jan

I will be going to Italy with a group of parents & teenagers in June. Most of our time is scheduled but I will have a free day and night while in Rome. We will have spent a full day on a guided tour hitting many of the high points on our first day in Rome. What should I do with my free day??? Any ideas would be great. Thanks jwg

Ed

It's a bit hard for me to suggest what to do on your free day without knowing what you did otherwise. Tons to do there, and one day of sightseeing won't even skim half the highlights. <BR> <BR>I enjoy spending a full day at Roman Forum and Palatine. Others would spend a full day at the Vatican Museums (or a week.) <BR> <BR>Will you have had a tour of the excavations under St. Peter's? The Vatican's Gardens? Will you be there on a Wednesday and enjoy attending a Papal Audience? <BR> <BR>You'll find more than a few ideas on visiting Rome's sights and details on the above beginning at www.twenj.com/romesights.htm <BR> <BR>

jan

Ed, Thanks for your reply. Our itenary reads as follows: "You will have a full day guided tour of the Eternal City. Visits inclue Imperial, Classical Rome and the Vatican. Points of interest will be the Coliseum, the Forum, the Circus Maximus the Arch of Constantine, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Spanis Steps, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Venezia, St. Peters." Sounds exhausting and like I might just like to spend my day over a glass or two of wine just people watching and maybe a little shopping. Thanks for any ideas...jwg

Linda

Never fear, Jan. I know it sounds exhausting (and will be), but it's not quite as bad as it sounds. The Arch of Constantine, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Venezia are all very "quick-sees". Sure, you can sit or stand there and look at them for hours, but, really, 5-10 minutes is plenty for any of them if you have time constraints. And, the tour will probably not give you much more than that. That leaves the Coliseum, the Forum, and St. Peters. The first two can be done adequately in an hour or less (though I personally spend more time at the Forum, trying to visualize the center of Roman life as it was 2000 years ago). St. Peters, as Ed said, can take weeks if you let it. But your tour package said St. Peters, not the Vatican Museum/Ssitine Chapel--a little ambiguous--it sounds to me like you are just getting to see the cathedral, not the museum/chapel. If you don't see the museum and chapel, they are must visits, at least for a few hours. I also highly recommend you build into your day something you yourself have already suggested: a glass or two of wine (at a sidewalk cafe) watching the rest of the world go by. Ed's other recommendations are wonderful too.

Ed

From the sounds of the tour it is as I feared, a mile wide and an inch deep. <BR> <BR>If you're really interested in spending your free day well, do a bit of research and pick the things you're most interested in IRRESPECTIVE of whether they will be included in the tour. With that many things on the tour agenda you won't spend enough time at any of them to more than say, "I've 'seen' them." For the most part you'll be seeing them from the bus, while in motion. <BR> <BR>Make your own plans according to what interests you.

carol

Ed's advice is great, but do wander over to the Piazza Navona and then, slowly find your way to the Campo dei Fiori, and then, slowly find your way to Trastevere, and then slowly find your way to a charming little outdoor trattoria--La Canonica, for example, near Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere. I promise you, you won't regret a minute of it!!!!!

jan

Thanks to all for their help...Carol, I can hardly wait. Thanks so much jwg

marj

Borghese Gallery is great but you need a reservation. The surrounding park is also beautiful.

russ i

Jan, <BR> <BR>Your quick run through the Rome highlights will certainly leave you wanting more. Why not see what interests you the most on the tour, and then go back for a more in depth visit? If you feel that the guided tour was enough, wandering around Trastevere, Piazza Navona, and Campo die Fiori, shopping and relaxing at a cafe with a glass of wine sounds good to me.

K

No one has mentioned the Pantheon! It's now used as a church. When I walked in 5 men were singing Gregorian Chant acapella for a service. I got goose bumps all over. Go see the Pantheon. It's magnificent, won't take you much time and is neighbored by cafes where you can sit and have a glass of wine.