Rome on our own

[sandian]

Would love to book our Vatican tickets in advance, but are worried the ship wont dock. If this were to happen would we lose our money? Is there any way round this as we wont have time to stand in long lines waiting to get in?

 

Any suggestions gratefully received.

 

Thanks in advance.

[euro cruiser]

I think it's fairly uncommon for a ship to miss port at Civitavecchia. It's probably more likely that it will be late, vs. not come into port at all. Reserve your tickets for later in the day, and even if your ship is late you'll be fine.

 

If you are really worried about losing the money, you could try e-mailing the Vatican ticket office and ask what their refund policy is.

[sandian]

Thanks for that, will do and I dont think the tickets are that expensive anyway.

[Adsmama]

Would we have time do you think to do the ancient stuff in the morning and still get to the vatican at 2:30? Is two hours enough time there? ALso, can you get into St. Peters church without a ticket or waiting in line? I just can't decide if the Vatican is something we should try to squeeze in in ONE day in Rome.

[euro cruiser]

Would we have time do you think to do the ancient stuff in the morning and still get to the vatican at 2:30? Is two hours enough time there? ALso, can you get into St. Peters church without a ticket or waiting in line? I just can't decide if the Vatican is something we should try to squeeze in in ONE day in Rome.

I suppose it depends on what you mean by "ancient stuff". If you mean the Colosseum and Forum, then yes, it's certainly possible to do that in the morning and be at the Vatican by 2:30, especially if you get moving as soon as possible in the morning.

 

On the other hand, two hours is not enough to see both the Vatican Museums (where the Sistine Chapel and Raphael Rooms are found, among many other art treasures) and St. Peter's basilica, so you'd need to choose one or the other.

 

St. Peter's basilica is free and does not require a ticket, however, there is sometimes a line for the security check. This line moves quickly and won't eat up much, if any, time.

[Drifting Happily]

You should read up on Rome and decide what's the most important thing you want to see. I wanted an overall look at Rome for our one day, so we opted for just St. Peter's Square, then the Colosseum, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain, walking between them to get the feel of the city. On a return visit we saw the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica and the Roman Forum. Rome is impossible to see in one day, so knowing what you like to see (I love architecture) and picking accordingly is important. If the Vatican and museums are on your 'must do' list, then go that route. Always plan like you will return some day, otherwise you're just rushing around ticking off sites.

[Adsmama]

Thank you both for those answers. I think we will try to come up with a good walking plan for the city. We wanted to hit the ancient stuff in the morning to avoid the heat but August in Rome it is probably ALWAYS hot. Would you think we should just hit the vatican first, see the basillica and move on to the colloseum area. Our must do: Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Forum, Colloseum. Anything else that I am missing that is a must do? I would LOVE to see the sistine chapel and the vatican museum but I just do not think we can do justice to it in such a short period of time. The boat docks at 8 am and then leaves at 9pm but we have a 6 month old in a backpack carrier who is exclusively breastfed so we will probably have to stop to feed her, change her once in a while hahaha ... Also we are planning on figuring out the metro/bus schedule when we get there!

[euro cruiser]

I would do the potentially hotest thing first, which would be the Colosseum on your list.

 

I'm assuming you will be coming from Civitavecchia by train. If so, here's my suggested routing:

 

• Train to Roma Ostiense
  
• Walk through tunnel to metro station Piramide
  
• Take the metro (direction Rebibbia) one stop to Circo Massimo
  
• Walk north past Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus, on your left) to Via di San Gregorio, admiring the ruins of Palatine up on the hill
  
• Stop at the Palatine ticket office (about halfway up Via San Gregorio, on the left hand side of the road) and purchase your Colosseum tickets
  
• Continue up San Gregorio to the Colosseum, enter staying to the left of the line (the "with tickets" side)
  
• After the Colosseum, spend some time in the Roman Forum (entrance included in your Colosseum ticket)
  
• Leave the Forum up the steps near the Arch of Septimus Severus, walk across Piazza Campidoglio and down the Cordonata to Via Teatro Marcello, and on to Piazza Venezia
  
• On the other side of Piazza Venezia, walk up Via del Corso to Via delle Murate, turn right and follow the crowds to the Trevi Fountain.
  
• From the fountain, retrace your steps on Via delle Murate, cross Corso, and follow the pedestrian path (brown signs) to the Pantheon.
  
• From the Pantheon, walk south on Via della Rotonda to Corso Vittorio Emaneule II. Just to your left there will be a large Feltrinelli bookstore, and in front of it about a dozen bus stops. You can get any one of a number of buses here to the Vatican.
  

Given your time frame, and the fact that you will be carrying a baby, I would suggest seeing only the basilica at the Vatican, and leaving the museums for a later trip. The museums will be densly crowded and uncomfortable for a baby, not to mention you.

 

From the Vatican you can walk or take the #64 bus to the Roma San Pietro train station for the train back to Civitavecchia.

[J&Jtravelcouple]

Thanks euro - very helpful suggestions.

[ollienbertsmum]

• Walk north past Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus, on your left) to Via di San Gregorio, admiring the ruins of Palatine up on the hill
  
• 
  
• 
  

.

 

Eurotraveller I am off on a cruise that includes Rome and we will be going on the train by ourselves. We did the Forum, Colloseum, Trevi Fountain and St Peters on a ship tour last time.

 

This time I want it to be less stressful. I do want some churches so I am starting in San Giovanni Laterano and San Clemente - then we will be in the area of the Colloseum. I am interested in the Palatine and Capitoline Hills but cannot quite work out how to include them in my schedule.

 

So what I want to know is can you just walk up the Palatine hill and see some ruins without paying an entrance fee and therefore making it a long stop ??

 

We are going next week, it will be hot and 'hill' sounds a bit exhausting, I am not sure if I want to trek up a hill (on the ship tour we did not have time to take our breath so I cannot visualise this part of Rome).

 

To the original poster - I am sure with a baby - who will be hot in the back pack, a tour of the Basilica and seeing St Peter's Square is 'enough' to experience the Vatican. I thought it was wonderful, but this time I am going to see some of the other churches - and will tour the Vatican Museum when I visit Rome for a whole week (soon please).

[Adsmama]

Thank you so much! I think my other question is -- how big is this hill to climb up to palatine hill. How long will it take us to tour it? Will I know where the entrance to buy tickets is just from coming off the metro?

[euro cruiser]

Thank you so much! I think my other question is -- how big is this hill to climb up to palatine hill. How long will it take us to tour it? Will I know where the entrance to buy tickets is just from coming off the metro?

It's a pretty good sized hill, but there are several paths up, some steeper than others. To simply walk around and take a quick look, you could tour the area in an hour. To really see it, at least two hours.

 

If you look at my previous post, I've specified that the Palatine ticket office is about halfway up Via San Gregorio, on the left hand side of the road. If you make a google map with these coordinates (41.887898,12.489776), you will see a crosswalk and traffic light on the street. The ticket office is on the left.

[euro cruiser]

I am off on a cruise that includes Rome and we will be going on the train by ourselves. We did the Forum, Colloseum, Trevi Fountain and St Peters on a ship tour last time.

 

This time I want it to be less stressful. I do want some churches so I am starting in San Giovanni Laterano and San Clemente - then we will be in the area of the Colloseum. I am interested in the Palatine and Capitoline Hills but cannot quite work out how to include them in my schedule.

 

So what I want to know is can you just walk up the Palatine hill and see some ruins without paying an entrance fee and therefore making it a long stop ??

 

We are going next week, it will be hot and 'hill' sounds a bit exhausting, I am not sure if I want to trek up a hill (on the ship tour we did not have time to take our breath so I cannot visualise this part of Rome).

I applaud your less stressful approach - Rome has so much to offer, but many of us miss her bounty because we're so busy rushing to all the things we know we are "supposed" to see.

 

Palatine is a fairly steep hill and, unfortunately, you must purchase the combination ticket to get up there now.

 

The Capitoline hill is free and easy to access from a number of directions. If you are coming from San Giovanni Laterano to San Clemente (watch the closing times here, they close around noon and you want to give yourself plenty of time to wander around the excavations downstairs), you can walk along the Forum on Via dei Fori Imperiali, then walk up the driveway behind the Vittorio Emanuelle monument (on a google map this driveway is identified as Via di San Pietro in Carcere) to the plaza and down the Cordonata.

 

Take your time, stop occasionally to enjoy the views, and drink lots of water. San Clemente will be a wonderfully cool stop, enjoy it!

[ollienbertsmum]

Thanks for that, we will miss out on the Palatine hill this time.

 

I had noticed the closing time of San Clemente - I hope that we manage to get to it, but it will be on my 'next time' list if not.

 

After I do these churches and then the Capitoline hill I hope to get to see some fountains and squares - the 'Bernini factor' before Sta Maria Maggiore and back to Termini.

 

My husband really suffered in Rome last time - thus our plan this time. Of course it is easier to do it now that we have 'done' the most iconic sites.

 

I have looked at the Capitoline museum - that looks like a good last minute option if we want to get out of the heat :eek:and leave the fountains and piazzas for another time.

[cruisemom42]

 

I have looked at the Capitoline museum - that looks like a good last minute option if we want to get out of the heat :eek:and leave the fountains and piazzas for another time.

 

I can highly recommend the Capitoline museum; it is great -- just large enough to contain some interesting things but not so large as to overwhelm. If you go, don't miss the view of the Forum from the passageway (ground level) between the two buildings of the museum.

[CoralReef]

So what I want to know is can you just walk up the Palatine hill and see some ruins without paying an entrance fee and therefore making it a long stop ??

 

Not really, but have you considered visiting the Circus Maximus? It is at the bottom of the Palatine Hill, is free, is a significant site, and can easily be accessed by the metro. Also, there is a very good view of the imperial palace ruins from the Circus Maximus.

[ollienbertsmum]

have you considered visiting the Circus Maximus? It is at the bottom of the Palatine Hill, is free, is a significant site, and can easily be accessed by the metro. Also, there is a very good view of the imperial palace ruins from the Circus Maximus.

 

Thanks for the advice. That will be carried forward to my 'to do' list when it is cooler. I am tying to avoid open spaces - I will be in Rome in on Tuesday week. I want to hide in cool churches and walk down shady streets.

[CathyCruises]

Second the Capitoline Museum idea. . .just great.

[tricialee]

Thank you both for those answers. I think we will try to come up with a good walking plan for the city. We wanted to hit the ancient stuff in the morning to avoid the heat but August in Rome it is probably ALWAYS hot. Would you think we should just hit the vatican first, see the basillica and move on to the colloseum area. Our must do: Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Forum, Colloseum. Anything else that I am missing that is a must do? I would LOVE to see the sistine chapel and the vatican museum but I just do not think we can do justice to it in such a short period of time. The boat docks at 8 am and then leaves at 9pm but we have a 6 month old in a backpack carrier who is exclusively breastfed so we will probably have to stop to feed her, change her once in a while hahaha ... Also we are planning on figuring out the metro/bus schedule when we get there!

 

 

Totally off topic, but I loved travelling with my exclusively breastfed babies in back carriers. I did it with both of mine, right at the end of my 6 month maternity leave and they were the best trips. (Japan with the first one, and Edmonton, Alberta with the second) Those trips where the easiest.

[Adsmama]

Totally off topic, but I loved travelling with my exclusively breastfed babies in back carriers. I did it with both of mine, right at the end of my 6 month maternity leave and they were the best trips. (Japan with the first one, and Edmonton, Alberta with the second) Those trips where the easiest.

Thank you for your post :) I am getting nervous about the heat but hopeful we can make it work! :) Luckily in Europe, seeing a woman breastfeed is no big deal. In America it's like I have two heads!