TravelTrekker

My 50-something husband & I will be visiting Rome for 2-l/2 days in early June. We would like to spend Day 1 in Capitoline/Forum/Palatine area and Day 2 (a weekday) visiting stops along the Appian Way (catacombs, other stops & Aqueduct Park--he's an engineer). What is the best way to travel on Day 2 which minimizes walking (although some is fine). Do you recommend Metro, or Hop-On-Off Acheobus (which may not go all the way to the aqueducts--wonder if you can you walk from last stop or take a taxi)? The bike rentals at Cecilia Metella sound fun if road isn't too busy with weekday car traffic. We'd consider a l/2 day tour (Enjoy Rome?). We'd also like to see the National Museum of Rome, Baths of Carcalla & Castel St. Angelo while there if time allows. Finally wondering if Roma Pass a good idea. Grazie for any input.

JoanneH

I have done the Archeobus, it runs past each site about every 20 min to half hour sometimes however wait is longer. I just got off at the stops that were of interest to me. The Aqueduct Park basically just stopped for appx 10 min in my case then took off again. As it was the near the end of the day I didn't get time to stay, because while they said there would be another bus I was not willing to chance it. For me it was worth the money I got to see the sights I wanted to without hassle.

kybourbon

>>>>Finally wondering if Roma Pass a good idea.<<<

The entrance ticket to the Colosseum/Palantine/Forum is 12€ as is the Capitoline (they have an exhibition currently that makes the price a little higher).
http://en.museicapitolini.org/inform...e_prenotazioni

The Roma Pass is 30€ so you would only need to spend 6€ in transport to break even with the pass if you go the sites listed above. The price of the metro/bus/trams increases May 25th from 1€ to 1.50€. The Roma Pass also gives you a discount off the 110 Hop On/Off and Archeobus ( http://www.romapass.it/p.aspx?l=en&tid=19 ) and it will let you bypass the ticket lines at the Colosseum.

Your first two entrances are free with the Roma Pass and after that you get discounted entrance fees so you would need to arrange your schedule to take advantage of that. The Colosseum/Forum/Palantine counts as one entrance. I think the baths, park sites and Castel Sant'Angelo are all much cheaper so use the discount for those sites instead of the free entrances. I don't know the entrance fee for the National Museum.

I would print out the public transport to the park to get good use of your pass.
http://www.parcoappiaantica.it/en/te...l2=2&l3=1&l4=0

Some of the sites in the park have limited hours.
http://www.parcoappiaantica.it/en/te...l2=6&l3=0&l4=0

The last time I bought the Roma Pass, it included a map of all the sites. Next to each site was the transport listed to reach it (bus#, metro, tram#, etc.).

TravelTrekker

Thanks so much JoanneH and kybourbon--such good info. If anyone has advice about the difficulty/ease of the bike rentals at Cecelia Metalla on a weekday, would appreciate it very much. I also read about a restaurant on the Appian Way (lunch) called Hostaria Antica Roma. Would that be near one of the bus stops,and are there other restaurants in the area?

kybourbon

The bike rental is on the website.
http://www.parcoappiaantica.it/en/te...l2=5&l3=1&l4=0

Also a list of restaurants.
http://www.parcoappiaantica.it/en/te...l2=7&l3=0&l4=0

Walter's report of this area is a bit old and perhaps some of it dated/changed, but I think you will find it useful.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...directions.cfm

ParadiseLost

Those directions should still be OK (2010 they were still valid), the 660 bus used to drop-off right at the San Sebastian Catacombs but they blocked the street right at the Cecelia Metalla (I guess to make that section pedestian friendly with no thru-traffic).
So unless they opened-up that section the only thing that would possibly change would be the drop-off location.

TravelTrekker I'm going with your husband's engineering interests here.

In an underground excavation at the Cecelia Metalla it shows a basically groundlevel quarry where the paving stones were cut for the Via Appia.

Also the 'Circus of Maxentius' is largely intact.

In Rome *esp* for an engineer the Pantheon is a must see.

You might consider using this entrance for the Palatine Hill
www.capitolium.org/eng/fori/pianta.htm

See the vertical Via di San Gregorio bottom-right on the map.
See the T-shaped inlet to the left of the EG in the word Gregorio, that is a ticket entrance.

Enter there and walk down to the arch structure to the left of the 'San' that is the remains of an Aqueduct Domitian built. The section on the left is original and the rest is a modern reconstruction over the original remains.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gfddXZwVew...0/IMG_0334.JPG OR http://tinyurl.com/7w2rwrn

Then walk down to the [||||||] section to the left of the word 'Via'. Those are the 'Severan Arcades' which is an artificial platform which extended the Palatine Hill outwards (you will also see somewhat similar structure in the Forum).
There are an engineering marvel and off the beaten track.
Then just backtrack back but follow the interesting ruins which are higher up on the slope and enter the top of the Palatine.
http://i.pbase.com/o4/97/295097/1/63....mImg_0162.jpg OR http://tinyurl.com/cykxlp7

The Arcades are on the right but in this photo you will be behind them.

The funny thing about that photo is, I just happened to goggle-image it and it was the best shot.
Oddly enough she has a website and used to post here, we just happened to have a brief discussion in the Hotel Roman in May '06 and a while later posted here with her photos.
I ID'ed some of her pictures (including that 1) and in the posts here we discovered that it was us that briefly talked that day in the hotel (Small World).
Regards, Walter

A_Brit_In_Ischia

Just to be certain - the Archeobus does indeed no longer go out to the Aqueduct Park, not since about 2007!

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/viaappia

They've recently swapped to the spring timetable (from a very reduced winter service) but still aren't very frequent - with, too, a gap for lunch....

http://www.trambusopen.com/en/archeobus/schedule.cfm

Note though that the tickets will get you reduced price entry - even if they're not saying by how much (*) - at some of the sites and sights....

http://www.trambusopen.com/en/archeobus/rates.cfm

.... so perhaps buy them in advance - for use on day 2, or swap your itinerary around?

For photos from some of those on their list and others, but including all four branches of the National Museum of Rome, try:

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/places_rome

(*) The RomaPass people have just issued a 2012 list of pre-exhibition prices - and, where applicable, the 'Ridotto' rate may be what's charged?

http://romapass.it/doc/sitiAderentiC...lietti_eng.pdf

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :

Depends of course where you're staying, and where you'd be going to, but we've never had much use for the city's limited Metro system - preferring to watch Rome go past from the buses and trams, rather than tunnel walls?

Try:
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/electric_buses

Fine thing although it can be, with those Archeobus discounts, perhaps you'd not get much additional benefit from the RomaPass - and might instead just buy an initial few of ATAC's one-trip BIT tickets (now good for up to 100 minutes travel) at €1.50 each, then paying in cash on all those with ticket-issuing machines.... so as not to end up with too many left over?

Peter

PS: If his engineering interests spread a little wider, your husband may also enjoy a visit to:

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/martini_2011

TravelTrekker

Thanks to each of you for generously sharing your experience including the links and awesome photos! The only thing I'm still hazy about is that once we go to the very end of the Archeobus route and disembark, is it most feasible/easy to take the metro to the Aqueduct Park, versus a bike rental? I'm assuming the walk is way too far.

A_Brit_In_Ischia

I've had our Rome bus map out, and by road it appears to be some 4.6km from Cecilia Metella's tomb to the Aqueduct Park.

However the Metro doesn't run through the Park (and instead skirts it to the east), so catching it isn't really an option from there?

Might clarify things if you downloaded some of their maps and had a close look - each Metro station is marked with a red "M" ....

http://www.parcoappiaantica.it/en/te...l2=5&l3=3&l4=0

................................

Indeed, using the Metro to get out to the aqueducts is an entirely different outing - one on which you might well not see much of the ancient road itself, or get to the catacombs etc. With no promises from me as to its uptodateness, see...

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelbl...ueduct+Park+in...

Peter

bardo1

I wonder if taking an express bus from Termini to Ciampino airport and then renting a car for 1/2 a day is a choice?

There is very little traffic on Via Appia Antica and it seems to be a remarkably stress free and flexible option.

kybourbon

http://www.roninrome.com/sites-and-a...t-park-in-rome

ParadiseLost

RoninRome said something like; if you plan to walk from the Via Appia to the Aqueduct Park be sure to have a compass or GPS and 'Good Luck'.

Plus looking at my map the smaller scale of the roads (compared to the ones I know) looks very narrow, I wouldn't chance it on a bike.

kybourbon posted a link about the 'limited hrs of the sites', I only found info on the San Sebastian Catacomb.

They have changed they used to open early 8:30? but close for ~2.5hrs after noon and reopen.

It now states 10-5 and closed on Sunday, it's likely the other 2 Catacombs have the same hours (Owned by the Catholic Church) *But* they both likely have a day during the weekday that they are closed (they always did in the past).

So this might affect your timetable and if you wanted to visit another Catacomb that day.
So S. Sebastian (my fave) will be a definite for you and if you wanted to see a specific one or 2 same that day check for *recent* info on it.

That site lists 3 directions all from metro stations to a bus, my directions for the 660 bus is last so I assume it still drops-off at the same place (12min walk) rather that the other 2 right at the Catacomb.

So IMO the best option between the Via Appia sites to the Aqueduct Park is the 660 bus in my directions back to the metro and then follow RoninRome's excellent directions to the Aqueducts.

If you are 'early birds' maybe go to the Aqueduct Park 1st and then to the Via Appia/Catacombs later.
Or take a chance on that bike rental place being open fairly early 8-9AM and do a few miles *outbound* on the Via Appia.
Also in case you didn't know you *don't* want to bike to the sites on the Via Appia heading towards Rome after the San Sebastian Catacomb it's very dangerous unless the street is closed on a Sunday.
It's a day trip with multiple choices within a limited timefame, I think you and your husband should decide on your priorites.
Catacoms), Aqueduct Park, Biking the Via Appia, lunch, Baths of Caracalla (on the return trip).
And then decide what and how you are going to do it (Archeobus or on your own).

Regards, Walter

ParadiseLost

What I forgot to add is too also have a 'Plan B' and play it by ear.

Suppose you wanted to see another Catacomb but when you get there the bus tours have beat you too it and it's going to be long wait for an English tour.
So you pass on that one and then just go to San Sebastian which has no where to park the tour buses so you will likely have a shorter wait.

Or that bike rental place is out of bikes or closed or it's a very hot day and you decide to pass.

Say you had planned on biking and passing on the Aqueduct Park but now that option is gone and Plan B to the Aqueduct Park is open (so print out the directions even if you decided to pass).
Or just head back towards Rome and visit the Baths of Caracalla (10-15min walk from the Circus Maximus metro stop).

So unforseen events and timing could effect your finalized plans for that day.
And the main thing I've learned about being a tourist in Rome, is too *always* have a 'Plan B' . Regards, Walter

TravelTrekker

Good advice from you all!!!