Rome - only Sat & Sun - will that be a problem?

[LeslieSJ]

I'm trying to get my ducks in a row for an eastern med. cruise in May 2009. So much great info on this forum -- I've been studying and trying to make sense of the tons of great posts --overwhelming to say the least.

 

My question (first of many over the next year, I'm sure) is: just found out our cruise sails from Rome on a Monday. I was planning to spend 2 days beforehand to see as much as possible in Rome in that short amount of time. Now I'm worried that touring on a weekend will be very crowded and possibly some places won't be open. I know we'll need to do the Vatican on Saturday, not Sunday.

 

Does anyone have an opinion on trying to do a tour on a Sunday? Is it smarter to go one day earlier, with the extra hotel expense, in order to tour on Friday and then have Sunday to explore by ourselves? I guess I already know the answer - -of course an extra day in Rome is never a bad thing. Just trying to control expenses and not let the length of this trip get too much longer.

 

Thanks in advance for any input.

[agabbymama]

As you say, you already know the answer. I even plan on staying 3 days pre-cruise and our cruise leaves on a Friday.

 

I know expenses are horrendous in Europe with the dollar doing so poorly,

but I found (through this website) some reasonably priced hotels.

 

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/guest.htm

 

Don't let the title scare you away. If you look at the hotels, they are clean and safe. I'm not Catholic and you don't have to be to stay here, but I did select Domus Aurelia (close to the Vatican) at $113 right now for twin beds with a balcony. I think there are only 3 with websites, the rest just have email addresses.

 

But I think your idea of tours on Friday and Saturday with Sunday just to do on your own is the best plan.

[LeslieSJ]

Wow, checked the website of one of the hotels and it looks wonderful and very inexpensive. You're sure they don't make you say a rosary before letting you through the door? ;)

 

I wish I could book the cruise today and get started on pinning things down. Earliest date to book is March 20th, rumor has it.

[agabbymama]

Wow, checked the website of one of the hotels and it looks wonderful and very inexpensive. You're sure they don't make you say a rosary before letting you through the door? ;)

 

I wish I could book the cruise today and get started on pinning things down. Earliest date to book is March 20th, rumor has it.

 

I'm positive they don't make you say a rosary. They were even very nice in an email response, when I asked about smoking. She said I could smoke in the garden or on my own private balcony, just that the hotel interior was smoke free. I'll come back and post after my visit in October, whether they are as good as they appear to be.

[CAT GIRL]

We were in the same situation last year. We flew from O'Hare on

a Friday and arrived on Saturday morning. We spent Saturday

exploring the area around our hotel and getting adjusted to the time change. On Sunday we booked a private tour for sightseeing. On Sunday

night we took a taxi to Piazza Navona and had a wonderful evening

checking out all the nightlife and finding a place to eat, and of course

an obligatory gellato. On Monday morning we booked a private

Vatican tour. We ended up getting to the ship(Legend of the Seas)

around 2:30. Normally we like to get the the ship ASAP but this time

we made use of the morning to see more of Rome.

Enjoy all your planning.

[YoPhilly]

If you're concerned about too short a time in Rome, you're better off spending the money for an extra night. You've traveled that far so don't come home disappointed that you didn't get to see such-and-such.

 

My family laughs at my rationalization, but here's how I look at it: if you stay three nights instead of two, you increase your satisfaction factor by 50%! :p

[Chesie]

It depends on how much you want to see. One could spend numerous days there and not see it all, at least not at the pace I would like. Better to see less, absorb it and take back wonderful memories than run around crazed and not enjoy it. With 2 days I'd say you will be limited, especially with the crowds and lines. Pick what your priority to see is, then see how it goes. On my first trip over, after the 7th day, I had to walk out of the Galleria Borghese after 10 minutes. All the marble busts blended into what I saw 2 days prior. I was fried.

 

My suggestion would be to pick a couple things you truly want to see and plan a return trip!

 

Enjoy Rome and it's people

 

Chesie

[LeslieSJ]

Thanks for all of the advice. I think it makes sense to add the one day since we're going that far so we don't have regrets. But also not try to cram in too much in the short time so that we don't enjoy ourselves. We'll have to go back and see Rome "properly" another time.

 

That is an interesting idea, CAT GIRL, to tour on the morning that we embark. I hadn't considered that we could do the 3 hour vatican tour then since we don't need to get to the ship first thing in the morning. Did you not feel at all nervous about anything going wrong (like what I'm not sure) and making you miss the sailing?

[CAT GIRL]

Thanks for all of the advice. I think it makes sense to add the one day since we're going that far so we don't have regrets. But also not try to cram in too much in the short time so that we don't enjoy ourselves. We'll have to go back and see Rome "properly" another time.

 

That is an interesting idea, CAT GIRL, to tour on the morning that we embark. I hadn't considered that we could do the 3 hour vatican tour then since we don't need to get to the ship first thing in the morning. Did you not feel at all nervous about anything going wrong (like what I'm not sure) and making you miss the sailing?

 

I thing you always worry that something may go wrong (at least I do).

In Rome we dealt with Rome Cabs for all our transportation and touring

needs. They have many drivers and work well together. If something

had gone wrong they would have called another driver to take us to

the port. We did watch the time and started to head to the port

around 2:00pm. There were no lines and we pulled right up and was

on the ship in a matter of minutes.