Need Lots of Help on upcoming trip to Rome

[altarrose]

I am going to sound really clueless...but I have been looking at tons of information (probably too much) and not lots of help.

 

We are flying into FCO at 8am, a day before our cruise (which won't sail til 5pm the next day).

 

We are planning on booking a hotel for the night and would ideally love to cram as much in as possible. What do you think are the absolute must see sights and how much do you think is actually possible in a day?

 

Where are the best areas to book a hotel in?

 

Does anyone know any reputable tour guides ?

 

Thanks so much for any help you can give us =)

[kazu]

I am going to sound really clueless...but I have been looking at tons of information (probably too much) and not lots of help.

 

We are flying into FCO at 8am, a day before our cruise (which won't sail til 5pm the next day).

 

We are planning on booking a hotel for the night and would ideally love to cram as much in as possible. What do you think are the absolute must see sights and how much do you think is actually possible in a day?

 

Where are the best areas to book a hotel in?

 

Does anyone know any reputable tour guides ?

 

Thanks so much for any help you can give us =)

 

Well, you definitely need a hotel :D and transportation to the port :D

 

remember you might be a bit jet lagged. Your hotel check in will probably not be until around 2 pm, but you can leave your bags and they will put your valuables in a safe.

 

I would try to do some of the historic sites. Fodors, Rick Steeves and a lot have Rome in a day. You will have to choose between the Vatican and historic Rome.

 

I would do historic Rome. The Vatican, if you are up to it, possibly the next day but you really need to be fresh for it IMO.

 

I would hit the good stuff like Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and then head down to the Colosseum area including the hills, and everything around.

 

Take time to stop in a nice square - it you have time head to the Piazza Navarrone (I probably spelled it wrong) and enjoy the ambience.

 

I prefer to walk Rome - there are so many sites that you just run into.

 

If you feel you need a tour guide there is a a good walking tour company and we have used Rome in Limo for outside Rome and to get us to Rome from the port.

 

There are tons of post on this site about hotels in Rome. Some more reasonable than others. Nothing is really cheap in Rome but it is a glorious city. Best advice - you won't be able to see everything - just enjoy what you do see. We have been several time and this time we are spending a full 5 days before we cruise. Even then, I am sure there will be things we can return to see:D It's an incredible city full of history, beautiful monuments and greeat people. Enjoy:D

[scratchy]

i've been rambling on other threads but i just got back from my royal caribbean liberty of the seas cruise. i only had time from 10-4:30 in rome and spent alot of time researching different tours to get the best bang for our buck.

 

please check out http://golf-cart-tour-rome.com/index.htm. they are absolutely fantastic. we saw all the major sites and many that we didn't even know about.

 

they zipped us in and out through side streets so we never encountered any traffic jams. they took us to local eats so we didn't get trapped into overpriced mediocre tourist traps.

 

great customer service all around. it was soo fun! even if you don't have walking problems, i highly recommend them. so many advantages: you aren't wasting time sitting in traffic, you see streets you would never see if you were on a car/bus/walking tour. we were able to pack in so much during our limited time. we weren't exhausted since we were zipping through the city from site to site.

 

we were having such a good time with roberto that numerous tourists (some with their own tour guides!) came over to say hello to us to find out about the fun tour we were on.

 

i dealt with paolo when i was booking and he was so fast in getting back to me. roberto was our driver. very knowledgeable, funny and charming. best tour we took on this trip. we can't wait to go back!

[Softball20]

We had a day in Rome last year pre-cruise and we hit the ground running after our overnight flight! Some of us in our group had been there before while others hadn't. We used Rome Cabs for transportation from the airport to our hotel. We stayed in the Trastevere area. Granted, it's not the most convenient to all the major sites, but we like the area and wanted to end our marathon day there for dinner. It's a great part of Rome. In any event, once we got to the hotel, a couple rooms were ready, so we were able to leave the luggage and get going. We walked to the Coliseum to start the day. We did it leisurely so we could explore as we went. After touring the coliseum, we found a local place for lunch and walked some more as we made our way back to Trastevere. After a quick cat nap, we got into cabs to the Spanish Steps. There, we met up with the group from Angel Tours, where we did a two hour evening walking tour of the city. It was a great way to see most of the major sites, with someone explaining them. Since we had our own group of 12, we got our own guide. After that, we made our way back to Trastevere for a late dinner at La Scala - very good. While we were exhausted after a long day, we hung in there for a night cap at a local cafe (it was close to midnight by this point!). Great day - saw a lot - slept well - and had Rome Cabs pick us up the next morning to take us to the ship.

 

If you want to see the Vatican, you should allow a few hours just for that and definitely get a guide. There's so much to see that I think that a guide helps you focus and explain what it is you are seeing. We used Real Rome Tours for a great guide a couple years ago. As someone else mentioned, you might be a bit tired for this kind of tour after a long night of flying. That's why we did a lot of walking. It kept us up and kept us going.

 

The Equinox is fabulous, by the way!

[ksps cruise fan]

We are planning on booking a hotel for the night and would ideally love to cram as much in as possible. What do you think are the absolute must see sights and how much do you think is actually possible in a day?

 

Where are the best areas to book a hotel in?

 

Does anyone know any reputable tour guides ?

 

Thanks so much for any help you can give us =)

 

No one can answer the "must-see" sights without knowing something about your interests. For many people, the sites of Ancient Rome are must-see sights and Baroque Rome is nearly irrelevent. For many of the Catholic faith, a trip to the Vatican is the culmination of a life-long dream and every other destination pales in comparison. Once you start identifying what means the most to you, the options will become clear except for some fine tuning.

 

First timers will be happiest staying anywhere between Trevi Fountain and the Piazza Navona. Campo dei Fiori is somewhat south of Navona, but its still a fine central location.

 

Folks are extremely loyal to a couple of tour organizations: RomeinLimo and ContextTravel/Rome being the top contenders. I'd always throught of RomeinLimo as a driver service with licensed guides available for an additional hire. However, another thread referred to RomeinLimo walking tours. Context Travel offers very in-depth tours on a focused topic and, since they're walking tours -- unless you arrange a custom tour -- in a small geographic area of the city.

 

There are some other tour organizations about which people post very enthusiastic recommendations. Hopefully, the search engine is working better and you can pull up these additional names that aren't coming to mind.

[texancruzer]

Well, our first trip over we too wanted to "cram" in as much as possible, thinking we may never get back (little did we know ;)

 

With good planning you can do a lot in your time frame......

 

Vatican museums, Sistine chapel and St peters can be done in 2-3 hrs. We did it with a private guide and it was awesome.

 

The coliseum/forum we did in about the same time with the same guide. Trevi fountain, pantheon, piazza navonna, campo Di fiori are all close. Spanish steps and borghese gardens are close to each other.

 

Get a good map and plan your route so as not to overlap or backtrack.

If you need to -grab a taxi, they are fast and not expensive.

Have fun planning !

[dln929]

I am going to sound really clueless...but I have been looking at tons of information (probably too much) and not lots of help.

 

We are flying into FCO at 8am, a day before our cruise (which won't sail til 5pm the next day).

 

We are planning on booking a hotel for the night and would ideally love to cram as much in as possible. What do you think are the absolute must see sights and how much do you think is actually possible in a day?

 

Where are the best areas to book a hotel in?

 

Does anyone know any reputable tour guides ?

 

Thanks so much for any help you can give us =)

 

One thing that you may not have figured in is that you're not going to have a lot of time the first day. You may be getting in at 8:00 am but you still have to get your luggage and go through customs, and then you have to make your way into the city. It might be close to noon by the time you actually get to your hotel! And unless you are one of the lucky ones who suffers no jet lag, you probably will need to take a nap for a few hours before you venture out.

 

I'd get a straightforward guide book like Rick Steves (you can get it from the library). Save the more in-depth guides for the next visits because this time around you don't have the time to see more than a bit of this and a bit of that. Also, lots of the travel websites like Fodors, Frommers, Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor feature an introductory overview of all the best things to see and itineraries. Overviews are great for getting your bearings! You can also read about hotel choices, too. TripAdvisor is particularly good in that regard.

 

How much you can do in a day depends on your stamina and how comfortable your shoes are. :D

[Traveling Library]

We like the HoHo bus to get oriented to any new city. Then we go back the 2nd day to see places in depth. In Rome we stayed at the Royal Santina. It is right near Termini. The HoHo stops directly in front of the hotel. So does the bus from the airport.

You can spend a full day at the Vatican. Also a full day at the Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Forum. Rome is amazing with a surprise around every corner. Best example is the Trevi Fountain. Have fun and wear your walking shoes!

[eh2zed]

The HOHO bus will give you in 2 hours (roundtrip) a good overview of Rome and allow you to get off at selected sites. We did it on our first trip but not on subsequent trips. Also www.stuardtclarkesrome.com is a good non commercial website for tips on seeing Rome.

[maryann ns]

I bet the OP is now more confused than ever! There is so much in Rome. If you have not flown to Europe before be prepared for not sleeping well (if at all) on the plane so that you arrive tired and jet-lagged.

 

Here is my two cents. On arrival day once you have reached your hotel, try not to nap. Go out to Piazza Navonna, the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain areas and wander around. Stay up as late as you can.

 

The next day you will have a decent half day. Choose what you want to explore. The top two choices are the Coloseum and ancient Rome or St. Peter's and the Vatican. Get a guidebook and do more research to plan.

[austinlw]

If you plan to see St Peter's/Vatican Museum, I think it's best to do that first thing in the morning. The Vatican tends to get gradually more crowded (with lines and bottlenecks) as the day goes on.

[texancruzer]

Maryann is right !!! DO NOT NAP. Try to get on "Europe time" as soon as you can. I can never sleep on planes....ever. And where we live it is a long long trip (plane changes and layovers) But I find that if I "freshen up" (shower and clean clothes !) once I get to hotel I am good to go for the rest of the day. I do fall asleep that night in about a nano second tho :D I wake up the next morning ready for another full day. I also take my first sea day once onboard to totally relax....sleep in and take it easy.

 

Drink lots of water!! This is important. Take any medications as you normally would. And try not to drink alot of alcohol while in flight or while waiting in layovers etc.

 

We have never had it take 4 hours to get from plane to hotel :eek: Two at the most - it takes about 40-45 minutes to get into historic area of Rome from airport....depending on traffic.

[phillygirl63]

Your Tour In Italy, who we used for our one day in port while in Rome, will pick you up at the airport and show you as much as possible before taking you to your hotel. They will also pick you up the next morning to show you more sites before taking you to the ship. Friends of our did this last fall and had a wonderful time and saw just about everything they wanted to.

 

As for "must sees," I would say St. Peter's Basilica, Colusseum, Roman Forum and the Pantheon.

[D4]

I'll offer a different perspective. DH and I usually arrive at our hotel by 10am. We collapse immediately for 3-5 hours. We have dinner and do little else that day. The next morning we are ready to go and acclimated to the time change. So my advice is to do whatever is right for you.

 

On our most recent trip in April, everyone in coach had 2 or 4 seats. I slept a lot on the flight since I could lay down on all 4 seats. I had much more energy when we arrived since I slept a lot on the plane, but I never expect to be so lucky again!

[CathyCruises]

I'll offer a different perspective. DH and I usually arrive at our hotel by 10am. We collapse immediately for 3-5 hours. We have dinner and do little else that day. The next morning we are ready to go and acclimated to the time change. So my advice is to do whatever is right for you.

 

On our most recent trip in April, everyone in coach had 2 or 4 seats. I slept a lot on the flight since I could lay down on all 4 seats. I had much more energy when we arrived since I slept a lot on the plane, but I never expect to be so lucky again!

 

Do tell--what airline were you on, out of what city?

[slidergirl]

I'm like D4. I'm from the West USA. When I fly to Europe (or Africa or the Middle East), the flights usually arrive in the morning (overnight flights - ugh). I will "gut it out" until about 3pm. Then I do a 30 minute "power nap" (I time it). I'm good to go for the rest of the day and I'm adjusted. I do use "No Jet Lag" pills religiously during the flight and that first day. Perhaps they help out. I swear by them.

 

For your time pre-cruise, I suggest you seriously pare down your "must sees" to just a few. I've never been a fan of cramming in all the "must see" tourist sites. Pick a few, spend the time with them instead of doing "drive-bys" of them. In between, take the time to relax, walk, sip a drink, people watch.

 

It always gives you a reason to return ;)

[D4]

Do tell--what airline were you on, out of what city?

 

We flew nonstop Chicago to Rome on Alitalia in April. As I said, everyone in coach had 2 or 4 seats. When we flew home 2.5 weeks later, it was a different type of Alitalia jet, but everyone in coach had 2 or 3 seats. So I got to lay down on the flight home, too. It was an unusual fluke that I never expect to experience again. One of the flight attendants said the same flight 2 days later would be packed full.

[Softball20]

I agree with some of the others -- don't nap when you get there. We fly from the east coast, and our flights have landed by 9:00 ish in the morning. By the time we get luggage, drive to the city, it's still a reasonable time. Tired as we are from the over night flight, we hit the ground running. It is a long day, and you'll sleep well that night, but I think it does help with the jet lag to stay up.

[CathyCruises]

We flew nonstop Chicago to Rome on Alitalia in April. As I said, everyone in coach had 2 or 4 seats. When we flew home 2.5 weeks later, it was a different type of Alitalia jet, but everyone in coach had 2 or 3 seats. So I got to lay down on the flight home, too. It was an unusual fluke that I never expect to experience again. One of the flight attendants said the same flight 2 days later would be packed full.

 

Thanks! I will check Alitalia.

[cruisemom42]

I agree with some of the others -- don't nap when you get there. We fly from the east coast, and our flights have landed by 9:00 ish in the morning. By the time we get luggage, drive to the city, it's still a reasonable time. Tired as we are from the over night flight, we hit the ground running. It is a long day, and you'll sleep well that night, but I think it does help with the jet lag to stay up.

 

I agree too and this is what most experts say is the best way for dealing with jet lag. If you nap, it takes longer to adjust to the different time zone. However, I guess everyone is different.... Generally I manage to catch at least a couple hours' sleep on the flight and I am so excited to be at my destination that it's enough to keep me going through the day.

[ksps cruise fan]

I agree with some of the others -- don't nap when you get there. We fly from the east coast, and our flights have landed by 9:00 ish in the morning. By the time we get luggage, drive to the city, it's still a reasonable time. Tired as we are from the over night flight, we hit the ground running. It is a long day, and you'll sleep well that night, but I think it does help with the jet lag to stay up.

 

I've been fascinated by the different strategies mentioned in this thread.

 

I once read that exposure to sunlight is the fastest way to re-set a person's body clock. We've lived by that advice. When we arrive in Europe, we do a quick wash up, change clothes and head out into the streets to stroll -- nothing too intellectually demanding and nothing time dependent. (We once missed paid reservations at the Accademia when our inbound trans-Atlantic plane was struck by lightning a dozen times. We know that number since lightning strikes actually dent the plane and have to be filled in and sanded smooth to maintain fuel efficiency. At any rate, our plane's entire electric system had to be checked out before it was released for the return flight.)

 

On the subject of naps, I'm in the no-more-than-30-minute group. I once read that people can take a 30 minute nap without undoing the re-setting that has taken place on arrival day by sticking to local time. Sometimes we cheat and sleep for 45 minutes, but mostly we stick to the recommended 30 minutes. Admittedly, the wake up is painful!

 

We eat an early dinner and then konk out.

 

I find the time zone transition easy when I'm in my destination since I'm so happy to be there I keep going in spite of fatigue. Returning home is quite a different matter!

[somogirl]

After touring the coliseum, we found a local place for lunch and walked some more as we made our way back to Trastevere

 

How long would the walk be from the center of Rome to Trastevere or did you take a taxi?

[Crusin6]

I am going to sound really clueless...but I have been looking at tons of information (probably too much) and not lots of help.

 

We are flying into FCO at 8am, a day before our cruise (which won't sail til 5pm the next day).

 

We are planning on booking a hotel for the night and would ideally love to cram as much in as possible. What do you think are the absolute must see sights and how much do you think is actually possible in a day?

 

Where are the best areas to book a hotel in?

 

Does anyone know any reputable tour guides ?

 

Thanks so much for any help you can give us =)

Get in touch with Stefano Constantini the owner of Rome Cabs and he will get you at the airport...drive you around to a few sites..as you can't get into your hotel that early anyway...so maybe go to the colesieum..the Spanish Steps and the Trevi on your first day.

 

By using Stefano...he will make sure you get to see stuff..

 

as far as the next day is concerned...have hime pick you up again...and maybe fit something in while he is driving you...like the Catacombs..remember you can't do much on embark day because you have lugguage...so making a tour stop with a private driver..who can have you luggage in the car is a good idea.

 

Also..and if you are inclined...do get yourself over St. Peter's...this might be the alternate choice over the catacombs.

 

remember you will be very tired the first day..and very jet lagged...the next morning you will feel better...so pleas do not waste any precious time...use it for sightseeing.

 

On the second day..if you don't want a full day driver....just leave your stuff at the hotel...and do some sightseeing yourself..like St. Peter's...and then have Stefano or his driver just pick you up back at the hotel in enough time to make the ship...also...private drivers know the strike schedules..traffic patterns..and such and Stefano will give you advice on timing...email him....seriously

 

 

you do realize that you should have booked an extra night in Rome, right? Next time...:)

[D4]

After touring the coliseum, we found a local place for lunch and walked some more as we made our way back to Trastevere

 

How long would the walk be from the center of Rome to Trastevere or did you take a taxi?

 

If it is hot or your time in Rome is limited, I'd recommend a taxi.

[somogirl]

How long would the walk be from the center of Rome to Trastevere or did you take a taxi?

]If it is hot or your time in Rome is limited, I'd recommend a taxi.

 

It is early Oct. time is not a problem, how long is the walk?