Roman Holiday?

[Angie]

I'm going to Rome in May for my first time in Europe. We won't likely be able to get out of the city, as it's a work trip (technically) for my travel companion.

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for must-see/eat/drink/shop ideas for the time. We are most likely staying near Trastevere. My list so far:

MUST see/do:

- Trevi Fountain
- Colisseum
- Vatican City (and ideally tickets to Necropolis and/or papal audience)
- Capuchin Crypt
- Palazzo Barberini (and gardens/gallery) - http://www.barberinicorsini.org/

Very high-ranking #2 options:

- Spanish Steps
- Ancient Thermal Baths at the Baths of Caracalla
- Galleria Borghese
- Quartiere Coppede
- Roman Forum, Pantheon
- Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere
- Piazza Navona
- Protestant Cemetery

Restaurants:

- Open Colonna - http://antonellocolonna.it/doc/open/open-menu.pdf
- Fatamorgana (gelato) - http://www.gelateriafatamorgana.com/web/index.php?p=2&c=2
- Armando el Pantheon - http://www.armandoalpantheon.it/
- Pepper - http://pepperrestaurant.thefork.rest/en_GB/

 

[LindenCy]

Food - eat anything and everything. Best part of Rome (and there's a lot of good stuff)

Also, catacombs if that interests you. Interesting if you have time. There are multiple options.

 

[cmjh10]

You can take me

 

[CycloneNorth]

I’d bounce the Spanish Steps up to the MUST SEE and make sure you get a ROMA Pass. Unlimited trips on the metro for a set number of days. Makes it incredibly easy to navigate the city.

 

[Angie]

Food - eat anything and everything. Best part of Rome (and there's a lot of good stuff)

Also, catacombs if that interests you. Interesting if you have time. There are multiple options.

I for sure have the Capuchin Crypts and the Necropolis at the Vatican (if we can get in) on my to-do list. It looks like a lot of the Capuchin tours also involve the crypts, so I am thinking we'll end up with several of them! My travel partner is a little curious why I want to see these so badly.

I’d bounce the Spanish Steps up to the MUST SEE and make sure you get a ROMA Pass. Unlimited trips on the metro for a set number of days. Makes it incredibly easy to navigate the city.

You're awesome! Thank you so much - I saw that there were a lot of things that are right off of the metro, so that seems like a really practical idea!

 

[LindenCy]

I for sure have the Capuchin Crypts and the Necropolis at the Vatican (if we can get in) on my to-do list. It looks like a lot of the Capuchin tours also involve the crypts, so I am thinking we'll end up with several of them! My travel partner is a little curious why I want to see these so badly.



You're awesome! Thank you so much - I saw that there were a lot of things that are right off of the metro, so that seems like a really practical idea!

Ah, sorry those are two I did not go to and did not catch them at first. If you can go to the Vatican and knock out two birds with one stone, that helps.

And St. Peter's is MASSIVE. When I went there, I said that if Martin Luther had seen it (regarding it being built on indulgences), he would have said "Totally worth it!"

 

[HFCS]

I'm going to Rome in May for my first time in Europe. We won't likely be able to get out of the city, as it's a work trip (technically) for my travel companion.

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for must-see/eat/drink/shop ideas for the time. We are most likely staying near Trastevere. My list so far:

MUST see/do:

- Trevi Fountain
- Colisseum
- Vatican City (and ideally tickets to Necropolis and/or papal audience)
- Capuchin Crypt
- Palazzo Barberini (and gardens/gallery) - http://www.barberinicorsini.org/

Very high-ranking #2 options:

- Spanish Steps
- Ancient Thermal Baths at the Baths of Caracalla
- Galleria Borghese
- Quartiere Coppede
- Roman Forum, Pantheon
- Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere
- Piazza Navona
- Protestant Cemetery

Restaurants:

- Open Colonna - http://antonellocolonna.it/doc/open/open-menu.pdf
- Fatamorgana (gelato) - http://www.gelateriafatamorgana.com/web/index.php?p=2&c=2
- Armando el Pantheon - http://www.armandoalpantheon.it/
- Pepper - http://pepperrestaurant.thefork.rest/en_GB/

Did semester in Rome. Unless you have more than 4 days I'd suggest just staying in Rome anyway.

Some quick tips off top of my head:

- Vatican City Museum/St Peters requires some planning and time compared to many other things, treat it as something on its own.

- Group together Piazza Navona, Pantheon and Trevi Fountain into one afternoon/evening if you're pinched for time. There is a smaller church near Pantheon/Trevi Fountain called Sant'Ignazio that I would hit up quick to see the incredible optical illusion painted on its ceiling.

- Group together Colosseum, Forum. If you want to visit a museum (other thanVatican museum which is must see) do Capitoline Museum on same day.

In terms of historical sites I'd consider these 3 groupings as the absolute must.

 

[cyclones500]

You can take me

Yeah, I'd like to go, too. Is there a chartered busline available for the trip?

 

[HFCS]

Ah, sorry those are two I did not go to and did not catch them at first. If you can go to the Vatican and knock out two birds with one stone, that helps.

And St. Peter's is MASSIVE. When I went there, I said that if Martin Luther had seen it (regarding it being built on indulgences), he would have said "Totally worth it!"

I had friends come and visit me twice while I was there plus school work so I went to Vatican Museum and St. Peters several times. It is truly incredible but really seems to be the thing some tourists fail to appropriately plan for. Lines are a little longer, the place is huge, some tourists wear shorts and get turned away, line can form for Sistine Chapel viewing, they are closed more often and shorter hours...

Comparatively most of the other sites have you moving along at a good pace.

 

[LindenCy]

I had friends come and visit me twice while I was there plus school work so I went to Vatican Museum and St. Peters several times. It is truly incredible but really seems to be the thing some tourists fail to appropriately plan for. Lines are a little longer, the place is huge, some tourists wear shorts and get turned away, line can form for Sistine Chapel viewing, they are closed more often and shorter hours...

Comparatively most of the other sites have you moving along at a good pace.

Another good point: if visiting churches and religious sites, be sure to dress appropriately. Some have dress code. I went on a graduate school trip with a Catholic school, which was a huge advantage in visiting some of these sites. It was nice to have it all planned out. Awesome that you got to spend a semester there.

 

[HFCS]

Another good point: if visiting churches and religious sites, be sure to dress appropriately. Some have dress code. I went on a graduate school trip with a Catholic school, which was a huge advantage in visiting some of these sites. It was nice to have it all planned out. Awesome that you got to spend a semester there.

Yeah I had a lot of guided tours with art and history professors through ISU...then when my friends came to visit me a month later I was kind of a tour guide for them mimicking some of what our professors had us do. Especially if you aren't used to urban life knowing how to group sites together is pretty important. When I got there I definitely wasn't, but when I left I was used to it all.

 

[Angie]

Did semester in Rome. Unless you have more than 4 days I'd suggest just staying in Rome anyway.

Some quick tips off top of my head:

- Vatican City Museum/St Peters requires some planning and time compared to many other things, treat it as something on its own.

- Group together Piazza Navona, Pantheon and Trevi Fountain into one afternoon/evening if you're pinched for time. There is a smaller church near Pantheon/Trevi Fountain called Sant'Ignazio that I would hit up quick to see the incredible optical illusion painted on its ceiling.

- Group together Colosseum, Forum. If you want to visit a museum (other thanVatican museum which is must see) do Capitoline Museum on same day.

In terms of historical sites I'd consider these 3 groupings as the absolute must.

I think we'll likely be there Saturday through Saturday/Sunday, so we've got a bit of time. That is AWESOME to know what to group together - I've been trying to group things together in my to-do list. Like, I want to go to the store Gammarelli that outfits the pope/cardinals/bishops and get Janny some Pope Socks - so I need to do it whenever we're at the Pantheon/Trevi Fountain/Piazza Navona.

There are some really, really bizarre-looking places I wouldn't mind going, like the Museum Criminologico (which has all kinds of medieval torture devices and prison shanks), the Rose Garden, and some church that has 22 former popes' embalmed hearts. Like, those are photos that you don't get of people's trips to Rome.

 

[Angie]

I would LOVE to do Gladiator School, but it sounds a little impractical.

 

[Angie]

Has anyone gone in the Capuchin Crypt? Is it something where you need to take the $80 guided tour, or do they have a cheaper option you can explore on your own? Is it worth it?

 

[CyBride]

I'd skip the Spanish Steps and head to Compo di Fiore for breakfast one morning. It's like a farmers market and has places to eat and drink as well. It's not far from Trastevere.Take a refillable water bottle with you as there are fountains throughout the city to drink from with the BEST water. {better than Ames!}

Like another poster mentioned, the Forum is right by the Coliseum, so you can group them together. I also really liked Castel St. Angelo, near the Vatican. The Sistine Chapel lived up to the hype in every way. The Pantheon and Piazzo Navona are near each other and each worth a visit. The bus lines are very easy to use and most of the time you can easily change routes at the Argentina stop, which has an intersting "ruin" by it. The fountain in the Piazza Barberini is just gorgeous.

The catacombs were creepy, but Awesome!

Food was great everywhere, as was the gelato. The best pizza I had was tiny shop in between the Argentina bus stop and the Pantheon {on our way to the Design Studio for ISU study abroad} that cut it off of a sheet, and charged by the weight.

 

[dmclone]

My wife and I have been to Rome 3 times and it's my favorite large city in Europe.

I know it's very touristy but the first thing I would do is get on one of those hop on-hop-off buses and take it all the way around. This will give you a good feel for the layout and it does take you to a lot of the main sites.

As far as places to go, I'd get the latest Rick Steves book and go from there.

The subway will take you to most of the places you will want to go.

Pizzeria da Baffetto-It doesn't look like it rates very well and there are sometimes long lines but they have some great pizza and we go back every time. Other times we just find small local places. Usually these places don't have English menus but my wife knows a little Italian and I just point and shake my head yes.

 

[NWICY]

Sounds like a great trip, have fun Angie!

 

[CloneLawman]

I'm going to Rome in May for my first time in Europe. We won't likely be able to get out of the city, as it's a work trip (technically) for my travel companion.

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for must-see/eat/drink/shop ideas for the time. We are most likely staying near Trastevere. My list so far:

MUST see/do:

- Trevi Fountain
- Colisseum
- Vatican City (and ideally tickets to Necropolis and/or papal audience)
- Capuchin Crypt
- Palazzo Barberini (and gardens/gallery) - http://www.barberinicorsini.org/

Very high-ranking #2 options:

- Spanish Steps
- Ancient Thermal Baths at the Baths of Caracalla
- Galleria Borghese
- Quartiere Coppede
- Roman Forum, Pantheon
- Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere
- Piazza Navona
- Protestant Cemetery

Restaurants:

- Open Colonna - http://antonellocolonna.it/doc/open/open-menu.pdf
- Fatamorgana (gelato) - http://www.gelateriafatamorgana.com/web/index.php?p=2&c=2
- Armando el Pantheon - http://www.armandoalpantheon.it/
- Pepper - http://pepperrestaurant.thefork.rest/en_GB/

@cyrocksmypants, what kind of work do you have lined up in Rome?

 

[CloneLawman]

Ah, sorry those are two I did not go to and did not catch them at first. If you can go to the Vatican and knock out two birds with one stone, that helps.

And St. Peter's is MASSIVE. When I went there, I said that if Martin Luther had seen it (regarding it being built on indulgences), he would have said "Totally worth it!"

Nah. He would have just busted out his hammer and pounded some theses on the door!

 

[jsb]

The best time I had in Rome was just wondering around and going into random churches. We found the prettiest places that way. I've also found walking tours to be really nice on Europe trips. I don't have any recommendations, but have found good ones through places like Trip Advisor. They usually take about 2 hours and kind of give you the lay of the land and lots of history that I wouldn't have known. I've found that booking a walking tour first thing is very helpful.

Just don't do what I did....I was traveling with 2 friends and we hadn't traveled internationally before. One friend was very regulated and wanted to see absolutely everything---to the point that we would walk somewhere and spend about 5 minutes and then leave. We were so exhausted that we didn't get to enjoy the $900/night hotel that we stayed at right at Trevi Fountain. And at the end of the day we were so hungry that we had to settle for basically the Italian version of Lean Cuisine.