Any suggestions will be appreciated. We will be in Rome for two days before a cruise. My Dad is 89 and walks very slowly. Any suggestions how to navigate Rome? We are staying at the Albergo del Sole by the Pantheon. He just wants to savor a little of Rome. Thanks in advance. Jan

You've definitely picked a great area for an elderly parent who just wants to savor a bit of Rome. I think I'd hang out with him in the piazza around the Pantheon and maybe amble over to Piazza Navona if he's up to it. There's plenty to savor right there. You may want to arrange a tour with a taxi company so he can glimpse the Colosseum and other monuments. Or maybe the folks at the desk of your hotel will have a few suggestions.

Buon viaggio!

...And here's another idea. Would your dad consider a wheelchair? I was with a group of ten women in Rome, and one used a wheelchair. Everyone was very gracious to her. Maybe your hotel could arrange a rental for him.

I'd ask your hotel about hiring a taxi or somehow arranging a 1/2 day tour. Also check out your own neighborhood, close to the hotel, for a nice cafe or restaurant. It doesn't take only a couple of visits, and the right attitude to make friends, and find a place that is close by and comfortable.

Hi jl,

>My Dad is 89 and walks very slowly.

You should also walk very slowly.

From my experience with my mother - 90 last week:

A. He will get tired, but won't admit it. Stop about every 0:30 hr for pit stops and something to drink, even if you have to say that you need to stop.

B. Never pass a chance to visit the toilet.

C. Plan to walk out and ride back.

D. Pick 4 "must sees" and plan one for the AM and one for the PM.

E. He will need a nap.

Enjoy your visit.

Thank you all so muchy--the location was the main reason for the Albergo--do you think it would be at all possible to do the Forun--with or without a wheelchair. We have been twice before but we werent with Dad then and I remember it being a lot of walking--what do you suggest. I will contact the hotel about a wheel chair. We were also considering a driver--would you suggest the hotel for this or arrange for someone before we leave home? I love this forum--everone is always so helpful. Jan

I think the Forum will be tough and even more so in warm weather (and big crowds). The uneven payment would be a challenge for a senior and the amount of walking required would make it a difficult visit.

How about one of those carriage rides? They seem to go where cars don't. Maybe you can take a drive past the Trevi Fountain, to the bottom of the Spanish steps, past the colosseum. Your dad wants to savor. Sitting outside at a cafe people watching is a great way to do that.

Plan on taking lots of cabs. They can be cheap and well worth the price.

Hi Jan, I took my mom, who is 81, to Rome last fall. She, too, has some trouble walking and was particularly keen to see parts of Ancient Rome. In terms of the Forum, it really did seem that it would be too challenging for her to enjoy. So what we did was take a taxi from our hotel in the Campo de Fiori area, up the back road to the top of the Capitolino Hill. There are some wonderful views from up there, down across the Forum towards the Colosseo. And the Piazza del Campidoglio is beautiful itself. We took a break there and had lunch in the cafeteria at the top of one of the two museums located there. Great views from there as well.

On a separate day, we also did a private tour of the Colosseo; again, a taxi from our hotel and back again(there's a taxi stand just outside the Colosseo) to save Mom's strength, so she could walk around for a time once inside. The Colosseo also has an elevator so you and your father can ride to one of the top levels and get a good look around. If you go, buy your tickets at the nearby Palatine Hill ticket offce and you can avoid long lines at the Colosseo's ticket office.

As well, Mom bought a walker with wheels for our trip -- she doesn't generally use one at home. But it really helped her balance when walking on cobblestones, and she made sure to buy one with a padded, fold-down seat built in, so she could sit down and take a little rest whenever and wherever she needed to. She even opened it up inside the Sistene Chapel, so she could sit down,lean back and survey the ceiling to her heart's content!

Best of luck with your trip!

Sorry, that should be Sistine Chapel!