Hi Everyone,
My wife and I will be visiting Rome for 2 1/2 days over Thanksgiving. We are going to Paris for 2 1/2 days first and then will arrive in Rome (Great cheap Alitalia package!).

Since our time in Rome is limited, we are going to cram in as much as possible (we are both in our early forties and can do a lot of walking)and realize we are not going to have a lot of time to linger due to our time schedule. This is my first trip and my wife's second trip (she went during college). We are flexible and will change our schedule as needed while we are there.

This is our itinerary..I hope much of it is doable in the time frames we have alotted. We are hoping that giving it is late November, lines and wait time will be shorter but we won't count on it as so not to be disapointed!:

Day 1
-Arrive FCO at 10:55A - car service to our hotel. We won't have jet lag since we will be coming from Paris and are used to the time change.

-Check-in to hotel and have lunch around 12:30ish

-Around 1:30 walk on down to the Forum and Colisseum through Piazza Venezia and Piazza del Capidoglio. We'll tour the Forum and if the lines for the Colisseum are not long, may choose to go in (we would get our tickets at Palatine Hill if that is the case and possibly get Roma Pass). Otherwise we are fine just walking the outside of the Colisseum (my wife has been inside on a previous trip). I know that during the winter months, closing times are around 4:30pm so if we don't go in the Colisseum this time frame works and I don't have a problem viewing the Coliseum in the early eve when it is dark.

-Evening - dinner in Piazza Novona area, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps (we don't plan to return to our hotel to rest..so we will go direct here. We don't mind being out late to 11p or so.

Day 2
Morning - Vatican, Museum/Sistine Chapel and St. Peters. If there is not a bad line I would like to climb the dome but if I missed it I would not be crushed. Not sure if we should climb the dome first and then the museum..I guess we'll play it by ear. Due to time constraints, I don't see spending a full day here and we are ok with that.

-On the way out, walk past Castel Sant' Angelo

-If we have some time in the afternoon I am leaving this open to whatever we feel like doing.

-Evening - dinner in the Trastevere neighborhood and walking around.

Day 3
-Have reservation for Borghese between 9-11A (will get there by 8:30 as instructed)

-Walk over to the Galleria d'Arte Moderna for an hour or so.

-Lunch

-Afternoon - possibly walking tour of a neighborhood, possibly Campo Fiori

-Dinner wherever we find ourselves

Evening
-I really would love to walk around the Jewish Ghetto neighborhood. I'm sure most things are closed on Friday and Saturday for the sabbath so this evening will be Saturday night and hopefully there will be some things open as the Sabbath will be over. We'll get to bed not too late as we have an early flight the next morning.

So if anyone has suggestions on this itinerary, please feel free to comment if its too much or think we can get some more in!

Thank you!
TS

Looks pretty good, especially the recognition that you won't be able to do/see everything.

Your arrival timeframe could be a bit optimistic, although car service from FCO to the hotel helps. Where is your hotel? You might want to cab or metro to the Forum/Colosseum to save time and work your way back on foot.

If climbing to the top of St. Peter's doesn't work out, consider going to the top of the Castello which is interesting in itself and has really nice views from the top.

Even if you're not particularly religious, you should see a couple of churches. San Clemente near the Colosseum, San Luigi dei Francesi near Piazza Navona and the twin churches in Piazza di Popolo would not require a detour. There are many others with wonderful treasures if you want to make more effort to get to them.

The Palazzo Massimo museum near the train station is easy to reach by metro and has a wonderful collection of ancient sculpture, mosaics, frescoes and artifacts. It's a great place to spend an hour or two, particularly on a rainy day.

A couple of things that have only recently opened or re-opened following renovation: Trajan's Market and museum, Nero's Domus Aurea (reservation required).

You do seem to have an excellent grasp on what you want to do and how you can accomplish. Just a few suggestions. Get to the Vatican Museum early, rent an audio guide and do the tour on your own. Leave the Sistine Chapel until last and as you head towards to the rear of the Chapel, be sure to take the "Left" side exit going into the Vatican Library and on over to Saint Peters. The right rear exit takes you back out onto the street where you started and its a long walk back to Saint Peters. (Approx., 3 hrs).
Don't rush Saint Peters, it is magnificant. "Try" to see the Chapels (Grotto) area under the main floor, however "Do" take the elevator to the roof (ticket booth located to the right side as you "enter" the front of Saint Peters. Go from the roof up the stairway to the inside of the Dome and get a close look at the mosiacs and down onto the main floor. then take the winding, slanting stairway on up to the exterior walkway around the top of the Dome. You are standing on top of the dome designed by one master, Michelangelo, and gazing out onto Piazza San Pietro, designed and built by another master, Bernini. There is no more beautiful sight in all of Rome and not to be missed. (Aprox., 2 hours)
Take a short lunch and rest break before heading over to San Angelo castle. You can do a quick tour of the castle including the papal apartments on the top floors and the roof in about an hour. This tour is worthwhile, but not at the expense of missing the top of Saint Peters.
In the evening, you might want to start from the Spanish Steps, walk to the Trevi Fountain, over to the Piazza della Rontunda for the Pantheon and end up at Piazza Navona for an evening dinner. (the outside heaters under the canopy do keep you warm).
I agree with Jean, on your second full day, you should be able to fit in lunch in Piazza del Popolo and a visit to the churches there, and depending on where your hotel is located and your final walking itinerary, try to fit in additional major churches. If in the area on one of your routes, try to fit in the second most beautiful baroque church in Rome, Santa Maria della Victoria (near the Piazza della Republica).

Remember, its required, even in November, to eat lots of gelato......Have a great trip.
Lee

Thanks for the tips. We are staying around Piazza Navona area. Its walkable to the forum/colliseum but its not a short walk from what I can tell by the map.

Hi TS - It's a 20-30 mins walk from Piazza Navona to the forum/Colosseum.

Alternatively there's a direct bus ...

Steve

Again, Thank you for all the suggestions.

I had a question about the Vatican Museum and St. Peters.

I read the Vatican Museums do not open to the general public until 10am. I also read that the hours of St. Peters Basilica are 7AM-5P (and the Cupola 8AM-5PM).

Since the Vatican Museums do not open until 10AM, does it make sense to get there around 8am, tour St.Peters Basilica for an hour or so, then do the Museum/Sistine Chapel (how far in advance before 10am do you need to be there this time of year...I assume they line up?) and then afterwards go back over to St. Peters see if we can climb the Cupola.

Doe it make any sense to do it this way? I suppose we could just do the Basilica and Cupola after the Museums close. I am just trying to maximize our time and I know we could do a lot between 8-10am in the morning.

Thanks for any input.

TS

If you are interested in seeing the market at Campo de'Fiori on Day 3, you will miss that if you go in the afternoon. The piazza plus Piazza Farnese and Via Giulia makes an interesting walk at other times of day so I would not discourage you from going there even if the market is closed

churches you might want to see near your hotel in the Piazza navona/Pantheon area include San Luigi dei Francesci (with 3 beautiful Carravaggios of the life of St. Matthew) and Santa maria Sopra Minerva (Gothic, with Michelangelo statue of the Risen christ)

We stayed at an apartment in the ghetto neighborhood earlier this year. Some if not most of the restaurants there were open Saturday evening. Good places for traditional Roman cooking (fried artichokes, etc) The ruins of Theatro di marcello and Portico d'Ottavia are illuminated at night

We just got back from Italy, and spent four glorious days in Rome (which was not enough by far).

Here are a couple of comments:

1. Piazza Navona/Trevi Fountain/Spanish Steps are all quite far from each other. It is about a 5-10 minute walk from Piazza Navona to the Pantheon, another 5-10 minutes to Trevi Fountain, and another 10-15 minutes to Spanish Steps. Definitely it would make a nice after dinner walk, but keep in mind that the weather will be chilly (we were very cold in the evenings) and it may be rainy, too.

2. We tried to buy the Roma Pass at Palatine Hills, but they were sold out (and from what I heard from our tour group, they had been sold out for several days). So you might want to buy the Roma Pass at a bus stand or tourist office instead.

3. If you want to make the most of your time in Palatine/Forum/Colosseum, I would suggest getting on a tour group. We used Context Rome and they were pricey but excellent, and well worth the cost. They did a mostly good job in managing the time so we were able to see almost everything in 4 hours (we would have liked to spend a little less time in Palatine and more time in the Forum).

4. I think going inside the Colosseum is a must, so I would highly recommend getting the Roma Pass beforehand so that you can go inside. The line in the evening to get in to the Colosseum was not that bad; the big line was for ticketing, so if you already have a Roma Pass, you should be fine.

5. The Vatican Museums are set up in a one way route, so you have to walk with the crowd to get to the end (Sistine Chapel). I frankly don't think that you can get through the Vatican Museums in less than 3 hours, just because of the crush of the crowds. We spent about 4 1/2 hours in there and it was not nearly enough time, but we like to take our time slowly and enjoy the art.

6. The best time to go to the Vatican Museums is at 12:00. We walked over to the Vatican then and stood in line for only 10 minutes. People on our Scavi Tour told us that they had stood in line for an 1 1/2 hours the day before when they got there at 9:00 (an hour before it opened).

7. I would be amazed if you can get through the Vatican Museums and St. Peters Basilica in the morning, just because of the lines. We took the Scavi Tour so didn't have to wait for St. Peter's, but the lines throughout the day looked like they were taking about an hour to get in.

8. If you are staying in Piazza Navona, there is a direct bus from right near Navona to Borghese (I think it is number 62, though I don't remember exactly). Take that bus. We took a taxi which was both irritating and a waste of money, because the taxi driver dropped us off at the wrong place and we had to walk another 20 minutes to get to the gallery.

9. Campo de Fiori is very small (we stayed right off there, on Piazza Farnese), and the market in the morning is nice, so I would suggest going to Campo de Fiori in the morning and Borghese in the afternoon.

Have fun! Rome is amazing.

akila,
Thank you for the advice and tips.

I am confused though about arriving at the Vatican Museums at 12:00?. What month were you there? The Winter hours (I think began on 11/1) says the last admission in is at 12:30pm and the museum closes at 1:45pm. Can you clarify the hours for me? You arrived at 12 noon and spent 4 hours at the museum?

I thought we had no choice but to go in the morning at 10am to have any time in the museum and sistine chapel as it is only open for a total of 3 3/4 hours a day! I believe during the summer hours you can go later as it is open longer.

Good point about the weather in the evenings. If the weather doesn't cooperate, we can re-adjust as necessary. It looks like the highs will be in the 50's and lows in the upper 40's. I'm dressing warm with layers!

TS

bookmarking. thank you

If I understood your schedule you plan to do the Vatican museum on Friday 23rd in which case you are right about the opening hours in November
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-In...fo_Orario.html

there are posts on this forum about ways to get in earlier with tour groups but I think that is the only way around the lines

Hope you have good weather and a great trip.

Thanks Vttraveker

I have been to that site and where I got the shorter winter hours. I might take a look at some tours that go in between 8:45 and 10am (which is the hours only tours can go in), but since this is a budget trip we will probably wing it ourselves, get there at 9am and get our spot in line. Then after we finish will tour St. Peters. If we end up spending a little later into the afternoon because of crowds, then so be it...I am a flexible traveler.

I understand about not wanting to pay the extra money for the tour to get in earlier--we waited in line ourselves

I am curious about the cost of your cheap Alitalia package--we paid $475 per person from boston to Rome (via Milan) in late February/early march this year

VT-
Well cheap is a relative term. Now $475 that is cheap! We upgraded our hotels slightly from the base hotels so it increased the price a little. It ended up about $1,000 per person, including airfare from NY to Paris via Milan, hotel in Paris 3 nights with breakfast, flight from Paris to Rome (again via Milan), 3 nigts hotel in Rome with breakfast and flight home. Of all the packages we looked at, this was by far the cheapest over Thanksgiving. I originally wanted to do Venice, Florence and Rome for the week, but I could not find an Italy package that came in as cheaply as this Paris-Rome deal did.

Paris should be nice, but they are planning a transit strike starting tomorrow so we may have problems...should be fun!

TS

TS

But what you are missing is that the best of Rome is the walking-you will encounter lovely people, age old bldgs., monuments and treasures absolutely everywhere! A Bernini statue in a tiny piazza, Michaelangelo's Moses in a small St. Pietro in Vincoli church, not to mention the chains that held St. Peter, I mean, amazing sights everywhere-just wander and gawk and stand in awe - there isNoWhere on earth like it. Lucky you - Bon Voyage
Leslie

Leslie,
Thanks, I agree just walking around is a great way to experience the city. I think we will end up doing plenty of walking and will get that experience, but we will also get to see the main sites. We will return!
TS

bookmarking - thanks!

Just a comment about some advice contained in an earlier reply. If you rent the audioguide at the Vatican Museums, I believe you have to return it back near the entrance to the museum, so you can not take the exit from the Sistine Chapel that leads directly to St. Peter's.

In order to take the direct exit, as you are facing the rear of the Sistine Chapel, you take the door on your right. It has been a couple years since I was there, but at that time there was a sign saying that exit was for tours only. Lots of people used it though, by walking through when a tour left. By using this door, you avoid the security line at St. Peter's.

The exit on your left as you face the rear of the Sistine Chapel leads back to the entrance. If you choose to go to St. Peter's after this, you must walk back around the Vatican wall and then wait in line for security to go into St. Peter's.

You might want to try gelato at Old Bridge (may be the best in Rome). Old Bridge is across the street from where people line up to get into the Vatican museum.

Why not book a tour through the Vatican for 23.5E? It's not much more than buying an entrance ticket (13E) and then renting the audio guide (6E).