Anyone been to Rome?

What do you want to know?

It's a city that you can't even remotely experience in one day.

The Vatican is obviously high on a lot of people's lists, but there are so many other ruins, churches, piazza's, and sites to see it's ridiculous!
 
Hit the bricks early.....between the places that are closed and the long lines.....its best just to go with the flow
eat often, and keep moving to the next thing that interests you...too much to see....all great.....have fun
 
What kind of ideas are you looking for? There are certainly no shortage of ideas for Rome. It is The Eternal City, after all.

If I was going to spend only a day there, the obvious choice is to go and see the Vatican, with the tour through the Sistine Chapel.

Second on the list would have to be the Foro, which is the set of ruins leading up to the Colosseum.

After that, there have to be at least a hundred things worth seeing, but you need time.

What I would do if I were you, is research a good walking tour of Rome (buy a good travel book you can carry with you). Wear some VERY comfortable shoes. Hit the Vatican first thing in the morning, and spend the day walking the city until you can`t walk any more. Don`t stop for lunch, just get a slice of pizza on the go somewhere. In the evening, find a good restaurant, not some cheap tourist hole, where you can relax for a long time over a good meal. Then do a bit more walking at night. Many of the piazzas of Rome are nicer at night than in the daylight.

I would generally avoid the big parks after dark.

--- D
 
The cruise ship harbour is in Civitavechia, , and your about a 40minute train ride from that port town to Rome. Its really nice scenery but its a commuter train. Regardless of how you feel about the Pope, Vatican city needs to be on the list. The Forum and Colleseum are must sees. Get on one of the tours you can book right outside the buildings and you walk past the lineups. The hop on/hop off bus is the way to see the city, you can pay $20euro and ride all day and it stops at all the cool stuff. There are two companies, green buses and red buses, get on the red buses, they have twice as many vehicles and are better managed.
There are about 12 million nice places to eat, get at least three blocks from any of the tourist traps and the price drops 30% and the wquality goes up. Fake an accent when you order your coffee when your out, its 1.5E for Italians and 3E for tourists. Screw the tourist is a popular game.
Keep your backpack in front of you, wallet in front pocket and dont wear your good watch or nice jewelery out walking. Its very safe but they know tourists just dont have time to hang out at a police station.
What are your ports of calls on the cruise? I'm a bit of a cruise whore.........
 
If you go to the colleseum, go across the street to get a ticket to the ruins and the colleseum. The line is much much much shorter. The ruins are great too.
 
Being going to Italy every 2 years, for the last 30 years or so - I *still* haven't seen everything there is to see in Rome (and I normally spend a week or more in the city)...

Sound advice in this thread; find a walking tour, it'll be the difference between a good time and a confusing/frustrating time (especially if you're not a native Italian speaker). Also, people are assuming you're the historical type i.e. you'll like the Colosseum, I Fori Romani, Vatican, L'Eur, Vatican Museum, etc. etc. (Tripadvisor pretty much covers places of historical interest for you http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g187791-Activities-c5-Rome_Lazio.html ). But if you're the shopping/partying type, you need to speak up so we point you in the right direction (as someone said above me, Civitavecchia is a almost an hour to and from Rome, so we gotta factor that in before we start sending you places).
 
Watch for pickpockets! Those guys are pros. My cousin got his wallet lifted at a train station and because he was paranoid he kept it in his front pocket of his jeans. Gone! True story.
 
Was just there for my 3rd time in June for 1 day on our way to como, st moritz then santorini ( all way better than Rome) It's dirty and gross but yes you can see all the major stuff. My wife wanted to see Rome so I said one day only. We walked and hit spainish steps, trevi fountain, tomb of the unknown soldier,pantheon, coliseum , ( skip the lines by paying extra to join a tour then forget the tour and walk right in) Vatican ( you can't wear shorts or t shirt when you go in so be warned) by a tour ticket and bypass the line too.
, circus maximus. Unless you are a total out of shape slob you can walk it all in 8 hours maximum including sitting down for a good lunch
 
Rome is a Hot mess, tho you arnt going in absoulte high season so it shouldn't be as bad.

Stay away from the subway, its one of the worst subway systems in europe, I was there this august and one of the 2 main lines was out if this is still the case definitely avoid the subway it smells is hot and comes in long intervals.

I did most of my sight seeing at night which I would reccomend if you want to avoid the masses. The outside of the colleseum is georgous at night and fontana de trevi is best experienced at night (beautiful lighting and great place to sit and drink some cheap wine, no such thing as a public drinking ticket there)

Vatican and the sistine chapel will eat at least half your day so keep that in mind if you only have one day in Rome. It's one of those places that everyone wants to see when they go there since it's so famous, the actual chapel is quite astonishing but it's at the end of a loooong walking tour through the vatican. You will truely understand the whole "business" of the cathlic church as you walk through like 10 different gift shops along the way haha.

The Roman Forum is worth seeing its the where all the anchient Roman ruins are.

If you're the shopping type and want to see the luis viton, versace gucci boutiques it's all on the street down past the spanish steps, again spanish steps much better at night if you ask me.

Rome is ok, I'm an avid europe traveller and I would NOT return during high season thats for sure.
 
+1 on never going near Rome in high season, every Catholic in the Christiandom was there in July.
 
Il Coloseo (Colloseum - sp?) is AMAZING. Be sure to take a guided tour - the history of the place is incredible... you should also be able to connect the tour with the ruins of the old Roman Imperial Palace.
Sadly, all the marble that sheathed the Coloseo and pretty much the entire Palace is now inside the Vatican. That combined tour will be close to 3 hours on their own. Times flies in Roma!!

You'll probably be looking at about 150 Euros a night in the off season in any half decent bed and breakfast within a 10 minute walk of the Vatican.

Strangely, I didn't have any problem with the subway or public transit. Maybe I'm used to the European systems from my travels, but other comments are bang on the money -- keep your wallet safe. May sound dorky, but those under the shirt hidey pockets for your critical documents really isn't a bad idea if you know you stand out like a tourist.
 
Ahhh...awesome post by everyone...

anyone got any hotel suggestions?? I'm going with my parents and I doubt they will do hostels :D

I will be technically 2 days in Rome...Before and after the cruise..

ports of call are:
Messina (Sicily), Italy
Piraeus (Athens), Greece
Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey
Chania (Souda), Crete, Greece

I was planning for Day 1 (I get into Rome at 1:30pm) so by the time I get to hotel and such probably be like 3?
Probably check out the Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain, shopping and ???...going to be booking a night tour (ghost tour) http://www.darkrome.com/legends_and_mysteries_of_rome.aspx?id=5

On the day back from the cruise we dock at 5am so probably get to the hotel by 9am? (leave bags at hotel) then check out Vatican city and Colloseum (Opposite ends of city?)

I know I can't see all of Rome in 2 days...but just wanted to go to MUST places.
 
HunGJaI said:
Ahhh...awesome post by everyone...

anyone got any hotel suggestions?? I'm going with my parents and I doubt they will do hostels :D

I will be technically 2 days in Rome...Before and after the cruise..

ports of call are:
Messina (Sicily), Italy
Piraeus (Athens), Greece
Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey
Chania (Souda), Crete, Greece

I was planning for Day 1 (I get into Rome at 1:30pm) so by the time I get to hotel and such probably be like 3?
Probably check out the Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain, shopping and ???...going to be booking a night tour (ghost tour) http://www.darkrome.com/legends_and_mysteries_of_rome.aspx?id=5

On the day back from the cruise we dock at 5am so probably get to the hotel by 9am? (leave bags at hotel) then check out Vatican city and Colloseum (Opposite ends of city?)

I know I can't see all of Rome in 2 days...but just wanted to go to MUST places.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a good plan. Skip the tours for the sake of time.
 
HunGJaI said:
On the day back from the cruise we dock at 5am so probably get to the hotel by 9am? (leave bags at hotel) then check out Vatican city and Colloseum (Opposite ends of city?)

I know I can't see all of Rome in 2 days...but just wanted to go to MUST places.
Click to expand...

If you're at all competent with Subways, it'll take you 20 minutes tops between The Colloseum and the Vatican including walking time.
If you go to see the Spanish Steps etc, everything "key" in Rome is within a 2 km walking radius.

So, wear comfy shoes and beat your feet!
 
**** for 1 day thats a toughy...

just get a good bite to eat and get sauced...

repeate this process for sicily...it will be cheaper there and better food.

Sicily would be the place to spend some time if you can, unreal over there.

Used to buy Heniken large bottles for 2 euro (like 40oz ) lol

great place!
 
Sounds like you're on a bit of a history-buff cruise. Might they not have pre-organized tours of all the historic sites? If you're into history, it would be interesting to tour all of those places with the same guide and get some context on the continuity of those cultures - Egypt-Crete-Sicily-Rome....
 
Bigevildoer said:
If you're at all competent with Subways, it'll take you 20 minutes tops between The Colloseum and the Vatican including walking time.
If you go to see the Spanish Steps etc, everything "key" in Rome is within a 2 km walking radius.

So, wear comfy shoes and beat your feet!
Click to expand...

Yeah, from what I can see from the MAP it does not look TOO BAD...

Duster929 said:
Sounds like you're on a bit of a history-buff cruise. Might they not have pre-organized tours of all the historic sites? If you're into history, it would be interesting to tour all of those places with the same guide and get some context on the continuity of those cultures - Egypt-Crete-Sicily-Rome....
Click to expand...

They do have tours for them...but probably going to do a private tour...it is A LOT cheaper then the cruise ship prices.
 
HunGJaI said:
Yeah, from what I can see from the MAP it does not look TOO BAD....
Click to expand...

I did the same thing. Took the subway/metro to the Vatican, and then walked back from there, hitting up all I wanted to see along the way. But honestly, even the non-touristy stuff is interesting. The city itself is just awesome!
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