iamq

I've been away plotting, reserving and planning and our departure date is swiftly arriving. I have appreciated the itinerary feedback I've gotten over the past few months and would love it if you could take another look.

We are renting an apartment near Piazza Farnese for 7 nights beginning April 10.

I arranged to be picked up and dropped off at FCO through Stefano at Rome Cabs.

Here is the itinerary so far. I have left most afternoons open figuring we'd spend the time having a relaxing lunch, walking back to the apartment and exploring from wherever we are. I have nothing set in stone for our last two days. One of those is a Sunday and I thought if the weather were nice it would be fun to take a picnic and walk or rent bikes on the Via Appia. Evenings will be spent eating out and walking around.

Tuesday, April 10: Arrive around noon, get settled at the apartment. Explore the immediate area and get a feel for the neighborhood. Maybe do some shopping. Pantheon/Piazza Navona. Dinner maybe at Armando al Pantheon.

Wednesday, April 11: Walk to the Piazza Campidoglio and spend a few hours at the Capitoline Museums. After this we might walk from here through the Aventine to Testaccio for lunch at Checchino dal 1887. Maybe not. What do you think about that? Mimi Sheraton's remarks about it have me worried.

Thursday, April 12: Roma Antica tour with Context Rome at 8:45. Afterwards we'd like to see San Clemente and maybe Santi Quattro Coronati. Any suggestions for a good lunch place around the Colosseum?

Friday, April 13: Morning visit to St. Peter's and Dome. Lunch at Osteria dell'Angelo. Castel Sant Angelo.

Saturday, April 14: Morning walk to the Borghese Museum for our 11:00 tour time. Piazza del Popolo and Piazza di Spagna.

Sunday, April 15: Maybe walk/bike Via Appia with picnic or take the train to Ostia? Any other ideas?

Monday, April 16: No plans yet. Shopping?

We leave on Tuesday, the 17th.

Here is a list of restaurants that are possibilities. What do you think?

Tre Pupazzi
La Tartartuga
Trattoria Monti
Ristorante Fiammetta
Piccola Trattoria da Lucia
Trattoria al Gran Sasso
Cul de Sac
Matricianella
Coline Emiliane

Thanks for your feedback

-Bill

Grinisa

I'm curious as to what Mimi Sheraton said about Checchino. It's one of my favorite restaurants in Rome. On your list of restaurants, I highly recommend Trattoria Monti. I also like Colline Emiliane but make sure to have reservations. Service there can be a bit gruff but the food is good. Cul de Sac and Matricianella are also good.

iamq

Grinisa,

Here is the article. It's one person's view and it is a year old, so I probably shouldn't read that much into it. I'm glad to hear that you like it. I think we will probably end up going. I really want to try the oxtail and the pajata.

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/03/2...pagewanted=all

Thanks for your help!

Grinisa

Thanks for the link! I'm amazed that she has that opinion as I have, on several visits, always found the food wonderful and the service welcoming and helpful. Ask for a tour of their wine cellar; it's amazing.

iamq

ttt

samsmom1127

I just returned from a wonderful visit to Rome and Florence with my 14 year old daughter. I absolutely agree with your strategy of not trying to overplan your days. Like you, we planned one major thing each day, and left a lot of time to wander around and just soak up being in Italy. Trust me, you will find wonderful experiences that are not written in guidebooks because they will be yours alone.

I also endorse your plan to eat at Armando al Pantheon! We loved it there. We also enjoyed Taverna le Coppelle at Via della Coppelle, 39 (recommended by a fellow Fodorite). It was full of Italians enjoying pizza and beer.

SusanP

When you're at the Capitoline Museum, be sure to go around the back of the Senate building (to the right as you face it) for a wonderful view of the Forumn and part of the Colosseum.

It's quite a long walk from Piazza Farnese to Galleria Borghese, so I assume you're doing that to see a few things along the way? You'll need to be at the Galleria by 10:30 to pick up your tickets. It would take me well over an hour to walk that route, although I admit I'm a very slow walker!
Have a wonderful trip!

SusanP

Forgot to mention that I ate at La Tartaruga and it was great. In particular the Carpaccio of Swordfish with red onion & fennel was to die for...

iamq

Susan, glad to hear good things about La Tartartuga! Thanks too for the time estimate on getting from our apartment to the Borghese. I was thinking it would take us about an hour. At that point in the trip, however we may be starting to get "walked out", so we might just take a cab. LOL .

Thanks samsmom.

I'm really starting to get excited!

-Bill

SusanP

Bill, you can also take the 116 bus to Galleria Borghese. It does stop right by Campo de' Fiori, which of course is not far from Piazza Farnese.

sweet_p_wi

iamq- we'll beat you to Rome by a week, but reading your plans have been a great help =) I'm concerned about the crowds we'll face (Easter week), and am now feeling very unprepared. Are you purchasing / reserving now, or when you are there? I've bookmarked some tips in other threads that suggest some purchasing in advance to avoid lines, wondering if there is any more insider info for dealing with the crowds and advance purchases?

Thanks for any suggestions- Dani

Sally30

Iamq - can you tell me a little about the apartment you are renting? for how many people, how big, where did you find it, price? i'm looking in that neighborhood now myself.

your itinerary looks great. also in your neighborhood which is a lot of fun is the Palazzo Doria Pamphiliji - a palace that is a museum with a wonderful audio guide narrated by a decendent of one of the Pamphilijis. I believe the narrator still lives in the palace. Great art and a lot of fun.

iamq

sweet,

I have made reservations at the borghese and with context rome for the antica roma tour. Here are the sites.

http://www.ticketeria.it/ticketeria/borghese-eng.asp#

http://rome.contexttravel.com/

I plan on buying Roma Passes when we get there. I am told that there is a booth at one end of Piazza Navona.

I made the reservation with Stefano already.
http://www.romecabs.com/transfers.html

I think I will make a few restaurant reservations the for our first two days the day before we leave. Do the rest when we get there.

Everything else, we will deal with once in Rome. Have a great trip!

Sally30,
Thanks for the tip. I will look into it.

The apartment is on via della Barchetta just off of via Giulia. It is a small studio for two. I am renting it through ItalyPerfect. They have a small selection of apartments for rent.

http://italyperfect.com/rome/lagiulia/lagiulia.html

Hope this helps.

Bill

ekscrunchy

Bill:

I ate in 3 of the places on your list in January. If you want to wade through all of my musings, you can read my opinions here:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34931625

iamq

ek,

It is becasue of your report and your detailed musings that those places are now at the top of my list!

Your conversations with eloise and franco have been very educational as well as motivational!

-Bill

jabez

I love the fact that you recognize that day trips are not needed for a week in Rome.
Are you not planning on going to the Vatican museum?
The Appian Way is lovely on Sundays. Rome is more "closed down" on Sundays than people realize. So,do your shopping before then or on Monday.
You might consider an on/off bus when you arrive to get the "lay of the land",but just wandering is great as well.
While the capitoline museums are fine,I usually put them on my list for someone's second trip. But,that's just me.
Leaving your schedule somewhat open is good.
Have a great trip. I know you will.

Margaretlb

I also enjoyed dinner at Armando al Pantheon and Trattoria Monte in October. One restaurant that I ended up not going to but which has very good reviews and is near the Coloseum is "Pasqualino", via Dei SS Quattro (between via Ostilla and Pz de Colosseo). We spent a relaxing Sunday afternoon having brunch at the rooftop restaurant of the Hotel Forum. The restaurant overlooks the Forum and on Sunday the street below is a pedestrian street with lots of activity. We watched stilt-walkers, fire-eaters, strolling bands, etc. Lots of fun.

iamq

Thanks margaret and jabez.

We're not sure what we are doing at the Vatican yet. We'll probably go, but not sure how or when.

I hope the weather cooperates as I would love to spend Sunday walking the Via Appia.

Other than the Vatican, am I missing something obvious?

Thanks!

Bill

GBC

Hi Bill,
You've done your homework and will surely have a great trip.

Just one reminder to avoid the mistake we made - don't be late for the Borghese, they will not hold your reservation time. It would be a shame to miss it.