Rome was hot...umm...the tourism bureau should take care of that problem, so it doesn't happen again. I bet Alaska has lots of snow in the winter too, just in case you plan to travel there.

I was there just two weeks ago and yes, it was hot...did I blame the city? NO! It was hot, I expected it to be hot, but it was the time I scheduled my trip, so I had to deal with it. My attitude was, I'm in Rome, so what if it's hot!

Dirty?? which part of the city did you go to? Yes, I was saddened by the graffiti, that people universally would have so little respect for others property, but there isn't graffiti all over town. I went all over Rome, and found some parts to be dirty and poor, some to be so so, and some to be absolutely wonderful. The area around the airport wasn't pleasing to you? My impression of the area surrounding the airport is that it was like all other cities, industrial and not so great looking. I prefer for an airport to be in such location than right in the middle of a city.

The people trying to sell you things, once again, yes, there were some, and yes, I had to actually say no, but if I choose to focus on them instead of the fact that I was in Rome, it would be my fault.

Bottom line, I think there will always be people who choose to focus on the negative, (I deal with those people in my work all day long - they'd probably think heaven is too high up in the clouds) and then there are those who focus on the positive and enjoy their lives.

And then again, there are different tastes. I liked Florence but I find others LOVE Florence, I loved Sienna, Venice and Sorrento, while others don't. By the way, I didn't love Rome either, I liked and do want to go back when it is cooler so that I can spend more time enjoying it as opposed to sweating...though, it would never occur to me to blame the city for my sweating!

One more thing, has anyone else noticed that every time someone complains about a city because of heat and their negative point of view, that they always point out that they've been all over the world. Is their whining more validated because they've gone all over the world? Or do they know that they're whiners and somehow they think that having been world traveler excuses them? I think it probably just makes them World "Whiners".

Lyb, apparently you are the authority on choosing how someone should feel when they are on their trip. I try to give readers a perspective on my individual experiences that are unique to me.

Maybe you are just the optimistic muse that others should seek when they have encountered negative experience's, but I have the right to state my opinion and not necesseraly written to please you.

So if you have alway's had great experience's in your travels, then I salute you and would love to visit your pharmacist.

Razageorge,

I'm glad you recognize authorities on travel when you see it. Let me point out another one of my "authorities", when someone gets very defensive about their statement, well...that only says a lot. :)

My pharmacist's name --- positive attitude and enjoyment of life. But some people are never able to walk through its door.

lyb, I have no desire to embroil myself in a quarrel between you and razageorge, but your opening statement was on the sarcastic side. In fact, you seemed just a little peeved (for a cheerful person) at razageorge's view of Rome, which as he stated quite clearly, was merely his own non-sugarcoated opinion. :)>-

DLN:
Sarcastic -- absolutely right...I never said I was cheerful, I said I looked at things on the positive said, but I also don't wear rose colored glasses. Peeved...probably right, I don't have much patience for people who get upset about the weather on a trip.. My sister owns rental property in Hawaii, right on the beach. She has had a few people actually complain because the ocean was too loud. DAH! They knew they were right on the beach....therefore, comments such as razageorge about the weather is one thing that gets me...and as positive as I try to be, it's hard to see any of it in such a statement, except, yes, I've found one...they were on the trip with me...and yes, that was sarcastic! :)

Just in case.... I obviously made a typo.... >>they were on the trip with me...and >> they WEREN'T on the trip with me.

It always surprises me when others visit the exact same places and return with experiences completely contrary to my own. We were in Rome in September for four days, and found it to be much cleaner and prettier than London or Paris or most other large cities. Don't remember seeing any graffiti or vendors. We used the buses extensively, and had no negative experiences with the public transit system. We drove into the city, and did not see the airport or surrounding areas.

If one could substitute the name Naples into this comment very few would be coming to the city's defense. Most cities in Italy are old and during the summer are crowded. I for one don't rank Firenze and Siena on the top of my personal list, but I am able to enjoy them for what they are.
Perhaps one has to be a little less rigid and look closely in hte mirror for some of the imperfections.

Razageorge, it is a shame that you didnt enjoy your trip and that you had to visit in the heat of summer, but what do you want us to do? Some people will write in that they loved Rome, etc. but what else can be done. Are you just trolling for a reaction? So you went and didn't like it, don't go back, and that is that.

There is a city operated tourist bus that loops around the major sites in Rome.

Find out more info here:
http://www.romaturismo.it/romatiacco...html#basiliche

Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion on Rome. Personally, I loved it - even in the heat.

We found the city very easy to get around in by taxi, bus & metro. I think the best way to enjoy the city is by foot.

I agree with Gabriel. I was just there (Rome) and did not see any filth (maybe because I had sweat in my eyes). I also found London to be far worse than Rome. Regardless, razageorge, I hope you will give Rome another chance. You will really be missing out if you don't.

My first time to Rome I didn't enjoy it either. My second time, my expectations were so low, that I had a wonderful surprise. Perhaps this will be the case for you.

The city of Honolulu, Hawaii would apparently agree with you on the subject of street vendors. A few years ago the city won a court case which defended its right to restrict street vendors from Waikiki Beach. High pressure street level sales seem to be a problem of highly touristed cities in general. By the way, wasn't this also a problem for you in Egypt?

Of course it will be very hot in summer-did you not know to expect this before you chose to go during summertime?

I don't know how you can generalize the whole city the way you have.

Mostly I think you are a troll.

Well, I guess you aren't a troll-sorry.

But you cannot generalize.

You would think that most of you work for the Tourist office in Rome.

You are "whining" more than ranageorge did.

This was hi/her opinion and believe it or not, a lot of posters here will learn something from it. They will know going into their trip to expect heat in the summer, graffiti, it could possibly overcrowded etc...

THIS POST WILL HELP SOME PEOPLE

Give it a rest and let people post their notes. Just because it does not fit your thoughts, gives you no right to rail them like little children.

I will repeat a story I have told before regarding this same thing...while I was wandering the streets of Rome I noticed a fellow "traveler" video taping his walk around the city and his report was that Rome was very dirty, noisy and uninteresting city. This took my breath away since on the same street I was thinking...how wonderful it was to be walking the streets of history! "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

Another YEA for YEA_YEA_YEA. And yes, this post has helped me.

As a number of people have pointed out WHEN you go to some tourist destinations is critical. I loved Rome (we went in late March - pleasant weather, uncrowded) but I would NEVER consider going there in the summer. I feel the same way about Florence and Athens.

Rome in the summer can be pure torture because of the weather. I went in 1988, in the middle of July, and hated it. The sites were also dirty or covered with scaffolding, and the traffic and pollution made breathing impossible.

However, I returned to Rome in May 2002, a little wary of what I would find and expecting an "ok" trip, being prepared for a letdown, but instead had one of the best trips of my life and I am still on the nostalgic high today.

I attribute this to the time of year I travelled (mid-May). The weather was pleasant, and the sites were all cleaned up because of the Giubilee (I was especially shocked at the Piazza Navona, as the palazzos lining it were polished and the colors incredible, as if freshly painted for my visit). I was in love.

It was also not yet high-season, and for that reason my friend and I were able to whisk throug Fiumicino airport with ease. I was shocked!

But Rome still had its "flaws" - lots of noise, especially from the motorini zooming here and there (I found the Piazza Venezia, Largo Argentina, and Piazza Reppublica areas the worst). Somehow though there was always a little side street to escape to and find peace. Thats what I loved about Rome. It is very difficult to find that here in New York. And in NY, the pace of life is still so much faster and the art of its enjoyment I feel not up to par with that of Rome (or Italy).

I do agree with previous posters about the annoying vendors around major sites harassing tourists with these silly items that nobody would buy (my friend started chuckling when one of them waved a dildo-looking item at me!). Something should be done about these vendors, just as I feel about the vendors selling September 11 merchandise right in front of Ground Zero. It is debasing and takes away from the purpose of the site.

In general I think Rome is a great city worth visiting, DURING THE RIGHT TIME, and with the preparation in mind that it is a few thousand years old and also that Italy is a very inefficient place.