In a few weeks I'm making a return visit to Rome after an absence of several years,and one of my TCs will be a first-timer. We will be very short on time--barely 3 days. I've already arranged for a guided tour of the Vatican on our first afternoon (we will have already been in Italy for a few days.)
We are staying in the Pantheon/Navona area, so we will explore that.
We will also visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum. I hope to have lunch or a snack in the Trastevere area one day. I've had my map out, and am trying to come up with a walking route, perhaps tacked onto one of the above areas, or else a separate route, which will include most or all the following:
Baths of Diocletian
Santa Maria d'Angeli
Santa Maria della Vittoria
Trajan's Market
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

suggestions appreciated.
Also, on two previous visits to Rome I have not visited Castel Sant'Angelo. Am I missing something important?
thanks

Are your only set things the Vatican and the Colosseum? Are there any other must sees?

If you haven't booked a tour of the Colosseum, I would buy the Roma Pass which will not only get you into the Colosseum/Forum/Palantine free (counts as one entrance on the pass), but will also let you bypass ticket lines everywhere. I would use the second free entrance for the Borghese (you still must have a reservation - tell them you are using the pass). You will get discounts at other museums after your two free entrances plus the three day transport pass. It comes with a map that tells you how to get to each site.

You didn't give the dates you will be there, but if between Sept. 4 and end of October, know that there are special late openings of several museums including Friday nights at the Vatican Museum (until 11pm).
http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/...sita=17&step=1

Additionally, the Colosseum/Forum will be open late on Sundays (also until 11pm) during those two months. Saturdays will be the Capitoline.
http://en.turismoroma.it/oggi_a_roma.../musei_di_sera

If you will be there the last weekend of Sept., the state museums/sites will be free for Heritage weekend.

I don't think you are missing all that much with Castel Sant'Angelo.

On our last visit to Rome we joned a free walking tour by Rome Free Walk . It was FANTASTIC.
they meet every day at 5:30 PM near the spanish steps for a 2.5 hour tour in English. For details look at www.romefreewalk.com.

I'm not quite sure what you are asking. The Rome Tourist Board has some walking routes.
http://en.turismoroma.it/scoprire_roma/itinerari

the Rome Tourist Board walks don't include sites I want. The romefreewalk link isn't working for me. Thanks, though.

good tip re the Roma Pass for bypassing lines, will buy.
Yes, the Borghese is also on our to-do list, for our last day. I've been there before, but my friends haven't, and anyway, I love it.
Our dates are during the 3rd week of October, Thurs-Saturday, going home on Sun.

I have a book with numerous walking routes. It tells how long each route will take (most are around three hours), has the sites numbered on the route map, gives the directions to the next site (leaving the church, go left, etc.), gives directions back to your starting point when you finish the route (also gives the bus numbers to get back). It's Thomas Cook Travellers Rome. It also has a mini-CD. The routes are varied and labeled such things as Saints and Martyrs, Baroque Rome, Renaissance Rome, Rome monuments, etc.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1841572748

Baths of Diocletian/Santa Maria d'Angeli/San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane are all within a few minutes of each other, but a bit of distance from Trajan's Market. I'm not sure I would want to walk it as it's mostly uphill.

You have to call the Borghese to make your reservation and tell them you will be using the pass. You can't do it online as the only option there is to pay. Someone posted an e-mail address they used to make their reservation. You might find it with a search.

Start at Piazza Venezia. Trajan's Market, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (you might as well hop into Sant'Andrea al Quirinale on the same street), Baths of Diocletian/Santa Maria degli Angeli (same place more or less; church in one part, museum in another), Santa Maria della Vittoria.

Find the addresses in a guidebook or online and map a walking route at maps.google.com.

If you go to the Galleria Borghese's official ticket-reservation page, it now has a Call Back feature. They call you (no telephone charge to you), you make your reservation, you show your Roma Pass when you get there.

Zerlina, Sant'Andrea Quirinale was on my list too, but I was afraid of being 'greedy' one walk. k
yb, thanks for that book suggestion. I actually own a new book with 25 Rome walks in it, I think it's Frommers, but I couldn't figure out how to glean from it the sights I really wanted to make a priority.

thanks to both of you for the Pass/Borghese reservation tips.

If you like art and architecture search for Rome Churches in this forum. My wife and I found Caravaggio paintings in churches all over Rome, and we also stumbled on a wonderful statue of Moses by Michaelangelo in the San Pietro in Vincoli church not far from the Colosseum. As a warning, try to find the times the churches are open.

As another suggestion, you might try seeing the Ara Pacis, now housed in a new building not far from the Navona area. The Ara Pacis is an altar built at the time of Augustus.

As still another suggestion, there's the Largo di Torre Argentina off Via Arenula. This is a sunken area containing restored Roman temples and a cat sanctuary. And finally, what about the Baths of Caracalla?

Have a nice trip.

Yes to the churches, I've got a trip file on Rome from previous visits, and it's full of details on churches, I love to visit them,and so often have the benefit of the nearly-hidden masterpieces.To me, the church masteripiece of masterpieces is the Saint Teresa in Maria della Vittoria.

The Moses in the St Peter's church is pretty impressive, though even more I like the Rachel and Leah standing next to him, they look so serene. But in sculptural terms, I think Florence is Michelangelo's city, and Rome is Bernini's.

elaine,
I enjoyed Castello Sant'Angelo and we didn't even get to see all of it. The views from the top are fantastic!

You might look at Fodor's destination guide for Rome. It includes some walking itineraries. Go to the top of this page and click on "Destinations" in the horizontal menu.

I just remembered this one and I think there is another one or two if I can find them.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...n-churches.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ovona-area.cfm

ah, yes,Degas's wonderful walks. I'd forgotten about those, thanks.

I enjoyed Castel Sant'Angelo as well.

When you visit The Forum/Coliseum (Palatine Hill is included in admission as well), you can walk over to Trajan's Market. You will have to pay separation admission into the market, but you can see into Trajan's square and Trajan's forum without paying. After the Forum/Palatine Hill, we felt a bit of ruins overload especially with the August heat.

I don't think we're going to see the Palatine, our time is short, and there are other priorities.
Degas's 'southern churches' walk (link above), is masterful, but not the route I will be including this time.
I'll see if I can piece on together myself.

Does this route make sense? I've been using a map and a walking guide, but that doesn't help me with obstacles, uphill vs downhill, etc. I'm also not sure about the street that gives access to Trajan's Market, and perhaps that locale is better combined with the Forum/Colosseum.

Start at Piazza Venezia, with the monument to Victor Emmanuel II. Turn right on Via IV November, cross the street, and turn left through Piazza Santi Apostoli. Turn right on Via del Vaccaro to Piazza della Pilotta, right on Via della Pilotta, to Palazzo Colonna at #17 (has a gallery, open only on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm.). If you continue down Via IV Novembre you come to Trajan’s Market (just ahead, also seen from Via Fori Imperiale) and Trajan’s Column (to your right, down Via Magnanapoli.) A statue of Trajan once was perched at the top of the column; today the statue we see is of St Peter.

Return to Via IV Novembre to Largo Magnanapoli. Turn left on Via XXIV Maggio to Piazza del Quirinale. Palazzo del Quirinale is the official resident of the President. The fountain in the square depicts Castor and Pollux, the twin sons of Jupiter and the patrons of horsemanship. Down Via del Quirinale is Sant’Andrea al Quirinale, a church designed by Bernini. (church is closed on Tuesdays.)

Via del Quirinale will meet Via delle Quattro Fontane (Four Fountains). (on the opposite side of Via delle Quattro Fontane, Via del Quirinale takes on the name Via XX Settembre) The two river gods are the Tiber and the Arno, and the goddesses are Diana sand Juno. Where Via del Quirinale meets Via delle Quattro Fontane is the church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, designed by Bernini’s rival, Borromini. Continue left down Via delle Quattro Fontane to Palazzo Barberini and #13. This is now the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, closed Mondays. http://www.galleriaborghese.it/barberini/en/einfo.htm

Return to Via XX Settembre, heading north, and at #17 is the church Santa Maria della Vittoria. In my opinion, Bernini’s sculpture of Saint Teresa in the church’s Cornaro Chapel is a don’t-miss.
Cross to the other side of Via XX Settembre, and follow Via Orlando to Piazza della Republica. In the center of this hectic traffic center is the Fountain of the Naiads. The church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, built over part of Diocletian’s Baths, faces the Piazza. This church was designed by Michelangelo. Behind the church are the remains of the Baths of Diocletian.

comments welcome, please and thank you.