Hi,
We are a family of 4 travelling to Rome in June on a Wednesday. We shall be reaching the airport at 9am and then take a cab to our hotel. We aim to check-in and be ready for our tours by 12pm.
We plan to visit colosseum, forum and palatine hill. Please let me know how long would it take to do all these 3 sites.
After this we plan to take it easy and stroll around Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona.
Wondering if this is doable?

On day 2 we wanted to take a tour of Florence-Pisa and return back to Rome.

On day 3 we plan to go to Vatican City + St. Basilicia + Sistine Chapel

Would appreciate if I can get some expert recommendations on the above plan

Thnx,
AK

Hi Ak,

You will get off the plane at 9:30.
You will clear immigration 10:15.
You will get your luggage at 10:45.
You will be at your hotel by noon.

If all goes well.


As for the rest of the trip, after you collapse from exhaustion, what will you do?

I think that you might wish to consider slowing down.

What is the rest of your itinerary?

I agree this is pretty ambitious and no time to stop and savor Rome. You can do Colosseum/Forum/Palatine in an afternoon but you will be tired (unless you are flying from somewhere else in Europe?). I would definitely skip Florence/Pisa day and do the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine in the morning that day instead.

Skip Florence and Pisa. If you need a break from Rome (although your time there is short enough), go to Tivoli for the Villa d'Este and Hadrian's villa, or Orvieto for its cathedral, double spiral well and the town in general.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57622915079327

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57622914974923

Florence is possible in a single day, even if expensive for a family of four travelling by train. Florence+Pisa is not possible - well, you can do the itinerary by train in a single day but not visit the cities.

You are not giving yourself time enough to do anything. Suggest you have a look at the Michelin green guide - it not only provides details of major sights it tells you how long it will take to see them.

Seeing the Colosseum and the Forum in one afternoon is about as much as you can do if you want to actually see anything (you can spend the whole day at the Forum but I think you need at least 3.5 to 4 hours to see much og anything).

And squashing a day trip to Florence (you can;t do Pisa too) into only 2.5 days in Rome makes very little sense - unless you are huge fans of some of the specific artworks there.

Are you sure you can check into your hotel at noon. Most check in's are later in the day.

I'd prefer to enjoy Rome, and see Florence another time. You are shortchanging both locations to try to squish them both into only 3 days. And you will be exhausted, especially traveling with four people.

Thank you all for the suggestions....
I know it is a bit to ambitious and definitely enervating....ok, decided we would skip florence+pisa

Is Tivoli possible then? What say Michael?

Ira, we are travelling to Zurich on day 4 morning....

Maybe, if Tivoli is not such a good option....I can include Galleria Borghese!

Please suggest some good/clean hotel/b&B/apt. Would prefer in central so that we can wander about near the piazzas.

Thanks in advance,
AK

Good decision, AK. We had three nights in Rome, and we missed the Galleria Borghese. I'd forget a day-trip from Rome and just enjoy it there.

We liked the Domus Julia, below the Spanish steps. For your family, it would be nice because you can get two rooms with private baths which open into a kitchen/dining area of your own.

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/faste...aly-15990.html

Thanks PeaceOut....

What is the best way to travel within rome....
walk, trams, metro?

Is buying a ROMA PASS worth it, now that I shall have literally 3 days there?

I would like to explore as much in Rome...

I'd take the metro if you can't walk. Colosseum, Palatine and Forum are all next to each other. Ditto the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's. Pantheon, Trevi and Piazza Navona are
close enough for walking.

E90 for an adult ROMA Pass seems high to me. Sistine Chapel is part of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's is free. Colosseum, Palatine and Forum are all on the same ticket.

Buy your ticket to the Colosseum, etc. at the ticket office for the Palatine rather at the C. or at the Forum, as fewer people go to that ticket office.

You'll probably find there is so much to do in Rome that you'll stay there the entire three days.

Buon Viaggio

thanks

whats the best gelato in town?

>>>E90 for an adult ROMA Pass seems high to me<<<

Roma Pass is not 90€. It's 30€. I doubt it would be cost effective for what you have planned.

hi yes i just checked it is Euro 34.00

http://www.romapass.it/p.aspx?l=en&tid=2

But is it still worth it??

The Vatican is NOT covered by the Roma pass, so it depends on what else you plan on seeing as to whether it is worth it.

hi littleT
I am planning to visit Colosseum-forum-palantine hill + borghese museum + vatican

anyways, will check what all roma-pass covers.

akshay2801,

How are you getting to Zurich? I am flying into Zurich in June and then traveling to Rome. I am hoping to avoid flying.

The Borghese requires a reservation. It is a timed admission as they allow only a certain number of visitors at a time.