Help, Where do I start in Rome
 

Hello -

My husband and I are thinking of traveling to Rome in late January. I'll be about 22 weeks pregnant. I know this is sort of vague but where do I start on what to see/where to stay?

We would like to stay at a moderately priced hotel near most of the major attractions. Any suggestions?

How do you get around Rome? My husband has Multiple Sclerosis so walking long distances is hard. Do you take the bus? Metro?

Any other suggestions for getting started on doing some research?

Thanks so much.

Well, I can't speak from experience about tours but if you do a board search, I know that people do Rome that way and given your particular health circumstances, maybe that would be the way to go.
Good luck!

I recommend you stay very centrally in the area around Piazza Navona, Pantheon, or Campo dei Fiori. It is a pedestrian friendly area, and has good bus connections all around Rome. You should consider using taxis as well - they are relatively cheap and can save a lot of walking.

Personally I prefer to stay in an apartment - you may want to consider that too given your gravidity & husband's reduced mobility. That would enable you to have more space to relax, a kitchen where you could prepare snacks & light meals, or even a dinner in one night should you prefer not to wait till 8pm to eat out.

A great place to start is www.slowtrav.com - a website dedicated to a slower pace of travel.

While the relative compactness of Rome makes it a good city for walkers, walkers with disabilities can find it challenging due to the many cobblestone streets, lack of sidewalks and hills. You and your husband know what he is able to do, so determine if he can manage walking in these conditions by taking a lot of breaks or if he would be better off on an organized tour that brings you as close to the sights as possible by bus. One thing to remember is just getting to the sights is one thing, walking around them another. St. Peter's Basilica is vast and there are not a lot of places to sit. The Vatican Museums are worse. Miles of corridors with NO place to sit. You may want to consider renting a wheelchair for the Museum if you think this may be too much for him to walk. The Forum is also big and hard for even healthy people to walk due to the uneven ground and stones. I don't want to dissaude you from going to Rome; it's my favorite city in the world, but it does have its challenges. Go to the Slowtravel website and there is a section there about "accessible Rome" for people in wheelchairs or have a hard time walking. Lots of good information. If you post your budget or what you mean by "moderately priced" we can give you suggestions on hotels. Get a good guidebook like Eyewitness Rome and start planning what you'd like to see.

I would stay close to the Vatican. When I was in Rome I stayed outside of the main city & took the bus daily to the Vatican, because there are so many bus-stops there that go to all the different sites. And right outside of the vatican, across the street from the square, there's the tour bus (forgot the name, but easy to find) that leaves very often, pay one price, & hop off whatever stop choosen, then back on the next bus to the next spot. It's very fair priced & can be taken all day long, until it gets back to the Vatican-stop.
All the local buses are good, safe, and readily available. There's also delicious restaurants right down that street from the Vatican. Sitting outside is lower-priced then eating inside. I always ate inside, so I don't know if the menus are different -the prices are different though, lower outside.

I would stay .in the Pantheon area. There are choices in all price ranges from the best (The Minerve) to the very nice (Del Senato) to the more moderate (Albergo Cesari). It is very easy to get around from that location and there are many eateries, etc. close by.

Personally, I do not care for the area around the Vatican. We walk everywhere so prefer to be more centrally located.

I would stay someplace more centrally located, rather than the Vatican. Each time I was in Rome, I have stayed on Via Veneto. It is near the Borghese Gallery, Spanish Steps, etc.

Generally, I walk when in Rome. However, I have also used taxis many times; rides are relatively inexpensive. Also, a taxi can drop you right where you want to go. Rome's metro system is not like that of London or Paris and is pretty unhelpful in reaching tourist sites.

I use DK's Eyewitness Travel Guides whenever I travel. They are very thorough and have detailed maps, diagrams and color photos. The Rome guide is divided into sections, e.g. "Vatican," "Via Veneto," and by carefully looking through each section you can decide what you want to see. There are limitless options, depending on whether you prefer churches, art museums, Roman ruins, fountains, etc. I like them all and try to squeeze in everything.

I agree with staying around the Piazza Navona or Campo die Fiore or Pantheon areas. The Vaatican area holds very little appeal for me, and it's hard to find a place to eat without being totally ripped off unless you really know the area well.

In the other areas mentioned you have a huge choice of cafés, restaurants, shops and sights you can get to without too much walking. And the added bonus of being able to watch loads of Romans go about their daily business.

A friend of mine with mobility issues takes a walking stick that "opens" to a small seat on tripod legs. He finds it particularly useful on tours that involve walking and then standing in one spot to hear commentary. As others have mentioned, there isn't always a place to sit when you need it.

The RomaPass will cover the bus fares and many entrance fees (a plus for places with large crowds,thus long lines waiting to buy tickets).
http://www.romapass.it/english/

We traveled to Rome (from England, where we living at the time) when I was about as far along as you will be. (We spent a few days in Rome before going on a Star Clipper cruise in the Med.) In fact, we were just looking at the photos the other night. I remember doing a lot of walking but that was by choice. The buses in Rome are pretty good and we used them to cover longer distances. I don't recall where we stayed but certainly a central location would be best for you.

Having studied Latin in high school, it was exciting to see some of the places I had learned about.

Enjoy Roma!

When traveling in Italy with my less-mobile friend, we enjoy visiting churches since often one can find interesting art and architecture. Churches also offer a free, cool place for a sit-down break and are everywhere. We stayed near the Pantheon for its central location--save the walking for when it's really necessary.

Hi

My wife and I went there a couple of years back. Inner Rome is actually not that big so you can walk to a lot of the various attractions. Maybe you can get some idea to start with by checking out my trip report with pictures, links and maps on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/rome_italy.htm . Get in touch if you have any questions.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

I would also highly recommend the Piazza Navona/Pantheon area rather than the Vatican. Much more going on in the evening, a LOT closer to many things you'll want to see (the only thing near the Vatican is the Vatican), more restaurants, good bus connections.

I would concentrate on the buses as much as possible, because although taxis aren't generally expensive, it's not always easy to find one. You usually have to go to a taxi stand, and they aren't as plentiful as you might expect. Also, if you're not buying the Roma Pass or another bus pass, definitely buy several bus tickets at a time so you're not stuck at a bus stop with no ticket and no tabacchi shop to buy one! You can't buy one on the bus, you have to have it ahead of time.

I have also never seen a restaurant where it was cheaper to sit outside. It is cheaper to stand at a bar for an expresso or sometimes a sandwich, etc. rather than sitting, but I've never seen a difference between sitting inside or outside a restaurant.

It's true that some attractions will challenge your creativity - just as I was about to say you could enjoy the Forum from the Campidoglio (Michaelangelo's brilliant square set in front of the Senate) I remembered that there is a long flight of stairs to it. But not the longest you'll find in Rome! People with mobility concerns do need to plan a bit differently, but there's no reason not to enjoy Rome.

I've read trip reports here from people who have used a driver for a day to take them everywhere. Pricier than the bus, of course! But could be a great way to visit a number of sights without a lot of strain. Worth considering for taking in the views up on the Janiculum, for instance.

As for taxis, I learned to enjoy the convenience of having the hotel concierge arrange a taxi in the morning after breakfast, and take it to a destination at the far end of my day's plan. You can work your way back from there. Removing the anxiety of public transport or effort of walking from just one portion of your day can make the rest of it so much easier and more pleasant. And you have energy for the "seeing" of things.

You'll also find some great recommendations on these boards for personal guides in Rome - often students - who give you full attention for a day or part of a day.

If it's not an issue for your husband, and if it's actually something he could use - the idea of a wheelchair for places like St Peter's and Vatican museums is a good one - there is a lot of ground to cover.

You can have a great time in Rome!

By the way, I was thinking of suggesting seeing the Forum from the rooftop restaurant of the Forum Hotel, just across the street. Good at night, too, when the Forum is flooded with lights. However I'm not sure about that restaurant in January ... worth looking into.

I second the idea of renting an apartment. It's so much more useful than a hotel. And less expensive per day, too. Be careful that the apt you rent is accessible by elevator (lift), and remember that in Europe the first floor means the first floor UP the stairs. So the second floor is two flights up, etc.

As a suggestion, if you do go to the Vatican and want to see the sistine chapel, be sure your clothes make you look really pregnant, and have your husband carry a cane if he does not get a wheelchair. When I was there, with a cane for my arthritic knees, the guards made some able-bodied people vacate their seats along the wall so my gray-haired husband and I could sit down. And I think you will find that lots of people on the buses will give you their seats, too. (I found this much more common in Europe than in the US.)

Charnee

I would highly recommend Albergo Santa Chiara for your stay in Rome. It is a nice hotel, with pleasant rooms and service; very well situated behind the Pantheon and should be "moderately" priced in January, which must mean a different thing to different people. I hear that the hotel will honor a 15% Rick Steves discount, but have no clue how to ask for one or if there is a coupon in the RS book.

Anna Roz

I don't know that an apartment is the best idea for anyone who might need some assistance, and in Italy for the first time. Apartment living is terrific for a lot of reasons - but the convenience of having concierge and other hotel services if you think you'll need them can be very important. Not to mention having someone else make up beds, etc, when you are pregnant! You know what you're up for better than we do - but first time, a hotel provides useful services and a sense of security.

I agree with previous poster about apartments. They are great for a lot of things but in your situation, I think a hotel with an elevator would be better. I'd be wary of the apartments because in my limited experience - and from what I've read - often the apartments are described as one thing and then you get there and things are different. I think it would also be quite hard to find one on the ground floor or with an elevator that is guaranteed to actually work and be big enough to put your luggage in. Also, once you are there, if anything goes wrong, you'll waste a lot of time in an apartment trying to reach anyone.

I agree that staying central in the Piazza Navona area is a good idea. The Theatro di Pompeo Hotel is in that general area and not super-expensive for that area. And it has an elevator.

As far as the sights - the Campidoglio has a huge ramp (called something which I can't remember). I think the idea of a driver is great. I'd take cabs to get around between the sights and use your energy to walk around the sights. I think there are a few posts on traveling with a wheelchair in Rome and I remember reading the Vatican Museums are now fully wheelchair accessible.

We have just returned from a week in Rome, staying in Campo de Fiori which we found fabulous. We had an apartment which is always our preference, but many prefer hotels. My advice - to anyone really - would be to stay as centrally as possible so you can go back to the hotel or apartment for a rest if one or both of you is tired.

Walking on cobbled streets is very tiring so you would need to pace yourself.

Re the comments about lifts and stairs - depending on your husband's mobility ensure you ask specifically re stairs - our apartment had a lift but there were a few stairs to the lift.