we had it twice!
Mar 16th, 2004 | 06:37 AM
#4
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
Hi Centex,
Thanks for your report and glad to hear you had a great time. What did your 11 year old like the most? I have a 10 y/o and 3 y/o and we will be in Rome in June. I've been keeping a tally on kids' favorite/least favorite stuff to do/see.
best,
Petite
Thanks for your report and glad to hear you had a great time. What did your 11 year old like the most? I have a 10 y/o and 3 y/o and we will be in Rome in June. I've been keeping a tally on kids' favorite/least favorite stuff to do/see.
best,
Petite
Mar 16th, 2004 | 03:05 PM
#5
Original Poster
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 142
Likes: 0
Petite,
My 11 year old son is in 6th grade and I was surprised at how much he already knew about what we would be seeing in Rome. Though he got tired, he never said that the didn't want to see a sight.
His most favorite was the Sistine Chapel. We sat in there for about an hour and looked at the murals, reading from Rick Steves' guide book about them, etc. It's an amazing sight, but the many churches that you go into all over town are beautiful also. He also liked climbing to the top of St. Peter's dome, counting the steps.
His next favorite was Pompeii. You can buy those overlay books that have a plastic sheet that lays over a picture of the existing ruins. The plastic sheet shows how the structures would have looked when they were built. The tour includes a brothel with graphic frescoes, though, so you might not want yours to see them. My son did, but he was grossed out. But the ruins were fascinating.
Then, he really liked the Colosseum and the Mouth of Truth at Santa Maria in Cosmedin. This is an old stone grate on a wall in this church-legend has it that if you put your hand in it and are a liar, you will lose your fingers. They had studied it in school and he got a kick out of putting his hand in it and taking his picture. The audio guide at the Colosseum was very helpful and he listened to it all. It's very easy to see how the structure was used.
He also liked some of the sculptures-the discobolo at the National Museum and the sculptures at the Borghese Gallery, where we had an English guide. Though really, it's easy to get overload on all of the info and beauty. We all got tired there.
Have a great trip!
My 11 year old son is in 6th grade and I was surprised at how much he already knew about what we would be seeing in Rome. Though he got tired, he never said that the didn't want to see a sight.
His most favorite was the Sistine Chapel. We sat in there for about an hour and looked at the murals, reading from Rick Steves' guide book about them, etc. It's an amazing sight, but the many churches that you go into all over town are beautiful also. He also liked climbing to the top of St. Peter's dome, counting the steps.
His next favorite was Pompeii. You can buy those overlay books that have a plastic sheet that lays over a picture of the existing ruins. The plastic sheet shows how the structures would have looked when they were built. The tour includes a brothel with graphic frescoes, though, so you might not want yours to see them. My son did, but he was grossed out. But the ruins were fascinating.
Then, he really liked the Colosseum and the Mouth of Truth at Santa Maria in Cosmedin. This is an old stone grate on a wall in this church-legend has it that if you put your hand in it and are a liar, you will lose your fingers. They had studied it in school and he got a kick out of putting his hand in it and taking his picture. The audio guide at the Colosseum was very helpful and he listened to it all. It's very easy to see how the structure was used.
He also liked some of the sculptures-the discobolo at the National Museum and the sculptures at the Borghese Gallery, where we had an English guide. Though really, it's easy to get overload on all of the info and beauty. We all got tired there.
Have a great trip!
