Ok, H and I are trying to plan a vacation. It looks like Europe is the place to visit this year as it looks reasonably priced for once. We are looking to go next year, probably in February or March. We know it won’t be that warm but that’s ok with us, we prefer the weather being cooler than hot and the less tourists, the better to us.
Questions, I would rather spend the week in one hotel and really visit one city. Is that doable in Rome or is there someplace we really should also go? What would be the best neighborhood to stay in? Must do, other than the major sights?
Thanks so much for any advice, I’m excited to start to plan this.
Rome has great transport with a daily metro pass for 6.50 euros with which you can hop on and hop off everywhere. So if you can find places close to a metro station to stay at, you will be fine, especially if you are planning to be out all day.
I think you could easily do a week in Rome. I have a terrific guide there, recommended by another CC member; PM me and I’ll give you her contact info. I am not as versed in neighborhoods as I had to stay in a certain neighborhood for business purposes so I’ll let others take that one!
One week should give you pleny of time to see the major sites. We stayed next to the Pantheon, which was a centrally located area. We were able to walk most places. We used Courtney as a tour guide for the Colloseum and Forum, following Pizzagirls’s recommendation. I think others here have used her, too. The one thing I was glad I did, even though we’re not catholic, is attend the Pope’s Wednesday morning Papal address. It was free and we saw him close up.
Rome is a sprawling and busy city. I felt like I was taking my life in my hands every time we had to cross a major street. Even when we were walking down the extremely narrow streets, Vespas would come zipping by. We had a great time and enjoyed so many things, but with that said, I was glad that we also spent time in Florence.
The point of this post is not to complain about Rome. My point is to advise you to think about what you want in a vacation. You can certainly fill an entire week seeing the sights. But consider whether you will be invigorated by the busyness, or whether you personally would feel more relaxed if part of the week was spent in a quieter location. If so, I’m sure that many of us could suggest other cities/towns to visit, either as a day trip or for a few nights.
There was so many nice hotels in Rome. I had to sign up for Hilton Honors to get some perks for free for my trip next year. Got to use it for free lounge breakfast and free wifi this week. It was wonderful.
If I were you I would go to Florence and Venice. Fly into Florence, take a train to Venice (or drive) and fly out of Venice. Florence is a walking city. It is one of my favorite cities. I also think Venice is one of the most romantic cities. You can visit both in one week.
You can also fly into Milan, take a fast train to Florence. If you are a Starwood customer, you could use your points to book some of the nicest hotels in those cities.
We spent a week in Rome…could have easily stayed another week–or month! So much to see! We stayed at the Marriott Grand Flora, next to Villa Borghese Gardens, just up the street from US Embassy. Very walkable location to many of the sites. (and their rooftop deck has fabulous views of the City). Other than the obvious tourist sites, we enjoyed the Baths of Dioclithean, Trastevere, and just roaming. Had a great private guide for a day. well worth it.
You can easily spend a week in Rome! Like @missypie, we sometimes like to split our time between the city and the country when on vacation but in Rome, you can have it both ways, particularly since you will be off-season, which is great. While the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps are always packed, you can find quiet spots in the Forum since it sprawls. And the Villa Borghese is a lovely park that provides plenty of quiet, and has a jewel of a museum inside it. Ostia Antica is just outside of Rome and again is large enough that you can walk around and not feel crowded. Pack a picnic lunch and wander.
Definitely look into airbnb or other rentals. We have stayed in apartments in Rome and liked it much better than being in a hotel.
Plenty to see and do in Rome. It was the center of the western world for over a 1000 years so a week or a lifetime is never enough to see it all. I would highly recommend an Airbnb or some other apartment rental via VRBO. There should be plenty of great deals to be had around that time. For day trips consider Ostia Antica or Hadrians Villa.
We are going in September for the very first time. 2 nights Venice, 4 nights Rome, 3 nights Positano and 1 night Naples before departure. I’ve been planning this since last September and everything is in order…just waiting and finalizing my packing and to do lists.
How many nights do you have? Since you are going in winter, I would skip the Amalfi Coast, but I would go to another city. I would consider Venice or Florence.
We are staying at the Albergo del Senato by the Pantheon. One tour we are most excited about and it’s rated no. 1 on trip advisers is the Travestere Eating Food Tour. They have day and nighttime tours.
Yes, yes, yes!!! I’m like you and love to have a reasonable amount of time to stay in a city and get to know it beyond just the obvious sites. I’ve found Rome perfect for this.
Rome itself and Vatican City has worlds to offer if you like art, history, etc. I find the city very walkable. Cabs are also readily available with many taxi stands and fares are reasonable. I don’t have the best sense of direction and have to admit that Rome has had me wandering in circles more than once. I devised a system for touring - take a cab to the farthest point of my day’s stops, when leaving that site find the nearest subway station that will take me to another must see stop, from then on, I can usually walk between sites, ending up at the places closest to my hotel for an easy end of day. I can understand the above post mentioning the car traffic at the zebra crossings. Can be intimidating - but I love these. The trick is to make eye contact and stare down the drivers - they immediately stop. (or I’ve been lucky!)
Personally, I would not do both Florence and Venice in one week although many people do. I think it all depends on interests. Art history is my passion so having only a few days in Florence or in Venice would be painful.
If you do decide on Rome or Florence, do book museum admissions in advance. This is easy to do on the museum websites. In Rome, advance purchase is generally required to see the Borghese Gallery and will save you from waiting in long lines for the Vatican Museums. There are also special Vatican tours that must be reserved in advance - St Peter’s Tomb and the Gardens and others. The websites have clear instructions - none of this is hard to do, most reservations can be made around 3 months in advance as I recall. I would book early for things you want to do.
There are many fine areas to stay. Tripadvisor has some good articles and forum discussions about areas that people like as well as hotel reviews for many budgets.
I agree you can find plenty to do in Rome. I also second the idea of a day trip to Pompei. I also really liked Ostia. I’d seriously consider seeing Tivoli Villa d’Este - the most amazing fountains! http://www.romanhomes.com/your_roman_vacation/quarters/tivoli-villa-deste.htm (at least in the summer.) You can get there on public transportation, but it’s probably easier to take a day tour.
I spent two weeks there just looking at architecture when I was in architecture school. Another week looking at various architectural sights in the area.
I just checked my calendar. Last trip to Rome was 2 years ago - I stayed 8 nights, so about 9 days of touring. A previous trip was 5 nights. Still have things left for the next trip that I haven’t seen. I was there in May last trip and I did get to Ostia Antica as people are recommending. Very easy on public transport. Also made it to Tivoli with Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa. I took public transport, but next time will get a private guide especially if in a lower tourist season like you are considering. There are also catacombs just outside Rome. I found the catacombs fascinating, but I know others that have been underwhelmed. Lots of options if you feel there’s too much city.
I would recommend a trip to Pompeii… I regret not having the time to do that when I was there. I was there for 4 days and felt like I hit all the major attractions.
I stayed in a hostel with no a/c near the train station, so I will leave the hotel recommendations to others… lol
If you want the most amazing tour of the Colosseum and the Forum (in particular, though she does many other tours), consider booking Francesca Caruso. She is the guide that Rick Steves uses on his tours, and her website is: http://francescacaruso.com/
You have to book early, and it’s not particularly cheap. We shared the cost with two other couples, so it may not be cost effective for one couple. However, she is amazing. She makes Rome come alive in a way that is quite spectacular. She is in some of Rick’s television programs about Rome. She makes people cry, she is so compelling, and actually made my kids listen.