Need Help Regarding Pre-Cruise Hotels, Transportation, Tours in Rome

[Jax129]

Thanks everyone for the wonderful tips. We are planning a Greek Isles cruise in 2 years but since I've never been to Europe I'm already diving in to where to stay in Rome. We originally were going to sail out of Barcelona but I knew a day trip for a few hours to Rome would never be enough so we decided on a totally different cruise so we can spend 3 glorious days in Roma!!

btw.....Albergo Del Senato looks amazing, I'm determined to fit it into my budget since were going in June :)

[Shine]

Hi, I just found this thread. A few years ago we did the golf tour with Angel Tours and it was excellent. I would absolutely recommend it. Lots of places we never wold have seen otherwise.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Hi, I just found this thread. A few years ago we did the golf tour with Angel Tours and it was excellent. I would absolutely recommend it. Lots of places we never wold have seen otherwise.

 

That is very good to hear. We want to see a few places that would harder for us to walk to and that are a little less know. The day we are taking the golf cart tour is the "free" Sunday for many sites in Rome. We know those will be VERY crowded and want to avoid them then.

 

I do not know the exact itinerary yet. What were some of the unusual places you saw and liked?

[Voelfgar]

Well for us on our upcoming trip where we will have 3 days before and after the cruise in Rome. Will be taking the train to and from the airport and Rome, and to and from Rome and the cruise port. For hotels, we ended up chosing the Hotel Otivm which is near the war memorial and the forum and colloseum. There is also a small bus transfer spot about a block away so we can use public transportation to get around rome. That is all we have figured out so far.

[Voelfgar]

Thank you for the suggestion. We have reservations at the Albergo del Senato near the Pantheon.

 

We were looking at that hotel, but they do not take American Express.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Well for us on our upcoming trip where we will have 3 days before and after the cruise in Rome. Will be taking the train to and from the airport and Rome, and to and from Rome and the cruise port. For hotels, we ended up chosing the Hotel Otivm which is near the war memorial and the forum and colloseum. There is also a small bus transfer spot about a block away so we can use public transportation to get around rome. That is all we have figured out so far.

 

Our hotel is not that near the Termini train station. So for the 4 of us it makes more sense to just book a shuttle--rather than take a train and then a taxi to the hotel.

 

I have also read that taking the train to the port involves a long walk to the regional tracks at Termini and a bus to the port n Civitavecchia and then a shuttle from the port entrance to the ship. . . . just too complicated. Also, we are still considering touring a little on the way to the port.

 

Let us know how the train works for you. :D I will report back on our transfer, also.

[cruisemom42]

We were looking at that hotel, but they do not take American Express.

 

Just fyi, there are a number of places in Europe that do not accept American Express (ranges from shops to restaurants to hotels) so if that is your primary card, you might want to bring a back-up or be prepared to pay cash.

[tbo]

So happy to read all of these wonderful tips and ideas. I just booked a Greek Isles and Italy cruise tonight for 2020. We've never been anywhere other than the Caribbean so this is going to be a true adventure for us. We will be celebrating our 30th anniversary and it's always been my dream to see Rome and all of it's treasures. As a matter of fact when looking at some videos I teared up-I won't be able to believe it's real until we are there I'm sure.

I'm a big planner so I have lots of time to research. I'm already taking notes and will be subscribed to this thread. This trip will be way out of my comfort zone as far as traveling, I know I have a lot to learn .

Can't wait to read all about your experiences!

[DragonOfTheSeas]

For those of you are that are just beginning your research on Rome I thought you might be interested in these:

 

3 out of the four of us traveling together are former history/social science teachers. We are all the type to research before we go. We bought several books/maps that you might find useful.

 

The Rick Steve's Rome 2018 book --It is around 600 pages. If you only get one book this is the one I would get. It is very comprehensive and I like the closeup maps to help you figure out where to enter the sites and where transportation and restrooms are located. [Lots of travel tips and has a pull out map] The cover says $21.99, but the 2019 book is currently available on Amazon for $14.99.

 

Lonely Planet Make My Day: Rome-- This is a flip book. You flip through the activity cards choose the day's activities and the basic info is easy to find. There is not much detail, but it is easy to use if you do not want to read through a longer travel guide. My travel partner got it for $8.50 at her TA. Includes a map and info on their app.

 

DK Eyewitness Travel: 2018 Rome--Around 500 pages and $17 on Amazon. This includes more of the history of Rome I like their street by street maps and illustrations. These are good closeups that would be useful to know where a specific restaurant or museum is located. It is organized by neighborhoods. There is a laminated pull out map in the back. My criticism of this book is that the text is too small and the book is heavy.

 

One thing my travel partner got that I do not think will be that useful is a pop-out map. Rome Popout Map-- $6.00 It is small [3" x 4"] and opens like a book. When you do that you can pop up 2 different maps and there are a couple more maps on the cover. [much like birthday cards have pop-up greetings]. The maps are too detailed. I need a magnifying glass to read some of the words and each of our other resources has a better map.

 

Does anyone else have a good resource they want to mention?

[cruisemom42]

Does anyone else have a good resource they want to mention?

 

Just as an FYI for those headed to Rome, most hotels have decent maps of the "Centro" area. The problem with a lot of maps you purchase online is that they include a large part of the periphery of Rome where most tourists (especially those in Rome for only a few days) never venture.

 

The hotel maps are one pagers that include most streets (maybe not every narrow vicolo or alleyway) and are good for plotting your way from Point A to Point B in the Centro. And they're free.

 

Another map I like is the Knopf Map Guide for Rome. It's a little booklet with foldout pages for each area -- with large enough detail that you can see everything without need for a magnifying glass. It's small enough to fit easily in a bag and doesn't fold out into a huge map, so it's less obvious if you need to refer to it. It also shows nearly every street. Unfortunately it hasn't been revised in a few years, so don't trust the recommendations in it for restaurants or shops necessarily...

 

Finally, just a word of caution. Rick Steves' books are great for the DIY'er and his maps give good information on entry points, taxi stands, etc. Just be aware that the hand-drawn ones aren't always to scale or quite as accurate as one might like....(speaking from experience!)

 

Google maps is an invaluable tool for advance research. You can map a route by foot from Point A to Point B (and on to Points C, D, E, etc.) and then use it to actually view points along the route to familiarize yourself with them. It can really make the difference between navigating confidently and wondering whether you made a wrong turn.

 

P.S. Can't remember if it's already been mentioned on this long thread, but in Rome the street signs are located high up (above your head), usually affixed to buildings, not freestanding.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

 

Finally, just a word of caution. Rick Steves' books are great for the DIY'er and his maps give good information on entry points, taxi stands, etc. Just be aware that the hand-drawn ones aren't always to scale or quite as accurate as one might like....(speaking from experience!)

 

I had never heard that and am so glad you mentioned it.

 

Google maps is an invaluable tool for advance research.

 

I agree--I love google maps.

 

P.S. Can't remember if it's already been mentioned on this long thread, but in Rome the street signs are located high up (above your head), usually affixed to buildings, not freestanding.

 

Thanks, so much. No--I do not think anyone has mentioned that street signs are on the building. If they have, I have forgotten. . . we are just a month away from our trip, so I am collecting any nuggests of info I can. :D

[Wishing on a star]

Thank you SO much Dragon !

[Voelfgar]

FYI, Rick Steve's Italy 2019 was released 2 weeks ago for $18.16 on amazon. And for electronic versions, It is also in the Google Play Books for $18.99

Edited October 1, 2018 by Voelfgar
Add google play

[Daisyloo]

Thanks, so much. No--I do not think anyone has mentioned that street signs are on the building. If they have, I have forgotten. . . we are just a month away from our trip, so I am collecting any nuggests of info I can. :D

 

That tip about the street signs being posted on the side of buildings is a good one. We also found they are often not right at the corner of the intersection, but maybe ten or more feet down from the intersection, making it even harder to navigate at times.

 

We have also used "Here we go", and "maps.me" - both apps that you download to your smart phone or tablet and then download the map of the area you are going to visit. They allow you to plan ahead and bookmark things you want to see, like attractions, hotels, restaurants etc. Then, when you are travelling around in Rome (or wherever) you can use the map without using any data - your phone can be in airplane mode. We found these apps helpful. We also liked the paper maps the hotels give out.

[boards]

Can someone tell us what sites are close to the Hotel Savoy? we need easy walking sites if they are. Also if you know of any restaurants nearby the Savoy.

[cruisemom42]

Can someone tell us what sites are close to the Hotel Savoy? we need easy walking sites if they are. Also if you know of any restaurants nearby the Savoy.

 

 

How close is close? And what is easy walking? Rome is quite hilly -- it was built on seven hills if you recall -- so even shorter distances involve some uphill/downhill walking.

 

Your hotel is not in my favorite area for easy sightseeing, it's a bit off the beaten track, although of course the Via Veneto area is very nice -- quiet and safe.

 

Your hotel is about a 15 minute walk to the entrance of the Galleria Borghese, if you have an interest in going there. If so, an advance reservation is highly recommended.

 

http://www.galleriaborgheseticket.it/landing-home/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0dHdBRDEARIsAHjZYYC0VnAd_y1Qv5egrB7Lllg4R5o4eFHyaoU9IyttSvjjqH6PLmaK4YEaAnO_EALw_wcB

 

In another direction, you are about a 15-minute walk to the Piazza di Spagna, where the Spanish Steps are located; also the hub of designer shopping in Rome. Trevi Fountain is about another 5-10 minute walk from the Spanish Steps.

 

Areas such as the Colosseum/Forum are at least 30 minutes walk, if not more. Same with Piazza Navona/Pantheon area.

 

Both along Via Veneto and around the Piazza di Spagna area and nearby streets you should find plenty of decent restaurants to choose from.

[happy cruzer]

The offical Borghese site is

 

 

http://www.galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it/it/visita/visita-galleria-borghese

 

 

At least I think so and the price is less on the official site??

[BarbinMich]

We also loved the Borghese Gallery--it's a more manageable size than the more famous art museums in other large cities. It's also in a beautiful setting: Borghese Gardens. On the west side of this park is a scenic viewing area where you can look across the Tiber and see the Vatican and Castel San't Angelo, an ancient, but intact, round castle open to the public. There's a small art gallery on the top floor of the Castel and wonderful views from that floor's balconies.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

The offical Borghese site is

 

 

http://www.galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it/it/visita/visita-galleria-borghese

 

 

At least I think so and the price is less on the official site??

 

Thank you everyone for the information on this.

 

I could not get the above link to give me an English version of the website. I tried clicking anything that looked like it might take me to a choice of languages. ;p Operator error. :eek:

 

So, I found this link elsewhere that leads back to an English version of the same site.

 

http://galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it/en/visita/visit-the-galleria-borghese

 

 

It looks like an excellent museum. I do not think we would have time for it until the day before we leave on the cruise. It is the free Sunday in November. The good thing about this is you still need a reservation--so there would not be the huge lines.

 

You pay the $2.00 reservation service fee. If you want a guided tour [in English or Italian] they are 8.5 euros.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately for us the available ticket times are 1PM for entrance or 1:10 pm for an English guided tour and we are still on another tour at that time. [9:30 to 1:30]

 

This museum looks like a perfect place to go on the free Sundays each month. You get the advantage of saving money and still have a reservation that will save you from standing in line.

 

 

The park surrounding the museum is open to the public [free all the time] and looks amazing from the pictures posted on TripAdvisor. There are great views of the city. We will have to decide if this is a good use of our last few hours in Rome.

[happy cruzer]

ENG in the upper right corner leads to the english version. Yes it does to seem to book up early. It was not free on the Sunday we needed to book, but the limited admissions were too good to pass up. Also you need to pick up your tickets around one hour before the tour so it takes more time that just the tour time.

[motherchic]

We just booked the Borghese Gallery last week!

Our daughter spent a year in Rome during her undergraduate studies, and highly recommended it.

Also booked a cooking class. Other then that our time in Rome will be spent strolling through neighborhoods, people watching and enjoying the great food and wine

[DragonOfTheSeas]

FYI--Someone on our roll call mentioned that the Borghese park itself is huge! One bit of warning, the Piazza Popelo is the only entrance that you can readily get a cab.

 

[cruisemom42]

The offical Borghese site is

 

 

http://www.galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it/it/visita/visita-galleria-borghese

 

 

At least I think so and the price is less on the official site??

 

You're right -- I posted before in a rush and didn't stop to check out the site. Always better to use the official site.

 

I've done the Borghese twice -- while it is a lovely, lovely museum I wouldn't necessarily put it on my list of "must do" places for a first visit to Rome. (Unless Renaissance and Baroque art is your wheelhouse...).

 

If you do go, I highly recommend the audioguide -- it's very well done.

[Kate-AHF]

... while it is a lovely, lovely museum I wouldn't necessarily put it on my list of "must do" places for a first visit to Rome. (Unless Renaissance and Baroque art is your wheelhouse...). .

 

In three trips to Rome, the Borghese Gallery/park and the Etruscan museum remains our most memorable site visit. I found the Bernini sculptures awe- inspiring, even transformative. And while I have an appreciation for Baroque art, our reaction was completely unexpected.

 

That said, I agree that this site is something a lot of folks might not find to be a worthwhile expenditure of time.

[bennybear]

I too was mesmerized by the Borghese sculptures. I don’t think I have seen anything quite like Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne. It is hard to believe the sheerness and translucence of the marble! For me this has been one of the most amazing sights in Rome.