luvtotravell

If you've been to Rome, what are your top 5 to 10:
-sights to see
-restaurants/cafes/high end and casual eating
-shopping ( no high end designer, yes to unique shopping experiences, local goods, things that are musts)
- places/things to do to absorb the local color/culture/ atmosphere
-offbeat but memorable things to do

I am so looking forward to your responses!!

JandaO

Michelangelos Pieta (in St. Peters)
Colosseum
Trevi Fountain
Campo de Fiore
Pantheon
Tiber

Campo de Fiore is a lovely outdoor market with fresh produce. It exudes local color and culture.

I enjoy just walking all the little side streets and watch Roman go about their day.

crefloors

St.Peters was amazing. I also loved Hadrian's Villa. It's a bit outside the city. There is enough of it left so that you can really imagine what it must have looked like in all it's glory. The setting is beautiful. T'was for sure good to be the king.

HowardR

Just the book you are looking for: The Eyewitness Top Ten Travel Guide for Rome....a very handy and helpful little reference book.

scrb

Borghese Gallery was nice.

If you're going to cite Trevi Fountains, then definitely include Spanish Steps.

luvtotravell

Thanks for the suggestions and I will definitely check out the book you recommend. I am hoping to get some tips that wouldnt be found in a guidebook but that benefit from the experiences of the people on this board!
Thanks,
Luv

peppermintpatti

Hi luvtotravell, Here's mine:
Vatican Scavi Tour+St Peter's
Borghese Gallery
Piazza Navona
St. Clemente Church
Forum

Have a great trip! pp

tonianyc

I hit all of these on every trip:

RESTAURANTS

La Rampa
Insalata Ricca
Taberna
Vecchia Roma
Da Fortunato al Pantheone

SHOPPING

Messagerie Musicali (on Via del Corso, for cds)
Moskito (on Via delle Carrozze, for affordable jewelry)
Feltrinelli (Torre Large Argentina, for books and greetings cards)
Sisley (Via Babuino, for clothes)
Antica Erboristeria Romana (Via di Torre Argentina, for licorice and perfumes)

PLACES/THINGS TO DO

Watching performers in Piazza Navona
Gazing at the Pantheon at dusk
The walk by the carabiniei at the Parliament building to grab gelato at Giolitti
Admiring the view of the Forum from the Campidoglio
Watching the Tiber River flow from the bridge across the Isola Tiburina

I love it!

tcreath

My favorite sights to see (in no particular order)
1) Colliseum
2) St. Peters and Scavi Tour
3) Vatican Museum
4) Santa Maria in Trastevere
5) Forum and Palatine Hill
6) Piazza Navona
7) Capitol Museums
8) Baths of Caracalla
9) St. Giovanni in Laterno
10) Pantheon

For restaurants I just eat wherever looks good and has a good crowd. Steer clear of some of the more touristy areas if you want good food and better prices.

I would head to Piazza Navona and Campo di Fiore to absorb some local culture and color.

If you are looking for something more offbeat, check out the Pyramid of Cestius. Yes, there is a pyramid in Rome! Its actually a very interesting sight, built in the reign of Augustus. Its in part of the old city wall, and there is a museum in the wall that is interesting to look through. We signed a guestbook, and were the only Americans to sign it in the several pages that we looked through, so its definitely off-the-beaten-path, so to speak. The neighborhood around it, Testaccio, is also very lively and worth a look. http://www.livius.org/a/italy/rome/pyramid/cestius.html for more info.

Tracy

Eloise

More or less at the foot of the Pyramid of Cestius is the Protestant Cemetery, where Keats and the ashes of Shelley are buried.

There's also the Keats-Shelley House on the Piazza di Spagna, where Keats died.

Eloise

Bernini's sculpture of the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa in the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria is interesting and worth seeing.