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Has anyone done any of the nighttime tours of the Vatican? Would something like that be less crazy than the first thing in the morning tour?
Finding some tours on WalksofItaly.com; are they legit? |
When it comes to the Vatican Museum and the Basilica, here is the list of what we want to see:
- The Raphael rooms (The School of Athens) - St Peters Basilica (to see St Peter's tomb) - Sistine Chapel Assuming we still need to do a tour even though our list is short? |
Originally Posted by warner1108
(Post 17407480)
Has anyone done any of the nighttime tours of the Vatican? Would something like that be less crazy than the first thing in the morning tour?
Finding some tours on WalksofItaly.com; are they legit? There are quite a few 3rd party sites that link you up with local tour guides (I like GetYourGuide). Some will say to just book directly yourself, but I like booking everything with the same site (often discounts for multiple bookings) The night tours are good, but often require booking far in advance. I'm a fan of paying extra to avoid the peak time crowd. If you've ever left a NFL football game, that's how crowded the main hall of the Vatican Museum gets (but walking at a snail's pace) |
Originally Posted by warner1108
(Post 17407485)
When it comes to the Vatican Museum and the Basilica, here is the list of what we want to see:
- The Raphael rooms (The School of Athens) - St Peters Basilica (to see St Peter's tomb) - Sistine Chapel Assuming we still need to do a tour even though our list is short? It avoid a potentially long line to get into St Peter's |
Originally Posted by KTtravel
(Post 17407466)
I vote for Option 1 - spending the night in Florence and shaving a little bit of time off from Rome. You would have a place to keep your luggage (most hotels will store it if you plan to stay past check-out time) and this will give you a chance to see David (advance reservation recommended) and anything else first thing in the morning before the lines get long. Visiting the Accademia doesn't take long if you're able to get in quickly. You would then be able to take a quick tour of a few other spots and get some gelato (!) before heading to Venice.
Florence is much smaller than Rome & very walkable. Timed entrance for the Accademia is cheap. Tour not necessary if you just want to see the David. |
Originally Posted by alandavid
(Post 17407489)
The night tours are good, but often require booking far in advance.
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I mentioned voting for Option 1 as I thought the OP and family might want to add on a few more sights in Florence which will be more enjoyable if they are not already a bit tired from the train ride. Personally, I would be less stressed with Option 1 but that may be just me.
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Originally Posted by KTtravel
(Post 17407618)
I mentioned voting for Option 1 as I thought the OP and family might want to add on a few more sights in Florence which will be more enjoyable if they are not already a bit tired from the train ride. Personally, I would be less stressed with Option 1 but that may be just me.
We may just end up hopping off and back on to avoid having to do another hotel for just one evening. |
Originally Posted by alandavid
(Post 17407460)
Here's my on-the-fly game plan for Rome:
Day1: Guessing you arrive mid-morning. Reserve a car service to pick you up ( ie. RomeCabs.com) With 5 of you, it will be cost effective and it's fun to have someone waiting with your name on a sign. Will save you an hour over other transport options They'll drop you off right at the door of your lodging. If you're doing 4+ nights & have a family of 5, a VRBO makes sense. Personally, I'd hunt around the Pantheon/Campo di Fiori area. Very central to what you'll be seeing. If you do hotel, get one that includes breakfast. Drop your bags, go get pizza/gelato, come back to unpack/take a siesta. Walk to the Pantheon (only busy on weekends), then an early dinner at the first place that looks good. Walk to the Trevi Fountain (prettiest at night) and get your 2nd gelato on the walk back to your apt/hotel. Turn in early. Day2: Don't book an early activity, let everyone sleep/lounge around. Early risers can go for coffee/pastries to bring back. The farmer's market at Campo di Fiori is a good morning activity: lots of things to sample! Maybe book the Underground Coliseum with Palatine Hill tour for the afternoon session? Take some water! Make a reservation for a good pasta dinner. Day 3: Book the first Vatican tour of the day (Pristine Sistine or the morning one that includes breakfast). Not on Sunday or Wednesday when St Peter's is closed though. Tour will end in St Peter's. Consider doing the climb to the top of the dome before you leave. (there's a coffee/wine shop on the roof of St Peter's that you can stop at on the way down (very memorable & not well-known) Castel St Angelo is nearby : just get an entrance, not a tour & explore on your own. Great views from the roof & lots of photo ops on the way there (especially the bridge) Day 4: Appian Way ebike tour. Lots to pick from. The smaller the group the better. Some make a stop at the catacombs. Dinner in Trastevere. Stroll the neighborhood before/after dinner. We loved our dinner at Roma Sparita (make your reservation a few weeks before you leave) Day 5: Whatever you want! Have a list of things to see & try to knock off a bunch of them: Spanish Steps/window shop the fancy stores nearby/Borghese Gardens/Capuchin Crypt are are in the same area Piazza Novona: touristy, but still fun Last day: Arrange a car to take you to Termini for your train. Get the Trenitalia app & purchase your tickets a few days early for $$$ savings. How does the above change if we trim to 4.5 days in Rome (arrival day + 4 full days + then depart from for Venice [w/stop in Florence en route] on Day 5. What would you cut/change? |
Originally Posted by warner1108
(Post 17407697)
If I haven't already thanked you for this; I need to!
How does the above change if we trim to 4.5 days in Rome (arrival day + 4 full days + then depart from for Venice [w/stop in Florence en route] on Day 5. What would you cut/change? Day 5: Catch an early train to Florence, store your bags, spend the day in Florence, and catch the train to Venice around 6 PM. I'd pick a hotel near Santa Lucia station in Venice to make a late check-in easier (You'll have to tote your luggage across bridge/narrow streets) If I had to skip a big tour, it would be the ebikes (can't skip Vatican or Coliseum). But my agenda isn't super full. I figure there are 2+ extra hours each day for free time/personal picks. I've helped about a dozen friends plan their Italy trips, so I've got it down. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions. |
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...venia-1710885/
The above trip report includes time in Venice. It might be useful to you. The guide sounded good. Venice is so interesting, and all of the churches have so many paintings and sculptures created for the exact spaces, I have never managed to make into any museums. Lunch in the museum garden sounds great though. The Spanish steps in Rome are actually pretty at Sunset. Otherwise, a five minute stop. Trevi Fountain is lovely - if you can even get close enough to see it, but still a brief stop. The Pantheon is fantastic! Do not miss it. Read about it first. The importance of re-discovering how domes were constructed led to building so many (that did not fall down) during the Renaissance. You do not have to set aside a big chunk of time for these. An evening walk of an hour or so will allow you to see a lot and get a feel for things: the steps, the fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, etc. all easy, not really far apart. |
Originally Posted by Sassafrass
(Post 17408134)
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...venia-1710885/
The above trip report includes time in Venice. It might be useful to you. The guide sounded good. Venice is so interesting, and all of the churches have so many paintings and sculptures created for the exact spaces, I have never managed to make into any museums. Lunch in the museum garden sounds great though. The Spanish steps in Rome are actually pretty at Sunset. Otherwise, a five minute stop. Trevi Fountain is lovely - if you can even get close enough to see it, but still a brief stop. The Pantheon is fantastic! Do not miss it. Read about it first. The importance of re-discovering how domes were constructed led to building so many (that did not fall down) during the Renaissance. You do not have to set aside a big chunk of time for these. An evening walk of an hour or so will allow you to see a lot and get a feel for things: the steps, the fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, etc. all easy, not really far apart. |
Oh, you might enjoy touring San Clemente.
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I read OP and a couple pages so apologies if repeating things or plans changed. I have been to Venice, Florence and Paris of your places of interest and have done a few multi place trips.
1) Stay as central as possible to the spots you want to do. Being able to walk to where you want to go IMO makes or breaks a vacation. It saves a lot of valuable time, it cuts on transit cost and it's in the middle of action so a lot of shops, food places and people. So your Paris location is not good at all to put it nicely. 2) Travelling between cities and day trips are very time consuming and tiring. You will find yourself wasting time on transit. Prioritize things that you want, build in buffer as things will always take more time than you think and plan some dow time to rest. 3) Having been to Paris several times you can spend a long time there and not see anywhere close to all of it. So prioritize what you want. 5 nights is a good start. 4) Venice is a magical place. My big regret is I only spent 2 nights because friends said that is more than enough. You can walk Venice for weeks and not see the whole thing. I would put 3 nights minimum. 5) I read something about stopping by Florence. I spent 3 nights there and IMO it is beautiful but overhyped. If short on time I would not stop there at all. |
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