andreadee

We are staying near the Trevi Fountain...found a little apartment on "Sleep in Italy." We are very excited.....here is our agenda for the first day: We wanted to know the opinions of those that have been there and conquered.

We are travelling with 3 daughteres (16,12, 9) They are troopers but don't want to exhaust them into crabiness.

So, here we go:
Dump our bags at apartment:
Off to see the Trevi Fountain,
La Barcaccia/Piazza de Spagna/Trinita Dei Monti
vie dei condotti
piazza del popolo
st maria del popolo

Possibly go to St. Maria in Montesanto @ 7pm to hear the Gregorian chant.

By the way....I'm thinking our sightseeing will commence at around 2pm.

Too much? Too little? did we forget anything in this area?

Thanks so much.

Day 2 plans will also be posted soon.

Love to hear opinions.

mamcalice

When are you going? If arriving directly from the US or Canada, you will probably be a little tired and/or be jetlagged. Most of what you plan for the first day is near your apartment and most can be seen quickly so if you get tired, you can easily return to the apartment for a break.

qwovadis

You will be spuper jet lagged from your flite.

Might pare back take it easy my first day...

the Double decker bus is fun to get around on

and easy to get the lay of the land.

Do touristic stuff after a good nights sleep

in an actual hotel/apartment bed for best experience.

www.eurocheapo.com Roma good budget city guides

www.ostia-antica.org designed by Hadrian amazing

a do not miss for me.

Happy Joureny,

Vttraveler

I think the Gregorian chant sounds too ambitious for a first day with jet lag. Otherwise your plan sounds very doable to me. As noted your walking tour gives you a chance to go back to the apartment if you get too tired. I think trying to get out and moving the first day is a good idea

You could also consider going from the Spanish steps area to the Piazza della Rotunda (Pantheon) and Piazza Navona instead of Piazza del Popolo, or adding these on after P del Popolo. When we went to Rome with our 17 year old son 4 years ago, the Pantheon and P. Navona were the places he wanted to go back to repeatedly. there was a funny mime performing in P. Navona on our first Sunday afternoon which we all enjoyed. There were no similar shows on other days, but there are often artists doing portraits of tourists, etc.

sacc

I think your plan to stay outdoors as much as possible, walking and absorbing the sights is a great idea. Flying overnight from North America always leaves me feeling a bit fuzzy when I land, and I find that staying outdoors and moving around is a big help. The daylight (even if it isn't sunny) seems to help me adjust to the time change a bit faster.

For that reason, I'm not sure sitting on a doubledecker bus is such a good idea -- just sitting, and being moved around like that, might make everyone feel sluggish and drowsy.

You might want to think about leaving all of your documents in your apartment, too. I know that opinion is divided on what sort of ID tourists should carry. But especially in the first day or two, when you're not most alert, I'd think about leaving valuables and ID locked up in your apartment and just carrying enough cash for a bite to eat, maybe some gelato. (Don't forget the apartment keys!) Then, if (heaven forbid) a pocket is picked or a handbag left behind somewhere, you haven't lost much. And if you see something gorgeous that you want to buy on the Via Condotti, you won't have your credit cards so you'll have to return another day (and won't give in to an expensive impluse buy!)

J62

If you are arriving after an overnight flight your first day is too ambitious - especially the evening.

Much of the wonder of Rome is simply strolling and taking in the various sights and sounds, people watching, popping into a some cute shops, finding the nearby cafe or great smelling bakery you can come back to the next morning for fresh rolls, and generally getting to know your bearings & surroundings.

For me that includes exploring a local food market (outdoor, or just your basic neighborhood mini-supermarket) & getting a few supplies for the next day, trying gelato at 4 different shops and deciding which you want to go back to after (or before dinner), sipping a glass of wine or a cafe and slowing down. For kids that might mean finding a sunny spot in a piazza and taking out a book to read, or if they like to draw or sketch, whipping out a sketch pad.

Strolling the historic center as vtt suggests is a great 1st afternoon itinerary.

Your daughters might prefer to browse the flea market along the banks of the Tiber (near isola tiburina), or giggling shyly at the cute Italian boys who smile at them, or taking silly pictures with the mime, or any number of thing kids of all ages just enjoy doing for fun in a wonderful new place.

Having an idea of things to see in a different neighborhoods is great planning, but you will soon learn that Italy marches to a slower drum beat. Rigidly sticking to a must-see itinerary will turn teen and pre-teen kids (and parents) into crabs quickly. Taking time to slow down and go with the flow is what it's all about for me.

Planning in plenty of down-time is something I've learned is very important when I travel with family. Go-go-go works for about 1 day, but gets very old quickly.

Ackislander

I don't see breakfast or lunch on here, and I can assure you that the "breakfast" you get on the plane won't be enough to get you into the city. When will you find the supermarket and shop for your groceries for breakfast, snacks, and other meals? Yu need to do that Day 1, and Roman food stores often have much more limited hours than the US and UK, sometimes with a siesta in the middle.

My other concern with this level of planning is the weather. Our first day in Rome last fall was marked by violent thunderstorms and torrential downpours that began at noon and ended around 7. We could do nothing but nap or stare out the window. We did a little of each.

What do you do if it rains? Some people would count their day ruined if they could not do what they planned. I hope you won't allow yourself to be like that!

Otherwise, I don't think you are planning too much> I agree that being out in the open air is your friend, and if you doze off during the Gregorian chant, you won't be the first. It is supposed to calm your raging mind.

annhig

i definitely agree that you want to take it easy on day 1, without allowing your girls to get bored. i would therefore agree that you should combine some sightseeing spanish steps, trevi, piazza navona, pantheon, all of which will take you about an hour [plus the essential gelati stops] with a bit of shopping, which should be fun for the kids to see what they can find for supper/breakfast.

did you know that on goggle maps, if you put in your apartment address, you can search for supermarkets, bakeries, cafes, etc? my DS, then 15, loved the morning routine of going out to buy our cornetti [croissants] and did it by himself every morning after the first one, despite his almost total lack of italian. your girls might enjoy finding a nice cafe or pasticceria [cake shop] where they can do this.

if you click on my screen name, you'll find my TR from our week in Rome with our DS [then 19, but he's still a big kid] last year. although it was our 2nd visit, we still did loads of touristy stuff that might be of interest to you.

i think that I would be prepared to pass on the gregorian chant!

franco

Of course you're missing lots and lots in that area (the tomb of Augustus, for example, or two works by Borromini: S. Andrea della Fratte and notably the Palazzo di Propaganda Fide with the church of SS. Re Magi inside, or the two Casini dell'Aurora, the one with the famous Guercino fresco at Palazzo Pallavicini-Rospigliosi, the other with the less famous but at least as interesting Caravaggio and Guido Reni frescoes at ex-Palazzo Ludovisi)... but on the other hand, your itinerary seems reasonable for a first day (when fatigue will prevent you from finishing any really ambitious schedule).

annhig

franco - that sounds like a great itinerary, but as you say, possibly not for a first day with 3 young people in tow.

perhaps they can work at least part of it in later in their week.

Vttraveler

another good place to visit on at least one of your days would be the cat sanctuary at the area Sacra Argentina. We did this on our first day in Rome and then stopped by at least once a day for the rest of the stay to see how many cats we could count among the ruins.

Vttraveler

I just saw on another thread you are arriving from Florence, not from an overnight transatlantic flight. In that case I think going to hear the Gregorian chant in the evening would be fine. My kids would not have been interested in that but you know best what your family would enjoy.

andreadee

I should have been more clear....we are arriving from Florence after being there for 3 days and Venice for 2 prior to Florence. This is the 3rd leg of our trip. I have mapped much of this and it looks like, according to your input, that it is quite possible to do. Thanks so much.

franco

I should have taken more time for my above post; two amendments: one, I mixed up Reni and Guercino - Reni is at the Casino Pallavicini, Guercino at Ludovisi; two, I should have pointed out that the Casino dell'Aurora Pallavicini is near to the Trevi Fountain, yes, but in the opposite direction from the sights towards Piazza del Popolo, so definitely for another day - but the comparison between the two Aurora frescoes is so interesting that I just had to mention also that one.

tarquin

Agree about the cat sanctuary, a real oasis in the city, ancient columns and cats, and you can visit the downstairs area during the afternoon.

J62

Here's the website for the cat sanctuary.

http://www.romancats.com/index_eng.php

chapla

With 3 kids I suggest the 15 seat on/off archeobus that even goes to the catacombs just a litle outside of Rome! my kids loved it and they got to rest a little on the air conditioned bus!
http://www.mmdtkw.org/VArcheobus.html