Self-Guided Tour Rome Questions

[tvtd4u]

Okay, I've seen many postings about using a guide for touring Rome. It looks great. As we only have one day. Yes that is not enough time. We will come back when we have time, can't do it this time cause our ride (Cruise Ship) is leaving !!

 

Okay again the tour guides are great except they cost $$$$$$$$!!!!

 

My wife and I want suggestions on how we can hit the major spots..Colosseum, Parthenon, Sistine Chapel etc. ON OUR OWN!!

 

Help us with Train info.... Can it be done. DW and I are very adventurous and have no problem walking, hiking many miles if we have to.

 

Thanks.

[Susan-M]

We loved seeing Rome on our own & it's quite easy to do with a little advance planning and lots of energy. Travel costs in '05 were 9E/pp/day which included the train, subways and buses. The train station is a 10 minute walk from the port entrance in Civitavecchia.

 

We took an 8 a.m. train from Civitavecchia, arrived in Rome (at the main train station...Roma Termini) at 9:30, caught the subway which is in the Termini (took line B to Colosseo stop) to the Colosseum/Forum, spent a little over an hour there (not enough time) and then headed back on the subway (line B to Termini, transfer to Line A to Ottaviano stop) to the Vatican, for a 12 p.m. guided tour of the Vatican Museums which included entrance to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peters. Finished at the Vatican around 2:45, walked to Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and then to Barberini subway station by 4 p.m. to get back to the Termini to catch a 4:35 train back to Civitavecchia. Arrived in Civitavecchia at 6 p.m., and caught the last shuttle bus from the port entrance to the ship at 6:20.

 

We ran out of time and didn't make it to the Spanish Steps....next visit.

 

Detailed instructions on taking the train: http://www.europeportreviews.com/Rome2.htm

 

Vatican museum website to arrange for a tour: http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Servizi_Visite.html

 

Train website: http://www.trenitalia.com/en/orari_biglietti/index.html

(note, for Rome Termini, use 'Roma Termini'; but if you are heading to the Vatican first thing, use 'Roma S. Pietro' as you don't need to go as far as the Termini - this is explained in the first website above)

[cruisemom42]

Here is a link to a post from someone who did a great job of Rome in a day on your own. (MavisMarie: I know I keep referring people to your link, but I think it's an outstanding job of what is possible with good advance planning!!).

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=627680&highlight=mavismarie

[Mike Andrews]

The 110 Open Ho Ho or Stop and Go Tourist Bus is €16 and is a great way to see all the major sites in Rome.http://www.trambus.com

[countryperyear]

I second the HOHO bus.

It will give you a detailed map of the area so you can try to decide how many places you'll get to see in the short amount of time.

If that doesn't leave you close enought to the attraction you want there are plenty of quick taxi rides to take.

[Susan-M]

Here's a link to an article with some good suggestions: http://www.summerinitaly.com/planning/rome_sightseeing.asp

Also, the links in the index on the right have some helpful info on public transportation.

[agabbymama]

There are a number of Hop On/Hop Off buses, Not only the 110 mentioned above.

 

This one will give you a 10% discount on subsequent rides in Palermo, Naples, Pisa, Florence, Sorrento, etc. if you save your ticket from the first ride.

 

http://www.roma.city-sightseeing.it/eng/index.htm

 

Then www.viator.com also has ho/ho tours in all the major cities.

 

Take a look at all of them and see what suits you best.

 

I will be staying in Rome 3 days near the Vatican, and I plan to catch the ho/ho there to travel around Rome.

 

If it were me, I'd take the train from Civitavecchia, but I'd get off at St. Peters station near the Vatican, and catch the ho ho there. If you do an Internet search, there is a site www.portreviews.com (I think) that gives very explicit directions and even photos of each port. Find Civitavecchia and explore.

 

Have a great trip!

[tvtd4u]

Great information. You Cruisers are great.

[mountainmare]

Also don't be afraid to take a little time to slow down and savor Rome instead of checking off the sites--be sure to get some gelato and just realize that you are in ROME!!!

[tvtd4u]

Yes we will slow down....We just want a taste of Rome...as well as Florence (another stop on our cruise)

 

We originally planned to go to Italy and spend 10-14 days traveling around and slowly enjoying ourselves. But we got a good deal on this cruise so we booked it.

We had planned to go to Italy on our 10th Anniversary...in two years...which we still plan on doing.

[photographia]

The All-Time Best Guidebook Ever for Rome is the Blue Guide. This is a British series of guidebooks, and they are big on providing detailed maps and historical references. (Their map and room-by-room description of the Vatican Museums is better than anything you can find for sale at the Vatican! Strangers actually started following me around, because they heard me reading from the book and had no such information of their own!) You can get it on Amazon.com--be sure to get the newest edition, as they have evidently just recently updated the Rome one.

 

The Blue Guide also provides details on how to get to various sites, like bus numbers to the Catacombs, for example. Armed with this book (and a little reading ahead of time, to decide what you want to see and get the general lay of the land), you'll be better equipped and more knowledgeable than some of the tour-guides I've overheard in Rome over the years!