Rome - Any Experts in Here?

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The search didn't pull up all that much.

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WTF?

I know the correct roads to take to get there.

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Any places to avoid?

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Rome.


In all seriousness, hit the highlights in Rome and go to much better places such as Florence.

Rome is very walkable to most of the sites. Get the Roma Pass and you can take all the trains and busses for no additional charge, as well as skipping the lines at places like the Coliseum.

I stayed at Parci Dei principi hotel, next to Borgashi gardens. Was a damn nice hotel. Just outside the walls of Rome, But everything was still easy to get to, other than St Peters. Taxis were very reasonable.

And hell if Clark Griswald stayed there I mean what the hell.

Contact the Scavi (Vatican Excavation Office) and you can get a tour of the catacombs underneath St. Peters. They only let about 200 a day down there so you need to do it in advance.

Also, get a private tour guide for the Vatican museums. Not too expensive and it lets you go at your own pace as opposed to part of a big group. Also since you are going in Summer, remember that even though the Vatican and other churches are living museums, they are still active parishes and you will need to dress appropriately. No shorts or tank tops for men, no skirts above the knees, high shorts or spaghetti strap shirts for women. A cardigan will be easy to carry for the women and when you go inside a church you can slip it on and off easily and still be comfortable outside after you leave. Women can wear longer skirts or capris to comply with the dress code.

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It was built in a day.

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Common misconception.

Thanks fella's. All the info is much appreciated. My goal is to fly into Rome, hang for a day then head to Florence. However, time is an obstacle and this is a condensed trip with only 5 nights.

It will be the first time there so I thought Rome would still be cool to see some sties and get to experience Italy.

My preference would be Florence and one day go to Wine country. Still deciding what our best options are.

We stayed near the Spanish Steps when we visited. That is a decent location as you can get to most attractions by foot in less than 30 min.

Some of the things we did on our trip:
Papal Mass at St Peter's Basilica (highlight of the trip)
Mass at St Johns Lateran
Guided tour Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum
Guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica (did not go to top of dome...heard that is awesome)
Toured Colliseum
Visited Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navonna
Spent a day in Pompeii touring the ruins
Ate some great lunches and dinners

Wish I would have brought some jogging gear to run the streets of Rome in the morning...