Emily

Arriving in August on a Friday early evening-we have full days Sat and Sun and half day on Monday. Staying in Piazza Navona area. Is it recommended to do an organized tour (which one?) or should we hit the hightlights on our own? Any specific recommendations? <BR><BR>Thanks in advance!

Vita

Hi, Emily. It depends on how much you want to see and how relaxed you want your trip to be. You could easily do it on your own. Spend one day to explore Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Piazza Navona. Spend another day on the other side of the river - Vatican and Vatican Museums, watch the sun set over the Vatican at Castello Sant'Angelo, and have dinner in Trastevere. See the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain at night. <BR><BR>You could do some mini-tours with Enjoy Rome or Scala Reale. Those seem to be the popular tour companies for Rome. Scala Reale is more expensive.

Book Chick

Hi Emily,<BR>I'd recommend a little of both. American Express has half-day tours, & you could book one or even two & still have time left to explore places on your own. I took their Vatican Museum tour, and they had a Forum/Colosseum tour. Definitely concur with Vita on Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain & Spanish Steps; all do-able on your own & great at night.<BR><BR>Buon Viaggio,<BR>BC

Alice Twain

The city of Rome has set up several touristic bus lines: 110, Ristotram, Archeobus and Tiber2.<BR>For instance, 110 line leaves from Stazione termini and teakes you to: piazza Barberini, via Veneto, piazza del Popolo, piazza Cavour, San Pietro, Torre Argentina, piazza Venezia, Colosseo, via dei Fori Imperiali, via Nazionale. The ticket costs 7,75 euro for a single tour or 12,91 euro for a full day (in this case you can get off the bus and get back on another bus of the same line). The bus includes a multilingual explaination of what you will be seeing.The other bus offer similar services for similar prices either by bus or on the tiber river by boat. See http://www.romavision.it/romavision_eng/index.htm for further informations.<BR>you might devote one day to one of these rather ceap tours and spend the other day walking around Rome on your own.

hobis

Soooo easy to do rome on your own. very tourist friendly, just get a map and walk around and you'll be amazed at what you see.

Ken

Generally I'm not big on planned tours but with such a short time in Rome and SO MUCH to see, I think you'd be better with a city tour. This way you will know what you're looking at instead of wandering aimlessly. Ken

Christina

My husband & I stayed in Rome doing a similar schedule to yours. We did it on our own & just used their train system(aka subway)within the city, because all the major sites are right off the train lines. I suggest a hotel near the central terminal to cut down on wasted time. <BR><BR>We did go on a morning walking tour through Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and ended with them busing us to St. Peters Basilica. Having a local guide gave our adventures in Rome some local flavor with the stories the guide books don't always tell you. An added bonus was when we were in St. Peters, the Pope gave an impromptu mass. Our tour guide said he hadn't done that in like 6 months. I guess we were pretty lucky. You can book a walking tour through your hotel the evening you arrive. <BR><BR>I agree with the other posters about the Vatican Museum. Get there early and take the whole day to see it. There is sooo much more to it then the Sistene Chapel.<BR><BR>Good Luck & Have Fun!<BR><BR>

Emily

Thanks you Vita, Book Chick, Alice, Hobis, Ken, and Christina for your suggestions. I think I will check out the various organized tour groups and buses that you all mentioned and go from there!!

Hiho

Own.