Looking for advice on holiday to Rome

Camster

I'm planning a holiday to Rome next summer for five adults, staying in a hotel or airbnb for around 7 days.

I believe Italy can be expensive, so I wanted to ask if anyone can suggest a good book or website for travel tips / money saving advice on this type of holiday.

Thanks

la531983

Yes. Dont stay in Rome.

We stayed in Naples and just did a day trip to Rome on the train, takes 80 minutes.

daveyjp

Very few European cities are as expensive as UK, so its a moot point whether Rome is expensive, we didn't find it so.

7 days is probably too long.  There's a lot to see, but not sure you would want 7 days seeing it all.  3-4 days will allow you to see the main sights.  If you want a 7 night trip maybe visit Florence/Pisa, rail in Italy is cheap and it takes just over an hour.

There are various Rome Passes which allow you entry to different sights and include public transport (which isn't brilliant, limited metro and chaotic buses), you will also beat the queues. You need to check which one works best for you.  Vatican and Sistine Chapel is an absolute rugby scrum and easier with an official guide.  We went late afternoon to avoid the worst of the crowds, but 20,000 a day go through the chapel so it won't be peaceful!

Check out the lesser visited sights.  The Basilica de San Clemente is very close to the Coloseum, but only a small proportion of visitors go there so miss out on the preserved Roman streets it was built over.

Clive_Woody

Avoid restaurants, cafes and shops right next to tourist hot spots, they will charge a lot more. Stock up at supermarkets for water, snacks, etc and look for smaller back street places to eat out.

As with all large tourist places, watch out for pickpockets and don't leave bags unattended or behind your seats.

Eldi_Dos

DK Eyewitness Guide to Rome is good place to start your research, if my memory is correct July and August are cheaper months for hotels in Rome as most Italians head for beach or lakes during those months.

Found the area south and east of Termini a bit squalid so would avoid there even if hotel prices seem reasonable.
The area around Via Cola Di Rienzo is nice and most sights are walkable from there.

Barkin

la531983 said:

Yes. Dont stay in Rome.

We stayed in Naples and just did a day trip to Rome on the train, takes 80 minutes.

Different strokes.. etc. eh?

We've been to Rome 3 times in the last couple of years, and we'll be going again sometime in the next couple of months.
If you just want to have a quick look at the main tourist attractions, tick 'em off the list, and move on, then I guess a day might do it if you don' t mind hurrying and missing loads, but there' s sooo much else 'off the beaten track'.
Fantastic churches, ruins 'round every corner... 
If you choose a restaurant within spitting distance of the Trevi Fountain, it' ll likely be average & expensive. Find little 'local' restaurants away from the tourist traps.

I could go on... 

Yes, it'll be busy in summer. 

la531983

Barkin said:

la531983 said:

Yes. Dont stay in Rome.

We stayed in Naples and just did a day trip to Rome on the train, takes 80 minutes.

Different strokes.. etc. eh?

Not really, we got round everything of note in Rome in a day and even saw the Pope do his address, and got the benefit of the sights in and around a cheaper city 220km away also.

zagfles

Clive_Woody said:

Avoid restaurants, cafes and shops right next to tourist hot spots, they will charge a lot more. Stock up at supermarkets for water, snacks, etc and look for smaller back street places to eat out.

As with all large tourist places, watch out for pickpockets and don't leave bags unattended or behind your seats.

Re water - just take an empty water bottle, there are fountains everywhere.

Do "free" walking tours (tips based), there are loads of them, we did this one which was good https://romesultimatefreetour.com

Have your main meal at lunchtime - there are some really good set menus for 2/3 course lunches, we ate at a place very near the Pantheon for IIRC something like 15 EUR each for a 3 course with drinks.

Eldi_Dos

zagfles said:

Clive_Woody said:

Avoid restaurants, cafes and shops right next to tourist hot spots, they will charge a lot more. Stock up at supermarkets for water, snacks, etc and look for smaller back street places to eat out.

As with all large tourist places, watch out for pickpockets and don't leave bags unattended or behind your seats.

Re water - just take an empty water bottle, there are fountains everywhere.

One of the memorable sights was locals filling up hand crates of empty bottles last thing of a evening as the water from a constantly running fountain had a better taste than from a tap in a apartment.

Barkin

la531983 said:

Barkin said:

la531983 said:

Yes. Dont stay in Rome.

We stayed in Naples and just did a day trip to Rome on the train, takes 80 minutes.

Different strokes.. etc. eh?

Not really, we got round everything of note in Rome in a day and even saw the Pope do his address, and got the benefit of the sights in and around a cheaper city 220km away also.

Eh?  I've already said that IMO there's far more to see & do in Rome than can be done in a day, whereas you've apparently bashed it out in a few hours!

To then say that it's not a case of "different strokes for different folks" is, quite frankly, odd. 

la531983

Yes i clearly misread your post.

But yes we had no interest in queuing all morning for the Colliseum, or standing by the Trevi Fountain for 2 hours etc, a whistle stop tour was enough (40,000 steps that day, a lot of walking)