We will be in Rome Tue, Wed and Thurs, in about one month. Our buget is tight, but we want to see everything. Which place ie Vatican city, or Coloseum would a tour guide come in the most handy. Could getting a tour guide for the first day to show us around and then letting us lose for the last two day be a reasonalble thing to do? I don't think going to the Borghese Museum would require a tour guide. I am intimidated with the Vatican city and the Coloseum and the Forum. Which would be the best day to see the Vatican? )Viv

There's really no need for a guide in Rome if you do a bit of advance reading and take along a copy of a good reference like Michelin's Green Book for Rome. <BR> <BR>The Forum and Palatine are the most complex of sights anywhere, let alone Rome. To fully appreciate a &gt;good&lt; guide would be helpful, or a bit of extra homework ahead of time. <BR> <BR>The Vatican Museums rent a cassette/CD 'tour' which is excellent and recommended. The Michelin is adequate for St. Peter's. <BR> <BR>There's really not much to see in the Colosseum that requires a guide. <BR> <BR>ScalaReale ... www.scalareale.org ... is an excellent source of walking tours of Rome. <BR> <BR>You'll find our suggestions for touring Rome by yourself at www.twenj.com/romesightsselftour.htm <BR> <BR>Rome.Switzerland.Bavaria <BR>www.twe

I second Ed's recommendations. However, if you want a more in depth coverage of monuments and history than you could get with the Michelin Green, there's one other guide book you should consider (it would obviously add on homewrok time <BR> <BR>I would guess that if you pick 20 guides in Rome at random, 19 of them won't know about half of what's disclosed in the Blue Guide Rome and Environs(ISBN 0-7136-3939-3 or ISBN 0-393-31259-3 USA). Just to have an idea, the Roman Forum section of it has got 18 pages of tiny letters including maps, with an excellent text on historical background and detailed monument descriptions. <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

Hi Vivian--we were just in Rome two weeks ago and would offer the following advice. <BR> <BR>The Vatican only sounds confusing until you get there (we were baffled by what time, where do get in line, etc., etc. and kept getting conflicting advice). Here is what we did--took a cab to the entrance of the Vatican Museums (it is essentially around the corner from St. Peter's Square--be sure and go to the museum not the square because otherwise it is a long and uninteresing walk to the museum entrance itself);we got there one hour before it opened in the morning (there were probably 200 people in line ahead of us but many were in large groups), got the audio guide--which is excellent--and went straight--it's a long walk, but you can only walk one way-- to the Sistine Chapel--it was wonderful because there were only about 20 people there; we then went back around to see the Raphael Rooms, by then it was packed --you must exit via the Sistine Chapel and by the time we went back around (probably 45 minutes later--so by now the museum has been open 1.5 hours) you could barely move in the Sistine Chapel. There are people who will tell you to go in the afternoon, but we saw the line one afternoon (we had to go back to see the Basilica because it was closed because the Pope was in the Square) and it looked to be about 2-3 hours long--I think first thing in the morning is the way to go. Decide if you really want to see the Raphael Rooms and do it on the way to the Sistine Chapel; if you really just want to see the Sistine Chapel--do that and see fabulous art in lots of other places in Rome. I say this because you really don't have much time in Rome and you can "waste" a lot of time in the Vatican Museums just battling the crowds. Then you leave the Vatican Museum and walk around to St. Peter's and the Basilica. If you are physically able (it wasn't that strenuous) I would recommend the cupola--the view was wonderful. Get the audio tape for the Sistine Chapel--no guide necessary. <BR> <BR>We took a Scale Reale tour--it was great--you will get many recommendations on this forum. I think it would be fun to take their tour of the Forum because I think that is the site that requires the most imagination of what it must have been like. The Coloseum is pretty obvious--you learn there is basically only one way to build a sports stadium--poor people at the top, rich people on the bottom--and we do it the same way to this day. Don't bother with the audio tape--it wasn't worth the money. We took the Centro Storico tour with Scale Reale which was excellent but I am sure their tour of the Forum is good also. <BR> <BR>I totally understand your confusion with the Vatican--you will smile when you finally see it and it all falls into place. <BR> <BR>Please feel free to ask more questions. We loved Rome--it is super easy to walk around and everything is much closer than it appears on the map! <BR> <BR>Mary

You've gotten some real solid, solid advice. And you couldn't wrong in following it. Definitely get the audio tour of the Vatican Museum! It's as good as a guide and a lot cheaper! <BR>I would one other helpful resource, Rick Steves' book, "Mona Winks," which will be helpful touring all the major sites (not only in Rome but other major European cities as well).

To Paulo <BR>I am having difficulty finding the book you mention along with the ISBN numbers you give for them. I did find:Rome and Environs (Paperback - February 1995) with a ISBN number of 0393304876 at Amazon.com published by W W Norton Company. Is this the same book? If not, neither Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com know anything about it.

I took the Scala Reale tour of the Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine called Antica Roma, and it was wonderful. It takes a solid four hours and is a lot of walking. Their website is www.scalareale.org and you can email them with questions directly from their site.

This should be the same book. I have the 5th (1994) edition. Anyways, the author is Alta Macadam. <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

Bill: I agree with Paulo the Blue Guide is the best for the historical sites and museums. My saying is "I'd rather lose my luggage than my Blue Guide and Streetwise Map". I'd be lost without them. Amazon is out of stock for the B.G. Rome but Barnes & Noble has the *1998* edition in stock. Go to http://www.barnesandnoble.com/subjec...el/travel.asp? type-in blue guide rome and click-on "This Subject Only" & "Search" It will be listed as "Rome: Blue Guide". <BR>Even guidebooks bought *at* a museum or historical site will not be as detailed as the Blue Guide. Another great guide for the historical sites *only* (no museums) is the "Oxford Archaeological Guides-Rome" ISBN 019288003-9. HTH Regards, Walter <BR>

There are guides available at the Palatine and the forum. These people are archeologists who work for the government. You can arrange for them at the ticket office just inside the forum. When we were there last May the tours in English were at noon for the forum and 10:30 at Palatine hill. I think cost was about 4 0r 5 Dollars a piece, maybe less. Well worth it . About an hour a piece.

To Paulo and Walter <BR>Thanks a million for your input regarding Blue Book Rome and Environs. <BR>Walter, you're absolutely right, when I searched Amazon.com, they said they didn't have the book but could order it. Barnes & Nobel didn't even recognize the title until I followed your directions. I guess one must know the ISBN number of any book to know how to order it. <BR>Another great book regarding Rome,long out of print but can be ordered/or at least sought by B&N & Amazon is:Rome & Latium by Prentice Hall Press. Wonderful with over 300 color illustrations and 8 pages of mapes. If you can find it, get it. <BR>ISBN 0137828551 <BR>Thanks again.

Does anyone know of a fairly inexpensive B&B, pensione. I'm looking for something around $50 per night. Since I don't plan on being in my room very much I'm not particular - just safe. Any suggestions? I would appreciate anybody's input. Thank you!

Yes to Oxford, Blue & Michelin Green guides. Also--if you find a bookshop in Rome--pop in and look for a small book, just a bit larger than a typical postcard, with a red vinyl cover. It has photos of the historical buildings with cellophane overlays that show what the buildings may have once looked like. If you're interested email me privately @ yahoo.com address and I"ll send the exact title and any identifying info from our copy.

I bought the great little book Pam's recommending at the row of open-air bookstalls right next to the Galleria Colonna and opposite the Piazza Colonna, just off the Via del Corso. You can't miss it, it's two rows of stalls with white canvas awnings perpendicular to the Corso. You have to cross the Corso to go from the Pantheon to the Trevi fountain or vice versa and could pick it up then. Well worth the effort and costs @$10.