Sammygrll

Woohoo...only 7 more days till we leave...wow! The worries are becoming numb and now it's just pure excitement!
Please review our 7 nights in Rome and critique if needed...thanks!!

Thurs May 3- about 630pm'ish Arrive in Rome and be picked up to stay at the Ambra Palace hotel.
Probablt stay at hotel...eat dinner and take an early night to get up the next morning!

Fri May 4- 10:30Am- If all goes well...crossing fingers..will go to Vatican and do their vatica museum/sistine chapel tour. Maybe climb to dome...walk around and probablt spend the day in that area.
Afternoon- Maybe go to Jewish ghetto..play by ear.

Sat May 5-8:45AM Antica Roma tour with Context Rome. Thats the whole morning...have lunch..maybe go to San Clemente...play by ear.

Sun May 6-9AM-11AM Borghese Gallery and gardens...have lunch in the gardens maybe.
Visit Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navano, Trevi Fountain. Doesn't have to be all those...but it's on the list if things are nearby.

Mon May 7- 8AM Leave to Chianti region for wine tour at Verazzanno Winery!! Woohoo!

Tues May 8- 930AM Scavi Tour! Booked..payed for and all! Woohoo!! Probably stay in that area as well...if didn't go to the Ghetto, do that this day, Castel St. Angelo, Compi di Fiori.

Wed May 9- Last full day in Rome. Nothing fully planned this day..play by ear...maybe take a day trip to Pompeii, or Venice...who knows.

Thurs May 10- 1030AM depart Rome and fly into NYC for another week of food and fun!

As for restaurants, we don't have much planned. We are foodies, so we have a list of some suggestions and we'll go from there.

How does this all soung? Opinions...critiques??

Thanks in advance!!

Samantha

CodyC

Sorry I can't advice you since we're going in a few weeks. I'm curious who you booked all your tours thru including the wine tour and Scavi? Hope you have a fabulous time!
CC

Sammygrll

I thought we would have too many things planned, since we're doing several tours. But I think it looks like we left a lot of time to wander...
I hope our trust Streetwise map will do us justice...lol
Another question...if our Vatican tour through them doesn't go through as we hoped...would we have time to book one? Or just show up early in the morning and hope for the best? Do they have people that solicit tours maybe?? Hmm..?

victoria_reynolds

I'm afraid you'll find Venice too far for a "day" trip --it's about 4 and a half hours each way by train. It deserves at least a few days to savor anyway. I think Orvieto, Ostia Antica make good day trips for "freelancers." Easy transportation and plenty of time to enjoy the sights. You may find you have more than enough to do in Rome though!

Sammygrll

Cody...if you have time..read my post about the irony of our Rome trip..something of that sort for the subject line.
We found Verazzanno winery when I was watching a Rachel Ray show...then the irony is, one of the distrubutors that my hubby deals with at the restaurant he works at, is from that winery..so we booked through him. when I go home I'll post the link.
Scavi tour I got through many opinions on here. Search for Scavi tour.
The Vatican I booked through their site. You have to fax though.. I think it's at www.vatican.va
Our colloseum tour is through Contxt rome...from many opinions on here.

Sammygrll

I'm hoping some more people will be kind enough to review my itinerary....soo....topping.

Thank you!!

TravMimi

Florence is an easy day trip. About hour and a half each way on the ES train.

Bettina222

When my husband and I were in Rome for 8 days last February, we did two day trips.......one to Florence and one to Venice. We enjoyed both but especially Venice. Granted we didn't have all that much time there but took the first train out in the morning and the last one back at night and found it worth it!

djman102

Your itinerary looks well laid out, yet flexible, which is a perfect blend I believe. One thing you might want to do is make a list of "nice" (not necessary) ideas for those "play by ear" times. We did not do this on our first trip to Rome (also our first trip to Europe), and I think that would have improved it. Of course, our trip was wonderful, but we had more than one conversation along the lines of "what shall we do-I don't know, what is there-" etc. Again, don't change anything, just have some ideas for flexibility.

Above all else, relax and enjoy! It will be great!

Pausanias

Looks like a good itinerary. Here are two places you might consider adding if you have a few spare hours.

Trastevere -- quaint neighborhood, good restaurants, Santa Maria and Santa Cecilia churches. Might be convenient after your Context Rome tour.

Appia Antica -- an interesting morning or afternoon if you find yourself intrigued by ancient Rome. The catacombs, aqueducts, funerary monuments. Very evocative.

Lexma90

I agree that generally, you've left a good amount of flexibility. But do try to get out during your first evening in Rome, even if for only a walk around the neighborhood. It's Rome, after all!

After your visit to the Vatican on Friday, you might want to walk on up to Castel St. Angelo then, and then cross the river and over to Piazza Navona. It will probably be a great place to sit and people-watch on a nice afternoon/evening in May. The Pantheon is also not too far away, if you want another spot for people-watching (and visiting the Pantheon as well, of course).

Whatever day you visit the Jewish Ghetto, it's not too far from Campo d'Fiori. Good to combine those. Also, put Trastevere on your list for a nice stroll. It's not real far from the Ghetto and Campo d'Fiori, though it is across the river.

Especially if you're foodies, keep in mind that a good number of restaurants are closed on Sunday nights. You might want to plan that dinner ahead of time, and make reservations.

Venice is very far for a day trip. If you want to visit somewhere outside of Rome, choose Pompeii, or Ostia Antica. Or Hadrian's Villa (though I haven't been there myself, so I don't know what it's like).

Have a great time!

Sammygrll

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am a little worried about what to do on our first night. We're staying near the Termini and don't have any restaurants booked. We do have some that are suggested. Maybe we should just book something now?
Can anyone recommend a nice resaurant? We can take a cab to and from and walk in that area...
I was also thinking we had TOO much planed, with all our tours..but guess not. I'm sure we won't get bored...would love to see many churches though.
Thanks for the help..will also look into Pompeii..that sounds exciting!
Does anyone know if Wed we can attend church or mass? I'm Jewish but would love to be part of something so huge.
If anyone can recommend a nice restaurant..that would be great! I'm so overwhelmed reading the many posts with suggestions..lol

tomassocroccante

Lots of nice "play it by ear time" in your schedule, which is a good thing. But you do want to have some ideas in hand.

To that end, get a copy of City Secrets: Rome. Everything is broken down into quarters of the city, with a very basic map for each area locating the featured sights. Seasoned visitors to Rome - including architects, artists, writers, chefs - give their favorite special places, many of them not in the guidebooks.

City Secrets is a great series (there is a Florence/Venice volume as well as NYC and one or two others so far), a smallish book easy to take with you, and VERY esay to open it and discover that you happen to be around the corner from something really great.

By the way, look long at your map as you make plans. Keep in mind what's near what - again, something City Secrets can help with. It will keep your ear from getting tired while you're playing by it ...

ancient_mariner

Sammygrll, Rome is the greatest city in the world, so you are in for a treat. Here are some specific suggestions:

Friday, May 4 - You are trying to do a great deal in a very short time. You could easily spend an entire day in the area and not see everything you want to. So... why not go to the Vatican Museums and see the Sistine Chapel in the morning, then save St. Peters for Tuesday after your Scavi Tour? Here's a tip for the museums- it's pretty much a one-way trip. They don't let you double back to the Etruscan or Egyptian museums after you've gone to the Sistine Chapel, so save the Chapel for the end of your museum tour. Don't hurry through the tapestry room, it is fascinating. For an interesting lunch, there's a Pizzeria/Trattoria on Via del Mascherino a block from the wall that we fondly call the Vatican Truck Stop. Lots of good food served family style. A large unkempt woman will beckon you in, and I suggest you not resist.

A good idea for the afternoon is to walk over to the Castel San Angelo. It's open late and I suspect you won't get there until mid-afternoon anyway. Great view of Rome from up there!

Saturday, May 5. I expect you will see the Forum and the Colosseum in the morning. Hold onto your tickets- they also get you onto the Palatine Hill. Don't miss the Palatine Hill! Enter just beyond the arch of Titus. This will probably take most of the afternoon, but you should still have time to see San Clemente. I think it is open until 6:30.

Sunday, May 6 - In one of your posts you say you would like to attend Mass. Since you are in the general area, you might try one of two of my favorite churches in Rome, almost next door to each other. San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane has mass at 11:00, and I believe Sant'Andrea al Quirinal celebrates at 11:30. If you miss the mass times, both churches are still worth visiting. San Carlo was designed by Borromini and San Andrea by Bernini. Both are very small, both very beautiful in different ways.

Tuesday, May 8 - Visit St. Peters after your Scavi tour. Note that the ornate papal altar is directly over St. Peter's original tomb which you have just seen in the thousands-year-old necropolis. Amazing! And don't miss the crypt and the dome.

Don't forget to visit the Synagogue on the Tiber if you get a chance. While you are in the neighborhood, take in Santa Maria in Cosmedin, the site of the "Mouth of Truth," of Roman Holiday fame. Go inside the church as well, though. They built it from scrounged materials, and it shows. While you are there, go across the street to look at some of the best-preserved ancient temples in Rome- the Temple of Hercules (the round one) and the Temple of Portunus (the square one).

Let's see, you asked for a dinner restaurant recommendation for your first evening. Try Sacro E Profano, Via dei Maroniti 29, close to the Trevi fountain. Great food and atmosphere.

Good luck, and don't be afraid to wander around the city. As I think I have already said, it's the greatest city in the world.