JBX

A website you may find helpful as plan your visit to Rome is "Ron in Rome", who is an American living in the city >>> http://www.roninrome.com/

NehaK -- As for hotel prices during latter part of April (post-Easter) I wouldn't expect to find alot of discounts. Next year Easter falls on Apr-12 ...... as such, some travellers coming to Rome specifically for that time period may stay thru that week into 3rd week of April.

dutyfree

Most of the hotels consider a shoulder bump up between Feb.15 and March 1st.After that everything is high season until around early October or November depending on the hotel.
(NehaK-discount the week after Easter,ah NO!April is full of tourists and long lines even after Easter.)
There is such an influx of tourists all year round now in Rome due to religious groups;students;cruise ship tours,etc. so don't expect ANY discounts on hotels and also expect major lines for the usual tourist haunts.
In my experience,low season is really January through February 15th which I love as the city is warm to me(I am from Chicago);sales are on; and you can enjoy it before it gets crowded!

bradshawgirl1

Most of the guidebooks I've consulted still list March as "shoulder season," and we've always visited Europe during March for this reason. That said, I totally hear (and understand) dutyfree's point. We've almost always noted school groups abroad for spring break trips during these European jaunts, though I imagine sites are not as crowded nor prices as high as they'd be in, say, May or June.

Still up in the air a bit on day trips. Franco, your suggestion of Tivoli is well taken. I've also stumbled across Bolsena (a lake town not far from Orvieto), Civita di Bagnoregio (cool looking, but not much to do there) and the Castelli Romani (really close to Rome) in an Italia guide. All of these look promising. Will let you know what we decide!

annhig

you might also consider Frascati, which is also a short train ride from Rome.

but there is really no need to decide till you get there!

andreadee

We took our family of 5 to Rome in March. The weather was fabulous....we had light coats but seldom needed them. We had a tour guide for 2 days. Her name was Daniella Sarghini and she was absolutely amazing. We used her to take us to the Colusseum & forum..Palantine Hill too... She was fun, informative and my kids and I loved her! Husband loved the history she provided...very well informed. We also used her our 3rd day to tour the Vatican/St. Peter's Basilica. I am so glad we did that! Incredible! Best part is we were able to skip all the lines at all places. So daniella was great and the other two days we were there we explored on our own. An amazing city! Absolutely loved it. I did think that 4 days was enough. We flew from Rome to Palermo via EasyJet for 38 dollars (Yup...no kidding!) and explored Sicily. We started in Venice...coolest there...great to see but very touristy..kind of like Disney. lol. then took the train to Florence. Florence was my favorite. We had a great place to stay (Il Villino) we ate the best food! Then took the train to Rome. The history and architecture are amazing. Rome is a must see but after 4 days we were ready to leave and explore less crowded areas. March is a good time because it isn't as packed as other times...still crowded though! A must is to eat in the jewish ghetto. Fabulous food. You could do the vatican and then walk to Jewish Ghetto. YOu won't be disappointed.

franco

bradshawgirl, once more: do you want to move to a second base for those three days, or do you want to daytrip from Rome? If you decide on daytripping, Bolsena and Civita di Bagnoregio are out of (reasonable) reach. If you move to a second base, neither Tivoli nor the Castelli Romani would make sense (those are typical daytrips from Rome). It's just two different concepts, depending also on what you really want to see...
Btw and IMHO, neither Bolsena nor the Castelli Romani nor Civita di Bagnoregio are worth the effort, during such a short exploration of Lazio like the one you can do in three days. Of course, would you spend three weeks in Lazio (Rome excluded), you'd visit all of them. As it is, though, none of the three is rewarding enough, I think. It would be far more interesting to trade the Castelli Romani for Palestrina, in the daytripping scenario; or Bolsena and Civita di Bagnoregio for Acquapendente (for the church's spectacular crypt, don't get me wrong - over the rest of Acquapendente, a veil of silence may be cast) and Montefiascone, in the case of moving towards the Lazio-Umbria border.

In any case, as soon as you've decided whether to move or to daytrip, come back and tell us, and you'll get many more tips on what to see.

bradshawgirl1

franco - I think we are daytripping. We've found a great deal on an apartment in Rome, and I'd rather stay there and unpack once rather than lugging my things hither and yon.

franco

So well, as I said above, for three daytrips from Rome, I would certainly pick Ostia Antica and Tivoli (one full day each, whatever you may be told elsewhere!) - and for the third day, I'd choose between Palestrina and Cerveteri. Since neither of them needs a full day, I'd probably decide on Palestrina; around Cerveteri, there's nothing else to see, while from Palestrina, you could go on to Subiaco, which is worth your time, as well.

Ronda

Frascati looks interesting, Ann.

annhig

Ronda - i have to make a confession - we never actually got there!

but I thought it looked like a good trip - only 40 minutes on the train, lots of trains each way, and the single fare is only €2!

bradshawgirl1

Thanks so much for the advice!!

andreadee

We stayed in Rome for 4 days in march...weather was wonderful and the crowds less than the touristy months. I would do it again in a heartbeat. We stayed there for 4 days and that was enough. We had a wonderful tour guide that was with us for 2 days. One day we toured the Colluseum, Forum, Palentine Hill and surrounding areas. Next day with the guide we visited the Vatican and of course St. Peter's Basilica and surrounding area. We then said goodbye to our tour guide and on her suggested walked over the bridge to the Jewish Ghetto and had one of the best meals in Rome. There were many outdoor restaurants and the area was booming with activity. We then continued to walk and found remnants of a city from the past that Rome was unearthing....pretty cool. Then onto a church that had another church underground discovered with a $3 tour...very cool. I would not want to spend more than 4 days in Rome. It gave us time to shop and see the sights. We went from Venice to Florence to Rome and then took a plane for $38 per person and flew to Palermo, Sicily. I do recommend that!! Florence is amazing as well. But no matter what you do...you are in italy! It will be fabulous!

EatingItalyFoodTours

March can be beautiful or rainy and a bit chilly it all depends and you will most likely experience both kinds of days. May is my favorite month because it is warmer, dryer and you are still beating the crowds, however March is still recomendable.

For day trips I love to go to Umbria and a beautiful and rather quaint city to visit is Orvietto which is about an hour by train. There is a beautiful Cathedral, fabulous restaurants and great little shops.

As a Food Tour Guide in Rome I like to make sure that all visitors stay clear of the tourist traps and taste the wonderful cuisine this city has to offer. Just ask if you are looking for any restaurant recommendations!

elnap29

bookmarking