# Top tips for Rome



## ney001 (13 Apr 2010)

Hi guys

Have read through a couple of the Rome links.  We are going for 4 days and I am looking for say top ten list of things to do and see?.   There's so much to see that I just want to concentrate on things that are recommended.  We will probably do the hop on bus tours but generally speaking is there anything that is a must see?  

Also Vatican city, how long does it take, should you leave a full day for this? finally the Catacombs? are they in vatican city.

Thanks


----------



## dkk (13 Apr 2010)

Was in Rome jsut before Christmas and loved it. Jsut be careful with the taxi drivers, they will try and rip you off, everyone of them try! One guy started the meter at 9 euro, when I queried it he told me "night time! should have been about 4. Anyway keep an eye on them.


----------



## gillarosa (13 Apr 2010)

Bring walking shoes! its a great city for walking.
The Catacombs are outside Rome, about 20 minutes by bus from memory.
The Vatican would take a minimum of half a day, it seems to take that long anyway just to get to see the Art.
Be brave with the traffic, you have to make eye contact with the drivers so they will stop for you to cross safely.
Talk to the locals in your hotel and they will give you some tips on where is good in the locality.


----------



## Mpsox (13 Apr 2010)

The Vatican does take a fair amount of time and the Sistine Chapel is a let down due to the sheer volume of people inside in it. Personally I enjoyed the Map Room more when I was there. You can climb more or less to the top of the dome in the Vatican for some excellent views, but it's a heck of a climb inside the dome, with the roof leaning in on you and once you get started there is no place to stop, hence you need not to suffer from claustrophobia and be reasonably fit. Watch out for pick-pockets on the buses to and from it though

Colliseum is good but get there reasonably early and be prepared to queue

It's a good city for wandering although watch out for traffic. Also don't be in any rush to eat near the touristy places,  they tend to be overpriced and poor quality.


----------



## elefantfresh (13 Apr 2010)

Pick 1 area per day and do everything there. Wear good walking shoes. You can walk pretty much everything if you plan your day out. No need for buses and you see so much more. My favs were the Coliseum, Forum, Trevie Fountain, Trastevere at night - very cool spot. Piazzo Novera for evening meals sitting out in the square.
Great place to visit - 4 days, you'll need to be on your toes to see everything.
Sorry about the spellings.


----------



## lucylu (13 Apr 2010)

We spent 4 days in Rome a couple of years ago. .Rome is beautiful and around every corner there is an even more beautiful ornate building. 

Go to a travel office/or Main Train Station (termini) and get a map like the one in this link - it will be your best friend.
http://www.fonisol.com/rome/images/rome-map.gif

Don't expect much from Rome Hotels.
In a Cafe a coffee will cost you more to have it sitting down! 
The underground is cheap -a bit scary as Graffitti is sprawled everywhere. But Use it.
Yes give a day well the most part of the day for the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican
Go visit the The Mouth of Truth (La Bocca della Verità) http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/r...din/the_mouth_of_truth/bocca_della_verita.htm

Make sure you have your shoulders and knees covered otherwise you will not get in. Avoid the loos as you enter near the Vatican security... they are something out of roman times  
We spotted Frasscati on a map and said vineyards = wine tasting  so we took the train out. It was beautiful however a dissapointment as grapes are grown by private growers who are a part of a CO-OP and it is sold to industrial wine producers so we lost a day. so no grape squashing or tasting for us.
Watch out for the Romans around the colliseum- they will charge you to get a photo taken with them approx €5

Stay away from the Dried Pasta Museum in the quirnale region.
The Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo) beside the Colliseum is just a dirt track - avoid 
Oh bTW are Mcdonalds everywhere - at the Trevi fountatin, The Pantheon ,the Spanish Steps you name it they are there.

As for Catacombs we did go to any  http://www.tours-italy.com/rome/catacombs.htm


----------



## BillK (13 Apr 2010)

The Pantheon and the Castel Ste Angelo are worth a visit.
If you are retired you can get free entrance to many of the sites.


----------



## helllohello (13 Apr 2010)

we needed to produce out passports at the coliseum, but i cant remember why.
check the opening times of the sistine chapel, as far as i remember they closed some days around 12 noon for a couple of hours.


----------



## browtal (14 Apr 2010)

*Wonderful Rome*

Had to get my tuppence worth in. Had a magical 4 days in Rome last year. Everything is wonderful about Rome. Do the bus tour it gives you orientation. 
Dont plan too rigidly you will find interest everywhere you look. You have got all the recommendations I could offer.
We stayed at Pace - Helvezia Hotel  4* in centre was wonderful location if not best value for money. Clean and comfortable. Ask for balcony it overlooks the most fabulous rooftops and flowers and lime trees at your door. You wont want to leave your balcony. Five minutes from Spanish Steps and everything of interest.
Have wonderful time. Browtal


----------



## Nationaldude (14 Apr 2010)

I love Rome, we got married there and then went back for our second anniversary. It was as good second time around cos we actually got to see more cos we had no wedding to arrange. The Colloseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Vatican & Sistine are all musts when there, as others have said, there are stunning buildings around every corner so a comfortable pair of walking shoes are also a must. We stayed in Hotel Quirinale on Via Nationale for the wedding and we stayed at Hotel Mozart for our return visit. Both hotels were amazing in different ways. Quirinale would be expensive to stay in for a weekend break but we got great deals for our wedding, Mozart has a stunning roof wine terrace where you can sit and look over the city while listening to the opera in the background, brilliant. Have a great time whatever you get up to.

*Jealous*


----------



## BillK (14 Apr 2010)

We stayed at the Grand Hotel Olympic ( one of the [broken link removed] group) literally five minutes walk from the Vatican ands with a tour bus stop just round the corner.

Previous posts give info on good eating houses.


----------



## Mpsox (15 Apr 2010)

Nationaldude said:


> I love Rome, we got married there and then went back for our second anniversary. It was as good second time around cos we actually got to see more cos we had no wedding to arrange. The Colloseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Vatican & Sistine are all musts when there, as others have said, there are stunning buildings around every corner so a comfortable pair of walking shoes are also a must. We stayed in Hotel Quirinale on Via Nationale for the wedding and we stayed at Hotel Mozart for our return visit. Both hotels were amazing in different ways. Quirinale would be expensive to stay in for a weekend break but we got great deals for our wedding, Mozart has a stunning roof wine terrace where you can sit and look over the city while listening to the opera in the background, brilliant. Have a great time whatever you get up to.
> 
> *Jealous*


 
I'd echo the hotel Quirinale, good location, lovely hotel with very friendly staff.


----------



## VOR (15 Apr 2010)

Mpsox said:


> Colliseum is good but get there reasonably early and be prepared to queue



Approach the colliseum from the Via di San Gregorio. You will see what is left of the Circus Maximus on your left ( not much to be honest). Buy a combination ticket for the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman  Forum at the nearby entrance to the Palatine Hill. The combination  ticket is good for two days so you don't have to get to all three sites  in one day.It saves you queueing for tickets to the colliseum.

And if you are staying near the Vatican try and enjoy a night time stroll around the wonderful restaurants in Trastevere.


----------



## elefantfresh (15 Apr 2010)

A great tip for the Colliseum is to get one of the guided tours from outside - it costs about 20e (instead of the standard entry of about 12e) but gets you right to the top of the queue AND gives you a guided tour of the Forum straight afterwards. 
Worth every single penny when someone who actually knows what they're looking at can explain it to someone like me!


----------



## michaelm (16 Apr 2010)

ney001 said:


> Have read through a couple of the Rome links.  We are going for 4 days and I am looking for say top ten list of things to do and see?.


Get the  guide book (obviously cheaper on Amazon), I found it very useful.

Ideally stay in a central hotel (I would view the Pantheon as being central) and walk everywhere; from the Pantheon it took me 25 mins to walk to the Vatican and 20 mins to the Colosseum in the opposite direction. Pretty much everything else is in between.

I booked my return journey from Airport to Hotel with http://www.romeshuttlelimousine.com/ which was spot on (was €35 each way, albeit 2 years ago) - didn't have to deal with taxis. 

I would avoid organised tours.

The Vatican museum is very busy, everyone goes early and the queue can be horrendous. I landed there for half past two and there was no queue.  In the Sistine Chapel, if you melt into a tour group, you can take the Tour Groups Only exit on the right, skipping the tail end of the museum and effecting a shortcut into St. Peter's Square.

Book/Print Colosseum(plus Roman Forum) tickets online so you won't have to queue for either.  On a Sunday the roads around the Colosseum are closed to traffic so it's a nice walk up the road from the  to the Colosseum.

You can drink the water from the running taps you'll find everywhere, ideal for thirsty walkers.

Don't accept a rose from any of the persistent hawkers, even a free one .


----------



## MaryBe (16 Apr 2010)

If you are going to St Peters, make sure your shoulders are covered and I think shorts are not allowed.  I could not wait to get out of there.  The wealth was unbearable given the poverty in the world.  I was disgusted.  The Catholic Church is dripping in wealth and still begging for more.  Is this what God intended......I think not.  Sorry to go on but I feel so strongly about this.
Rome is a beautiful city as many others have given the places of interest above.  Have a great time.


----------



## Mpsox (16 Apr 2010)

MaryBM said:


> If you are going to St Peters, make sure your shoulders are covered and I think shorts are not allowed. I could not wait to get out of there. The wealth was unbearable given the poverty in the world. I was disgusted. The Catholic Church is dripping in wealth and still begging for more. Is this what God intended......I think not. Sorry to go on but I feel so strongly about this.
> Rome is a beautiful city as many others have given the places of interest above. Have a great time.


 
An alternative is the Irish College, especially if you want/need to go to mass on the Sunday, incredibly peaceful and the church is very simple,


----------



## MaryBe (16 Apr 2010)

Mpsox said:


> An alternative is the Irish College, especially if you want/need to go to mass on the Sunday, incredibly peaceful and the church is very simple,


 
Thanks Mpsox,  I will visit there next time in Rome.


----------



## WS Graebner (16 Apr 2010)

Whether you're going to Rome for a few days or 6 months, we think you'll find our Rome the Second Time blog entertaining, informative, and useful in getting you to a different, more authentic, off-the-beaten-path Rome.  In addition to our regular, frequent postings on all manner of things Roman--politics, poetry, architecture, hiking, the aqueducts, whatever--we are currently offering a Rome the Second Time Top 40 Countdown; we're at #19.


----------



## WS Graebner (16 Apr 2010)

*Cover-up for women at the Mosque*

If you're going to the Mosque (the largest in Europe, gorgeous, near Flaminio), women need to cover their heads and arms.  I had to rush back to the scooter to get my leather jacket (in summer heat) and had to borrow a scarf from a fellow visitor.  Note this did not used to be the case for the mosque.  And, the mosque is open to visitors only Weds. and Sat. 9-11:30.  It's a spectacular architectural complex, built in 2006.  We have some photos and information on it on our blog, Rome the Second Time (2.21.2010 post).





MaryBM said:


> If you are going to St Peters, make sure your shoulders are covered and I think shorts are not allowed. I could not wait to get out of there. The wealth was unbearable given the poverty in the world. I was disgusted. The Catholic Church is dripping in wealth and still begging for more. Is this what God intended......I think not. Sorry to go on but I feel so strongly about this.
> Rome is a beautiful city as many others have given the places of interest above. Have a great time.


----------



## WS Graebner (16 Apr 2010)

*retired, but not always free...*

The technical rules are that you must be an EU citizen, or a citizen of a country that has a reciprocal agreement with the EU, to take advantage of the free or reduced rates for retirees.  The US does not have such an agreement.  The museum attendants are uneven in applying this rule.  Last year I (a US citizen) got in free to the Campidoglio museums (well worth visiting - as is Michelangelo's plaza where they are located) but not to Castel Sant'Angelo.  





BillK said:


> The Pantheon and the Castel Ste Angelo are worth a visit.
> If you are retired you can get free entrance to many of the sites.


----------



## Copper Beach (16 Apr 2010)

Got married in Rome many years ago and would agree with all previous. If going as a couple definitely stay in the centre but we went back July last year with family of kids & teenagers.     Most noticeable difference was the plethora of Asian hawkers on the streets.
Was difficult to keep together on busy footpaths. Although they enjoyed and benefited from it, we knew kids could not endure long days sightseeing so we had accom booked on outskirts of city at Crowne Plaza St. Peters. Not the most convenient of locations on the Via Aurelia Antica but it was modern with a/c and large outdoor pool so kids could have something to look forward to at end of day. Problem was when we got there we discovered the pool closed at 8pm. so only got to use it early morning of departure.  Bus stop a short walk from hotel but limited choice of restaurants in neighbourhood.    One memorable place worth a visit was the "Church of the Bones" off the Via Veneto and opposite the steps leading to St. Isidores , the Church of the Irish Franciscans. Probably a better and shorter alternative to the Catacombs.   Joined a guided tour being assembled in St Peters Square by an American chap, got rapid access to and thro Vatican Museum/Sistine. Forget what we paid but it was worth it for the entertaining stories and tour.  Similar at Colloseum.
As mentioned before beware pick pockets everywhere especially in buses and churches.


----------



## michaelm (19 Apr 2010)

ney001, this might be worth watching, UTV Friday @ 22:40

Greatest Cities of the World with Griff Rhys Jones

 The writer and actor returns to experience a day in the life of three more major cities, beginning with a visit to Rome to discover its traditions, history and secrets. He eats offal and milks goats in the style of a Roman peasant and visits a basilica that is home to nuns who spend their lives in complete silence. Griff learns how to direct traffic at one of the busiest road intersections in Europe and lands an audience with the mayor - who explains how to run the city without being assassinated


----------



## ney001 (20 Apr 2010)

Thanks guys, but had to cancel weekend in Rome due to Ash 

Will have to leave it for a while now


----------



## michaelm (20 Apr 2010)

You could always do a London/Paris/Rome trip by train.  I worked out before that I could leave my house in the morning and be in London by half three going by ferry/train.  Leaving London on any given day after breakfast one can be in Paris by lunchtime.  There is a sleeper train from Paris to Rome which leaves Paris late and arrives around 8AM in Rome.  One could spend a full day in Rome (which is just enough to see the main sites) before getting the return sleeper to Paris.  Em, I must do this.


----------

