Walking Tour in Rome
 

<BR> Help! My wife and I only have two days in Rome (we both know it's crazy) and would like to start our trip off with a good walking or small van tour which orients us. Many of the tours we've seen listed on the net look like cattle roundups. Anybody know of a good guide or guide service we could look into? We'd appreciate any help. Thanks. Scott <BR>

Scott--I too am spending two days in Rome and was confounded by the prospect of seeing all that I should see--check out the post 'Advice-1st day in Rome'--I was given great advice as to my first day and suggestions as to how to approach the city on foot. I tend to stay away from tours because I like to discover on my own--but a another bit of advice I was given was to check out the american express office and see what tours were available. You might consider contacting american express now and finding out what they offer so you don't waste time when you get to Rome. Either way--if you search the forum you will invariably find some good ideas--buon viaggio!

Two websites that offer small, but kind of expensive walking tours: <BR> <BR>www.initaly.com/~initaly/ads/walking.htm <BR>www.scalareale.org <BR> <BR>I've heard some good things about Scala Reale and am thinking about using them myself. Anyone out there have any personal experience with them?

We were in Rome two weeks ago and took a walking tour with Scala Reale of Ancient Rome which included the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. The tour was very good and our guide (an American living in Rome) extremely friendly and informative. I would highly recommend them and they have several different options for touring.

Scott- Unless the walking/van tour is going to bring you actually *into* a site (example:Colosseum, Forum, Palatine, etc.) and give a tour, I would pass on it. With only 2 days it would be a waste of time to just walk-by sites only to return on your own to visit. It's not hard to do this on your own with a good map (streetwise rome $6) and a good *informative* guidebook (blueguide rome? $22-for space just cutout the sections you will use). Walk, taxi, or Metro to the Colosseum. The metro stop is *right* across the st. from the Colosseum, to the right of the Colosseum (300m) is the Roman Forum, connected to the Forum is the Palatine, behind the Palatine is Circo Massimo (circus maxius) best just viewed from the palatine. Also to the right of the Colosseum along the street (Via D. Fori Imperiali) are temples and forums, best just viewed from the sidewalk, at the end of this is Trajan's Column (1000m from the Colosseum). The Pantheon is ~800m from Trajan's Column and Piazza Navona is is ~300m from the Pantheon. This was just to give you an idea of how close and easy to find some of the sites are. I'm sure the private tours are excellent, but expensive and I thought I'd give you another option. HTH Regards, Walter <BR>

Scott, I agree 100% with Walter: <BR> <BR>a) there are very very few guides in Rome that are able to match the historical insight and site descriptions of the Blue Guide Rome (as a matter of fact, I have one for just about every major city I visited in Europe) ... <BR> <BR>b) having only 2 days available, chances are you won't have time to visit more than one of the major sites that are farther away from the center (Museo Borghese, Museo di Villa Giulia, Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, Basilica di San Paolo Fuori le Mura, Terme di Caracalla and one of the catacombs. <BR> <BR>c) The Vatican (Musei, Piazza, Basilica and its Dome) will "eat up" the better part of a day ... meaning that you've actually got a single day to spare :-( <BR> <BR>As Walter suggests, you may easily visit the Colosseum, the Palatino, the Foro Romano and San Pietro in Vincoli, on your own. Just get to the Colosseum the quick way (Metro) and walk back. If you consider San Giovanni in Laterano a must, do it first. Take the Metro to San Giovanni and after visiting the Basilica, the Battistero and the Scala Santa take a taxi, bus or walk (1,300 mts) to the Colosseum. After your stroll along Via dei Fori Imperiali, you may take a taxi/bus or walk (1,300 mts) to Santa Maria Maggiore. <BR> <BR>If used correctly (you'll learn the tricks after some playing), the site <BR> <BR>http://infopoint.atac.roma.it/ <BR> <BR>is an invaluable tool for planning your stay in Rome. It gives you: <BR> <BR>1- the location of just about everything that might interest you (hotels, restaurants, churches, museums, monuments ... you name it!) <BR> <BR>2- the most convenient means of public transportation between any 2 addresses in Rome (explaining in detail the pieces you have to walk, whether to take the Metro or bus, bus number, where you have to change buses, etc.) <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR> <BR>