Rome Itinerary
Sep 13th, 2010, 07:19 AM
#1
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Rome Itinerary
My mom and I arrive in Rome early morning November 5th. We will be spending seven nights in Rome. I have learned so much by reading this forum and trip reports. Please share your advise on our plan. We are staying at Hotel Grifo in Monti.
Friday: Arrive at 8am and check into hotel or leave bags. Take a leisurely walk to Campo de Fiore, Piazza Navonna and the Pantheon.
Saturday: Visit St. Peters Cathedral and Castel Sant'Angelo
Sunday: Ostia Antica and wander Trestavere
Monday: Day trip to Lucca ( I know everyone will say this is too long for a day trip. We are visiting a town right outside Lucca where my grandmother is from. We are willing to tough it out to visit the area)
Tuesday: Colosseum/Forum/Paletine
Wednesday: Capitoline Museums / San Clemente / St. Peters in Chains
Thursday: Vatican Museums
I have tried not to pack too much into each day as my mom has a disability that requires her to walk rather slowly. She can walk for the day but it will be slow going. We also want a lot of time to relax and people watch. Thank you for any and all replies!
Friday: Arrive at 8am and check into hotel or leave bags. Take a leisurely walk to Campo de Fiore, Piazza Navonna and the Pantheon.
Saturday: Visit St. Peters Cathedral and Castel Sant'Angelo
Sunday: Ostia Antica and wander Trestavere
Monday: Day trip to Lucca ( I know everyone will say this is too long for a day trip. We are visiting a town right outside Lucca where my grandmother is from. We are willing to tough it out to visit the area)
Tuesday: Colosseum/Forum/Paletine
Wednesday: Capitoline Museums / San Clemente / St. Peters in Chains
Thursday: Vatican Museums
I have tried not to pack too much into each day as my mom has a disability that requires her to walk rather slowly. She can walk for the day but it will be slow going. We also want a lot of time to relax and people watch. Thank you for any and all replies!
Sep 13th, 2010, 07:37 AM
#2
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Your itinerary looks well-balanced to me.
Yes, many will express concern about your day trip to a town outside Lucca. Calm our concerns by sharing how you plan to do this. Rent a car and drive yourself? Private driver? You might do a combination of both: train to Florence (frequent departures, very fast train) and then have a private driver take you directly to grandmother's town.
Yes, many will express concern about your day trip to a town outside Lucca. Calm our concerns by sharing how you plan to do this. Rent a car and drive yourself? Private driver? You might do a combination of both: train to Florence (frequent departures, very fast train) and then have a private driver take you directly to grandmother's town.
Sep 13th, 2010, 07:55 AM
#3
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Friday - a few steps from the Pantheon is Santa Maria Sopra Minerva - gorgeous church - you'll locate it by the elephant with an obelisk rising from its back in the forecourt of the church.
Saturday - I would do the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel on the same day that you visit St. Peter's (Vatican Museums first, then St. Peter's). St. Peter's is a basilica, not a cathedral. The cathedral for Rome is St. John Lateran.
Sunday - On your way to or from Ostia Antica stop and visit St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of the four major basilicas of Rome. You can break your train trip for 90 minutes and the church is a short walk from the train station.
A tip for Ostia Antica, based on your mother's walking ability - the ground is cobbles/stones/dirt/gravel and a bit rough walking and the site is huge. If you make it as far as the cafe, there is a paved road behind the cafe that goes all the way to the entrance (this is for delivery vehicles). If your mother has difficulty walking back you can take the paved road which is easier to walk.
There are not a lot of places to sit in Rome (other than cafes) so perhaps your mother would benefit from one of those light-weight folding seats you can carry with you. She can sit for a few minutes while looking at things.
Saturday - I would do the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel on the same day that you visit St. Peter's (Vatican Museums first, then St. Peter's). St. Peter's is a basilica, not a cathedral. The cathedral for Rome is St. John Lateran.
Sunday - On your way to or from Ostia Antica stop and visit St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of the four major basilicas of Rome. You can break your train trip for 90 minutes and the church is a short walk from the train station.
A tip for Ostia Antica, based on your mother's walking ability - the ground is cobbles/stones/dirt/gravel and a bit rough walking and the site is huge. If you make it as far as the cafe, there is a paved road behind the cafe that goes all the way to the entrance (this is for delivery vehicles). If your mother has difficulty walking back you can take the paved road which is easier to walk.
There are not a lot of places to sit in Rome (other than cafes) so perhaps your mother would benefit from one of those light-weight folding seats you can carry with you. She can sit for a few minutes while looking at things.
Sep 13th, 2010, 08:34 AM
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Thank you for the responses so far! For our trip to Lucca we planned on taking the train to Pisa. Then taking the bus from Pisa to Lucca which stops in Santa Maria Del Giudice which is the town we want to visit. Our plan is to spend a couple of hours there then proceed to Lucca for the rest of the day. Then we would take a train from Lucca to Pisa and back to Rome. Is this too much?
Sep 13th, 2010, 08:39 AM
#5
If your mom has some mobility problems you might want to get a 7 day transport pass (16€)so you can hop on buses/trams/metro as needed. There are small electric buses that run through the central parts of Rome including Trastevere. You can catch one a block over from your hotel (via Serpenti or via Panisperna).
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=9
You can plot routes with public transport connections listed on the ATAC website also.
http://www.atac.roma.it/index.asp?lingua=ENG
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=9
You can plot routes with public transport connections listed on the ATAC website also.
http://www.atac.roma.it/index.asp?lingua=ENG
Sep 13th, 2010, 08:47 AM
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WADR -
I would NOT try and combine the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's on the same day.
It's a bad idea even if you were not traveling with a slow moving parent with a disability. Your original plan sounds fine. Make sure to include Via Giulia on your Friday walk.
Here's a plan your can modify/shorten for your Friday strolling:
http://www.frommers.com/images/desti...ssancerome.jpg
http://www.frommers.com/destinations...064020035.html
I would NOT try and combine the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's on the same day.
It's a bad idea even if you were not traveling with a slow moving parent with a disability. Your original plan sounds fine. Make sure to include Via Giulia on your Friday walk.
Here's a plan your can modify/shorten for your Friday strolling:
http://www.frommers.com/images/desti...ssancerome.jpg
http://www.frommers.com/destinations...064020035.html
Sep 13th, 2010, 08:52 AM
#7
hi libbier,
my main point is that you are NOT going to be able to do a leisurely walk from where you are staying to the campo dei fiori etc. i know this as we stayed just up the road [via serpenti to be precise] from where you will be on our first visit to Rome, and we ended up getting very sore feet until we discovered the no 40 [express] and 64 buses, that run from via nazionale to corso vittorio emanuale [from where you can easily get to the campo dei fiori, piazza navona, pantheon, etc.]
if you mum has ambulatory difficulties, i suggest that you START by using the buses, rather than waiting to see how you get on - you may end up going nowhere, if you tire her out too much on the first day.
the other thing is that cabs are relatively cheap in Rome - they may be a justifiable expense at the end of a busy day.
my advice would be to take it easy, don't be too ambitious, and have lots of cafe stops [and don't forget to use the "facilties" whenever you can!]
my main point is that you are NOT going to be able to do a leisurely walk from where you are staying to the campo dei fiori etc. i know this as we stayed just up the road [via serpenti to be precise] from where you will be on our first visit to Rome, and we ended up getting very sore feet until we discovered the no 40 [express] and 64 buses, that run from via nazionale to corso vittorio emanuale [from where you can easily get to the campo dei fiori, piazza navona, pantheon, etc.]
if you mum has ambulatory difficulties, i suggest that you START by using the buses, rather than waiting to see how you get on - you may end up going nowhere, if you tire her out too much on the first day.
the other thing is that cabs are relatively cheap in Rome - they may be a justifiable expense at the end of a busy day.
my advice would be to take it easy, don't be too ambitious, and have lots of cafe stops [and don't forget to use the "facilties" whenever you can!]
Sep 13th, 2010, 09:05 AM
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It seems as if you have researched your day trip to Santa Maria Del Giudice. The train ride from Rome to Pisa is about 3 hours, add in bus connection time to Santa Maria Del Giudice, so I guess you will allow at least 4 hours to get there and back, without the additional connection to Lucca.
You mention you are willing to deal with a very long trip for just one day. Only you know how this will work for your mother's disability, especially since you will be carless once you reach Santa Maria Del Giudice which might limit your ability to visit the area. Santa Maria Del Giudice is about an hour's drive from Florence and Florence is 90 minutes by train from Rome. For this special day, hiring a driver might be well worth the expense, saving time and making it easier to explore.
You mention you are willing to deal with a very long trip for just one day. Only you know how this will work for your mother's disability, especially since you will be carless once you reach Santa Maria Del Giudice which might limit your ability to visit the area. Santa Maria Del Giudice is about an hour's drive from Florence and Florence is 90 minutes by train from Rome. For this special day, hiring a driver might be well worth the expense, saving time and making it easier to explore.
