Gioing to Rome

mummybear_2

;DHiya,

We are going to Rome early July next year........first time we have been and any advice on places to go, eat, travel tips etc......extremely welcome!

Ta in anticipation!

natasha79_2

Lucky you!

I went for the 1st time last year and it was fabulous! Public transport is cheap and easy, the metro is simply line a or line b!

Obviously the Colloseum and Trevi fountain are places to go. If you turn right while coming away from the colloseum, keep walking up a hill and set back is a nice cafe. I can't remember it's name but it's on the corner and is really chilled, serving great pizza, ice cream and coffee etc. I sat there for hours, just taking in the views below of the colloseum.

You can walk to the Trevi fountain from the colloseum, takes you past shops (one called Romans which has cool tops etc) and some nice buildings...well sign posted. Around the fountain area are market stalls. Mostly sellihng tat, but some have cool stuff.

Don't buy snacks/drink from stalls in centre/near tourist areas as they rip you off. There's plenty of little supermarkets to buy from instead.

I don't know much else as I was only there for 2 days (one of those days revolved around going to the Olympic stadium for football!).

Have fun!

mummybear_2

:-*Thanks for that!

Anything we should be wary of? any good places to eat out at night?

Places to stay....

any advice welcome!!!!

natasha79_2

Watch out for pickpockets!

Buy an all day travel card

Eat where you see the locals, a lot of other places can be over priced. That cafe I mentioned is even better by night, as all the below area is lit up, it looks beautiful.

Can't really help much more than that as I only went for the football then crammed the rest in as a bonus.

VickyA_2

:-*Thanks for that!

Anything we should be wary of?

Yes, prostitutes! They're pretty erm, obvious. I went to Rome when I was about 14 with my parents and brother. One of them propostitioned my dad (not the world's most attractive of men) whilst we were walking in the street near a big tourist attraction as a family group!

Oh, and pick pockets. Again, my dad was involved. It was on the bus going to the Catacombs (well worth a visit). Two men, dressed as tourists blocked our route off the bus - whilst one of them tried to put his hand in my dad's pocket. My dad could feel what was going on and the pickpockets got away with nothing.

However, Rome, like all places is a capital city and therefore you should have your wits about you at all times, and carry minimal amounts of money.

We had a wonderful time there, and I hope to return there for a couple of days in March!

When you visit the Trevi Fountain, make sure that you stand with your back to the fountain and throw a coin over your shoulder. This means that you will return to Rome one day - hence why I'm hopefully going back to Rome (to put another coin in the fountain!).

Also well worth seeing are the Forum, Baths of Caracalla, St Peter's and the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel.

We stayed at the Duca D'Alba on the Via Leonina. There was a lovely little trattoria down that street - and they spoke hardly any English, perfect! Otherwise, there are plenty of places with a variety of dishes EVERYWHERE.

This website is for the Duca D'Alba

Alternatively check out the main site of Venere Hotel Reservations

or Octopus Travel

Addy

You'll LOVE Rome. July will be very hot though, so be prepared! Carry a drinking bottle with you and refill it at the many drinking fountains you'll see - cool, free and the best mineral water you'll find! You'll be surprised how much you drink - we were!!

Although it'll be hot, the vatican has strict dress regulations, no shorts for men or bare arms (I think) for all.

Don't ever buy anything from the stalls or restaurants facing tourist attractions, you'll need a second mortgage, as someone's already mentioned find smaller restaurants on sidestreets where the locals eat or buy bread, cheese and ham from a supermercardo, yum. The supermarkets sell cold pizza slices too which our kids loved instead of sandwiches.

Taxis can be expensive but the buses and underground are cheap.

Make sure you have comfortable walking shoes.

I'm very jealous...have a lovely time ;D

mummybear_2

::)Thank you to those that have taken the time to reply to my question already......please keep the comments/help coming!!!!!

wolfytom

Hi

Use http://www.virtualtourist.com/vt/23513/ for pages upon pages of really useful info on just about everywhere. Scroll past the ads to the sections such as 'tourist traps', 'hotels and accomodation' etc etc

In Rome, my advice is avoid hotels near the Termini, or Main rail station. They are the cheapest in the city but the area is dodgy and best avoided.

Also look out for hotels advertised as in the suburbs - we stayed in one of these (Pisana Palace) - it was very cheap (Currently 59 euros a night!) but was a 50 minute bus journey to the city and the last bus back leaves at 10.30pm. Having said that, you can hire a car for about 70 pounds a week.

We are going back on the 17th January and staying at the Hiberia - it's a 3 star at 90 euros a night and is right in the heart of the city. It's very close to Duc D'Alba which also looks a good deal.

We booked thro Venere ( https://www.venere.com )- they use a credit card number as guarantee but don't debit your account. You pay on departure. We have booked with them 5 times now and have never had a problem. The great thing about this site are the reviews - anyone who stays at any of the hotels can leave a comment about the hotel on the hotel page - very illuminating they are too!

Another good booking site is ITWG and also try UTELL.
Expedia occasionally have good deals but they want immediate payment.

BTW The advice about the water from the fountains is spot on - It's one of Rome's best features!

imported_sallyd

What a great place to visit.

There is a small electric bus that the locals use and winds its way around the piazza's and small narrow streets - no's 116, 116T,117 and 119. Now the buses stop at all the major sites in the city plus more.

The starting point for the 117 and 119 is Piazza del Popolo at the junction of Via Del Corso.

119 is a circular route to the east of town.

The 116 goes east to west .From Villa Borghese,passing the Pantheon, Piazza Navona,crossing river and up by the Vatican.

117 Piazza S.Giovanni in Laterno (lovely coffee shop and loos in the St.Giovanni Hospital)passing the Colosseum,Roman Forum,Piazza Venezia.

Buy an all day travel card. and this will be the cheapest sightseeing tour ever and you will see more than most tourists as the bus really gets into nooks and crannies and takes you down some quaint areas.

If you want to do some retail therapy UPIM on Via del Trittone and next to the Central Station are very reasonable,this store is scattered althrough Rome, but I can only remember these two off the top of my head.

Big outdoor market Monday - Saturday mornings Metro Line A to San Giovanni. This is also a good shopping area La Standa and UPIM stores just down the road as are a variety of shops that the locals use. If you want to go to an indoor shopping mall the Cinecetta Due Centro Commericale is on Metro Line A to Subaugusta (come out of the station and walk towards the mountains, the centre is just past the crossroads.

There are plenty of really nice places to eat, especially around via Tritone and Piazza Berberini (you will pass plenty on the little buses)

July will be hot,hot,hot. It would be nice if you can stay somewhere with air conditioning, would be well worth paying a bit extra.

Enjoy

mummybear_2

:-*Apologies WolfyTom for not saying Thanks!!!!!! I do appreciate your time in giving me lots of advice! As I do anyone who takes time out to bother to reply to my question.......Happy New Year, Best wishes, and THANKS x

Nick99

If you are seeeking a trip out of the centre, try for Lago Albano

Cant remember the bus details but if you have a car its about 45-60 minutes south of the centre, up in the Colli Romani, or range of hills. Large roundisgh lake, almost excalty 10k in circumfernece with a path/track/road roiund all the way for a jog, walk or stagger if you have the energy.

Very pretty, lots of little bars and restaurants and not tourist prices.

Just up the hill (maybe 15 m inutes more by car) is Nemi, little village on side of hill looking down on another little lake (extinct volcano), where the Emperoro Caligula once built a navy!

In Nemi there are some great restaurants, pick of the bunch run by two cousins, with an name like 'Lisa E Lisa' (or maybe it's 'Eva E Eva' - long time since I was there!), fantastic (and for once that word really is deserved) peasant cooking - pasta with local wild mushroooms or hare, wild boar, ect etc.

Wish I was there today!