Itinerary help, 8 days in Roma!

Old May 7th, 2013, 05:56 AM
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Itinerary help, 8 days in Roma!

Hello everybody i was just wondering if I could get some advice on my itinerary... i am spending 8 days in Rome with two other people. When I did this itinerary i tried to keep everything really close to each other using google maps and just trying to map everything out.... Just wanted to get some ideas... Cant wait to hear back.

Itinerary

Saturday Aug. 24 - 11:05am - Arrive in Rome
1:00 pm – Arrive at hotel and drop bags off
1:30 pm – Take Metro to Spagna to visit Spanish Steps
Continue to walk and visit Trevi Fountain
Sant'Antonio dei Portoghesi church
Visit San Luigi dei Francesi, the Pantheon, San Ignazio, Gesu Church, and St. Maria Sopra Minerva
Visit to Piazza Navonna
End at Campo de’ Fiori
Relax and have a nice dinner
Start “Night Walk” from Campo de’Fiori all the way back to Spagna Metro stop

Sunday Aug. 25 – Leave house around 8:00am
Visit Colosseum, Arch of Constantine, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum, Capitoline Hill and Museum, Trajans Column, Market and Forum, and Maria Aracoeli.
- Colosseum tour – About 1hr
- Roman Forum – About 90 min.
- Palatine Hill – About 90 min.
- Trajan Site – About 30 min. or 90 min. if you pay to enter museum and such
Grab fast Lunch
Visit Victor Emmanuelle Monument and Rome from the Sky
Borghese Gallery
- MUST RESERVE AHEAD OF TIME. Tour is 2 hours long
Go to Cavour Metro visit St. Peter in Chains (closes at 7:00) (either this day or the next day)

Monday Aug. 26th
Day trip to Pompeii and Naples

Tuesday Aug. 27th
leave apartment and have breakfast
Tour Vatican: Museums and Basilica. We will take our times and soak it in
Relax and grab a good lunch
Visit Castel Sant’Angelo

Wednesday Aug. 28th
Open!

Thursday Aug. 29th
Visit Catacombs of Priscilla
Take taxi back to Church of San Clemente
- Near Colosseum
Saint Peter in Chains Church (San Pietro en Vincoli)
- Near Metro: Cavour
Santa Maria Maggiore
National Museum
Grab Lunch
Baths of Diocletian and Santa Maria degli Angeli
- Near Metro: Repubblica
Visit Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria

Friday Aug. 30th
Open!

Saturday Aug. 31th
- Leave Rome back to Boston. Ciao Roma!
csantocristo is offline  
Old May 7th, 2013, 06:23 AM
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Good job of mapping everything so you aren't double tracking back most anywhere.

I look at all those plans to "grab lunch" , and I think you mind end up missing out on an important part of experiencing Italy, which is to enjoy sitting down to a nice lunch and talking with your friends.

I think your first day is too busy, although I know you will be excited. Don't push yourself your first day, because you donàt need to. Donàt be surprised if some of the things listed on your first day end up getting done on your free days.

Itàs great youàve got open days. Some interesting places to explore not listed on your agenda are the Jewish ghetto, Trastevere, the Baths of Caracalla, the via Margutta and Ostia Antica.

I don't see any nighttime activities listed. Rome is twice as beautiful at night, so don't make yourselves so tired during the day that you don't have the energy to walk around at night.
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Old May 7th, 2013, 07:27 AM
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Thank You so much!!! So you think my itinerary could be possible??? What kinds of things is there for night time?? Any suggestions?
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Old May 7th, 2013, 07:35 AM
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I don't know what time of year you are going, but if you are going in the hot months, Rome has all kinds of outdoor events around the Castel Sant'Angelo, and it has outdoor movies on the island in the Tiber, and it has opera in the baths of Caracalla. But even if you just want to walk around, it's worth seeing the Colosseum at night, or the Trevi at night, even if you saw them in the day time. Some of the very oldest streets around Trastevere and the Jewish Ghetto, or near the Pantheon and the piazza Navona, are filled with people at the cafes, even in cool weather, long past midnight.

Every evening in Rome, between 6pm and 8pm, people like to go window shopping and eat gelato or meet up with their friends at bars. If you go to a street like the via del Corso, you'll be among throngs of Romans out getting their daily exercise with their spouses and friends.

If you like to go dancing, there are many clubs in Testaccio. You should look at a guides like Time Out or Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide for descriptions of the clubs.

For 8 days in Rome your itinerary is certainly doable, at a nice pace. You do have to make reservations for some of the things you want to do, as you know, but you will also find you can improvise if you get some rain or it is just too hot some afternoons to want to be out sightseeing. Sounds like a great trip.
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Old May 7th, 2013, 08:06 AM
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Thank you so much for your help.... Ill be in Rome the end of August, 24-31.... I have a night walk planned for the first day... I got it out of Rick Steve's travel guide... Thank you for the tips.
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Old May 7th, 2013, 08:54 AM
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If you are arriving on an over night flight, you will be much too tired to do all that walking and then some sort of night walk on your first day. Many churches close for the afternoon so some of that may not work out either. You will be lucky to hold your eyes open during dinner.

Sunday is entirely too much for one day and just not practical at all. You need to drop several things from that day.You also don't seem to realize that when you are walking on very uneven terrain in extreme heat (it will likely be in the 90's in Rome) how tiring it is. You will want more than a fast lunch. You will want to sit, relax and cool off a bit after the Colosseum/Forum/Palantine before heading on to something else.

St. Pietro in Vincoli is a block from the Forum. It doesn't really make sense to traipse across town the Borghese and then back. You seem to have listed it for two different days though. Since it's at the Forum area, you need to schedule it while there.

Move some of your Saturday and Sunday itinerary to Wednesday or Friday. Any tours on Saturday will be a blur. I also wouldn't plan a very early start on Sunday as some of you may have a hard time getting up.

>>>- Near Metro: Repubblica
Visit Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria
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Old May 7th, 2013, 08:57 AM
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Sorry, I see Via Margutta was not your list, but was on Stevewith's.
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Old May 7th, 2013, 09:22 AM
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My apartment is right next to the Termini Train Station about a ten minute walk from the Colosseum....
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Old May 7th, 2013, 03:00 PM
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I second the places mentioned by Stevewith: Trastevere, Baths of Caracalla, Ghetto. I would add Aventino, Isola Tiberina since you might be close to them if you decide to visit Steve's list.

Day trips to Ostia Antica ( morning can be combined with 1/2 at the beach) and/or Tivoli (Villa Hadriana and Villa d'Este) on either day that is still available.

Castel Sant'Angelo can be done at night in the summer. They also have concerts on some days. From there go walk Trastevere at night and have dinner there.

Do check hours for the churches you want to visit. You might walk a long way only to stare at the door. It took 4 trips for me to see Santa Maria della Vittoria open to visitors (fell during mass twice).
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Old May 7th, 2013, 03:19 PM
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I think a day trip to Pompeii and Napkes will be long, hot and dirty at this time of year.
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Old May 7th, 2013, 04:34 PM
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In August? Because of the heat and humidity, I think I'd be able to do maybe half of your overall list, and I'd probably want to go back to the lodging mid-day most days, take a shower and change clothes. I wouldn't enjoy Pompeii, but if you go take sunscreen, water, hats or even parasols/umbrellas. There is little to no shade throughout the excavation.

I don't know which National Museum you're referring to on Thursday. The National Museum collection is divided among 3 buildings located in different parts of Rome and is not related to the Capitoline Museum. We've spent the better part of a half day at each of these 4 museums. Squeezing even one of these into a day with 6 other sightseeing stops plus lunch doesn't seem remotely possible.
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Old May 7th, 2013, 04:52 PM
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A couple of notes:

Be prepared for the heat (90s and humid with a lot of places not having AC) and the huge crowds

You have a LOT of items to cover every day - I would call this a forced march rather than a relaxing visit. You have no time to spend an hour in the late afternoon sitting in a cafe with a drink and watching the world go by (cafes across from the Pantheon are great for this)

Perhaps you are 20 and an olympic caliber athlete - if not I think you will find this exhausting.

For instance - what you have for Tues am will take you the whole day - unless you gallop between venues.

I have been to Rome at least a dozen times - none in August due to the heat - and there is no way I would have been willing to keep up this pace - even the first time when I was 25.
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Old May 7th, 2013, 05:11 PM
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I honestly don't think you need to be an Olympic caliber athlete, or even 25, to complete this overall itinerary in 7 days. Boston in August is just about the same temps as Rome in August.

Yes, you've got too many things upfront. Yes, some of them will end up getting done on your free days. Some of them you'll find out are 10 minute or 20 minute stops. Others are longer and more tiring than you thought.

Take comfortable sandals (that's what those Romans wore!), and carry a water bottle to fill at the fountains. Take a break whenever you want. If you don't finish your whole itinerary, so be it.

But I am really impressed you want to see so much of historic Rome rather than hang out in an air-conditioned hotel or drink cocktails all day. So few people spend 7 days in Rome, very people realize how much you can accomplish if you are organized and enthusiastic.
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Old May 7th, 2013, 05:23 PM
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I have done what you plan on doing at the age of 18 and continue to do it into the early 40's. I do march through the pain but Rome is probably the only place that pushes me to pack so much into one day. I do not wear walking shoes so that should only help you (if you do).

You will see a lot on this visit and end up returning for the food and the aperitivo scene later in life.

It will be hot but NYC is as hot and that never keeps us home. Have an empty bottle with you as there are many fountains around the city that could be used to fill it up. You will be drinking a lot!
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Old May 12th, 2013, 09:00 PM
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>>> Boston in August is just about the same temps as Rome in August.>>I wouldn't enjoy Pompeii, but if you go take sunscreen, water, hats or even parasols/umbrellas. There is little to no shade throughout the excavation.
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