What MUST I do in Rome???
 

Hi,

I am off to Rome on 9th December 2004 for my partners birthday. I want to make the occasion as special as possible without it costing the earth!!

I've taken advise from previous messages and have booked a taxi using limoservicerom. I have also arranged a Scavi tour at 9.00am on the first morning of our stay.

What else is a must?!?!

We arrive on Thursday evening and so I have booked a resturant in Trastervere. The Savi tour is the next morning and then........

I would love advise off anyone who can give me an insight into any activities that will make the trip an interseting and fun weekend. Anything also that needs pre booking would be a help.

He loves history and food. (Rome was a good choice I think)

Help would be appreciated!!!!

Buy or acquire (at the library?) any of the major guidebooks - - Fodors, Frommers, Eyewitness Guide.

Failing that - - on in the interim - - http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgr...ation=rome@130

or

http://web.archive.org/web/199910121.../romevisit.htm

Or, if you want the four word answer: Vatican/Colosseum/Pantheon/Trevi

Best wishes,

Rex

I would highly recommend taking a tour of Castel Sant'Angelo. The view of Rome from the top is lovely, and I had the good fortune of being up there as the sun set a few years ago. Breathtaking!

Buon Viaggio,
BC

The Piazza Navona, the Forum, outdoor cafes, St. Paul Outside the Wall, small restaurants filled with Romans, wandering, more wandering, and lots of soaking up La Dolce Vita. I also second Bookchicks' advice. We saw a magnificent sunset from the Castel as well.
((c))

The borghese Gallery is also worth visiting.

Hello Sazzleevans,

It probably would help posters to know that you'll have 3 nights in Rome, something you mentioned in another thread.

sites. sites you say. see those in a book. go to campo de fiori and enjoy the culture. just try the pizza and gelato because you simply can't get those outside italy. but yeah, the standards sites...best=vatican.

The previous posts sum it up very well. The only thing i will add is that on the advice of many fodorites we used Scala Reale for two tours and we thought that they were great. The tours we took were the Roma Antica and the Arte Vaticana. Each were 4hour tours with a max of 6 people. We know that we got alot more out of our visits because the guides explained in detail what we were looking at. Enjoy your trip.

I would say, try all of the gelatos flavors you can find! Okay...Realistically, we loved the Vatican and walking around in St. Peter's. If you're able, try to hiking to the top. You'd get a lovely view and pictures. Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, the forum, Spanish Steps, Colosseum, and lots of time to enjoy walking and eating in the various cafes and rest. The atmosphere of Rome is lively and upbeat. It put us in a great mood, unlike London (although we had a good time there). Just watch carefully when crossing the streets the traffic is crazy and we saw 3 accidents in 1 week while we were there.

We also enjoyed a night tour which showed all of the sights "illuminated".

Contrary to most other posters' experience, the Vatican was not the highlight of my trip. I loved it, especially the scavi tour, but I'd skip the vatican museum if I only had 2 full days. Assuming 3 nights means about 2.5 days, this is what I would do:
1/2 day - Trastevere
1 day - St. Peters, colloseum, forum, san peitro in vincoli, piazza navona, pantheon, trevi, piazza columna, spanish steps.

2 day - campo di fiori, piazza farnese, largo di argetina, borghese gallery, castel sant angelo and if you have time the rest of the borghese gardens and villa borghese.

Romance, romance, romance!

One of the things you must do is to climb the 495 steps (think I have the number right) to the top of the dome at St. Peter's in the Vatican. The view at the top is AWESOME.

There are other things you will find you MUST do, but some of them are very personal, so I won't go into it. :)

--Marv

If you're an opera fan... definitely the Castel to see where Tosca leaped. And the Pantheon...and definitely the Borghese (but one needs reservations.)
A little bit of something at the Cafe Greco on the via Condotti... maybe a nice dinner at Nino's... not so far away.

You will not have time for all of the MUST SEEs. Whatever you choose to do, do it well. Enjoy and savor the experience. Whatever you don't get to do will provide a reason to return.

Visit Campo dei Fiori in the morning when the produce market is set up. And while you are there, go to the bakery in the northeast corner -- Forno Campo dei Fiori.

Walk around Trastevere, have a drink in the square, then head over to Ferrara (wine bar, not restaurant) by the bridge for wine and their super-yummy bar food! Lots of beautiful Romans here for people-watching!

What time in the morning is the produce market set up in January (or December for that matter given the original poster's question)?

>What MUST I do in Rome???<

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Thank you all very much. I am xo excited.....I have booked dinner for two of the three evenings. NIGHT 1: Castetta de Trastervere NIGHT2: L'ORSO 80. Any comments about these or any suggestions for NIGHT3 (SATURDAY)..Thank you all very much!!1

Suggestion for Sat:

Osteria dell'Antiquario - Piazzetta di S. Simeone 26 (on Via Coronari).
Phone: 06-687-9694.

Great food in a nice location.

Somewhere on your trip take your partner up to the Pincio above Piazza Del Popolo for a great view of the city and try and cath the sunset - it's great place for smooching.

Here are a couple of restaurant suggestions for Saturday Night 3:

1) Il Fico - Piazza del Fico 2#4/25 phone 39 066875568. Lively and fun. Very fresh - creative menu, I saw them bring out a whole fish to show a customer for approval before preparing it. Great antipasti, fried calamari, yummo salads, very good wine and loved my steak.

2) Osteria del Pegno - 06 68807025 Vicola di Montevecchio # 8. Just off Via Coronari by the only fountain on coronari. Small, intimate & romantic, awesome carbonara and steamed clams. Also I had one night ravioli with safron sauce that made my eyes roll back and my toes curl...

Enjoy