Trip Report – Rome – September 2021
HOTEL
We stayed at the Hotel Nord Nuova Roma. It is very close to the train station. Rooms were small (typical of big cities), but clean, nicely decorated, nice bathrooms. Breakfast was fine, but nothing exciting. It has a rooftop bar, which opens at 6pm and is a nice place to see the sunset or relax after a long day of walking. There is a fitness center.
If you walk out the front door and turn left then left at the corner, there is an upscale restaurant with live music. Very lovely.
TICKETS
You need to pre-book tickets with set time for the
- Colosseum (and Forum and Palatine Hill)
- Vatican Museums
- Pantheon (on weekends)
Book early – a few days or even a week.
COLOSSEUM
You need to pre-book the tickets and an entry time for the Colosseum. Then the ticket is good for 24 hours for the Forum and Palatine Hill. The Colosseum opens at 9:30am.
We spent 4 hours between the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. It can get hot mid-day.
I highly recommend getting the “Full Experience” ticket. This includes the underground area inside the Colosseum plus some other areas in the Forum and Palatine Hill. It is only a little bit more, and it gives you options.
VATICAN MUSEUMS (Sistine Chapel)
You need to pre-book the tickets and an entry time for the Vatican Museums.
We spent 2.5 hours in the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.
From St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican Museum entrance is at least a half-mile away. If you are facing St. Peters Basilica, go to the right all the way to the end of the buildings/walls, turn left, and the entrance is to the left. If you are not going early in the morning, just go against the crowds of people coming towards you (coming from the museums).
There is a taxi stand outside the Vatican Museums.
ST. PETER’S BASILICA
You do not need to pre-book the entry into St. Peter’s Basilica. Lines can get long, so go early (plan on 30-60 minutes), and then schedule the Vatican Museum visit.
HIGHLIGHTS OF ROME
Plan a walk to the
- Trevi Fountain
- Spanish Steps
- Pantheon — Get tickets!
These areas are great to visit during the day, and also at night when lit up. Also explore the side alleys and a block or two to the left/right.
I like the Rick Steve’s books and App. I also love the GPSmyCity App for walking tours.
PLANNING YOUR DAYS
If you have a few days in Rome, plan your itinerary by weather and day of week:
- Sundays – Remember that churches will be closed to visitors on Sundays
- Saturdays – Popular areas get very crowded on Saturdays (Trevi Fountain, for example) and reservations for the Colosseum and Vatican Museums book up well in advance.
- Rainy Days / Super Hot Days – Better for indoor activities, like the Vatican Museum and churches
- Sunny Days – Better for Colosseum and Roman Forum + Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps
DINING
There are so many street restaurants in Rome it will be hard to pick. The area between the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon are thick with cute restaurants. Close to the tourist areas, the sales pressure is a bit much. And so many gelato stores, some of which are very fancy.
SCOOTERS
We used the Lime scooters to get around town. Download the app, add your credit card, and it is pretty easy to figure out. The only downsides are that there are off-limit areas where you cannot park, and some of the roads are very bumpy. Just check the app for where to park (for the Vatican, we had to park back by the bridge)
There are at least 4 companies that have scooters. Lime seemed to have the most scooters and also has bikes. But the other companies allow you to park in more areas.
BIG BUS
I am a fan of the double-decker hop-on/hop-off buses in the right situation. In Rome, it costs about $35/adult for a 1-day pass, and there are many other combo tickets. It is a great way to get around town – you will see some areas you might have otherwise missed, you get a little commentary, nicer than the Metro, and cheaper than a taxi.
A taxi at 7:30pm from the Vatican to our hotel by the train station (4 miles and 20 minutes) cost 35 Euro.
TRAIN
The train to the international airport is the Leonardo Express with TrenItalia. It takes about 30 minutes and costs 14 Euro. The ticket is valid for any time that day. Sometimes the train is delayed, so give yourself extra time.
If you buy the ticket from the kiosk, it is the “Fionachi Aeropuerto” for 14 Euro.
If you want to buy from a person at the desk, there are kiosks that give you a number. You wait for your number to appear and go to that desk.
They board at platform 23 or 26 – just look at the board.
*** WARNING: If there are people trying to “help” you buy a ticket – don’t let them! They are trying to steal from you. Even the first page at the ticket kiosk is a warning. When we were there, there were 3 people attempting to “help” people. They are sneaky, so stay away!!