Our family, 4 adults, will be in Rome in October for two nights. Thinking of seeing Vatican Museums, etc. first afternoon. Is a tour guide suggested?
Also, next day thinking of booking a tour driver to see major sights.
Suggestions on tour driver/guides?
Appreciate any help.

Two nights doesn't give much time, but we did the hop-on hop-off tour which gives a good overview, and then you can go back and spend more time at the places you like. The ticket is good for 24 hours so it might be something to consider. Also in this case I'd choose the most time-efficient Vatican tour available (meaning without alot of waiting in lines and seeing what you want to see). Don't forget the gelato!

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Capitoline Hill Museums
2. Forums
3. Coliseum

(all close together) followed by

5. Piazza Navona
6. Pantheon
7. Ara Pacis
8. Sant'Ignazio church
9. San Luigi church

(also close together)

I'm not sure if you can fit all this in, but I'd rather see this stuff than stand in line forever at the Vatican Museums.

If the Vatican museum and St. Peters is important to you, would suggest Context Tours. Our group of 6 was given excellent preparation for what we would see, and standing in lines was minimized.

You can arrange a tour with the Vatican directly. Reserve ahead of time, so you don't have to wait in line for your tickets. E-mail the visitors office at:[email protected] Include your travel dates, number of tickets, time that you wish and include that you want the tour in english(or other language). I went with a guide which was great, but some people split off from the group and went thier own way. I agree that the hop on/off bus would be a good way for you to see a lot of sites in a short period of time. Enjoy your trip!!

You mean a driver to drive you around Rome, the actual city, to see the major sites? It's one of the most congested cities in Europe - imagine what a costly, slow endeavor that would be as opposed to using your own steampower or using buses/trams/metro! I can see maybe (MAYBE....personally, I'd never do it) hiring a driver to take me somewhere outside of Rome, but in the city? That would be like hiring a personal driver to see NYC.

Do you have a guidebook? A map? Chart out a route that includes the major things you want to see and use your own two feet and public transportation to get around.

Thank you all for your thoughts.
We're on a pre-cruise, two night stay and we're staying in the Prati section on the Trastevere side halfway between the Vatican and Piazza del Popolo (booked by cruise line). Location doesn't seem to be very good for walking to and from hotel to see major sights or, even, best piazzas.

Your location isn't that bad. There's a tram that runs straight through Trastevere into central Rome.

Do you think that it's possible to walk in the evening from Prati to Piazza Novona then on to Trevi fountain?

We would like to have dinner someplace around one of those locations, see the fountain at night, and take a taxi back to hotel.

Take the 1 or 8(think that those are the numbers?) electric tram across the river to Largo Argentina(cat santuary with Roman ruins and a great bookstore scross from it)and also end of the line for the tram. Then either walk(about a 10 minute walk) or bus(many numbers come to mind but 64 or 42, I believe?)on bookstore side to Piazza Navona. I highly recommend getting a bus map at any Tabac shop for anywhere between 3-6 euros and you can get an idea of the lay of the land.

OR just taxi both ways if there are 4 of you and you want to get there quickly although you will be missing out on the fun of the winding streets and alleys of goodies.

Rome is a fabulous city for walking. I agree with StCirq...hiring a driver would be a bad use of time and due to traffic I don't think you would see nearly as much as you would on foot. I would either look into a guide for a walking tour or perhaps invest in a good guidebook with walking tours.

Best wishes,
Tracy

The Prati section is north of the Vatican, across the river from Piazza del Popolo, not in Trastevere (which is to the south of the Vatican, on the same side of the Tiber), so the trams from Trastevere won't really help you unless you get to Trastevere by taking a bus along the Tiber to that area first(#23).

There is a metro stop near the Vatican, that would take you to the Spanish Steps. From there it is a short walk to the Trevi fountain, slightly longer to the Pantheon (another must see) and Piazza Navona.
You should also be able to walk across the Tiber on the Ponte sant'Angelo (with Bernini angels) and on to P.Navona

Definitely pick up a bus map when you get there

The destinations section of this website and of frommers have good itineraries for Rome in one day, two days, etc.

lynsir:


A mode of Roman transportation that is overlooked or not known by many, are the little chug-chug boats that ply the Tiber (Tevere) on a regular schedule, from Isola Tiberina (island between the ghetto area and Trastevere), making several stops all the way to Ponte Cavour (Spanish Steps...easy walk to Trevi) and beyond. I think it also stops at least one stop beyond Ponte Cavour at Ponte Margherita (Popolo). If you want to go from the Vatican to the aforementioned Popolo, just catch the boat at Ponte San Angelo and go to Ponte Margherita. The schedules are posted on a big board at each stop. For about €1-€2, you can use this uncrowded transportation. If I recall, you can buy a combination ticket that lets you hop on, hop off...a very pleasant and painless way to travel Rome. I discovered it a few years ago and have taken advantage several times since. Actually, most major sites in Rome are within a short walk from the boat stops. Fun, too.

stu T.

For somebody with only two nights in Roma in October, I think the boat trip on the Tiber would be a very poor way to experience the wealth of treasures in Roma.

Why don't you take a look at Rome Walks (google the name) and see what small group tours are available during your stay. If nothing seems to work, e-mail the nice people at Rome Walks anyway and they may be able to accommodate your schedule. For a tour of the Vatican Museums, a guide is essential, IMO, and you really should not deprive yourselves of the opportunity to experience it.

As for having dinner "somewhere around" the Centro Storico, i.e. Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, why don't you google Ristorante Settimio for a wonderful meal and gracious service by Giorgio. I envy you already..

Anna Roz

zeppole


I think its important to note that I only recommended looking into the boat as a method of transportation BETWEEN sights, as I stated....

>>>Actually, most major sites in Rome are within a short walk from the boat stops. Fun, too.<<<

It's actually quite a comfortable way to travel between sites in October....if you want to contribute, how about giving the OP your suggestions. That's what this forum is all about.

Thank you all for your thoughts.

Has anyone had experience with the lines at the Coleseum and the Forum in October?

The problem with predicting lines at the forum and Colosseum is that the current system of requiring payment for a combined ticket including Forum, Colosseum and Palatine only started this year. It used to be easy to get tickets to the Colosseum at the Palatine entrances but this has apparently changed.

You can check out this thread for information about what has worked recently
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...11op&fid=2

BTW, Rome Walks offers small group tours (4 hours, I believe) of the Coleseum and the Forum, which eliminates waiting in line. At least, this was the drill in October 2004 when we toured with them.

Anna Roz

Thanks, Anna. I think that Rome Walks may well be the best choice for us. Hopefully, we can tour the Vatican Museums on the afternoon of our arrival in Rome and the next day do the Rome Walks tours.