Rome here we come......

mummybear_2

Hiya,

Okay, so I posted a thread at the beginning of the year.....but now, I go next week and am so excited I might burst......

So couple of questions please:

- flying with Easyjet for the first time.....any advice or things I should be aware of?

- Staying near the Spanish Steps........any recommends for places to eat great food - cheapish??

- want to visit Coleseum, any advice?

- best way to get from Campino (is that how you spell it?) airport to city?

Any help or suggestions will be gratefully accepted, as this is our first visit, and first time away without the kids for yonks!

Thank you in advance to anyone who takes the time to answer me,

Ta v much,
H xxx

p3gg

Rome is brilliant -- enjoy! Your question about transport between Ciampino and the city depends very much on time of day though. Basically this, as far as I can recall:

Daytime: Bus to the end of the metro system (~15 mins), then metro (same again)

Late evening until the final Ryanair flight has come in: Terravision bus (about 40 minutes, about £5 each) -- prebookable online / tickets for sale on some flights / at airport

Middle of night: taxi

Sorry that wasn't too accurate, hope it helps a bit

p3gg

PS Rome isn't an especially cheap place to eat, but if you look for eateries that identify themselves as a "Tavola Calda" ("Hot table" -- basically portions from big trays of pre-prepared hot meals, sometimes with the additional option of ordering a simple fresh-prepared dish (pasta, gnocchi etc)) then you shouldn't go far wrong and could be lucky and find a gem.

mummybear wrote:

Hiya,

Okay, so I posted a thread at the beginning of the year.....but now, I go next week and am so excited I might burst......

So couple of questions please:

- flying with Easyjet for the first time.....any advice or things I should be aware of?

- Staying near the Spanish Steps........any recommends for places to eat great food - cheapish??

- want to visit Coleseum, any advice?

- best way to get from Campino (is that how you spell it?) airport to city?

Any help or suggestions will be gratefully accepted, as this is our first visit, and first time away without the kids for yonks!

Thank you in advance to anyone who takes the time to answer me,

Ta v much,
H xxx

Americana

For a decent cheap meal try here

http://www.brek.com/eng/index.html

Roma - Largo di Torre Argentina, 1
Tel. 06 - 68210353 • Fax 06 - 68210353
Close on: open seven days a week
(•) to see the map click here

wolfytom

We ate there too - absolutely brilliant value for money and very Italian!

Reaper

Spanish Steps is a posh bit of town. Generally the further away from it you get the cheaper the food will get.

From the airport we got the bus as described above. Although the signs and guidebooks say you have to get your bus ticket in advance this seems to have changed for the airport bus. Just pay on board.

We had tickets for the Coleseum before we got there. I forget how but I think we had bought some sort of combined ticket when we visted the Forums. This proved a good move as the ticket office queue at the Coleseum was huge and we just sailed past it.

Have fun.

GlennTheBaker

mummybear wrote:

- flying with Easyjet for the first time.....any advice or things I should be aware of?

I've flown with EasyJet a few times now with no problems. The main thing to remember is that they operate what is essentially a flying bus service. They sell sandwiches, crisps, chocolate and soft drinks on board but you may as well just make yourselves a pack-up as the on-board prices are expensive.

EasyJet also don't allocate seat numbers so its a bit of a free-for-all when boarding, although it tends to be more so at non-UK airports. You could ask when you check in if it would be possible to ensure that you and the children were seated together.

Have a really brilliant time!

mummybear_2

Hiya,

I am an extremely nervous flyer (to say the least!!!), does that mean I could potentially be sitting on my own!!!!!!!

Oh poo!

JanL

Rome is wonderful
Ryanair is fine as long as you check in early as they operate a policy of the 'boarding cards 1-60' board first after children and passengers needing assistance.
Try to get a seat near the window as there are wonderful views of Rome as you come into land.
Food on the plane is very basic and pricey
We buy a boots meal deal from the departure lounge before we fly as this seems to be good on price, choice and quality.
When you get to Ciampino - it is a small airport that is shared with the miltary so don't be put off if you see lots of soldiers ( some look quite funny with their sunglasses)
In Rome - decide what you want to see beofre you go - The Vatican and the Coliseum and at opposite ends of the city so it is probably best to do those on different days
Around the Trevi Fountain there is a small pizza shop that sells pizza slices by weight and very cold beers. It is very cheap and very tasty.
Be aware of the traders around the spanish steps and the trevi - a polite but very firm no grazie usually does the trick but if they think you are in the slightest bit interested they will hound you - especially the rose sellers.
This time of year is very hot so take a backpack with water and sunscreen with you
The Coliseum will have queues - it will take about 20 minutes to get in and cost about 8 euros each - Standing in the queue is a good time to read your guide book!

We alaways buy presents such as coffee, coloured pasta, olive oil etc in the supermarket before we go to the airport and then laugh at the prices in the duty free shop.
Also be aware that the Italian government has just passed new laws which make it illegal to sell or BUY fake designer goods ( normally there are lots of traders selling fake designer bags and sunglasses) An american woman was prosecuted last week and given a fine of 6,000 euros - so be warned!

I could go on forever about Rome but I have just spent ages writing my first post only to find that I had done something wrong and lost it all!
I hope this helps and I'm sure that you will enjoy Rome as much as I do

pspinsight

Flying to Rome with Easyjet myself in 3 weeks time!

I'm a nervous flyer too - You're unlikely to end up sat on your own unless you're last in the queue so make sure you check in in good time. Even in the UK, the plane is generally filled in 3 separate groups based on how early you check in.

You can book your terravision bus to termini straight from the easyjet website. A cab to your hotel from there won't break the bank.

For loads of tips on making the best of the attractions (and avoiding the queues!) check out https://www.tripadviser.com and search on Rome. For the Collosseum, buying a combined ticket at the Forum (as mentioned above) is sound advice.

If you're looking for walking tours a lot of people recommend https://www.angeltoursrome.com - I've booked with them but obviously don't have a review yet!

Enjoy your trip!

alison74

My tip is to get to the Vatican as early as you can, even though it doesnt open till 8.45am, go there about 8ish, so you go right in as it opens (beating the tour buses)

Getting there early may give you enjoy the chance to enjoy it when it is quieter which is a more pleasant experience.

Also remember when visiting the vatican and St Peters you must have chruch dress on (shoulders and knees covered and they are strict and will turn you away if you are not dressed properly)

It is worth going up into the dome of St Peters (they call it Coppola) for that fantastic view of all across Rome. The queue might look big, but goes down quickly and as soon as you pay, you get into the lift right away (then the 382 steps, but there are places to take a break) I am not fit but managed it ok.

Remember Vatican is shut on a Sunday.

Piazza Navona is nice to eat and not too expensive, there are also lovely ice cream shops there that sell cones the size of your head for 2 euros ! (the street off the Piazza in the middle)

Have fun

jaymac_2

Take a boat trip...not the more expensive tourist boat, take the commuter boat for a river trip which will cost about 1 euro. A transport ticket at 4 euros a day is good value if you just want to hop on and off buses and tubes without walking everywhere in the heat. The same ticket would also take you out to Ostia Antiqua or the Lido by train if you wanted to get out of Rome for a few hours.