Visiting Rome.Come tell me everything...

[NotExactlyHappyToHelp]

Off to Rome on Friday for two nights (two adults). We’ve never been before. We’re definitely going to do the Colosseum and the Vatican City and pootle about the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and the Piazza Navona.

Staying in a hotel very close to Termini station.

Has anyone got any recommendations for things we must do, things we should avoid, general tips and tricks?

It’d be much appreciated. I sound a bit of a baby saying this but it’s the first holiday I’ve organised myself and I’m slightly apprehensive I’ll cock it up somehow.

Lucky you - the Pantheon (and eat street pizza nearby), the Palatine Hill and wonder in and out of lots of tiny churches stuffed with amazing works of art.

Book your Vatican tickets in advance to avoid queuing for many hours!

I second the Pantheon.

I'm going later this year, so blatantly placemarking for tips.

There is an awesome pizza place on Via Agostino Depretis called Pizzería Mediterránea where you buy pizza by weight and either eat in or take it away, it's not too far from Termini. It was the nicest pizza I've had in Rome.

Wear comfy shoes. Use the buses but keep your valuables safe, it is long, long hill from the Vatican back up to Termini.

Eat here

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187791-d6216305-Reviews-Prosciutteria_Cantina_Dei_Papi_Trevi-Rome_Lazio.html

Palatine hill is well worth going to its below the collyseum, and theres a huge roman baths near the national museum well worth a visit rhough the wall decorations have gone you still get a sense of what it was like

Book the Colosseum in advance if possible. You could a dual ticket for the Colosseum and Forum. I'm a history geek and it was AMAZING. I was practically dragged way.

Decide if you want to do the Vatican museums (incl. Sistine Chapel). If you do, organise accordingly. We went to see the actual St Peter's but didn't bother with the museum- the lines were crazy. They were very long for St Peter's too.

It's a really really fabulous city, but it does have its problems- watch your bag at all times, esp. near Termini station.

I would really recommend getting a guide to the Vatican. There are 5 miles of corridors in the museums and it can be overwhelming.

A guide was only about £30 when we went inc the basilica and she showed us all the really interesting stuff and brought it all to life - it was so worth it.

The worst holiday we have ever had. Sorry :( hope you enjoy it though!!

yes definitely look out for pickpockets they watch where you get your purse or wallet from and crowd round you and know where to go for your purse so if you are going to get any money out either go into a corner or somewhere that isnt obvious out in the open, we got targetted going home on the tube they watched my other half buy the tickets and got him as we got on the train, and on the tube when its packed they stanley knife the bottom of handbags and the back of backpacks so be extra vigilant

So many great restaurants but anywhere on a main piazza or street will cost a fortune..... wander a few streets back and everything is a fraction of the cost.

Underground is very cheap and easy but it’s small enough to walk around.

If you want to see the Forum and the Colosseum you can get tickets for both at the side entrance to the Forum and skip the very long queues at the Colosseum. There is a department store called La Rinascente on Via del Tritone with an aqueduct in the basement and an amazing (but expensive) rooftop bar.

Coliseum and Palatine could easily take up a day. There's loads to see there.
I found the Vatican dull, overpriced and scarily busy.
The Trevi Fountain is worth seeing and there's a little street off there where all the shops sell clothes for the Vatican - we found it hilarious!
If cats are your thing, the Roma Cat Sactuary is interesting and free!

Ah this is brilliant thank you .

I’m definitely on board with street pizza and lovely places to eat.

We’re hoping (possibly naively) that the crowds wont be as bad this time of year. Will definitely look into booking tickets online for the Colosseum. I’m a history geek too and so excited.

With regards to the Vatican City, does it cost anything just to get into the country and wander round? I’m quite interested in the tombs. Don’t know if we’ll do the Sistene Chapel. What’s the one thing in the Vatican you’d absolutely do?

I’m definitely a bit concerned about the pickpocket threat. Considering keeping my phone, notes and bank card in my bra.

You walk up a long road to the Vatican and can get into St Peter's Square without paying or going through security. To get into actual St Peter's you need to go through security and wait in line but it's free.

You can only do the Sistene Chapel if you do all the museums too.

If you only have a couple of days I’d really ask yourself if you want to go the Vatican there are miles and miles of museum and it’s busy and you feel a bit like you’re in a production line being pushed along at times if you do go book a guide. St Peter’s is worth a visit, the pantheon is stunning and you will love the colosseum even 8 year old da2 was touching the walls at one point saying I’m touching 2000 years.
I loved looking in all the big designer shops around the Spanish steps looking at stuff I can’t afford teenage dd just disappeared into Sephora and came out with a full face of make-up on.
Some of the area around Termini looks a bit grimmer than it is but there are always loads of tourists around so is a common place for pick pockets. Watch your bag and don’t leave it on the back of a chair if eating outside they snatch them padding on scooters.
Crossing roads is great fun basically just go the traffic does stop kind of they basically just drive round you.
I loved Rome was there in October all three dc would love to go back again.

We booked tickets for the Vatican. No queue to get in but very busy inside. When you leave the Sistine chapel, exit to the right not the left if you want to see the dome. This way you won't have to join the massive queue outside.

Yy to pick pockets.

Fatamorgana does the best ice cream.

Enjoy! It's awesome. I was surprised how easy the metro was and how close the major sites are.

The stuff you have listed sounds perfect for a couple of days.

The Baths of Caracalla are one or two metro stops down from the Colosseum - walking distance if you fancy. They're bloody amazing and there's hardly anyone there. You don't need to book either.

Definitely worth a visit if you like Roman remains - the Colosseum and Forum are amazing but they're packed as well.

Also, at the base of the Vittorio Emanuele moment there's a Roman insula (block of flats) which is just sitting there. It's mind blowing to see it.

If you're into Roman history, Mary Beard's Meet the Romans series is worth a watch before you go (that's how I found out about the insula!)

Oh yeah the traffic is great fun

top tip: the traffic will come to a screeching halt for a nun or very beautiful woman, occasionally also a pram.

You don't have to do all of Vatican city to see the Sistine chapel. We just walked through following the signs until we found it. Saw beautiful stuff on the way and the chapel was incredible. I'm not religious at all but still felt emotional. We did that plus climbing the dome, also well worth it, in a morning.

Oh, and if you're ever there for longer and want to get out of the city, take a day trip to Ostia Antica. It's bloody amazing.

Eat fettuccine at Alfredos. I still dream about it.

@LooksBetterWithAFilter Holy crap there’s a Sephora?!?! Ahh there goes my souviner budget .

“top tip: the traffic will come to a screeching halt for a nun or very beautiful woman, occasionally also a pram”

I’m fecked then . Wonder if I can get a Nun costume last minute.

Thank you all for the advice it’s brilliant. I’ll look in to all the places suggested.

Please do the Sistine chapel. It's absolutely amazing. Even if you're not a Michelangelo aficionado, you can't fail to be blown away by it all. The ceiling obv, but also The Last Judgment which he did 20 years later. And then to see his Pieta in St Peter's - just overwhelming imo.

As I said, if you have an Art Historian guide you, it will be the most fascinating experience.

Travelling by tram is a piece of cake and cheap. Buy your tickets at a tobacconist and they last for 100 minutes worth of travel (I think). Just be sure to validate them in the machine on the tram.