Discussion
Rome is the most fantastic city. Unfortunately a good 'not to miss' list would take a day to compile, let alone execute! I'd love to down a month there.
If you are staying central every corner will have something amazing.Things which can be quickly sampled on foot would be trevi fountain, Spanish steps and pantheon. Then to colloseum, maybe a quick wail through/past the roman forum on the way to the Vatican. If you want to go inside the Vatican museums, cistine chapel and the basillica inc. going up to the dome you'd be talking the best part of a full day.
It might be worthwhile considering joining a guided tour to beat queues and get the most out of the full day you have?
The great thing about Rome is you will get to see plenty without trying too hard. Also, one Sunday a month entry to many of the major sights is free, so if your stay covers a sun. check if that day is a free day. You could save a few euros and teat yourselves to a big, expensive gelato.
If you are staying central every corner will have something amazing.Things which can be quickly sampled on foot would be trevi fountain, Spanish steps and pantheon. Then to colloseum, maybe a quick wail through/past the roman forum on the way to the Vatican. If you want to go inside the Vatican museums, cistine chapel and the basillica inc. going up to the dome you'd be talking the best part of a full day.
It might be worthwhile considering joining a guided tour to beat queues and get the most out of the full day you have?
The great thing about Rome is you will get to see plenty without trying too hard. Also, one Sunday a month entry to many of the major sights is free, so if your stay covers a sun. check if that day is a free day. You could save a few euros and teat yourselves to a big, expensive gelato.
Unless you really want to see it, I'd skip the Vatican. There's too much else to see in the short time you have. When at the Colluseum, try and seek out a private tour-guide. They'll sell you tickets to get you in to the Colluseum & the palace ruins opposite, but more importantly they will get you past the Colluseum queues. That can save an hour or so.
I'm off to Rome next week for 4 nights, I have a couple of threads running from recently. I was just wondering, roughly how much will a taxi from the airport to central Rome be? I'm expecting around 50Euro???
Cheers
eta - flying into Fiumicino airport, thanks
Cheers
eta - flying into Fiumicino airport, thanks
Edited by andyjo1982 on Monday 23 January 12:58
Re the Trevi fountain - I found this to be disappointing when I saw it. I had imagined a big square with the fountain in the centre, not surrounded on all sides by high buildings making it feel claustrophobic and small.
The Colosseum is worth a visit though, as is the Pantheon. However, I found it just as nice wandering around and seeing what I could find.
Watch out for the scooters though, they're everywhere!
The Colosseum is worth a visit though, as is the Pantheon. However, I found it just as nice wandering around and seeing what I could find.
Watch out for the scooters though, they're everywhere!
andyjo1982 said:
I'm off to Rome next week for 4 nights, I have a couple of threads running from recently. I was just wondering, roughly how much will a taxi from the airport to central Rome be? I'm expecting around 50Euro???
Cheers
eta - flying into Fiumicino airport, thanks
Yep about that. We managed to share with someone else thanks to the cab driver. Cheers
eta - flying into Fiumicino airport, thanks
Edited by andyjo1982 on Monday 23 January 12:58
JuniorD said:
If you take train from airport to city make sure you frank your ticket at the machines prior to boarding the train. If you don't the inspectors will fine you €50 or €100 iirc. Even though its a simple mistake to make, they take no excuses. Any arguing you'll be met with the fuzz.
Yep, got caught out by this a few years back, fine then was only 10EUR but it was rather embarrassing as all four of us got fined, and as you say they do not listen to any excuses! I got back late last night after 4 nights in Rome. We had a great time, so I thought i'd share what we did and where we went. We stayed at a small hotel, just North of the Piazza Navona. Lots of little restaurants and bars, so we were never short of places to eat and drink (drinks by the way, a soft drink, Coke or Sprite will cost around 5-6E, and a pint or medium Peroni will cost around 8-9E and same sort of price for a large glass of wine.)
So, we arrived Monday evening, around 7ish, we dumped our bags and went for a stroll up to the Trevi fountain, and then up to the Spanish steps. Then we stopped off on the walk home and got a bite to eat.
Tuesday, we done a double wammy, Vatican city and museums tour (the Sistine chapel was truly stunnin) between 9 and 12:30, spot of lunch, then taxi down to Colosseum for a tour round there between 2:30 and 5 including the Roman Forum and St Peters Basilica. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the Colosseum, because so much of it has been rebuilt. Its still an amazing building, but seeing so much of it rebuilt took a little bit away for me. We slowley walked back towards our hotel, stopped for a few drinks and a pizza and then we were ready for sleep...
Wednesday, we had a bit of a lay in and didn't leave the hotel til around 11:30. We got a taxi to St Maria Maggiore, an absolutly stunning church located near the train station. This place is well worth a visit. We then went down to basilica di san clemente, another church, which on the outside really doesn't look much, but has some nice decorations inside, didn't stay long, but worth a visit. We then headed further down southwards to visit and old war cemetary where OH has a relative buried that she wanted to visit. We headed back towards the colossuem and up into city centre for tea and some drinks.
Thursday, it rained all day virtually and it was a pretty long day. We headed up to Vatican city as we wanted to go up into the dome, however that was shut, so we turned round and headed back into town. We visited the Pantheon, then back up to Trevi for a view in daylight, then onto a place called Capuchin cripts. A small chapel I suppose you can call it but dedicated to some old Friars who lived in the area and decorated with the bones of the old Friars and Monks. A very strange experience, one i'm glad I did, but I wouldn't go back again. Then we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for tea and headed back stopping off for a few drinks to shelter from the rain.
Friday, we were up fairly early and headed to Vatican to go upto the dome. What a treck that was, if you are clostrophobic and have vertigo, dont do this. Its a long journey up to top through some tight and small staircases, but the views are amazing. So we got to the top about 11ish, and it started snowing. We stayed up and around the area for an hour and half or so, then headed back down and off to get some dinner. It must've snowed for about 3 hours, I dont think they've had that much snow for 20 or 30 years or so. Anyway, with ice cold and wet feet, jeans and jacket, we headed back to the hotel to pick up our cases and picked up a taxi to head to the airport.
All in all, we had a great but quite tiring time. I think we crammed quite a bit in, and we've got some great memories and pictures. I've always imagined the Italians to be a little arrogant, but I cannot fault them at all. I found them really nice people who were always happy to help and approachable. The only bad points I can think of are the hawkers, so many people trying to flog umbrellas or fake handbags and the such, and quite a few beggars.
I'm sure we will go back one day, and if you are thinking of going, don't hesitate any longer, get it booked up...
So, we arrived Monday evening, around 7ish, we dumped our bags and went for a stroll up to the Trevi fountain, and then up to the Spanish steps. Then we stopped off on the walk home and got a bite to eat.
Tuesday, we done a double wammy, Vatican city and museums tour (the Sistine chapel was truly stunnin) between 9 and 12:30, spot of lunch, then taxi down to Colosseum for a tour round there between 2:30 and 5 including the Roman Forum and St Peters Basilica. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the Colosseum, because so much of it has been rebuilt. Its still an amazing building, but seeing so much of it rebuilt took a little bit away for me. We slowley walked back towards our hotel, stopped for a few drinks and a pizza and then we were ready for sleep...
Wednesday, we had a bit of a lay in and didn't leave the hotel til around 11:30. We got a taxi to St Maria Maggiore, an absolutly stunning church located near the train station. This place is well worth a visit. We then went down to basilica di san clemente, another church, which on the outside really doesn't look much, but has some nice decorations inside, didn't stay long, but worth a visit. We then headed further down southwards to visit and old war cemetary where OH has a relative buried that she wanted to visit. We headed back towards the colossuem and up into city centre for tea and some drinks.
Thursday, it rained all day virtually and it was a pretty long day. We headed up to Vatican city as we wanted to go up into the dome, however that was shut, so we turned round and headed back into town. We visited the Pantheon, then back up to Trevi for a view in daylight, then onto a place called Capuchin cripts. A small chapel I suppose you can call it but dedicated to some old Friars who lived in the area and decorated with the bones of the old Friars and Monks. A very strange experience, one i'm glad I did, but I wouldn't go back again. Then we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for tea and headed back stopping off for a few drinks to shelter from the rain.
Friday, we were up fairly early and headed to Vatican to go upto the dome. What a treck that was, if you are clostrophobic and have vertigo, dont do this. Its a long journey up to top through some tight and small staircases, but the views are amazing. So we got to the top about 11ish, and it started snowing. We stayed up and around the area for an hour and half or so, then headed back down and off to get some dinner. It must've snowed for about 3 hours, I dont think they've had that much snow for 20 or 30 years or so. Anyway, with ice cold and wet feet, jeans and jacket, we headed back to the hotel to pick up our cases and picked up a taxi to head to the airport.
All in all, we had a great but quite tiring time. I think we crammed quite a bit in, and we've got some great memories and pictures. I've always imagined the Italians to be a little arrogant, but I cannot fault them at all. I found them really nice people who were always happy to help and approachable. The only bad points I can think of are the hawkers, so many people trying to flog umbrellas or fake handbags and the such, and quite a few beggars.
I'm sure we will go back one day, and if you are thinking of going, don't hesitate any longer, get it booked up...
No worries OP...
I must also add, (perhaps not for your benefit OP) for any Brits looking to watch sport, we went to a nice little Irish bar on Wednesday night called The Abbey Theatre, again located near the Piazza Navona. They have about 10 screens and are more than happy to put any game on at your request. Drinks are fairly reasonably priced too.
I must also add, (perhaps not for your benefit OP) for any Brits looking to watch sport, we went to a nice little Irish bar on Wednesday night called The Abbey Theatre, again located near the Piazza Navona. They have about 10 screens and are more than happy to put any game on at your request. Drinks are fairly reasonably priced too.
Aside from all the highlights mentioned elsewhere in this thread, when I went we put away the maps for a couple of hours and just wandered through small sides streets which brought us out into lovely small piazzas/squares and see small monuments and architecture that otherwise we would never have seen. Occasionally doing this brings you our near a major attraction but then plunge yourself back into the sidestreets and get lost again.
Well worth it for an hour or two
Well worth it for an hour or two
andyjo1982 said:
No worries OP...
Brits looking to watch sport.
That's ok, we're not big sports TV watchers (ie never) Brits looking to watch sport.
but thanks!oblio said:
put away the maps for a couple of hours and just wandered through small sides streets which brought us out into lovely small piazzas/squares and see small monuments and architecture that otherwise we would never have seen.
This is very much my approach in new cities.... I went to Genova last year and did exactly that, it was great fun and zero stress you sometimes get from rushing from one thing to another and trying to negotiate getting from A to B.Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff