Only 2 days in Rome ~ which sights are most memorable?
 

We will only have 2 full days in Rome, and I was wondering which of the many, many places we could go have been most memeorable to those of you that have been there. This will be our first visit. History is probably our first priority, museums our last priority.

Coliseum, Roman Forum, Palentine Hill, Pantheon. You don't say when you are going, but if the weather is good enjoy a morning cappuccino and cornet at an outside cafe. Stop in the afternoon for a glass of vino and people watch.
St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museum magnificent but there are always very long lines and the wait could be hours. Two days isn't enough time - but it's enough to make you want to go back again.

Yes- the Colosseum, Forum, Palatine, Pantheon...you could also add the old Jewish Ghetto and make it a day.

You could see things like like the Trevi Fountain or the Piazza Navona & Fountain of the Four Rivers at night, when they are lit up.

If you are interested in mosaics, then Santa Pudenziana, Santa Prassede (the gold & jewel toned Byzantine mosaics are extraordinary), Santa Maria Maggiore, and Palazzo Massimo alle Terme (part of the National Museum of Rome and chalk full of beautiful sculpture too) can all easily be done in a day.

St. Peter'Basilca is a must do and there are really no long lines. Just to see the Pieta is a must. Enjoy the peace and quiet.

Two that I really enjoyed (certainly not the only ones, though) were the Galleria Borghese and the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. But if I start thinking about it, the list goes on and on, so just see what you can.

I enjoyed going in the Colliseum and the Forum immensely as love this sense of history that surrounds them, but also was thrilled with the Pantheon, just the architecture of this amazed me. High point had to be climbing up the dome of St. Peters. The walk up there was extraodinary, but the view from the top, with Rome spread out below, will take your breath away.
Loved walking around Rome at night, seeing all the lit fountains and buildings. Really beautiful.

I would suggest part of one day at the Vatican (skipping teh Vatican museums if that is a low priority) and one day mostly at the Forum/Colosseum/Palatine. With so little time I strongly recommend that you stay in the historic city center. If you do, you can easily visit the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona area and throw your coin in the Trevi fountain to return for a longer stay.

There are some beautiful churches with amazing art work very close to the Piazza Navona and Piazza della Rotunda--San Luigi dei Francesci with 3 Caravaggios and gothic Santa Maria sopra Minerva with Michelangelo's the Risen Christ and Bernini's elephant sculpture supporting and obelisk outside. San Clemente, not far from the Colosseum, is a good choice for anyone interested in history--a 12th century church over a 4th centuray church over ancient Roman buildings.

It sounds as though you will have at least an evening in addition to the two full days, and as others have noted, that is a good time to wander. Just be sure to get to the Pantheon during the day so you can go inside as well as admiring it from the outside.

If you get some guidebooks with good walking tours out of the library that can help to plot your route efficiently.

You could have dinner one night in Trastevere to get a little taste of that neighborhood. The walk back across the Tiber over the pedestrian Isola Tiberina and through the Jewish ghetto is magical.

If you like history & ruins, I'm assuming you will tour the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, & Roman Forum (this is the order of our preference) on one day.

If you have never been to Rome, I suggest you spend the next day on the Hop-on/Hop-off bus, getting off at every stop. Or, it is also possible to walk to all of the main sites in one exhaustiing day - Pantheon (no tickets necessary so just walk in & enjoy), Trevi Fountain, Navona Square, Ancient City, Vatican City, St. Angelo Castle & the bridge of angels, etc. Doing this will give you lots of wonderful Rome photos for your memories & the folks back home.

However, if you want more historical ruins & outside rather than in a museum, take the metro to the Pyramide stop, catch the train (covered on your metro ticket) to Ostia Antica & spend the day there; 25 minute ride each way & easy since all trains start & stop at the Rome Pyramide stop. It has an entire ancient city for you to explore & it is all open for your curiousity - climb on it, under it, & around it. Each time we have been there (always in November) there have not been more than 25 other people there, which makes for very pleasant exploring. There is an onsite cafeteria (inexpensive & the food is not bad) & free toilets. If you decide to go to Ostia Anticia, I suggest advance research - guidebook and/or internet, so you will know the history & what you are seeing. Although I don't think it is necessary, you could hire a guide, but need to reserve one in advance.

Whatever you decide, have fun. We love Rome & just came back from another wonderful week there.

Julie

Thin's List:

1. The Borghese Gallery and the Borghese Gardens
2. The view of Rome from the Castel Sant' Angelo
3. The Pantheon (and the fountain in front of it)
4. Maria Maggiore and St. Pressede
5. a walk around Trastevere

I agree to add the Castello Sant'Angelo if your main interest is history. Very interesting building and the views of Rome from the top are great, as mentioned by others above.

Even if you are not into museums, it would be a shame to miss the Borghese! It's only a 2 hour visit anyway, but advance res are needed.

Buon viaggo!

hi wrenwood,

you obviously realise already that Rome is so rich in things to see that you will only be able to scratch the surface.

so you have a choice to make - are you going to try to see a few things in detail, or get more of an overview?

Personally I would try to combine the two, as follows:

Assuming that you have two whole days, start day 1 by heading for the forum and Colosseum [buying your combined ticket at the entrance to the Palatine hill] then tour the colosseum first before you decide whether you want to do any more. after the forum [you can't really miss it!] walk up to the capitoline hill and walk up to the top - if you are going to do one museum, you might like to do this one.

then head back to the campo dei fiori area, walking into any of the many churches that you pass on the way - they are almost bound to have something interesting to see in them, even if the outsides aren't very prepossessing. many people would say that you MUST see the Pantheon, but it didn't do a lot for me.

mid afternoon, head back to your accommodation for a rest - you are going out for a walk tonight. in the evening, take a walk around the centre - nearly every guide-book has asuggested route.

the next morning, head for st.Peter's [unless it's a wednesday, when it will be crowded for the papal audience, in which case reverse the days] and tour the basilica. do not go to the vatican museums - it will take far too long out of your two days and if you are not "museum people" you won't enjoy it. the capitoline museums are much more accessible.

then cross the nearest bridge over into Trastevere, and find somewhere nice for lunch. then spend the afternoon visiting the area, especially the churches of st. Maria and St. Cecilia - my preference is for the latter as the mosaics in the crypt are superb, but lots of people like St. Maria.

in the evening, if you have the energy, you might like to go back to the colosseum to see it lit up at night, then walk up the via degli serpenti towards via nazionale into the Monti area and have supper at a local restaurant.

if you are staying near the campo dei fiori, you can get the no 40 or no 64 bus back after you've eaten.

don't worry if you miss out something that others nave said is esential. in our first week in Rome, we DIDN'T see the Borghese, go up to the Dome of st. Peter's, see the spanish steps, have supper in Trastevere, go to Testaccio, see the catacombs, visit San pietro in vincoli, ....you get the picture. but we still had a great time.

and it gave us an excuse to go back.

We loved the Piazza Navona, but thought the Trevi Fountain was a joke. Yes, it was absolutely beautiful---but stuck in that LITTLE corner with hundreds and hundreds of people trying to throw their coin in was not enjoyable at all.

Not knocking anyone else's posts, thoughts, or suggestions, but I suggest that you research the various sites before your trip. The wonder & beauty of some sites, such as the Pantheon & the Trevi, is not just viewing these historical treasures, but the history of them. You will get a lot more out of each site if you study the history in advance, or take a local guided walking tour; the guide will provide valuable info.

If you are not interested in being confined inside museums, you may not be interested in church interiors. When I travel with my husband & adult son they will only take so many museums, & they consider church interiors as the same category.

Coloseum
Forum
Palatine hill
St Peter's
Vatican Msueum (soory - not to be missed - and it's a history of the Catholic church)

That wil take 2 days. IMHO Rome neds at lest 4 on a first visit.

Sorry, but the Vatican Museum is so CROWDED that it is very difficult to enjoy.

I have seen less people at a gay West Village disco on a Saturday night than packed into the Sistine Chapel on a Friday morning.

Thin

On my list, at the very top, would be to climb the dome at St. Peters. Plan on getting there a little before it opens. Go up the steps as through you were going into St. Peters, but before going in, detour to the right, and go around to the right side of the building.

That is where you buy the tickets to go up. You can take steps all the way (first part is up to the roof of the cathedral, then you enter a door at the base of the dome and climb more steps up) or you can take a lift up to the roof, then steps up.

Both the climb up, and the view once at the top, are incredible.

If you want to see something a little odd, hit the The Capuchini Bone Crypt in Rome. The crypt is in the lower level of the Church Santa Maria Immacolata Concezione, which is on Via Veneto (not far from the US Embassy). The bones are done up as ornimentation in several rooms. To me, it was very interesting.

Hello all, hope you have been having a wonderful holiday Season!

So...Rome...........

Got a great book Frommer's ~ "Rome Day by Day" Have started to read and correlate with all these wonderful suggestions, thank you so much! I've also ordered 2 DVDs on Rome.

I am still changing my mind day by day about how many days to spend in Rome.

We are not city people, but Rome fascinates me. We will probably never go back to Rome. If we stay more days in Rome, we probably won't get to the Amalfi coast or to Norcia and Piano Grande. The next time we would go to Italy would be northern Italy.

If we stayed more time in Rome we could get to Ostia Antica, the Catacombs and maybe the gardens at Villa Borghese.

I have looked at Franco's thread on the best areas to stay, but am still bewildered. (I am considering everything from a 3 or 4 star Hotel to a really nice B&B or even an apartment when I am feeling brave) We would really like a very safe area from which we could walk to most of the historic sites, and definitely walk to some nice places for dinner at night.

Franco likes the southern part of Trastevere more or less opposite the Tiber island ~ Is this convenient for walking to the main sites, I would like to avoid busses if possible.

He also likes the Ghetto, the Campo de' Fiori – Piazza Farnese – Via Giulia area

I like the look of the Piazza Navona – Pantheon area (he thinks it's one of Rome's most beautiful neighbourhoods, though maybe too crowded to make it his first choice for staying there) but maybe it's too far from the Colosseum .......

He likes the part west of Piazza Navona, or north of the Chiesa Nuova
He advises against the Vatican area, since it's not only boring and not too pretty, but first of all makes you lose hours

He advises against staying near The Termini (train station) surroundings ~ good transport connections, but an ugly neighbourhood, and he says he means the FAR surroundings of Termini, not just the immediate ones.

Another district he advises one to avoid is the one between the Colosseum and the Lateran ~ the one and only part of historic Rome where safety is a problem at night

I do like the idea of being right on a Piazza, some of the narrow streets make me feel slightly claustrophobic looking at them - remember, I'm not a city person :)

So any suggestions of the best area to stay to be most central?

hi wrenwood

i may be the wrong person to comment as we spent a week in Rome the first time and it wasn't long enough, so we're going back for another week in Feb.

really, i would think that 4 nights is an absolute minimum, to give you some idea of the city without feeling impossibly rushed.

there is a thread at the moment about touring the area between rome and Naples especially the coast which would make a pleasant and easy contrasing trip to tag onto a week in Rome.

Hi Ann, are you enjoying the weather in Cornwall????? :) We had 17 inches of snow the weekend before Christmas, unusual for Virginia in December!

I do want to see Pompeii and Herculaneum and the Museum at Naples, so I'm thinking of giving up staying at Ravello on the Amalfi coast so that I could add some time in Rome and still make it to Norcia before we go to Terra di Nano in Montichiello.

I'll check out the thread, thanks.

Wrenwood - What a wealth of decisions you have! It would be difficult to choose between Rome, the Amalfi coast and Norcia/Pian Grande. If it were me, I'd choose Rome, but that's because I love all of the history there, and I have a huge fear of heights, so unfortunately, the Amalfi coast does not appeal to me (but we did stay in Sorrento, then visited Pompeii from there, which was fabulous). But it's a very individual decision, and it seems like you're really considering what you would enjoy the most.

On where to stay, Franco has lots and lots of good advice. I would say that for a first-time visitor and a central location, somewhere near the Piazza Navona is a very good (the best?) choice. Trastevere, while I find it an interesting neighborhood to visit and wander through, and SOMEDAY I will stay in that neighborhood when we visit Rome, is a bit out of the way. We have stayed twice at the Residenza Canali ai Coronari, which is about one block off Piazza Navona, off via Canali, which is a quiet pedestrian street known for its antique shops. We walk to everywhere from here, including the Coliseum (but then, we're big walkers). From there, it's a minute to the cafes on Piazza Navona for people-watching, and 5 minutes to the piazza surrounding the Pantheon. I don't think the streets are claustrophic, though you may feel otherwise. But Canali basically ends by the Tiber River, and that area is wide open. You can use google's street view function to somewhat get a view of what these streets look like at street level (and it's fun to virtually wander the streets of Rome).

Hi wrenwood,

the weather here is not great, [thank you for enquiring] but it was ok enough for us to go for a walk along thecoast yesterday, which by the sound of it you won't be doing any time soon. 17 inches, hey - that's a lot of snowmen.

I'm not sure how long you've got for this trip, but if it's the standard fortnight, [14 nights], you could spend 4-5 nights in Rome, pick up a car, drive down along the coast towards Naples, spend 2 days doing Vesuvius and Pompeii ,then head further into the amalfi for the rest of your stay.

Like Annhig, we spent a week there and felt as if we just scratched the surface. We had plans to leave for a day trip here or there, but got so engrossed with Rome itself, we never left. If I had two days, I'd do St. Peter's and Castel San Angelo and maybe finish with a walk up Giancolo one day and then I'd set off early the next day and wander through Trastevere, the ghetto, Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, perhaps finishing with a walk up the Spanish Steps into the Borghese Gardens. One of my favorite sights in Rome is the Baths of Caracalla. While not exactly an A list sight for most, I found it to be a lovely and gorgeous place.

Wrenwood - I am also fascinated by Rome and there must be something that piques your interest above all else? even if just a little - then that's what you should see.

So far I've had just two short visits there in the last few years. I saw the Colosseum and the Forum and the Borghese modern art museum on my first trip.

The 2nd time I saw the Pantheon and did the Hop-on Hop off tour, and went to the Trevi each time. I found the fountain beautiful and it was fun to be with so many people appreciating a beautiful evening and the lights on the
water.

But for me, the Pantheon was the best thing I could have seen. There's something about being in that ancient space that gives me a sense of peace.

You might like the Hop-on Hop-off tour - we really enjoyed it and you can get a good look at everything in one simple pass through.

Good luck. We were just in Rome for eight nights and couldn't get everything in we wanted to see...but we came close.

For lunch, I highly recommend Enoteca Cul de Sac near Campo Fiori. Good food and great wines all at a relatively inexpensive price tag. Gets crowded, so sometimes you share a table with others.

((H))

Oops, Cul de Sac is nearer to Piazza Navona. My brain is still recuperating, I guess.

((H))

Ok, here's a question ~ where is the best "area" to eat dinner?

Sheri mentioned the Trevi fountain with the lights in the evening .......

It will be October so it will be dark fairly early (7:00 I think?) But walking back from dinner to wherevertheheck we decide to stay it would be nice to be walking through magical "Roman" places.

It was October on my trip too and I did find a small cafe nearby for dinner but nothing I'd recommend to anyone. There probably isn't one 'best' area for food - you will find a wealth of dining recommendations on these boards, and trip reports.

I agree that there's not one "best" place for restaurants. But most things are pretty centrally located. In Rome, we've generally had dinner within a 10-minute or so walk of our hotel near the Piazza Navona or the Pantheon. And each evening, either before or after dinner, or both, we'd walk to Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, and sometimes to the Trevi Fountain as well.

So many places in Rome are magical, that you won't need to look for them!

Forum, and Colisseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain one day.

Then consider a tour of the Vatican museum and St. Peters. We used Context Tours. Pricy, but a highlight of our trip. Four hours, so obviously you can't see everything. Our tourguide was extremely well versed in the art we were seeing. Small group, only 6 of us. To me Rome is equivalent to the Vatican/St. Peters, so I would never miss a chance to see it.

http://www.contexttravel.com/rome/to...nked-tours=yes

Even with just two days you will want to revisit the Pantheon at least a couple of times. It is a different experience depending upon the time of day and depending upon what the weather is like. Armando Al Pantheon is a sweet little restaurant nearby that would be good. For amazing seafood and a bit of splurge, Pierluigi is a special place near Campo die Fiori.

I think you'll enjoy Rome much more if you spend at least 4 full days there. You could easily spend much longer.
We rented an apartment in the ghetto neighborhood for 7 nights during our last visit and left with a long list of things to do.

Our apartment was on a small pedestrian street off Piazza Mattei. It might seem claustrophobic to you. We are very sensitive to street noise which can be a problem in Rome.

The Piazza Navonna, Piazza della Rotunda (Pantheon), ghetto and Trastevere neighborhoods are all great places to walk through on the way to/from dinner.

Has anyone visited the Catacombs and the Appian Way?

Our family went out to the catacombs and the Appian Way when we visited Rome almost 3 years ago.
We took the archeobus which is run by the tourist office and had a good experience with it in early March--others have reported that it can get too crowded. It makes a few stops in the center city then goes past the Porta di San Sebastiano (major gate in the Aurelian walls) onto the Appian way as far as Castal Rotondo then across to the Via Appia Nuova and to the aqueducts on Viale appio Claudio. It is a good way of getting to all these sites.
Several of the major catacombs are along the Appian Way--we visited the catacombs of San Callisto. The most impressive tomb is the Tomb of Cecilia Metella. There is an archeological park and the area is not built up, so you really have the sense of getting out of the city.

The upper part of the Appian way near the gate is closed to traffic on Sundays. There are bicycle rentals.

If you have decided to take more than the original two days in Rome, this would be a good excursion for you since you say your primary interest is history.

<He advises against staying near The Termini (train station) surroundings ~ good transport connections, but an ugly neighbourhood, and he says he means the FAR surroundings of Termini, not just the immediate ones.<

ROFL!!!!!

Two of the most expensive 5-star hotels in Rome--St. Regis Grand, Boscolo Exedra--are a short walk from Termini.

There is nothing wrong with the neighborhood West or North of Termini.

One of my favourite restaurants in Rome--Trattoria Monti--is near Termini.

I go to Termini to buy groceries at Conad. There is nothing wrong with Termini. Anyone who says differently is a country bumpkin.

Thin, posting on Fodor's since 1999

Vttraveler ~ I am now planning on 4 nights, so that will give us 3 full days plus our arrival day.

I wish we could see The Appian Way on a Sunday but that is probably the day we would arrive. We may be sleepy and jet lagged, with only a half day available.

I'd love to do a full day starting on the Appian Way and Catacombs, and then the Colosseum and Roman Forum area.

I have been thinking of booking a tour for part of the first full day as our "introduction"

I agree that the Appian Way would not be a good choice for your first jet-lagged half day.

hi wrenwood,

there is so much to see just wandering around for your first [half] day. starting at the Pantheon, through the piazza navona, campo dei fiori, over the bridges to trastevere, st. cecilia's, st maria's, back over the bridge to look along to St. Peter's... that should fill your first day!

then one day concentrating on the roman remains - the colosseum, forum, possibly the capitoline museum and nearby church at the top of those stairs, or the other churches mentioned above, and the other day on the vatican - the museum, st. peter's itself, the dome, and possibly castel san Angelo if you've got the energy.

of course there are other things you can do, [I know someone who's been back more than 50 times] but IMHO this would make a good first trip.

regards, ann

oh to have 60 trips to Rome!! lucky bugger

Well, first of all, you can't go wrong on any choice - just turn in any direction and you will see something amazing. Trevi Fountain is not a joke! It may be crowded, but I wouldn't let that stop you from enjoying the beauty.It seems like many fit that in in the afternoon, or evening. We happened by there fairly early one morning while headed elsewhere, and there was no crowd at all - just a few other groups. The light that hit it early was amazing - I think much prettier than late afternoon.

We enjoyed Appian Way very much We were there on a Sunday (had a fantastic lunch @ Archeologia.) The catacombs were closed, but taking the walk without vehicle traffic was beautiful, and a great start to our week. There is a combo ticket combining Archeobus and the hop on hop off bus -we found that a great way to fit in many options.
For a quick first time visit I would recommend staying in the historic center. Yes, it's crowded, but with People - not traffic. Vehicle traffic is limited, so it's mainly pedestrians, and lots of them!
I second the rec. for Armando al Pantheon!
If you are mostly interested in history, I would not miss the Colosseum and the Forum. I have only been to Rome twice (once for just a day, once for a week.) Each time we went to the forum, and I believe I would go back every chance I get.
Truly, you can't go wrong. You will find history at every turn. The more research you can do before hand, the better.
You will have an amazing time!

Here's my rough sketch at the moment of things I would like to see ~ comments please!

Day 1 ~ arrive and settle in, hopefully in an apartment so we will need to do some shopping, take a nap, go out and walk and eat dinner.

Day 2 ~ Appian Way, Catacombs, Colosseum, Forum, Capitoline Museum, Palatine Hill

Day 3 ~ Vatican Tour, Vatican Museums, St Peters Basilca & Piazza San Pietro, Necropolis of St Peter

Day 4 ~ Galleria Borghese and Gardens, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon

If we stay longer Ostia Antica is on the list

...maybe I should change the title of this message :)

I'm still looking for an apartment in Piazza Navona or Campo dei Fiori ~ what time does the market at Campo start in the mornings and what time does everyone pack up? Is it 7 days a week, or not on Sunday?






Piazza Navona, off via Canali