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  • Talk to me about Rome
  • lunge
    Full Member

    Off there tomorrow for 6 days so would like some advice on what to do, where to eat and what to see, etc. Any snippets of info would be gratefully received.

    Thanks in advance.

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    It's mad, expensive, and wonderful.

    You gotta see the Colluseum (sp?) and the Trevi Fountain, but go early!

    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    Rome is ace!

    See as much as you can, and do it on foot.

    Forum
    Paletine
    Colluseum
    Pantheon
    Trevi
    Vatican

    Then see it all again at night.

    The best place that we ate was in the piaza at the Pantheon. The atmosphere was fantastic.

    The only thing that we thought was a bit dull were The Spanish Steps. They were covered in scaffolding and fat Americans.

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    mogrim
    Full Member

    It's a wonderful city, just wander the streets, at every corner there's something to see. Don't buy drinks from the mobile stands, at 4€ a can of coke they're a major rip off!

    Must sees: the Vatican, Colliseum, Pantheon. Don't bother with the Circus Maximus.

    If you can make it out of town, Tivoli and the Villa Adriana are great, too.

    uplink
    Free Member

    Find a cafe at a major junction & just sit & watch the madness that is driving in Rome

    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    Really, REALLY watch your wallet – pickpocketting is rife.

    And when you want to cross a road at a crossing, don't stand and wait for traffic to stop – you will be there all day. Just step out and watch the traffic suddenly halt*.

    *I do not promise that you will not be mown down, it is Rome after all…

    lunge
    Full Member

    Thanks all, good advice, anyone else?

    Pigface
    Free Member

    Traffic is great/chaotic, Trevi is cool but we found it by accident, wandering up a street and there it is tacked onto the back of a house. I thought it was going to be in the middle of a park or something. Just wander round and take in the atmosphere and the architecture. We were crossing the road one night and a police car with lights and sirens screaming came up the road. It screeched to a halt by us and the driver looks at the girl I was with shouts Bella Bella and off he goes. The girl was so impressed as was I seeing an Alfa police car.

    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    It is a weird city though. A bit like walking through the centre of Leeds or Birmingham (most of it is quite modern) then suddenly stumbling across the Collesium or the Steps.

    BigButSlimmerBloke
    Free Member

    Vatican museums – but again, get there early
    Find a cafe with a view of Piazza Venezia, spend half an hour or so wondering why you haven't seen any colisions yet
    just off Via Corsa look for the church St Igacio – in the guide books. The ceiling fresco is fantasic, as is the fake dome. If you find the copper disc on the floor, you become the centre of everything.
    Also, to the south, there's an impressive church, the Basilica of ST John, worth a visit if you have the time, but across the road is a building housing the Scala Santa or Holy Staircase. So Holy, you're not allowed to walk up, but have to up on your knees reciting some predefined prayers.
    At the top is the icon Santissimi Salvatore Acheiropoieton (Not Made By Human Hands). The work, apparently of an angel, but not a particularly talented one.

    woodey
    Free Member

    Don't eat in restaurants with photos on the menu

    mogrim
    Full Member

    lol@woodey, so true – worldwide! Another general restaurant related truth: the further you get from the center, the better the food…

    More:
    Don't go on the underground.
    The park above the Spanish Steps is quite nice.

    woodey
    Free Member

    ….and go to the beach if you are there for 6 days

    barrykellett
    Free Member

    If you think Rome's traffic is mental, head over to naples to experience proper suicidal road crossings

    steveh
    Full Member

    There is a bus tour from the railway station which takes an hour or so and drives past most of the sites. you can get on and off as yuo wish but it's a good way to get a feel for the city layout etc when you arrive.

    The de vinci express is also the best way to get from the airport to the city. They run regularly and it's pretty cheap. you can buy tickets from the machine but you have to validate them before you get on the train.

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    lol@woodey, so true – worldwide! Another general restaurant related truth: the further you get from the center, the better the food…

    Indeed! Very true!
    We always try and find places to eat that are full of locals not tourists. The locals know best.
    I luuuuurve Italian food. It's plain, simple and fresh and they take real pride in it. Blows French nosh into the weeds.
    😀

    bikemonkey
    Free Member

    We went last October and used the underground with absolutely no problems – just make sure you keep an eye on your bags and maybe don't use it really late at night. For 2 Euros it's a bargain and if you stay near a stop, takes you straight to the Spanish Steps and the Vatican.

    We found the square around the Pantheon to be great at night. The food in the restaurant directly oppposite (Night and Day bar or something) is reasonably priced and quite good. The square comes alive at night though and has some great street performers.

    The Cappuchin Crypt is worth a look. Google it to find out where it is. It's free to enter and the creepiest thing I've ever seen.

    bikemonkey
    Free Member

    oh yes, pictures here:

    clicky

    neil_1979
    Free Member

    If the food seems reasonably priced at a restaurant, check the price of drinks before ordering or you could end up paying 12 euros for a large beer.

    We travelled around Italy last year and Rome was definately a highlight. Loads to see and do. Take time to wander and take in the atmosphere, almost everything is within walking distance.

    At the colloseum paying for a guided tour is definately worthwhile – You will get much more out of it – not much is that obvious on your own.

    petefromearth
    Full Member

    the best pizzeria we found was Galileo's off Via Merulana

    and if you're over that way check out the Basilica San Giovanni which is nearby. it's similar to St Peter's (as in it's a massive cathedral) but without the crowds. our apartment overlooked it with a really cool terrace. if you need accommodation i would def recommend it over a hotel and it's in a nice part of town

    don't miss the Vatican, which i thought was the highlight. we were lucky and saw the pope too! albeit posing as catholics…… 🙂

    Markie
    Free Member

    If you both like running, then I can strongly recommend Sight Jogging

    My wife and I ran with them early (7am ish) on the first morning of our honeymoon – early in the morning I'd recommend, first day of honeymoon less so!

    It'd be just you, your partner and a guide. As I remember it, our guide was originally from California, had been a (normal not running) tour guide in Rome for 7 years, had recently set up her own pilates studio and ran marathons for fun. She talked the whole time and could've handled the pace been more than double anything we (well, me anyway) were capable of. They do all manner of routes, and it's neat feeling the flow of the ancient city while being caught up in the bustle of the modern one.

    Just looked at their website again, and I don't remember it being that expensive for us. I guess after paying for the wedding everything seemed cheap! Whatever, we'll be going again when next in Rome!

    Regarding restaurants, we had a fantastic lunch with the local business folk at Al Callarello. We stumbled upon it quite by chance and had a lovely afternoon there. As can be seen in this more helpful google maps image, it's just by the Baths of Caracalla.

    toby1
    Full Member

    There are lots of free tours of the major attractions given as well usually by US art history students from what I found, so tag along and the extra info you get will be pretty useful.

    Also, the fountains on the streets are a great idea, take a water bottle to re-fill, that, I found saved a fortune over buying water from shops in London.

    I tried to go everywhere by foot as you see so much you'd miss from the seat of a bus or cab, it did mean that after one days touring and being on our feet for 14 hours that the 112 steps up to the hotel were pretty hard work!

    It's a great city though, so enjoy it.

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