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Original poster

Anyone been on a tour in Rome? Any other Rome tips?

154 replies

StJulian2023 · 03/02/2023 19:06

Taking DC to Rome on my own for half term, we’ll have 3 full days. DC 11 and 13, eldest with ADHD. Has anyone booked a collosseum tour they’d recommend? Would need to be small group or just us for it to work for eldest.

Was hoping to just wander in the Sistine chapel but big long queue would be a challenge.

And anyone know what needs to be booked in advance?

Thanks for any help, excited but also getting cold feet! Oh - the cat sanctuary is essential according to DD, anyone been?!

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Original poster
StJulian2023 · 03/02/2023 19:07

I’ve remembered the tourist tax - didn’t expect it would need to be paid in cash! Will I need much cash as well as card? How does it tend to work with tips these days? Not been for 20 years!

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HermioneWeasley · 03/02/2023 19:09

We did a kids tour of Ancient Rome (coliseum, the arch and the Palestine hill) through overrome and it was excellent

Original poster
StJulian2023 · 03/02/2023 19:12

HermioneWeasley · 03/02/2023 19:09

We did a kids tour of Ancient Rome (coliseum, the arch and the Palestine hill) through overrome and it was excellent

That sounds like the sort of thing we need, having a Google now…

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Dragonsandcats · 03/02/2023 19:13

@HermioneWeasley we also booked a kid friendly tour of colosseum and the forum - think it was through viatour. Our kids were younger though. Think we also spent a lot of time here! www.dellapalma.it/

Original poster
StJulian2023 · 03/02/2023 19:13

Looks like hotel is 20 mins walk from train station. It’ll be evening by then but mostly down via nazionale so hopefully that would be impressive rather than annoying for kids?! Maybe I should just take a taxi from the airport…

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Original poster
StJulian2023 · 03/02/2023 19:14

Dragonsandcats · 03/02/2023 19:13

@HermioneWeasley we also booked a kid friendly tour of colosseum and the forum - think it was through viatour. Our kids were younger though. Think we also spent a lot of time here! www.dellapalma.it/

Hmm, yes we need something engaging but that won’t make my eldest cringe haha

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Alexandernevermind · 03/02/2023 19:16

We just walked around. Comfy shoes are a must. Wander into every church you walk past, go through the squares, see the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, St Peters, Castello St Angelo. Eat gelleto, drink the water from the fountains (don't buy expensive soft drinks from street vendors. Cheapest good food is from road side cafes in the side streets watching the world go by. If they like history Palatine Hill is amazing. If they like galleries the Vatican is amazing, but like you said, queues when we went were a couple of hours long.

Original poster
StJulian2023 · 03/02/2023 19:16

Food should be easy, we all love pizza, pasta and ice cream 😊

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007DoubleOSeven · 03/02/2023 19:17

I used dark Rome tours when I was over there on recommendation from someone else, they were v good and the tour guides tended to be people with an academic interest in the history which was great.

007DoubleOSeven · 03/02/2023 19:17

I used dark Rome tours when I was over there on recommendation from someone else, they were v good and the tour guides tended to be people with an academic interest in the history which was great.

Original poster
StJulian2023 · 03/02/2023 19:18

Alexandernevermind · 03/02/2023 19:16

We just walked around. Comfy shoes are a must. Wander into every church you walk past, go through the squares, see the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, St Peters, Castello St Angelo. Eat gelleto, drink the water from the fountains (don't buy expensive soft drinks from street vendors. Cheapest good food is from road side cafes in the side streets watching the world go by. If they like history Palatine Hill is amazing. If they like galleries the Vatican is amazing, but like you said, queues when we went were a couple of hours long.

Thank you, wandering is definitely the plan for most of the time, sounds so lovely! I do want to book one or two tours to avoid the queuing because we definitely want to go to collosseum and Vatican I don’t think DS will cope with the waiting

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Original poster
StJulian2023 · 03/02/2023 19:19

007DoubleOSeven · 03/02/2023 19:17

I used dark Rome tours when I was over there on recommendation from someone else, they were v good and the tour guides tended to be people with an academic interest in the history which was great.

Thank you, another one to look up. Really appreciating all recommendations 😊

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Alexandernevermind · 03/02/2023 19:19

@StJulian2023

Food should be easy, we all love pizza, pasta and ice cream 😊 perfect. We became a bit unstuck with trying to order starters and mains as it all came out randomly. My olives came out first, then what my dh thought was his starter came out with our mains 🤣🤣

GiantKitten · 03/02/2023 19:21

We did a Vatican museum/Sistine Chapel tour - it did get us in relatively easily, but we still got hustled past everything inside and Chapel was RAMMED, so don’t recommend that.

Cat sanctuary is fab! But don’t try stroking the cats on the patio, they look pretty and cute but they’ll have you! The ones inside are very friendly though (I had kittens climbing over me)
www.gattidiroma.net/web/en/

If you’d have time, the Capitoline Museums are wonderful, and if you’re there at the right time you can watch the sun setting over Rome from the top floor.

Pearfacebanana · 03/02/2023 19:21

Are you staying on Via Nazionale? Which hotel? Is easy walk to Colosseum about 20 mins downhill past great pasta shops!

Make sure your Colosseum tour includes arena floor. I will check who we booked with.

For the Vatican and Sistine chapel you can book a breakfast tour to get there before the crowds but may be sold out by now. The breakfast is crap but the fact it's empty is good.

The food yours are good - check out Eating Europe they have 20% off at present.

I would love to take my kids have fun!

justasmalltownmum · 03/02/2023 19:21

Book tickets online and in advance to avoid ques.

Pearfacebanana · 03/02/2023 19:22

Ps there is a cat sanctuary where julius Caesar lived I think? It's weird you can look down on it from above not sure if you can go in we saw it on our food tour.

Original poster
StJulian2023 · 03/02/2023 19:23

Alexandernevermind · 03/02/2023 19:19

@StJulian2023

Food should be easy, we all love pizza, pasta and ice cream 😊 perfect. We became a bit unstuck with trying to order starters and mains as it all came out randomly. My olives came out first, then what my dh thought was his starter came out with our mains 🤣🤣

Haha this is the sort of thing my late DH would’ve done!!

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Pearfacebanana · 03/02/2023 19:24

This is the tour we did :

www.takewalks.com/rome-tours/colosseum-tours-rome/

Had about 20 people on. You get broken into smaller groups and have headsets. Included Palatine Hill.

Original poster
StJulian2023 · 03/02/2023 19:24

Pearfacebanana · 03/02/2023 19:21

Are you staying on Via Nazionale? Which hotel? Is easy walk to Colosseum about 20 mins downhill past great pasta shops!

Make sure your Colosseum tour includes arena floor. I will check who we booked with.

For the Vatican and Sistine chapel you can book a breakfast tour to get there before the crowds but may be sold out by now. The breakfast is crap but the fact it's empty is good.

The food yours are good - check out Eating Europe they have 20% off at present.

I would love to take my kids have fun!

We are staying at Hotel Hiberia. Oh yes arena floor sounds like it would impress DS

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Pearfacebanana · 03/02/2023 19:25

Ah I don't know that hotel but the road is a great location to get everywhere easily. Trevi foundation is 10 mins opposite direction.

007DoubleOSeven · 03/02/2023 19:25

If you want to visit the bowels of the Colesseum then you'll need to book a separate ticket - although tour companies will probably offer it as part of their tour packages. Point is though that it's separate entry to the rest of the monument. Or at least it was, been a couple of years since I was there.

If you only take a tour for one thing make it the Vatican, the queues are horrendous otherwise. All the other main sites in Rome are quite close to each other and easily walkable when you're wandering around.

Jealous - I love Rome:)

Original poster
StJulian2023 · 03/02/2023 19:25

GiantKitten · 03/02/2023 19:21

We did a Vatican museum/Sistine Chapel tour - it did get us in relatively easily, but we still got hustled past everything inside and Chapel was RAMMED, so don’t recommend that.

Cat sanctuary is fab! But don’t try stroking the cats on the patio, they look pretty and cute but they’ll have you! The ones inside are very friendly though (I had kittens climbing over me)
www.gattidiroma.net/web/en/

If you’d have time, the Capitoline Museums are wonderful, and if you’re there at the right time you can watch the sun setting over Rome from the top floor.

DD will love the cat sanctuary!!

OP posts:
Original poster
StJulian2023 · 03/02/2023 19:25

Pearfacebanana · 03/02/2023 19:24

This is the tour we did :

www.takewalks.com/rome-tours/colosseum-tours-rome/

Had about 20 people on. You get broken into smaller groups and have headsets. Included Palatine Hill.

Thank you!

OP posts:
007DoubleOSeven · 03/02/2023 19:26

Try and get a tour that takes in the basilica San clemente

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