Rome itinerary & Roma Pass - help please!
 

Hi guys,
Your previous advice has been so helpful I'd love to get some feedback on this: myself & my boyfriend and daughter will be in Rome in mid august. We will be arriving from Naples on a Monday lunchtime with a Thursday morning flight home...so I have had to narrow down what we can see as I am keen to wander & eat and relax before returning home.

We are based very near the Pantheon so I planned on seeing it as soon as we check in then walking to Trevi fountain, Spanish steps, then Piazza Navona on the first afternoon (break for lunch to get out of the heat too!) this loop seems to be just over 3k, this then leaves me with 2 full days.
Day 2: I want to see the Colloseum (I can get a 9.40am slot for the 70 min tour including the lower levels which I wouldn't mind seeing - but are not a deal breaker, €28 for adults €16.50 for child - is the guided tour worth the extra money?)
Day 3: I intend on seeing the Vatican & Sistine chapel on the Wednesday (I hear afternoon is a bit quieter? I will also pre-book a slot here) This also leaves the morning free to head to the market at Campo De' Fiori..
My question is should I buy the Roma Pass? I know it will not give me access to the Vatican and I will not be able to see the lower levels of the Colloseum with it either but is the free travel a bonus? I think we will walk a to most of the major sites as it seems compact? (maybe bus/tram to Vatican)
Unfortunately I don't think we will have time for both the Forum and Palatine hill (included in Colloseum price) as I am keen to allow some fun/gelato/ time for the teen!
I assumed I would be better off just paying for the sites I want to see direct but am now seeing conflicting threads on the value of the Roma pass...?
Also is there a reduction for Roma pass for a 13 yr old?

Also http://www.tickitaly.com is where i was looking at tour of Colloseum for €28 per adult/€16.50 per child

No. If you book a guided tour of the Colosseum (28€ is overpaying so you must not be using the official website for that price) with the official site, it will be closer to 22€ and include your admission ticket. The Vatican Museum is not part of the Roma Pass and most of the other sites you are visiting are free.

A Roma Pass is 34€ and would only get you admission to the Colosseum, not a tour.

If you just want entry to the Colosseum/Palantine/Forum the ticket price is 12€. For entry and a guided tour - about 18€. For entry and underground guided tour about 22€. You would book this with Coopculture.it which is the official booking.

You can buy a day ticket (6€)for transport if you think you have a day where you are going to use a lot of transport. Otherwise, just buy a few transport tickets (1.50€ each).

This is the official booking website for the Colosseum.

http://www.coopculture.it/circuito.cfm?id=4

You would click to buy a single (not a group!). Select English at the top, your date and if the underground tours are available, select it for the time of day you want, then you select the number of people. Adults are 22.50. Includes entry ticket (12€)good for two days (all entry tickets are for two days - one entry to each area), tour (9€)and booking fee (1.50€). It appears the child tour is 10.50€.

If you just want a guided tour (not underground), select Guided Tour - Eng (18.50). This tour is about 45 minutes. Child rate is listed as 6.50€.

If you want entry only tickets so you can skip the line, pick the top selection - ingresso singoli.

FYI - Reductions in Italy are usually for Europeans. It doesn't state that on the child's rate on the underground tour, but does on the regular guided tour.

For the Vatican Museum tickets, you can book entry only or several different tours (museum only, gardens, museums and St. Peter's).

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-In...zi_Visite.html

kybourbon....very good info as always. I was looking at the Vatican tours; can one get into St Peter's without a tour, and is it worth doing the tour that includes St Peter's? Thanks

Donna - your plan looks pretty good to me. one thing planned per day, and early in the day at that.

no need for a roma pass - your colloseum entry will be covered by the tour ticket [I'd definitely do the tour including the lower levels if I were you] and your vatican entry wouldn't be covered anyway. bus tickets are €1.50 each and are very easy to acquire so the pass would be an expensive waste of money.

>>>I was looking at the Vatican tours; can one get into St Peter's without a tour,<<<

No tickets or tours necessary for St. Peter's. It's free. You only have to go through security and dress properly (no shorts, short skirts or sleeveless). At both the museums and St. Peter's you can rent audio guides if you don't want a tour. The Colosseum also has audio guides to rent. Another alternative for all three is to download the free Rick Steves guides from ITunes.

<<<Unfortunately I don't think we will have time for both the Forum and Palatine hill (included in Colloseum price) as I am keen to allow some fun/gelato/ time for the teen!>>>

Donna, You would all be missing out on a very major part of Western Civilization's history.

Perhaps it won't interest your daughter at 13yrs old but perhaps she'll never get back to Rome in her life? (Or yourselves?)

In her studies and even leisure times through-out life she will see and hear about the Roman Forum (TV, movies, articles, books, photographs, etc).
And she will know that she once walked there and saw those same ruins.

Even if all you do is just a 15min walk-thru of the Roman Forum.

Personally I would take 1 hour and do a ~1.5 mile walk-thru of the Palatine Hill, Roman Forum and Capitoline Hill after the Colosseum.

www.capitolium.org/eng/fori/pianta.htm (Map)

From the Colosseum walk-down the 'Via di San Gregorio', see where this is ==(`) only vertical to the left of the 'EG' in "GREGORIO", that is the Palatine Hill entrance.

To the left of the entrance is either a direct naturally stepped path or a zig-zag path up the slope (this path takes you past an aqueduct) and both these areas are in a tree-like rustic park.

At the top walk straight across (right to left on the map) and view the ruins of an Emperor's massive Palace, then the modest 2 houses of Emperor Augustus and his wife and finally outside under a roof the post holes and drainage channels cut into bedrock that once had mud-thatched huts of Rome's original Founders build there (it has been claimed since ancient times to be the Hut of Romulus).

Now walk up on the map and exit at #1 (Arch of Titus) and walk thru the Roman Forum, exit behind #16 (Arch of Septimus Severus) and up the stairs to the Capitoline Hill and see the Piazza del Campidoglio designed by Michelangelo and exit down its grand staircase to the Via Teatro di Marcello.
If too much just enter at #41 and do a quick walk-thru of the Roman Forum.

Just a thought:-).

donna - i think that Rostra has a point.

i think that you do have time to do this after your colosseum tour. Then head for the Vittoriano monument via the steps up to the Capitoline and admire the view over Rome.

if DD is getting a bit antsi by then, there are loads of shops up the via del corso [right ahead of you from the top of the monument] which might quell the revolution.

Campo di Fiori is a short walk from Piazza Navona, you could add it to your first afternoon. Your plan sounds good with lots of time for gelato.

Jscarbary- yes had intended on adding on Campo the first day, def want to have some pizza at Forno! But I understand the market is over by one and I am keen to see that on a morning...

Rostra- thanks, yes I think I was also looking for somebody to give me other suggestions and tell me if I could fit other stuff in. I suppose I'm not good at walk thrus, I tend to research and want to know what everything is, so i didn't think I'd have time to do it justice! but maybe an hour or so is a good compromise for all? We will be going to see Pompeii when we are down near Sorrento first so I don't want to overload my daughter with too much I suppose, but you make a good point!

Kybourbon- will check out official site today- thanks

My experience of the Forum is that the most "educational" view of it is not walking through it, but seeing it from the special viewing area inside the Capitolone museum, the balcony that overlooks it. From that vantage point, it is much easier to grasp the layout of the site, and how ancient Romans used it. If you walk through the site, even with a guide book or a guide, it can be really hard to envision what the heck the place was. But from the elevated viewpoint, it snaps into place.

Another nice feature of viewing the Forum from the balcony of the Capitoline is that in August, it can just be so hard to walk around in the sun in the Forum and the hill. Done under a sense of "obligation" rather than genuine curiosity, it can almost guarantee you'll never go back to history sites again, and end up spending all your travel time vegging out in "Tuscany".

However, not everybody will be up for paying the entrance fee to the Capitoline just to zip in there and take in that view. There are of course other artifacts of great interest inside the museum, plus the beautiful cafe terrace and its view of St Peters and the rest of Rome, but it's a hard call with a kid. I agree that seeing Pompei may be more than enough sightseeing, but if your daughter really lights up in Pompei and is interested, then you might want to include the Capitoline.

>>>
kybourbon on Jul 22, 13 at 5:34pm
This is the official booking website for the Colosseum.
http://www.coopculture.it/circuito.cfm?id=4<<<


Having a little trouble with this site - I can get access to the underground and 3rd ring but price is quoted as €12.50 I cant seem to find a tour at €22 as you mentioned? Would like to book this so any tips welcome!
http://www.tickitaly.com seems more straight forward but more expensive!

It seems the coop links expire after a bit to Coop, click cities for the drop down, then Rome, then Colosseum (price listed on that page is entrance only 12€) list. That's when you choose buy online and then choose buy single ticket. The site will roll over to ticketclic/omniticket for the actual purchase. Before entering your date, click the British flag for English version. I would need your date to see what's available for that day.

I picked a random date (Aug. 24) and there were 7 Underground times available that day. When you click a time for the Underground Tour, you will see the price listed as 22.50€.

http://www.ticketclic.it/database/B2...efID=171&LN=39

Looking to go there on August 20th in the morning, really appreciate your help...

bookmarking, great info

You can do the view overlooking the Forum from the Capitoline Hill without going into the museums. There are steps from the Forum that lead up there. Once you are there, turn around and look out/down.

You can also get a great view by climbing the stairs up the Vittoriano. They too have a cafe.

I wouldn't skip a walk through the Forum, though, since it is right next to the Colosseum. You can walk through fairly quickly if you don't stop too much.

It says there is only 1 ticket left for the early tour (9:41)on Aug 20. There are Underground tours later with tickets available at 12:01, 12:21, 13:01, 14:21, 14:41 and 16:21.

Oh no way - ok prob best to leave it until later in the afternoon with the heat? thank you!

I could swap and do it Wednesday but had heard that Wednesday is quieter for the Vatican so I was saving that day for it....will check it out now so..

thanks for all the help - Tickets booked for 4.21pm - I thought this would be better than going during the hottest part of the day as the morning slot was gone as Kybourbon pointed out!.

On the 'underground tour' even though it is written in English (when rest is in Italian option) I can't find confirmation that the tour is def in English!? Others tours have Italian or Spanish beside them this one has nothing?!

Also as we are directed to pick up the tickets at the Colloseum before the tour, I wondered is there no way we can go see The Forum (if we decide to!) before this time slot as I understood the ticket is valid for a few days...does anybody know? Can we even collect them at the Colloseum in the morning and walk back to the Forum and see it first?

Typically, Wednesday is not quiet at the Vatican as many people get tickets for the audience with the Pope that morning. Since you will be in Rome in August, most likely the Pope will not be there. He is usually at Castel Gandolfo during August. You can check his schedule on the Vatican website although it might not have all of August listed yet.

You should be able to pick up your tickets early. There is a separate line for ticket pick up, not the regular ticket line. If you don't go on in the Colosseum, don't continue on scan it for entry. Backtrack out through the line and go over to the Forum entrance. It's not far - a minute or two walk down Via Dei Fori Imperali. You can double check when you pick them up, but shouldn't be a problem.

The views Delaine mentioned can also be accessed by walking to the left side of Vittorio Emmanuele. The little street is Via di San Pietro in Carcere. Mamertine prison is there also.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...za_Venezia.jpg

To access from the other side, continue on down Via dei Fori Imperiali(past Vittorio) around the corner to the Capitoline and take the steps up. Cross the piazza and the views overlooking the forum are just past there.

>>>>On the 'underground tour' even though it is written in English (when rest is in Italian option) I can't find confirmation that the tour is def in English!?<<<

If you are choosing "Underground Tour", it's in English. The Italian underground tours are listed as VISITA SOTTERRANEI - ITA and the Spanish underground tours are listed as TOUR SUBTERRANEOS - ESP.

While there are snack carts on Via dei Fori Imperiali where you can buy cold drinks, etc., you might want to carry a water bottle to refill as there is a fountain where you can fill it at the overlook Delaine mentioned. Of course, there are fountains all over Italy.

http://www.lifeinitaly.com/tourism/lazio/nasoni-of-rome

Kybourbon- i want to be you when I grow up. You are a fount of informetion. Thanks for the posts onthe Colosseum. They will come in handy.

Donna82- i have had my fair share of confusion on this website too. Thanks for getting clarification for all of the first timers out there.

Kybourbon thank you so much for all your insights, I second what Cjar said, you have clarified so much here.

I ended up booking the Vatican for the afternoon on the Wednesday in the hope it would be a little quieter than the mornings, I must confirm where the Pope will be now! I imagine we will have to just deal with the crowds anyway...now I just need to put some proper research into which parts of the museums we really want to see!

I've just discovered that the Rome Tourist Board says you can visit the underground and third level without a tour at two different times during the day (10:40 and 13:40). I wonder if it's accurate and it makes it seem you have to book in advance.

****Third Ring and Hypogeum: access is also possible without guided tour at 10.40 and 13.40. Booking with credit card is required (ticket price+ booking fee) at 0039 06 39967700 (mon-frid 9.00-13.00 / 14.00-17.00; sat ore 9.00-13.00).***

This is a cool pic from the Italian Cultural Ministry. The arrows at the bottom of the pic let you move around the forum a bit. If you mouse over the dots, you get the name of what you are seeing. If you click the dots, you get more info, but only in Italian (or Spanish if you select that).

http://archeoroma.beniculturali.it/carcer-tullianum/