mike7

I am trying to put down a "guideline" for my gf and I. We have 5 nights in Rome. We will arrive via train sometime before 1500 on Friday in the second week of October. We in our early 30's and would like to have 1 or 2 days that are a little more laid back then others.
Friday-
Get to apartment (trastevere)
Early dinner
U2 concert!!!!
Saturday-
Campo dei Fiori
Spend the morning going to different churches (San Clemente,S. Maria Maggiore, Santa Prassede, S. Andrea al Quirinale) I will spend more time with a map to figure out this portion a little better but appreciate help
230- 3 hour tour of Vatican (museums,Sistine,St. Peters)
Dinner in Trastevere (and night life)
Sunday-
Morning tour of Forum, Palatine, Coloseum
Appia Antica to see catacombs and rent bikes
Monday-
915 Scavi tour (confirmed)
Walk to Pantheon (after walking by Castel S. Angelo, Piazza Navona etc),
S. Maria Minerva?
Borghese museum then gardens (or gardens then museum?)
Dinner in historic center
Tuesday-
??? I was thinking of leaving this day completely open and see what we happen to come across. At night we will walk from Ghetto through Campo, Navona, Trevi

I know there are other piazza's, churches and sights that we will see as we are walking from one sight to the next and I will be studying more maps to make sure that happens. I have read great things about the Baths of Caraccalla but don't know about it yet. This is our first time to Europe and my first time planning anything like this so please help as I have learned so much from the fodorites already. I am having the most trouble with the Rome portion of our trip! So much to see, so little time.

Motorino

Saturday morning cross street from Campo dei Fiori, a five minute walk is Pantheon - head to Sant'Eustachio or Tazza d'Oro for an espresso, which you many need after that concert, then back to Campo dei Fiori and Piazza Navona with energy!

Quirinale is probably out of the way Saturday since you are heading to Vatican. I'd walk Via del Governo Vecchio from Campo dei Fiori/Piazza Navona toward Vatican stopping for lunch before that 3 hour tour. Here's a map of Via del Governo Vecchio:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...d0db31152&z=18

And more about the important street:
http://italyinside.blogspot.com/2010...e-walking.html

Saturday evening after a little siesta from 6-8 I'd head back to Via del Governo Vecchio and walk along there and Via della Pace for a dinner. I think it may be more fun and interesting than Trastevere since you'll be in Trastevere anyway. Just a thought.

Sunday afternoon you may want to do Borgehese Museum - make reservation online. It's closed Monday. After museum if you have any legs left after forum and museum then walk Borghese Gardens, to Piazza Popolo, then to Spanish Steps, and Via dei Condotti back by Pantheon, to Campo dei Fiori to Trastevere. This walk could take an hour or a lifetime...

Monday after Scavi you can stroll through Campo Marzo toward Piazza Popolo and Spanish Steps. See Quirinale, Obelisks, and maybe at this point you'll be more interested in Bernini's works around Rome like Sant'Andrea al Quirinale:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...,0.076046&z=14

Trastevere to Vatican Via Giulia is lovely stroll. Also between Campo di Fiori and Trastevere there are some architectural gems to impress gf with your knowledge:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...f4d88ef4a&z=13

Here are some Rome trattoria you and gf will enjoy:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...f4d88ef4a&z=13

Have a lovely vacation!

mike7

I know, I know, Borghese is closed on Monday's.We will have to do it Tuesday or scratch it.

Motorino

Below is link to the trattoria in Rome:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...13bb5cda4&z=15

Buon appetito!

kybourbon

Monday - Borghese is closed.

kybourbon

Opps. Part of my post disappeared. The Borghese requires reservations as entry is timed.
http://www.galleriaborghese.it/nuove/efaq.htm#faq4

franco

mike7, while I understand how you're trying to organize Saturday morning (yes, it would make sense to compare some major churches!), this is not very practicable in Rome. Rome is a huge, and SLOW city. Going from A to B takes serious time there. So try to organize your visit by geography rather than topics. For example, if you want to see churches: when going to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, you could include (other than S. Maria sopra Minerva, which is not among my personal favourites, though) S. Luigi dei Francesi and S. Agostino to see four of Caravaggio's very best paintings (3 at S. Luigi, 1 at S. Agostino), S. Andrea della Valle (one of Rome's best baroque churches - and baroque was invented in Rome!), S. Ivo (another baroque jewel, by inventive and definitely non-classical genius Francesco Borromini - check opening hours, they're very restrictive, but also a view from outside alone will provide a lingering memory), S. Agnese in Agone (Borromini again, on Piazza Navona).
When going to S. Andrea al Quirinale (a great choice, you should definitely stick to it!!!), don't miss Borromini's second magnum opus (besides S. Ivo) a few steps away: S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, nicknamed as S. Carlino since it's so small - the whole church is about the size of ONE of St. Peter's crossing piers!
If you are interested in Renaissance and early baroque art (both painting and sculpture) in a unique original setting (an early baroque building designed just to host that collection), don't skip Galleria Borghese. Rather skip the bike ride (Villa Borghese, the garden around the Galleria, is ill-kept and less than pretty).
Is that giving you some ideas? As long as I'm not sure whether it does, I don't want to go on writing for an hour. But I'm willing to if you have further questions!

franco

Sorry, I don't know what exactly detracted me while writing about Galleria Borghese: while the collection is Renaissance AND baroque, the building is of course NOT baroque but mannerist, i.e. late Renaissance - they continued to collect for a while after the Galleria had been completed.

charnees

I think it is a very good idea to leave the last day open because a lot of stuff on your list will not get done in the other 4.