One week in Rome

[justHB]

For those of you who have been, is one week too long? I've heard you definitely need more than four days, but what about seven? I know if you visit Florence you can do day trips to Tuscany. Is there something like that with Rome? As you can see, I haven't done much research.

We were initially planning a trip to Mexico, but our airline of choice wants us to have a 12 hour layover, and if I'm going to have to devote that much time to travel, I'd rather it be for a trip to Europe.

Thanks!

[bookworm]

I didn't have a week (maybe 5 days?), but I think if you enjoy a more leisurely pace, and sitting at a cafe and people-watching, 7 days would be fine. Particularly if you have leisurely lunches :) (I went to Rome in my backpacking days--everywhere else, we didn't want to spend time/money eating. Once we got to Italy, we planned the sights around meals. It was pathetic and wonderful :) ).

The train to Florence wasn't that long (3 hours?), so if you want a more aggressive pace, you could pop up there for a night or two (maybe not do it justice, but at least see the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and one of the museums).

[j*east]

Honestly I think one week in Rome could be too long. I just got back from Italy--you can read my recap in my journal. For me, about 3 days in Rome was perfect. I got to see the important (to me) sights: one day for the Vatican, one day for the Borghese museum, one day for ancient stuff and three nights of dinners, piazzas, fountains, etc. I was in Rome at the end of July and it was hot and crowded. It's a great city, but there's so much going on, after a few days I had sensory overload and was thrilled to go to Florence and other places.

Rome is also really expensive, and even Florence, while still a city, is much cheaper. You could do 3-4 days in Rome, 2 days in Florence, and a day or 2 to go through towns around Florence (like Siena).

It all depends on what kind of vacationer you are, though, and what you want in your vacation. Let me know if you have other questions, or stop by my journal. I'm happy to share my thoughts. Have a great trip! :)

[cherry]

we spent 7 days in rome for our honeymoon two years ago, and weren't ready to leave when our time was up. then again, we had a lazy week and did things at our own pace. we thought there was more than enough to do and see, liberally punctuated by phenomenal meals. however, if you feel the need to break it up somewhat, you could take a day trip out to the coast for the italian beach experience.

[tenofcups]

I adore Rome -- it's my all-time favorite city. I don't think a week is too much if you really want to explore and there's so much to explore.

For daytrips, definitely consider a trip to Pompei -- I did it on a bus trip since I was by myself (well, I was visiting friends but they were working during the day), but I'm sure there are other ways to do it as well. It's fascinating!

We also took an easy day trip to the beach, about two hours away, but I can't tell you where the beach was (I don't even know if it was north or south!). But that's something to look into if you want a day of relaxation.

[KellyM]

We did 2 weeks in Italy for our honeymoon 5 years ago. Spent the first week in Rome and the other week split between Florence and Venice.

I thought 7 days in Rome was enough time. Anything that longer would have been too much for us. We had 1 day in Vatican (but went back to it on a Sunday just for Mass), did a day trip to Pompeii (so worth doing! That place is huge by the way and very cool. I also did a bus trip to Pompeii but wouldn't recommend them) then the rest of the time was split between the museums, ancient sites and some shopping.

Yeah, 7 days is enough.

[Sami]

It's easy to take a bus or train up to Florence to check that out. You'll have a great time in Rome. The city is more like a state of mind. You'll enjoy it if you go Roman and take the time to soak it all in. Very jealous, have a GREAT time! ;)

[HeatherFL]

We'll be in Rome this October. For those of you who did the day trips to Pompeii, how long did it take to get there?

THANKS!

~H.

[thedoorchick]

I agree on taking a day trip to Pompeii. I had that on my agenda for a trip to Italy (had to cancel :( ) that I planned a few years ago.

I think it's a couple of hours each way on the train.

[HeatherFL]

Thanks. :)

[KellyM]

I forget how long it actually took to get to Pompeii, but we did a bus tour to Pompeii. It wasn't direct to Pompeii either. We had a long lunch at this one place and had to look through a curio shop (or something. they just wanted to sell stuff to us trapped tourists). On the way home, we stopped off at this cute, tiny village (blanking on the name). DH and I thought we spent too much of the day doing other things instead of spending time at Pompeii. We would much rather have spent the time in Pompeii - it's much bigger than I had thought!

I'm assuming all bus tours are the same. So...take a train to Pompeii. Don't do a bus tour!

[MLA]

I could spend a month in Rome, so I don't think a week is too much! It's one of the most interesting cities on the planet, so you won't run out of things to do.

If you can work in a trip to Pompeii or Herculeum, it's definitely worth it.

[HeatherFL]

MLA would you recommend one over the other? (Pompeii or Herculeum?)

[MLA]

MLA would you recommend one over the other? (Pompeii or Herculeum?)


They're not that far away from each other, so you could do both (I did both in one day), but if you're going to choose just one . . . I guess I'd go with Pompeii. Though Herculeum was great and wasn't as crowded as Pompeii. Hmm. . . tough choice.

[Lindsan]

I have never been to Rome but in my experience (NYC, London, Berlin, Paris etc.) anything less than a week in a big city is too little. Now it all depends on what type of traveller you are I guess. If you like to follow the cookie cutter touristy stuff with the most famous sights and then be done with it I guess you could make do with three days. But knowing about your love of photography and travel I suspect you are not one of those? I like to do "untouristy" things when I visit places. I think it gives me a more genuine feel for the place. And Italy ... all those little speciality stores -one for bread, one for cheese, one for meat, ah I could spend a month just on that, lol.

I don't think a week is too much at all.

[tlew12778]

7 days is a bit long IMO but if you want you could go to Naples and the Amalfi coast from there. It's only about an hour, maybe 1.5 away. Florence is about the same in the other direction.

[meatpie]

I could have spent a month in Rome as well. There are many things to do to slow down the pace of your trip. The Roman Aqueducts, which we did not have time to see, are apparently amazing (according to my mother). I would have liked to spend a day in the Old Jewish Ghetto (rather than just a stroll at night). I just remember leaving Rome to Florence and wishing I was still there (we were there for three nights, Florence for five). Then there is the Villa Malta - most famous for its keyhole which frames St Peter's Basilica. Little out of the way things like that we didn't have time for.

Plus, day trips to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast would really make a wonderful trip.

[Rosebud]

We'll be in Rome this October. For those of you who did the day trips to Pompeii, how long did it take to get there?


It's about two hours from Rome to Naples on the train. Then, you transfer to the Circumvesuviana train and it's just a stop or two to Pompeii. It's very easy.

I don't think 7 days in Rome is too long. You can easily spend 5 days in the city and allot 2 days to day trips (I'd do Pompeii and Florence).

There are lots of great, off-the-beaten path things to do in Rome once you get through the major sights. There's plenty to keep you busy there!

[laura]

I don't think 7 days is too long. We spent about 3-4 days there (we flew in and out of Rome, so we had time at the beginning and end of our trip) and I felt like it wasn't enough. ITA w/ the day trip to Pompeii, and you could easily do a day trip somewhere else as well if you wanted to break it up. Personally I could easily spend 7 days just in Rome. (And do consider it will probably take you at least 1 day to adjust to the jetlag since the time difference is considerable.)

[Rosebud]

Here's a link to the Fodors 5-day Suggested Itinerary for Rome:

5 Days in Rome (http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=rome@130&cur_section=fea&feature=30005)

Information on the many side trips you can take from Rome (with map, from Frommers):

Side Trips (http://www.frommers.com/destinations/rome/0064010011.html)

Some information about day tripping to Pompeii:

Pompeii (http://wrt.cit.cornell.edu/Rome_day_trips.html#Pompeii)

[lawyergirl25]

You all have got me wanting to take a trip to Rome. Guess that'll be our next big vacation. :)

When's the best time of year to go? I was thinking we'd go for our 5-year anniversary in May.

[laura]

We went in May and it was nice. Not too hot, not too touristy yet, just plain nice. It did rain 1-2 days, but it worked out fine for us anyway. I think if you go in early May, it is still considered 'off season', but I could be wrong. We went in the middle/end and I remember we were right around the cut off, but on the "on season" side. If budget is an issue, it's something to consider.

[lawyergirl25]

Great, thanks laura. If I can save some money by going a few weeks early, I'd love to do that, so I appreciate the tip.

[mom_to_zoe]

I have a couple of Rome recommendations. One, do not miss San Clemente. It is a church located neat the Coliseum. It was one of the coolest things we saw in Rome. It is a 12 century church with incredible mosaics built on top of an 8 the century church (with cool frescoes) built on top of a 4th century pagan temple. A true palimpsest. DH and I loved it.

I would also recommend a walking tour for one afternoon. We did one of the old Jewish ghetto and the Trastevere neighborhood that was utterly fascinating. If you do that one in the evening, you can then go to this amazing wine bar/restaurant called Enoteca in Trastevere for dinner. I would also recommend a walking tour for some of the ancient sites, like the Forum. I found that there was almost no signage, so unless you have a guide or a really good guidebook, it is hard to understand what you are seeing.

[snoopy30]

I 2nd (and 3rd, and 4th) taking a day-trip to Pompeii. It is truly amazing. You literally walk through the streets of the city, very cool. We took a train and it was an hour or two. We ate at a great restaurant close to the ruins.

I absolutely *loved* Rome, it was my favorite city in Italy (with Venice being a close 2nd). A week there would be really great but I think taking some day trips or even a night or two in another city close by would be fun.

Have a wonderful trip!!

[justHB]

For some reason I didn't get a notification that people had responded. =(

Our current plan is to spend 4 nights in Rome, 2 nights in Florence, and then come back to Rome for one night since we have an early morning flight the next day. I mentioned Pompeii to DH and he seems intrigued.

[laura]

ITA about Pompeii/Herculeum. Next to Rome, those cities were my second favorite part of Italy.

[j*east]

justHB, that sounds like a great plan. Enjoy!

[designer]

joining in, since we *may* be going to italy.
I'm not sure if I'm missing something here, but one of those links was telling people that to take a day trip to pompeii would be way to exhasting...Why do people just take day trips to pompeii...why not spend the night near pompeii and go back to rome the next day? Or is there no place to stay, more expensive....guess I need to do some more research...

Also, if anyone else has recommendations for places close to rome that you could go for 3/2 days/nights trip that would be great!

[Weddings by]

From Rome, we took the train to Pompeii for the day. We left late and got back late, and had almost enough time. We didn't get to see the museum because we got there at closing time. (It was a spur-of-the-moment trip after spending hours at the train station arranging another trip.) Pompeii and Rome were my favorite parts of our trip to Western Europe. We spent 2 days in Rome, BTW. It was enough time for what DH and I wanted to do; although, I'm sure more days could have been filled with something; we didn't do any shopping.

Have fun!

[laura]

If you wanted to stay overnight near Pompeii, you could stay in Naples. I think a lot of people do a day trip to Pompeii via organized tour from Rome, which is why they just go for the day. I have no clue about that personally, though - we did a day trip from Ravello on the Amalfi Coast, not from Rome. I liked not doing an organized tour - we just used the hand-held thingies and walked around by ourselves.

[fifibee]

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet, but I would highly recommend Galleria Borghese (http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edefault.htm)when you are in Rome. It hosts quite a few amazing Bernini sculptures and a wonderful garden you can walk through at the end of your museum tour. I believe it requires advance reservation though. It's definitely worth it.

[justHB]

Is anyone familiar with the San Lorenzo neighborhood in Rome? If so, what do you know about it? Is it within walking distance to all the major historical sites? I ask because we booked a b&b there based on the owner telling us that it was very close to the Stazione Termini, but everything I'm reading seems to indicate that we'll need to take a bus or cab to the train station and then take the metro in to the city center. If that's the case, I may have to re-think our lodging.

In Florence, we've booked two nights at a b&b with a view of the Duomo. I can't wait!

[Rosebud]

Here's a map of the neighborhoods in Rome that'll give you a better idea of where San Lorenzo is, exactly.

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/images/maps/rome.jpg

Yes, you'll probably want to take a cab to the B&B, but San Lorenzo isn't very far from Termini. It'll be a bit of a hike into the city center, or a short Metro ride. I don't think it's too far out of town, personally, but if you want to be more central and within walking distance of Termini, you might look for a hotel off of Via Cavour. Via Cavour runs between Termini and the Forum. It's convenient to the train and the Metro and walking distance to most sights.

[justHB]

Thanks Rosebud; I've seen that map but wanted to know from those who've actually been there what the real distance was. It's not exactly to scale, if you know what I mean. Up here in SF, one could take MUNI from the Outer Sunset to Downtown, but it's not exacty preferable. It's doable, and on a map very much mimics what you've shown above. But I wouldn't WANT to is what I'm getting at. If it's a 10 minute metro ride that's one thing. But if it's 20+ minutes, I might want to re-think it. Same with cabs. People use cabs in SF to get all over. I used to do it two or three times a week myself, but it gets to a point where you're just like, "nope, that's too far." That's what I want to know in regards to San Lorenzo and the city center.

[tlew12778]

It depends on what you consider walking distance. I walked once from the Spanish steps (Piazza di Spagna) to Testaccio. It took like an hour and we were freezing but my friend who lived in Testaccio refused to let us take a cab :/.

[Shapsgrl]

since you are going to be in Florence, I have to recommend this restaurant. It was originally recommended to us by friends who lived in Tuscany for the year. Some of the best food I've ever had.

Tredici Gobbi
Via del Porcellana, 9r, Florence, 50123 Italy

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2783260-tredici_gobbi_florence-i

[clammyinsf]

i haven't read through the entire thread but we just got back from rome! we were there for 5 days/4 nights and it felt like *just* enough. however, i could've easily spent a couple more days there bc i wanted to do a day trip to pompeii, try more restaurants, etc..

here's my recap from LJ:
http://clammyinsf.livejournal.com/tag/vacation

good luck w/ your planning!

ETA: hmm, stazione termini is where we went to catch our train to paris... we took a cab from our hotel, which was located in piazza venezia (right between trevi and colosseum and VERY close to most historical sites). we walked practically everywhere from our location but i don't think san lorenzo is as accessible.

[Rosebud]

clammyinsf- GORGEOUS photos!! Your stay in Rome sounds like it was wonderful & I really enjoyed looking at all the pictures.
Definitely brought back some memories. :) Thanks for sharing.

I also loved your Paris recap. You should post a link to it in the France thread (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20091)!

[j*east]

For the major sites, San Lorenzo is too far, IMO, unless you want to take a lot of cabs or buses. We stayed off Via Nazionale, a few blocks north of Via Cavour, as Rosebud suggested, and about 10-15 minutes west of the train station. To give you an idea, it's at least 25 minutes from the train station to the Pantheon. Rome is a great city to walk around in, but it's hilly, with winding streets and tons of traffic. Staying a little closer to major sites will make your trip easier.

[justHB]

We're thinking about changing our hotel in Rome - I don't want to spend more time on the Metro and in cabs than I do actually sightseeing.

Speaking of sightseeing, I've read that it's best to book tours before you arrive. Did anyone do this? If so, do you recommend the tour guide/company you went with?

[laura]

We only did a tour for the Vatican, and we didn't arrange it before we arrived. The first day we arrived at our hotel, we asked at the front desk and they gave us the info; we went the next day.

If I went back to Rome, I would probably stay in the area above near Piazza di Spagna. It's semi-central to some things, but also I just really liked that area. We only took taxis to/from the airport, and we took the subway only once I think back from the Colosseum. Oh, I lied - we did a tour TO the Vatican, but we ditched the tour after the Sistine Chapel so we took the bus to the Colosseum & then the subway back to our hotel. And I think we might have taken a taxi to the tour bus area for the Vatican, but I don't remember exactly. We walked a LOT in Rome. If I had to guess on the map above, I would say we stayed somewhere near Via Veneto or Trevi, maybe. Though I don't remember the Colosseum being so close to the Trevi Fountain, so it's really hard to gauge how big those areas are, since the map is obviously not to scale. I think I would figure out what you really want to see, and then choose an area based on that. I'm not sure there is a really good central location to see/do "everything" in Rome, so it's hard to say "this is the best area"; you trip over history practically at every turn.

ETA: FWIW, we had a pretty easy time walking between the Pantheon, Trevi fountain, and Piazza di Spagna - those 3 areas are pretty close together and you could do them all in 1 day. Plus there is lots of delicious gelato along the way! ;)

[justHB]

I already told DH he can expect to eat gelato everyday, multiple times a day. =D

We switched hotels. We're now near the Trevi Fountain.

[tlew12778]

I think that the only thing you *have* to book a tour for ahead of time is the vatican excavations. I have never been but I booked a tour for someone else by calling some Vatican number IIRC.

[clammyinsf]

we were only in rome for about 4.5 days and relied on our trusty rick steve's travel book to be our guide. it worked out well bc we could go at our own pace, skip the things we weren't interested in and dwell on the ones we cared about (ie. we spent about a half hour in the sistine chapel just staring in awe).

the only thing we did book ahead of time was a reservation to go to the borghese gallery. totally worth it, especially if you like baroque art.

pantheon > trevi fountain > spanish steps... we did this walk almost every night accompanied by our new best friend, gelato :)

[HeatherFL]

We leave for our Europe trip next week...:)

I know I read somewhere about a restaurant that people literally line up to get into. Is that in Rome?

Also, any other restaurant recommendations are appreciated!

Thanks again!

~H.

[tlew12778]

This article (http://www.escapeartist.com/efam/66/Restaurants_In_Rome.html)might be of interest to you.

There is a restaurant near Rome that is impossible to get reservations at but that is bc it's only for 2 people. It's called Solo Per Due (http://www.soloperdue.com/).

[meatpie]

Hey, Heather!! You might be thinking of the family-style place in Florence that always has a line to get seated. Have a great time! We are thinking about taking Jack to Paris in December. Who knows though!!

[AmyE]

Hi there. I lived in Rome for almost two years and have to say it wasn't enough! But enough of that: two of my favorite restaurants in Rome (not cheap but that won't kill your wallet) are Osteria Margutta on Via Margutta near the Spanish steps, and the Grappolo d'Oro near Campo d'Fiori (one street over). There is another fantastic place across the street from Grappolo, but the name escapes me for the moment. The house wine at both places is great. There are tons of great places to eat, some with really cute underground dining rooms, but it's hard to pick one. Having said that, unless it's for cocktails, I dont' recommend the restaurants on the Campo di Fiori piazza themselves - mostly they are see and be seen. Also, I didn't find good places to eat near the Coliseum, so plan ahead.

On day trips - I wholeheartedly second Pompeii, and recommend Ostia Antica if you really nice weather (accessible by metro/train).

ETA: Oh, and if it's still open at that time of year, you MUST go to the Hotel Rafael and have prosecco on their rooftop terrace. They have a restaurant, but it's better to go to the upper part of their deck and just order cocktails as you watch the sun set behind the dome of St. Peters while you overlook the old city rooftops. Near Piazza Navona. Have a drink, then go to dinner, then have gelato while you wander around Piazza Navona in the evening.

While in Rome, San Clemente is a must-see, and I thought the Baths of Caracalla were amazing, but not a lot of people go see them. (Also on metro)

[HeatherFL]

Oh Joanna, you would look so beautiful -all three of you-walking the streets of Paris! Jack is such a little baby to have you as a mommy. :)

Doggone, I thought that place was in Rome, but now that you've written Florence it's all come back to me. Gives us a reason to get back to Italy :D!

AmyE Thanks SO much for those recommendations. I'm adding them to my Europe trip Word Document! :D

~H.

[justHB]

While in Rome we're going to take a two day trip to Florence. Do you recommend I purchase our train tickets to/from now, or wait until we arrive in Italy?

[tlew12778]

You can usually purchase your tickets here. If your trip to Florence coincides with an Italian holiday (the next one is Nov. 1, but it falls in on Wed. so I don't know how many ppl will take long weekends), I would book them in advance. Otherwise, I would just go a couple days before you want to leave Rome (you can even buy them the day of if you want) and reserve your seat (if you take the type of train that requires a reservation).

There is also this site (http://www.trenok.com/)which is the low-cost train subsidiary of trenitalia. The fare is generally 9 euro btwn Milan and Rome but I think it is probably still 9 euro btwn Rome and Florence, so I don't know how much it would save really. It would be good to consider if you happen to be staying near those stations.

[justHB]

Do you have any idea how often the train runs between Rome and Florence. I checked a couple of months ago and it seemed often, but when I went online the other day, there were only three options.

[tlew12778]

Go to www.trenitalia.com and plug in Roma and Firenze and you will get the schedules. I am sure the schedules change for the weekdays/weekends. I am pretty sure they run every hour bc there is a eurostar train from Milan to Rome every hour and I think the same train passes through Florence (although I am not 100% sure).

Keep in mind that the fall is strike season in Italy so there could potentially be some local transport and national train strikes. In that instance, you can look under the news section on the trenitali website and it will tell you which trains are guaranteed and which will be cancelled.

[justHB]

We leave in less than a week and I'm so excited. I'm going to make sure I have everything printed out that I might need while there and hopefully everything will go wonderfully. Thanks for all the feedback here!

[Annette]

The trains from Rome to florence run quite often. We had traveled from Naples to Florence with a stop in Rome, missed our connection and the next train was less than an hour later.
At the stations they have automatic ticket machines which we used. Be sure to check the different times cause the prices are different depending on the company you use. We had no problems booking tix day of travel. They also give you the option of reserving seats. The ticket will print the car # and then your seat #'s on it. Trenitalia runs the Eurostar trains and the IC trains and we found the IC to be cheaper. Travel time is about 2 hours.

As far as tours in Rome, we did a tour of the Colosseum which was interesting and you do learn about small details that are not in the guidebook. We also had a guided tour of St. Peter's Basillica which was free. A company was running some promotion and they were asking ppl in the line if they wanted a free tour, so we took and it was definitely worthwhile. We also got to skip ahead in the line.

While you're in Florence you have to eat at Trattoria Anita. Their food was very reasonably priced (5-7 euro for pasta) and it was sooo good. There's also a great gelato place called Vivoli and its mentioned in the Let's Go and Frommer's books. Its hard to find cause its on some back alley.
Have a great time on your trip!

[Annette]

Are you still going to Pompeii? I loved Pompeii.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1273/1003/1600/pompeii.jpg

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1273/1003/1600/pompeii%20street.jpg

Here's a florence photo http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1273/1003/1600/florence.jpg

[tlew12778]

All trains are run and owned by Trenitalia. It's a state-run monopoly. An intercity train (IC) just means that it stops in all the major cities, whereas Eurostar goes direct from region capital to region capital. The IC trains cost less bc they are slower since they make more stops. You need a reservation for both. The only trains for which you do not need a reservation are inter-regional (IR) trains which are s.l.o.w. They stop in every single little town along the way, hence they are cheap.