My husband and I are going to Greece with a stopover in Rome the beginning of May 07. Question 1) is 3 days enough to see the major sites inside Rome, 2) is it worth staying another 2 nights to take day trips outside of Rome (we're not going anywhere farther in Italy) or should we use those days for Greece, 3) does anyone know if the Pope comes out on the balcony on Sunday or Wednesday mornings, 4) can I have some idea of hotels fairly decent (3 star) that are not a fortune (by Cdn standards) and we don't mind taking the metro either to get where we want but not in a dark scary part of town.

Thanks for your help. I do need the info ASAP as I have to book the airline.

Of course, 3 days only scratches the surface of any destination as Im sure many will tell you...
But my husband and I spent 3 days in rome and had a wonderful time. We were also able to see the major sites including
Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, The Vatican, Spanish Steps, Trevi fountain,etc.
The key to our sightseeing - was to arrive at the destination early and to do a lot of walking to get a "feel" for the city. We also planned our days to be very full.

I would skip the Wednesday papal audience unless it has great religious meaning to you. If you get the tickets though St. Susannah's, you have to go to that church the afternoon before to get them. Then you need to arrive by 8 or 8:30 in the morning to get a good seat. I think it's over by 11 or 11:30 or so. Again, if seeing the pope is of major importance, do it; otherwise, it takes up a whole lot of time that you could use to see other things.

You can see a lot in Rome in three days. Make a list of your "must sees" and circle them on the map. Then, look on the map at what is nearby (e.g. St. Peter in Chains church isn't terribly far from the Forum)to plan other touring.

Even with only three days, I'd make reservations for the Borghese Gallery.

Hi, Mx Smrs - great idea to spend time in Rome before your trip.

Don't forget that [if you are coming from the US]you may lose at least one day to jet-lag, and two days isn't long in rome [forget what all those tour-operators say who do it in 24 hours].

We spent a week there last year and only touched the surface. so i would book the couple of extra nights there - you can always do a day trip to the villa d'este if you want to get out of the city.

forget about the pope - you won't be able to see him!

have a great time.

The Pope gives a blessing to the crowd from his window on Sundays at noon. The Wed. Audience is sometimes held outdoors in St. Peter's Square in good weather. If you are in the area, you can stop by between 10:30 and noon and see the Pope (from a distance at the back of the Square) without a ticket. I don't know how long you are spending in Greece, but if I could add two days on to Rome I would, and not necessarily do any other day trips. Three days is enough to scratch the surface of the must sees in Rome. Some 3 star hotels that are well reviewed on this board and others would be: del Senato, Santa Chiara, San Carlo, Nazionale, Portugese and due Torre.

As someone who has visited Rome many times and even lived there for awhile, I say a lifetime is not enough ;-). I agree with the other posters; if you have the chance to add on to your time in Rome, DO IT! There will be plenty for you to see and do there.

As for hotels, you might check sites like www.venere.com or www.kayak.com which allow you to see the hotels on a map before booking them. Good luck with your planning and have a great trip.

Also, has anyone stayed at the Nicholas Inn (B&B) in Rome? Thanks

It gets very good reviews on tripadvisor and venere.