The Vatican and Rome
 

Want to see as much as I can of Vatican and Rome in general.

My schedule so far:

Tuesday: Arrive from states in Rome at 8:00 AM. Perhaps do car tour of coliseum etc in afternoon.

Wednesday: open

Thursday: Scavi tour 1:00 PM

Friday: open

Saturday: depart by car or train to outskirts of Florence

suggestions??

I suggest you get a guidebook and fill in the blanks.

As you have nothing planned for Wednesday, and not being aware of your level of interest in Catholicism, there is an opportunity to attend a Papal Audience on Wednesday mornings at the Vatican (depending on the time of year you are there, and whether the Pope is in residence)

Details here:

http://www.vatican.va/various/prefettura/index_en.html

Or alternatively, since you are from USA:

http://www.santasusanna.org/popeVati...peVatican.html


If you intend to visit the Vatican Museums and St Peters, you should set aside at least half a day (or much longer if you really want to do justice to them).

Um - you can't tour the Coliseum by car. To see the Coliseum and forum (it really only makes sense to see them together) you have to walk through them - probably 3 hours total. If you want a tour fine - but don;t waste money on a car.

As for the rest - you do need to read some guide books.

But for the Vatican you need the whole day:

St Peter's
Dome
Treasury
Scavi (you already have tickets)
Museum (several hours)

Guide books, please. Read them. Make notes. Take note.

A "car tour of the coliseum, etc.?" What is that all about? Circling the road ring around it in a taxi? Surely you must be kidding.

Please do yourself a favor and do some research, get a few maps and guidebooks.

I must admit I also 1st read it as a "car tour of the coliseum".

But the OP did say "Perhaps do car tour of coliseum ETC in afternoon."
Rather like the drive-by bus tours (110, Hop-on Hop-off) I assume.

Although! It would make a Great Smart Car commercial, remove the turnstiles and then widen the elevator ramp and it could even get to the 2nd level.
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2512/4...79ed3c3c01.jpg
And the Colosseum is accepting private corporate donations for its repair and restoration projects <smile>.

didn't they do something like that in the film, the italian job, or am i halucinating?

it would have made a great sport to entertain the masses, anyway, in between the gladiators and the animal parades.

Fergie - as you will be arriving from the US early in the morning, you may or may not not want to spend all day sight-seeing, depending on your level of tiredness and/or jetlag. so it's a good idea not to schedule anything special for that day, but just reckon on being able to take a nice walk around the centre of Rome - the Pantheon, Trevi fountain, the Piazza Navona an Campo dei fiori are all things you can stroll to and cost nothing.

unless you are going to follow benigo's suggestion to go to the Papal audience, Wednesday would be a good day to see ancient Rome - the colosseum, forum, palatine hill [all on the same ticket, buy it at the forum or Palatine entrances so as to avoid the queues at the Colosseum]. Then in the afternoon explore that general area a bit more - perhaps at the church of San Clemente, or the Capitoline museums, or San Pietro in Vincoli, or - just look on any good map to see the many different sights nearby.

Thursday - a good day to see St. Peter's itself, perhaps climb the Dome, and/or the vaitcan museums.

Friday - perhaps the galleria Borghese [must reserve in advance] or a tour of the mosaic churches of Rome, or the cathdrals of Rome [4 altogether] or Ostia antica, or - well, you're spoilt for choice, really.