We will be arriving from the U.S. on April 10 around 9am and leaving to go back on April 17 around 11am. We will have 6 full days and a partial day the day we arrive.

Tuesday: Once we get settled into our apartment (Via Guilia/Via Barchetta) the idea would be to walk around our neighborhood and check things out, maybe wander over to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.

Wednesday: I've read to go easy in Rome on your first full day, so I don't want to plan a tour or anything too structured and keep this day semi-unplanned. An idea would be to walk through Trastevere sightseeing heading south ending up at the market in Testaccio, a visit to Volpetti and lunch at Checchino dal 1887. Maybe wandering the Ghetto and Trastevere. Any ideas for good atmospheric walks?

Thursday: The Vatican Museums and St. Peter's including the dome. I think we'll do this on our own. Some say it is better to visit St. Peters and climb the dome in the morning when there are fewer people, then visit the museums. Others say to do it the other way around. Help here please. I have noticed that many guided tours of the Vatican Museums are scheduled for 1pm - 2pm. Is there a reason for this? Are the museums less crowded in the afternoon? How have you done it?

Friday: Context Rome Antica Roma tour. I'm not sure whether to do the morning tour or the afternoon tour. Any feelings one way or the other? My gut tells me that the morning tour would work out better for us. While we are in the area, I'd like to see San Clemente too.

Saturday: I'm thinking that a day trip to Orvieto or Ostia Antica on this day.

Sunday: I'm thinking that Sunday would be a good day to spend at the Villa Borghese with a visit to the Museum. Are there any other worthwhile sites in the park. The Etruscan Museum or the Modern Art Museum maybe?

Monday: More neighborhood wandering and probably shopping before we have to leave on Tuesday.

How does this look?

Other things that I'd like to work in somehow are a vist to Castel Sant'Angelo, and the Capitoline Museums. How would these work into the plan above? I also want to make sure that I see as many fountains as I possbily can!

Thanks for your feedback and input!

-Bill

I am going to Rome in February for 6 days, too and have a similar itineray planned. I have been there before and lived there for a few months as a college students way back. Your itinerary looks quite reasonable.
Your second day (first full day) looks good, too - although you may want to include one structured site visit to maximize your itinerary...Capitoline Museum or the Doria Pamphili galleria. The ghetto is worth a walk through and I love the synagogue (tours are available at specific times)- but the ghetto is really a small area. The Campo Fiori is wonderful in the morning and I like Via Guilia for shopping. Via D. Governo Vecchio also has some interesting shops. If you get a good night's sleep the day you arrive you should be ready to hit the road your second day (within reason).

The Castel St. Angelo is near the Vatican. You may be able to work that in before or after. It doesn't really have too much to see IMO but it is has a great view. I've heard that the Vatican Musuem is often better in the late afternoon...My experience is that is always crowded so I'd just arrange it according to your own personal schedule. I am also doing a full day organized tour of ancient Rome (and Ghetto) but with a focus on Jewish History. I'd recommend that you do the Antica tour in the morning. Then if you want to visit other sites in the area you will already be there. I went to San Clemente on my last trip with my daughter and she wants to go back again this time to show my husband. It is very interesting. You can also go to see Michealanglo's Moses at S. Pietro in Vincoli. Check out Via Cavour and a cool street Via Del Boshcetto - all near the Coloseum area.

We are also planning a day trip to Orvieto.

We will do the Borghese museum again (my daughter requested a return visit)-You will need to make reservations via their website. It is a small but wonderful musuem. Afterwards you can take a walk through the Park. I like to walk up Via Veneto to the Park (you can visit the church on the way that has the bones of the Capucine Monks- sorry I forget the name of the church but it is truly worth a visit). Then exit the Borghese Gardens from the Pincio- another amazing view of Rome- down to Piazza del Poppolo. You should visit the the Church Santa Maria Del Popolo to see the two Carravagio's. Then head down Via Babuino to the Spanish Steps.

As for other museums...you may want to find out what exhbits are going on in Rome while you are there. There are some wonderful galleries that present excellent shows of masters. On one visit a few years back I saw an amazing Carravaggio exhibit, Valasquez exhibit, and Magritte exhibit. Do leave time for exploring. Take nighttime walks - Trevi Fountain, walk around the Coloseum at night- into the ghetto.

Famous fountains can be found in- Piazza Navona, Ghetto (turtle fountain), Trevi, Piazza Barberini...I am sure there are others who can chime in here, too.

Hope this was helpful. You'll have an amazing time.

It sounds like a great week. You'll be in a convenient neighborhood, and what could be better than Rome in April? OK, Paris, maybe...nah.

And do be sure to see the Capitoline Museums and the view over the forum, lovely at sunset. The Doria-Pamphili is a great suggestion, with an amazing Velazques portrait of Innocent X. Be sure to get the audio tour. Closed on Thursdays.

And if you like the baroque, try to see San Andrea Quirinale ans San Carlino alle Quatro Fontane two masterpieces, by Bernini and Borromini, respectively, and only a block apart.

The lines for the Vatican mueums are very long in the mornings, so early afternoon is probably better, if you have the stamina to tackle them after seeing the basilica: the museums are enormous and exhausting.

But I wonder about your day-trip out of Rome. Why do it? Orvieto is a very pleasant place, and I am sure that Ostia is fascinating, but I would hate to take a day away from Rome.

Hmmm. I <i>like</i> the idea of a day trip out of Rome. As much as I love the city, it can be overwhelming, and sometimes a break is just what the doctor ordered. Just my experience. Orvieto is a wonderful town, one of my favorites, but I'd try to get there early if you're going on a Saturday. Your itinerary sounds very good...just be sure to leave plenty of time to wander.

Thanks! Anyone else?

-Bill

I just got back from a 7-day trip to Rome last week, and I can tell you that I stood in line for 2-1/2 hours to see the Vatican Museums on a Saturday morning (the low-light of my entire trip, to be honest), so I'd strongly urge you to explore the private tour option or at least go late in the afternoon. If you arrive late, you'll have virtually no line and then can breeze through the museums, which will be more crowded in April than they were in November for me. (And the worst part of the experience was that the Sistine Chapel was so crowded that I simply didn't enjoy the experience.) My advice would be that, whatever the cost, try to arrange for a private tour in an off-hour.

I did the Borghese Gallery last Tuesday afternoon, and it was great ... the best museum experience of my trip. Once the crowds thin out, you can go back and look at the Bernini statues again with virtually no one around. I had lunch in the lovely outdoor cafe at the Museum of Modern Art but didn't tour the museum itself. I very much enjoyed the walk through the park, though.

The Capitoline Museums are excellent, and I'd strongly recommend them as a don't-miss experience, nicely connected with the Forum and Colisseum. I'd actually recommend doing them before the Forum; having an introduction to ancient Roman art is a nice way to ease into a tour of Ancient Rome itself.

Castel Sant'Angelo is especially nice for the view, and you can do it either before or after the Vatican. It doesn't take long.

Look into a Roma Pass, which will help you avoid lines and even includes 3 days of public transit. By the way, it works at the Borghese Gallery, and then you'd have to pay only the 2 euros for your reservation. However you get into only 2 museums for free; for the others, you get the reduced rate. And the pass works for only three consecutive days. Using the Roma Pass for the Borghese and the Colisseum will pay for itself.

Thanks Doug.

The Roma Pass sounds like a good idea. I have the site bookmarked, but have not looked at it yet.

I'm also giving the afterhours tour of the Vatican some more thought. It will sort of blow our budget, but those who take it say it is worth the extra dollars just to be in the Sistine Chapel without all the people.

Any more suggestions?

-Bill

Yes, I am the one thing missing! This trip will span a week in which my birthday falls, and I think I should be in my favorite city on that day! Waaaa! (she wailed jealously!)

Seriously, looks great, buon viaggio,
BC

bookchick,

What day is your birthday? If you tell me, I will toast to you on your birthday. Any special place that you would like me to do the toast at?

-Bill

bookchick, you like to be the leader, &amp; people find themselves following you, right? You don't waste a lot of time navel-gazing either, right? And you've got energy out the wazoo, right?
;-)

iamq,
We recently took the after hours private tour and it was without question the highlight &quot;siteseeing&quot; portion of our trip. We paid $175E/person but I think next year's prices have increased.

I've included a few pictures of the tour at the end of my trip report. Our camera died during the tour (sucks!) so the few pictures inside the Sistine Chapel we got from Helen (the organizer).

Trip Report:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34871283

Pictures (Vatican Pics last four):
http://tinyurl.com/y3y96s

Bill, it's April 11th.

LucieV, I am not a time-waster, people do tend to follow me, although I am not a Napolean-Bonaparte-I-am-the-leader-making-a-formal-declaration-to-announce-it type of leader. Follow me or don't, we all need to do what's right for ourselves.

Hmmm..spot for a toast...somewhere with a great view would be great..the top of the Vittoriano, or the top of Castel Sant'Angelo or the very top of the Spanish Steps.

Thanks,
BC

bc, I intended that as a compliment...lots of Aries in my family, including Mom &amp; DS. I love youse guys!

bookchick,

Will do!


saps,

I read your report last week. What a great trip you guys had! Reading about your experiences on the afterhours Vatican tour is what actually started me thinking in earnest about doing it. ContextRome is now doing an afterhours tour too, so I have two options. I loved your pictures of Amalfi! That'll be next!

Thanks much.

-Bill

I just got back from my 8th trip to Rome a couple of weeks ago. My suggestion is to go to Orvieto or the Vatican or any other popular place on a weekday, not a weekend. Many Italians who like to sightsee on the weekends will be at work during the week. We have noticed much smaller crowds when we do that.

Another thing that we like to do is see a special sight every morning and then eat lunch close to that sight and spend the afternoon just wandering around, making our way back to our lodging eventually. That makes our sightseeing feel low key and allows opportunities for serendipty and adventures.

Thanks for the tips saraho.

Here is a question. Our first full day is Wednesday. If your choices were to take a 9am private tour of Ancient Rome on Wednesday morning (our first morning) or Saturday morning. Which would you choose?

Does anyone know if the Duomo in Orvieto is open on Mondays?

Thanks.

-Bill

I would definitely choose Wednesday morning because it will give you a very good overview of the sights, and then you can go back again to the ones you really find interesting. Also you may get some really good ideas about other places to go later from your tour tour guide. A tour guide will be a good resource for any questions you may have about Rome.

If this is a half day tour, I really don't think you will be feel too tired.

Go to the Orvieto web page(google to find it) to find out for sure about the Duomo's schedule. I doubt that it is closed on Mondays- It is a church.

Looks like a very good schedule, with perhaps one exception: no other city in the whole world has more first-rate sights to offer than Rome, so why leaving for a daytrip? And if you absolutely want to do it, why go to Orvieto? Orvieto is beautiful, but in the meantime, everybody seems to go there (I'm afraid it will soon become the fourth of the three cities, Rome - Venice - Florence); and it's in Umbria, in a culturally and artistically totally different region, so it doesn't absolutely fit into a Rome visit. Ostia - I repeat: if you REALLY want to do any daytrip - is by far the better choice, it's nearer, it's culturally related to Rome, and it's btw the much better sight than Orvieto. Ostia is really a highlight, a billion times better than any ancient site in Rome itself, and absolutely on the same level as famous and overcrowded Pompeii, maybe even better - with almost no visitors at all.

Bill,

Generally looks great.

Wednesday just plan your own walk that incorporates the things you want to see without too much doubling back. You might take a taxi back from Testaccio.

I would plan on splitting Thursday(especially if you are planning to scale the dome) with a serious rest back at your apt in the middle (it's only a 10 minute walk or so). Thursday has a LOT more than it may seem to you right now.

I spent 4 hours just walking around St. Peters and you could spend days in the Vatican Museum.

Perhaps you could spend the morning at the Vatican Museums, lunch/power nap at apt., and then St. Peters up until dinner hour.

Sunday looks lighter. Perhaps that would be a good day to squeeze in Castel Sant'Angelo or the Capitoline Museums.

Great ideas everyone. Franco, your restaurant ideas for Rome are going to come in handy!

The more I think about, the more I am rethinking the day trip idea. We'll see...Plenty of time to decide...and change my mind again.

How doable would this be? On Wednesday, do a ContextRome tour of Ancient Rome at 9am and then do a private afterhours tour of the Vatican Museums (2 hour tour) that starts around 5:30. I'm thinking that we'd have enough time to go back to the apartment after the Antica Roma tour for a brief rest and refresh before heading out again for the Vatican. Too much?

-Bill