Rome Questions
 

I will be arriving in Rome in the afternoon on a Monday in june, staying 3 nights. Our flight is out early on Thursday, so realistically we do not even have 2.5 days there. We are attending the Papal Audience on weds. morning, which basically takes up the entire morning. We definitely want to do a Vatican tour and see the archeological sites Colosseum, etc. Any advice on this...are we trying to do too much in the short time we are there? Thanks for your help!

Hello!

If this is your first trip, and you get up early, you may be able to see these in one day:

Colosseum
Roman Forum
Spanish Steps
Trevi Fountain
Piazza Navona

If you are planning on touring the other sites in Vatican City, that will take up an entire day, as well. Good luck to you and enjoy your stay in Rome.

So you won't be disappointed:
Papal audiences, don't often meet some folks expectations.
There will be tens of thousands people,
you may only gey to see him through a jumbotron, etc.
There are some tour companies that sell this as " limited in size and you cannot get in without a reservation".When you arrive watch how many people enter the area without a ticket. If you have a ticket and arrive early ,you might get a seat.
They also make it almost seem intimate. It is not.
Basically, the front rows are reserved for "special guests/ticket holders" and then the next rows are for ticket holders, generally taken when they arrive (8:30 am or so).
The Pope arrives 10-10:30 in his "Popemobile". He go to a throne area and speak. There are many translations, so you can follow.
It almost certainly will be over by noon.
If you really want to see him, push up front when he is arriving or leaving.
There is a chance that it will be cancelled.
Do a search here. I have given recommendations for short trips to Rome.
I,generally, recommend going straight to the Vatican museum after the audience. I have been to two audiences and usually leave around 11-11:30 to go the museum. There should be very short or no lines at that time.

This may seem irreligious, but we left the papal audience mid-way through after the Pope finished with this remarks in English. We were very hot sitting outside in the sun (mid-July) for hours, and my family was wilting. We were able to watch the rest of the audience on TV in our hotel room that evening, and didn't feel we missed much.

Something to consider if your time is limited...

Ok, here goes for Monday Afternoon/Evening

Metro to Spagna. See Spanish Steps, Keats-Shelly house.

Walk down Via dei Condotti, try not to go broke in the stores.

At the corner of Condotti and Via del Corso, turn right, go up about 2 blocks and go into Church of Saints Ambrosio and Carlo.

Leave the Church, walk around to the back of it, and bingo you are at the Mausoleum of Augustus and the Ara Pacis.

From Mausoleum head back to Via del Corso and head north to Piazza del Popolo. Check out the 3 churches for Mary, most important being Santa Maria in Popolo at the north end.

If you are tired, go to your hotel, if not, then wander around for awhile.

Tuesday-
Take metro to Colosseo, have tickets in advance.

Spend an hour or so there, walk by Arch of Constantine and up the Via Sacra.

Spend an hour or so in the Forum, exit at Campdoglio.

You may want to see the Capitoline museums or continue going places.

Leave Campidoglio and cross Piazza Venezia over to Via del Corso. Follow Corso up about 5 blocks. Turn right at Via Pietra, 3 more blocks and your's at Trevi Fountain.

Leave Trevi the same way you came, cross del Corso and back to Via Pietra. About a block and you're at Hadrian's temple, continue past this, following the little street about 3 more blocks and you are at the Pantheon.

Leave the Pantheon, a couple more blocks and you are at Piazza Navonna.

If tired now, pop back to your hotel. Otherwise, continue west from Navona on Via Coronari over to Bridge of Angels and Castel San Angelo.

Wednesday

Reconsider the Papal audience, it is not some quaint meeting, it is thousands in attendance, probably in the square. Instead, get the Vatican tour from the Vatican. You'll spend at least half a day in the museums and St. Peters. But if you do it right, get out by 2 or 3 pm and you have plenty of time to do other stuff.

Just some random thoughts,

dave

We always enjoy Castel Sant'Angelo. Great historic site and very cool (temp) in the warm months. The frescos are nice and there is a real assortment of things to see. I don't know why more people don't talk about it?

bookmarking, thanks.

I agree with AJ, I too, loved the Castel Sant'Angelo - I can't explain it but I was fascinated with the place.

I also loved the Pantheon and despite the hoards of tourists I also loved the Trevi Fountain. (Watch out for pickpockets there!)

Why not watch the old movie Roman Holiday and then visit the Mouth of Truth (Boca de la Veritas)in the church near the Circus Maximus (I hope I've got that right).

You might need to allow more than an hour in the Forum/Colliseum area though - we actually spent many hours going through.

I would recommend a Context Rome Vatican Art tour - well worth it. It cuts straight to the chase, so to speak and we had a brilliant docent when we went through.

You are visiting one of the most beautiful places on earth - go ahead cram in as much as you can - up early, go to bed late and catch up on your sleep when you get home!!! Enjoy your trip.

Chicago, all you have to do to see all of Rome's major sites, is get on the double-decker hop/on-off bus, buy a 24 hour ticket for 13 Euro, and you'll be able to see everything you want to see, and then some, in that time period, with headphone narration. It's a great value, which gives you a bird's eye view of all kinds of sights you would not see in a regular bus or automobile. You can do a complete loop once and then the second time through stop at those places you want to visit, then pick up the next bus to come along. The red 110 bus starts at Termini, but you can pick it up at various points along the way, including the Vatican. This Rome tourist site gives the itineraries of the 3 different hop on/off buses that run through Rome, and out to the ancient crypts as well. An excellent value, any way you look at it.

http://www.romaturismo.it/v2/romatia...rtematici.html

bookmarking