Is This Rome Itinerary Realistic?

[#eurovirgin]

Our ship will be in Rome from 8am-8pm. My tentative plan is as follows: arrive in Rome by train around 10:15 (allowing 45 min to get off ship and 1.5 hrs for trip from Civit. to the city), take metro to Colusseum, brief tour 10:30-11, then walk through Forum 11-12, 12-1:30 lunch time (30 min built in for traveling from Forum to lunch spot), 1:30-2:30 travel to St Peter's plus brief tour, 2:30-4:30 walk to Vatican museum plus a 1-1.5 hr tour (we will have tickets purchased in advance), 4:30-5 walk to San Pietro station (map shows a 25 min walk), 5-7 train ride back to Civit. plus transit time to ship.

 

Does this seem too crazy? Are my time estimates ok? It's hard for me to guess how long things will take...

[John Bull]

A| few thoughts.......

 

 

You need longer at the Colosseum - 60 to 90 minutes. And even with pre-purchased tickets the line for entry will cut into that time.

 

The walk thru the Forum can take 10 minutes or 10 hours, depending on your depth of interest. But yes, an hour should be OK for the average tourist. There is an exit (but not an entrance) at the northern end (Piazza Venezia).

 

90 minutes for lunch??????? Unless you have a special reason for a particular place for lunch, 90 minutes is a lot of time in the middle of a busy busy day. Can't make do with a Panini on-the-hoof or an over-priced Panini In a convenient eatery?

 

From Piazza Venezia to the Vatican is 5 minute taxi ride or a 30 minute walk. Or just a 35 minute walk if you go via the Pantheon (if there's no line, going into the Pantheon will only add 10 to 15 minutes), & Piazza Navona and cross the Tiber over Ponte Sant Angelo, in the shadow of Sant Angelo Castle.

(walk or taxi or bus is one of those decisions to make depending how well you're keeping up with the clock)

 

Can't help with timing of a tour of Vatican or museum.

 

Yes, the walk to San Pietro station is under half an hour, but of course allow longer. Mebbe 45 minutes.

 

So with a bit of re-jigging it looks like it can be done.

EXCEPT ................

 

When is your latest back-on-board time?

 

Whatever your back-on-board time, don't rely on the last possible train from Rome. Save that train as a back-up, and take the second-to-last.

 

JB :).

[euro cruiser]

To save time in the morning get off the train at Roma Ostiense and take the metro from there to the Colosseum. You'll save yourself between 15 - 30 minutes this way.

 

Note that the shortest guided tours of the Vatican Museums take two hours and end at the Sistine Chapel, so if it's important for you to see this you need to back into your timing. It can take nearly a half hour to walk back to the entrance/exit from the chapel, and then from there to the train station is a mile and a half.

[VMax1700]

Security check going into Coliseum last October took almost 45 minutes. That is just the line for the security check, we had pre purchased tickets.

[boldfish]

Vatican museum security was also backed up last November and we had tickets as well. We've been to Rome in August as well. It's very hot so bring water. Took us two days to do all the things you listed. We stayed there pre cruise.

 

 

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[euro cruiser]

If you rearrange your day and put the Vatican Museums first you can beat the folks who take the train to Roma S. Pietro and walk from there by getting off at Aurelia and taking the #247 bus to the Cipro metro station, which is just steps from the entrance to the museums.

 

If you're in a big hurry you could also take a taxi from this station to the museums, it's less than four miles.

[euro cruiser]

Just playing around with the above option, if you get the 8:59 train from Civitavecchia, arriving at Aurelia at 9:44 you would make the 9:46 bus, putting you at Cipro about 10:10 AM and at the museums entrance five minutes later.

[#eurovirgin]

Ok so it looks like maybe I need to cut something... I'm just not sure what. I wanted to do Vatican City in the morning, but we will be there on a Wednesday and I read St. Peter's is often closed on Wed mornings for papal stuff.

I'm not sure what the latest back on board time is. I just know it says 8-8 on the schedule.

[#eurovirgin]

Also want to add that this will be first week of April so hopefully not as crowded as summer....?

[cruisemom42]

I'm a little unclear -- when you say a "brief tour" of the Colosseum and St. Peters' and a "tour" of the Vatican Museums, do you mean a self tour? If so, then it's easier to adjust your timings on the fly, if needed.

 

If you stick to your original schedule, you do not have enough time to tour inside the Colosseum if just allowing 30 minutes; however, you may save a little time if you get off the train at Ostiense and take the metro to the Colosseo stop, as suggested.

 

After the Forum I'd suggest you walk to the Pantheon and just grab some quick lunch (a panini or pizza slice to go; many places around there). You can walk inside the Pantheon for 5-10 minutes with the time saved on a sit-down lunch. It's worth it.

 

Then take a taxi from the rank beside the Pantheon to St. Peter's.

 

Assuming you plan to self-tour at the Vatican museum, keep in mind that it's a long walk to the Sistine (and back to the entrance) and you can only move as fast as the crowd in front of you permits.

 

The return train I'd aim for at San Pietro would be the 5:02 (arrives Civi about an hour later). There's a fallback option that leaves at 5:31 (arrives 6:17 in Civi); anything after that is too risky IMO.

[#eurovirgin]

Note that the shortest guided tours of the Vatican Museums take two hours and end at the Sistine Chapel, so if it's important for you to see this you need to back into your timing. It can take nearly a half hour to walk back to the entrance/exit from the chapel, and then from there to the train station is a mile and a half.

 

What if we're just going through the museum on our own? Do we need to take a guided tour? Also is it better to start with the museums and then go to the Sistine Chapel or the other way around?

[cruisemom42]

What if we're just going through the museum on our own? Do we need to take a guided tour? Also is it better to start with the museums and then go to the Sistine Chapel or the other way around?

 

 

There's much debate over the need for a guide. Unless you bring your own guidebook or rent an audioguide, there's not much signage (except perhaps outside the Sistine chapel).

 

You don't have a choice regarding the Vatican museums. You enter at the entrance and work your way back to the Sistine chapel. There's no real short cut.

[#eurovirgin]

Just playing around with the above option, if you get the 8:59 train from Civitavecchia, arriving at Aurelia at 9:44 you would make the 9:46 bus, putting you at Cipro about 10:10 AM and at the museums entrance five minutes later.

 

Sorry, what is Aurelia? I looked on google maps for it but can't find it. I know of San Pietro and Ostiense train stations, but not Aurelia.

[#eurovirgin]

I'm a little unclear -- when you say a "brief tour" of the Colosseum and St. Peters' and a "tour" of the Vatican Museums, do you mean a self tour? If so, then it's easier to adjust your timings on the fly, if needed.

 

Yes, I mean a self tour. Thanks for your info- it was helpful.

[#eurovirgin]

There's much debate over the need for a guide. Unless you bring your own guidebook or rent an audioguide, there's not much signage (except perhaps outside the Sistine chapel).

 

You don't have a choice regarding the Vatican museums. You enter at the entrance and work your way back to the Sistine chapel. There's no real short cut.

 

 

Oh ok, for some reason I thought you could do Basilica/Sistine and then the Museums OR the other way around. But you're saying everyone starts at the museums?

[cruisemom42]

Oh ok, for some reason I thought you could do Basilica/Sistine and then the Museums OR the other way around. But you're saying everyone starts at the museums?

 

 

The Basilica has one entrance (off the main piazza), but it is just for the Basilica.

 

The Museums have a separate entrance, quite a distance away. The only way to see the Sistine Chapel is by going through the Museums, even though it is technically close to the Basilica.

 

Confusing, I know!

[#eurovirgin]

Yes it is confusing! Glad I asked.

[cruisemom42]

Sorry, what is Aurelia? I looked on google maps for it but can't find it. I know of San Pietro and Ostiense train stations, but not Aurelia.

 

 

Aurelia (called "Roma Aurelia" on Trenitalia site) is a not-very-often mentioned Rome station. If coming from Civitavecchia, it's the first Rome stop, right before San Pietro.

[#eurovirgin]

Aurelia (called "Roma Aurelia" on Trenitalia site) is a not-very-often mentioned Rome station. If coming from Civitavecchia, it's the first Rome stop, right before San Pietro.

 

 

Ok thank you, that helps. I think your plan is good actually. If we stop at Aurelia then take #247 to Cipro. Then we can do museums + Sistine. If the basilica is closed (b/c it's a wednesday morning), that's ok. The Sistine is my main thing.

 

 

Now I gotta reverse my whole day....

[jimicaj]

I think it is too much to try to fit into one day and to actually enjoy the sights and feel like you really experienced them. It took us 2 days to see all of those sights.

 

If I just had one day in Rome, I would choose either the Vatican or the Colloseum/Roman Forum. (It took us an hour to get into the Colloseum and we prepurchased tickets).

 

Follow that with a nice self-guided walking tour of some of the lesser sights. It's easy to string together the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish steps, and several piazzas. This gives you the leisure of stopping in at any of the community churches to look around as well as a cafe for a Gelato or glass of wine. You can leave the walking tour any times you need to in order to catch the train. Rick Steves has a great walking tour called the Heart of Rome and I'm sure there's others out there.

 

Rome wasn't built in a day, and you certainly can't see it in a day! But you will have a great time. Enjoy!

 

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[leongcpa]

I second the advice to do the Vatican Museums first. We prepurchased tickets. Then on the day at port, we took the earliest train to S. Pietro station, and made a beeline to the Vatican Museums. After a self-guided walk/tour through the Vatican Museums, we took the shortcut Rick Steves talks about in his book after viewing the Sistine Chapel to enter St. Peter's Basilica. (Not sure if the shortcut is still there as this was 8 years ago....) After viewing the Basilica, we had a quick lunch nearby, and took the subway to the Colosseo stop, did a self-guided tour of the Forum and Colosseum, and then took the train back to Civitavecchia with a little over an hour to spare, when we arrived the Civitavecchia train station. That being said, we almost missed the boat because we elected to walk back to the ship and nearly got lost trying to navigate our way around the port....

[euro cruiser]

I'm rethinking my suggestion of getting off the train at Roma Aurelia. It probably will get you to the entrance of the museums at about the same time as going to Roma S. Pietro, but using the bus from Aurelia saves you the 1.25 miles of walking from S. Pietro.

 

What would speed things up is if you take a taxi from the Aurelia station, that's the quickest way to get to the museums entrance. Walking from Aurelia is not an option as it's nearly four miles.

[#eurovirgin]

I think it is too much to try to fit into one day and to actually enjoy the sights and feel like you really experienced them. It took us 2 days to see all of those sights.

 

If I just had one day in Rome, I would choose either the Vatican or the Colloseum/Roman Forum. (It took us an hour to get into the Colloseum and we prepurchased tickets).

 

Follow that with a nice self-guided walking tour of some of the lesser sights. It's easy to string together the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish steps, and several piazzas. This gives you the leisure of stopping in at any of the community churches to look around as well as a cafe for a Gelato or glass of wine. You can leave the walking tour any times you need to in order to catch the train. Rick Steves has a great walking tour called the Heart of Rome and I'm sure there's others out there.

 

Rome wasn't built in a day, and you certainly can't see it in a day! But you will have a great time. Enjoy!

 

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Thanks- this is good insight. I don't want to be stressed and hating life by the end of the day.